CHAPTER 18 #2
That explained the dirt in small flasks next to the cauldron. I debated leaving her to it. “Any luck?”
“I’m afraid not.” As she spoke, her words were distant, her face a bit tight. She went on, “So, you met Lord and Lady Barrows?”
“Yes, they were surprisingly kind,” I answered, then pressed my lips, replaying my words.
But Cerridwen smirked. “You mean kinder than we were when you arrived in Mountheim?” she asked, not in accusation.
I shrugged, letting out a tight smile. “Reagan will probably fill you in later about the deal and meeting Varian.”
Her brows climbed high, and her expression curdled into discontent. “Varian? That’s unfortunate.”
“I take it you don’t like him either,” I ventured, hoping to steer our conversation. “Something about his associates?”
Cerridwen’s eyes narrowed. “Did Reagan tell you that?”
I nodded. “I was attacked in Erisea by men supposedly from an Order.”
Cerridwen’s eyes went wide while she put down the flasks and turned to me. “Attacked? What happened?”
“Nothing, thanks to Reagan. Then he told me about them and what they believe in,” I explained, not wanting to discuss my attack in detail.
“Was Varian one of the men who attacked you?” she asked, stiff.
“No, no. But I sensed some aversion from him. I just found it similar to the others. I can understand why Reagan dislikes him so much.”
She made a face and brushed it off. “I’m sorry you were attacked. I hope Reagan took legal measures for the issue?”
Her tone indicated she was well aware of what type of measures the Mage Lord was prone to if irritated enough. I simply nodded and tilted my head, feigning casual curiosity. “I suppose that’s all it took for Reagan to dislike him, isn’t it?”
“You’d think that,” she continued, “but Varian has schemed against him many times, so Reagan has kept him out of the estate’s business. Varian is too ambitious for his own good. His belief that he’s entitled to the lordship of Mountheim is what drove him to move to Ashenagth, where he lives now.”
“Why does he think that?”
“Because his royal parent was a man,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Another ambitious one. But Elinor was the elder. The Ilya family resented them for many years.”
“Is there a chance that he can become Lord of Mountheim?” I asked.
Cerridwen’s shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly. “If Reagan can’t rule anymore, and since Gwinifer is not of the same blood, Varian is the closest kin to inherit the estate.”
I crossed my arms, mulling over those facts. Perhaps Varian still had an interest in taking over Reagan’s position. I wondered what level of risk his cousin could pose, especially with the estate’s sentence.
“Has he ever tried to take Reagan’s place? Or hurt him?” I asked.
Cerridwen’s gaze snapped to mine, but she hid the concern with a smile. “No. You don’t need to worry.”
I returned her smile, though I didn’t believe her words.
I excused myself, claiming I needed to rest after the journey, and promised to see her at dinner.
As I made my way to my room, a thought crept into my mind, something Judge Malory had said after passing my sentence. Something about Reagan having enemies.
I had never asked him that before, seeing him as my enemy as well. But now, my circumstances had changed, and the thought kept swirling in my mind. I wondered if I could uncover the other dangers Mountheim was facing if I paid closer attention.
◆◆◆
I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me, steam trailing into the room. My wet hair clung to my shoulders, and I rubbed it with another towel.
My gaze drifted to the dresser, to the small purple box Alameda had given me.
Inside, there was a delicate silver bangle with a pendant holding a single heartstone.
It was crimson, jagged, and no larger than a pea.
A card was included, saying that the Barrows would like me to return to Erisea again as their guest, and that she hoped I liked the piece of mage jewellery.
Nothing binding, just beautiful. And it was.
Even now, it glimmered faintly in the low light in my chamber, just like Reagan’s.
I was planning to look for a book in the study that could tell me more about them when his voice cut through my thoughts.
“I’ve got to hand it to you, you’re a better emissary than I expected,” Reagan said, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. “You’re already pulling information you weren’t supposed to have.”
I tensed at the sharp tone. Cerridwen must have told him about our conversation.
“Do you want me to apologise?” I asked. “Because I’m not sorry that I sought information that I need to survive here. Or at least, to do the job you gave me.”
“What you need is to listen to me when I say you should not know,” he drawled, taking a single step inside the room. “There are things that you can’t know, that none can. Even if you are an emissary, you can’t know everything.”
My fists clenched at my sides.
