CHAPTER VIII #8
Both Keane and Desmond are acting so out of character, their demeanors truly opposite from that of last night. The two of them no longer look at the Lord with cool and demanding gazes, but instead converse with him openly as if they’re actually enjoying his presence.
My heart beats hard against my chest at the sight.
I turn to Holis at my side with troubled eyes, asking him without words if he sees the same thing I do.
The quiet Discerni nods briefly, letting his own narrowed eyes fall on Keane just as the small movement of brown robes catches my glance from behind him.
Golem is looking at me hard right now, his features pulled tight for as much as they can around his clay face. He flicks his brown gaze to Troy, then to Keane and Desmond before looking back at me. My heart lurches dangerously from its chest.
No.
There’s no fucking way.
Troy wouldn’t be stupid enough to use his summoning against his brothers... against the King.
There’s no way.
But even as I try to convince myself, I can’t help but notice the way his hand just barely brushes against Desmond’s arm, feigning that he’s reaching for his drink. He’s done the same on numerous occasions to Keane tonight as well, a realization that makes my full stomach drop with anxiety.
Can they not feel it?
Can they not feel Troy’s push or pull of emotions against them?
I did, the last time Troy stood with me at the door to my room in Bardot.
I felt him read my emotions when his hand touched my face.
I’ve been feeling Desmond’s stealthing summoning recently every time it washes over us.
Have felt, since the very beginning, Keane’s location summoning when he uses it on me.
They have to feel the use magic as well, right?
I shake my head to the human girl behind me without glancing her way, feeling as she retracts her hand holding a new sparkling toddy. My eyes find Golem’s again, knowing that if there is anyone in this room that can help Keane and Desmond combat their brother’s summoning, it’s him.
“Let’s take a walk,” I whisper under my breath, unable to stop my heart from pounding against my chest.
Both brothers nod at my side as I stand up swiftly from the table.
“Lady Alexis?” Keane finally turns his glance on me, his brown gaze indifferent.
The sight makes me shiver as Canon stands up opposite from us.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes,” I nod to Keane with a small smile, trying to hide my worry. “Just wish to take a walk through the courtyard, Your Grace.”
The table around us turns silent as Keane gives a small nod and reaches for the sparkling drink in front of him. “Of course. There is no reason for you to remain the rest of the night.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” I state quietly, taking a slow step back from the table as both Holis and Mana move at my sides.
“No need to go with her, Canon,” Keane chuckles to his First Guard.
I turn around slowly with widened eyes, watching as the Discerni soldier also looks at the King in open surprise.
“She has the brothers with her,” he shrugs causally, “they never seem to leave her side, much to my dismay.”
Lord Kaven and Troy give a small laugh as I glare back at Keane, not knowing who this man is in front of me. There’s no chance in the Old World he would ever let me walk out of this room without his guard, yet just that reminder alone has me knowing he’s not in his right state of mind.
Canon grimaces in my direction but nods his head, sitting back down under the royal command.
“Can I actually steal Golem away for a brief moment, Your Grace?” I smile back at the King as he lifts a brow. “I don’t intend for him to walk with me, just need to speak to him briefly.”
“By all means,” Keane shrugs again, “take another of my men.”
I notice that Lord Alexander watches Keane silently, his own features hiding the small hint of bewildered confusion behind them. I bow my head to Keane, avoiding his gaze and the rest of the table as the four of us walk out of the room in deathly silence.
I’m fuming.
Never have I seen this side of Keane. It’s…
Ancients.
It’s horrible.
Golem places his hand on my shoulder, stopping me in the hall.
“Shield us, please, Golem!” I nearly cry.
My magical friend lifts his hands in front of him, his summoning surrounding our group as we stand in the middle of the hall. I take a deep breath, trying my best to collect myself, then look at Golem hard.
“Can you break through whatever Troy’s done?”
He nods as I bring a hand up to my temple, thinking.
“And how long will that take?”
Golem stares back at me affectionately, shaking his head.
“Sorry,” I rub my forehead, “let me rephrase this. Can it be done tonight?”
He nods, then shakes his head again. I know the gesture. He believes so but can’t be certain.
“You’ll need to get them away from Troy…” I sigh, knowing that will be a challenge. The group looked like they were ready to stay the night with their drinks.