“Well, I know nothing. If I travel with you and meet more people like Varian and those Scions, who wanted to squash me, I’d like to be prepared, to know what I’m dealing with.”
He sighed, dragging a hand over his face. “Right, you should have known about the Scions, and I told you in Erisea. But next time, ask me before trying to get information from the staff. You can’t just go prying around. It’s dangerous.”
“I asked you, and you dismissed me,” I reminded him, holding my ground.
There was no answer for a moment. His eyes swept over me, as if he were just realising what I was wearing. A hint of amusement crossed his tense features. He was taking in my stance, staring at my feet, wide apart.
The corners of his lips curled.
“You are feisty even when you’re only wearing a towel.” He took a few more steps toward me and extended his hand.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “And you shouldn’t have come in here without knocking.”
“I knew you wouldn’t be naked,” he argued, and I huffed. “Fine. I will leave, but tell me you understand that it is dangerous to pry here. If you want to know something, then come to me.”
“I got it the first time,” I replied. “I won’t ask others, I’ll ask you, but you better not dismiss me again.”
He grinned—grinned. “Is that a threat?”
I blew out a long sigh, closing my eyes for an instant. “Just answer me this. Do you think your cousin would hurt you? Do you think he’s a threat?”
Reagan contemplated me, then extended his hand again. I knew I could send him away. He would leave if I asked. I was so used to his presence by now that it didn’t unsettle me. What I was feeling was more complicated than that.
I placed my hand in his, and he pulled me toward him until my towel brushed against his shirt.
“You look dangerously alluring when you win an argument,” he murmured, tucking a strand of my hair away from my face. His gaze flicked to the towel, and I—
I absently toyed with the buttons on his shirt, savouring the taste of his admission and feeling as if I were playing with fire.
“You look transparent when you’re trying to dodge questions,” I replied.
Reagan let out a low chuckle.
I was pretending. Pretending as if staying this intimately close was of no consequence. Dancing around what had happened in Erisea and pretending to be unfazed by it. But his presence was quickly affecting the beat in my chest.
“I asked for Finnegan because you’ve seen how Varian is when it comes to humans. If it’s you, he’ll just . . .” There was a deep sigh. “Let Finn and me handle Varian. I’ll make sure to share more information with you so you’re not caught off guard.”
Our breaths mingled. His eyes dropped to my mouth. And I stood there, suspended between worrying about Varian and remembering his words to me in the pool.
It would take just a slight lowering of his head for us to kiss. Just one soft tug on my towel to leave me standing bare before him. But—
This wasn’t about touching. This was about him briefing me, at least minimally, as an emissary. It was about refusing to yield blindly to orders and making a point.
I took a step back, his arms falling limply to his sides. “Thank you. I’ll see you at dinner.”
I didn’t wait for his reply. I simply turned and went back into my washroom.
◆◆◆
After what happened in Erisea, I had even more reason to focus on my sparring lessons with Gwinifer.
The fear I’d felt with those Scions still lingered in my mind, and I pictured their faces with every swing of my fist. I practiced daily, sometimes staying longer in the training room after she had already left for patrols.
Other times, meeting Finn in the study for the same purpose.
“This is so uncanny,” I gasped, eyes wide as I looked down at myself, my body completely hidden, utterly invisible.
Finnegan chuckled. “And you didn’t believe it was possible.”
No one would. This kind of witchcraft was exactly the sort of bizarre feat that made them completely unbelievable.
“I’m usually proved wrong by you lot all the time,” I noted. “So, if you enchanted it, does that mean I’ll be drawing power from you?”
He shook his head. “No, it only took a bit of my power to enchant it. You should be able to wear it for years.”
I untied one of the knots on my burgundy cloak, leaving two still in place. The rich fabric reappeared before my eyes, breaking its camouflage against the background.
Two knots, visible. Three knots, invisible. And possibly safer.
It was a relief, knowing I wouldn’t have to sap his power simply by wearing the cloak. “How does that work? Using your mana. How much can you use?”
Finn sat on a chair in the study as I removed my cloak.
“It’s different for every person, so we need to learn to read the signs and limits that our bodies are telling us.
At first, we feel tired, our energy drops, and then headaches set in.
It gets worse from there, when you might not even be able to stand. ”
“And then you have to rest?” I asked, taking a seat on the chair next to him.