“Fucking Troy,” I groan heatedly as a strong hand reaches around my arm.
“Tell us what’s going on, Alexis,” Holis says quietly, pulling my gaze towards him.
“The Prince can summon emotions through a being,” I tell the Discerni with a scoff. “I don’t know what feelings he’s pushed into Keane, but obviously you’ve seen the way he’s acting. He’s done the same to Desmond, too.”
Golem nods as Holis turns to his brother with a frown, releasing my arm as the two of them stare at each other in hard silence.
“Golem can break through that summoning,” I continue, “but he needs to do it without Troy around.”
“I don’t see that happening tonight,” Mana replies quietly, considering, “especially with that dinner.”
“Will the summoning wear off on its own?” Holis looks at Golem in question. “Perhaps after a night of rest, before we leave tomorrow?”
Golem looks back at the Discerni, remaining quiet in his own thoughts before he turns his gaze on me. I press harder into my temple, thinking back to what Elena told me of her brother’s summoning.
“It may,” I shake my head in anguish, “if Keane and his brother are strong enough to realize what’s been done. We might have to let it run its course tonight and wait until we’re back on the road for Golem to work on them independently.”
Golem nods in agreement as I frown even further, hating the prospect.
“Do what you can now, after the dinner when they turn in for bed. If that’s not enough then you can try again tomorrow night when we reach Alston. Elena will be there to help.”
Golem reaches his hand for mine, pulling it away from my face before he gives it a small squeeze. I smile just barely, watching as he nods to the brothers and then turns back down the hall to return to the dinner.
“I have no intention of going back in there,” I grimace to Holis and Mana, “and really do want to get out of this residence. Will you two join me?”
“Always,” Holis responds.
I don’t know where I aim to go, only that I need to get out of this white marble cage and its fake allure to beauty.
The brothers walk steadily at my sides, moving closely with me as we take the sweeping staircase down to the first floor and move out of the large double doors, into the night.
It’s all I can do but stare out at the forest beyond, trying to get rid of Keane’s indifferent gaze on me.
That look is heart-wrenching, tugging at a pit in my stomach every time I remember it.
Gone was the intense brown of his gaze— the playful brown, my brown.
I knew he wasn’t completely there, yet hated that I had no way of getting him back.
Fucking Troy.
The urge to once again physically hurt the Prince of Disce reigned strong within me.
The cool spring air rushes past us as we move through the courtyard, the breeze doing its best to calm my heated body and thoughts.
I scowl at the small sounds of movement coming from the homes above and keep my head high, walking forward until the three of us are on the main road.
The treeline is filled with the bottled moonslight that sparkles overhead, lighting our way as a few argents dip between the limbs.
Stormfall is awake on my shoulder, has been awake since dinner, and steps easily towards my neck before nipping it gently.
“I need to get Storm some food,” I tell the brothers quietly. “He hasn’t had a proper meal since Auclair and refuses to leave my side.”
“Let’s go back to the pub, see if the man there has anything in his kitchen,” Holis nods. “If not, we’ll go hunting tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you,” I reply and bring a hand up to Storm, letting him nip my finger again as the three of us walk towards the bend in the road.
Mana suddenly stops dead in his tracks.
Stormfall grips my shoulder hard right before Holis quickly reaches for my hand. My Discerni friend lifts his other to his lips, motioning for me to be quiet as Mana stares ahead with narrowed eyes.
I look at the two of them in confusion, my heart pounding yet again. Mana finally turns towards us with a hard look behind his eyes, the glance he sends Holis making his brother grimace.
Within a single breath, Holis has his hands on my waist and is picking me up off the ground. He holds me to his chest as the two brothers move swiftly into the forest and off the road, running in their Discerni speed.
“What-” I try to whisper but Mana looks at me sharply.
Holis moves a hand to my mouth, shaking his head and willing me not to make a sound.
He slowly drops me to the ground as I nod in understanding, hearing a heavy set of footsteps coming from around the bend.
The three of us peer back at the road from the dense trees, watching as Carsen moves down it slowly.
“I agree…” he nods in his deep voice. “Her eyes are too perceptive, even when she’s not asking questions.”
I look around the road and forest in confusion.
Who in the damn Ancients world is he talking to?
My eyes glance up to the trees, feeling my heart push hard against my chest in realization. Is there another Discerni with him? In the forest above?