I wanted to, I really did. But I didn’t know how I was going to put that together. Anya hadn’t been caught. There were no traces of her above ground. Alric left the three women up there for longer just in case she did turn up, though I could see he was regretting it now that Juniper received her magic. They would have his ass when they found out. The priests were potential murderers. Juniper now had her magic and there was no telling how predictable it was, as I hadn’t seen her even try to conjure it again. Though I didn’t exactly blame her for that. I ran my hands down my face. “I don’t know how to plan a celebration with all this shit exploding around me.”
Alric waggled his brows at me and I fought a grin. Of course, he had a plan. “Leave it all to me. We need this. We need celebration and laughter. At least for a little bit before we march forward. If we don’t deserve it, Juniper does. Get her a gift, take a break for a little bit, I’ll stay here if I need to and you get your head on straight. Go on patrols if you need to. I’m back and you can rely on me.” He cocked his head to the side as he considered me. “You need to kill something.”
“You’re promising to an awful lot. You’re gonna watch over the queen, keep her safe, plan a Winter Solstice celebration, keep up with training, and take care of yourself?”
He licked his bottom lip as his face went serious. “I’m worried sick about those three, or rather a particular redhead that wants nothing more than to see my head on a spike, and I really need something to keep my mind busy. If anyone deserves a break, it’s you. You need to be on top of your game for what’s to come.”
CHAPTER FOUR
JUNIPER
This whole spying thing was starting to make me feel icky but the more I did it, the more I couldn’t stop. The information I was learning was too valuable to give it up. I had to know more about Ryven. I needed more. When Ryven left me with Alric, I grinned as the door clicked closed behind him and then whirled on my friend.
“We are going to have a Winter Solstice celebration?”
“I thought I heard a mouse breathing too hard in the hallway,” Alric smirked. “I see you’ve thought about what I asked of you before I left.”
I rolled my eyes. I would neither confirm nor deny his suspicions especially since I didn’t want him to tell Ryven when he got back. He had no proof that I was sleuthing again. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. I couldn’t risk him taking away my little freedom and I couldn’t risk him trying to lock me up. There was only so much I could take within these walls especially with Ryven acting like a statue. Especially after all the hurtful things he said to me. I was still processing that. “Do we get to dress up?”
Immediately, I thought of the dress Sita was starting for me. It was like starlight and magic. The fabric slid through myfingers and caused a shiver to go up my spine. It would be magnificent when she was finished with it.
Alric nodded. “I plan to completely transform the entire training arena for it. I want everyone to forget their troubles for the night. It will also be the celebration we announce your magic. Has your mark come in again?”
I shook my head and then shrugged. I didn’t think so but I couldn’t exactly see my entire back either.
“I’ll have one of the girls check it when they get back. It’s not that big of a deal but I am curious.”
“You aren’t going to check it?” He’d seen my bare back before.
He folded my hand within his. “That was fine before, but now we must keep you and your virtue taken care of. Nothing else matters.”
“What about what I want?” I frowned this time. There went what little control I thought I would have.
“I don’t want rumors to circulate about us again, especially since I’ve been seen with Reva and pining so hard for her. Our courtship is over to the public I don’t want them to speculate anything especially with your magic coming in like this.”
I hadn’t tried my magic again, too scared of it and what would happen but I could feel it buzzing and writhing under my skin. It wanted out. It wanted freedom just as much as I did. I shrugged again.
“Have you used your magic since it erupted that day during training?”
“No,” I pouted. “And I haven’t been back to train either.”
I hated it. I was being treated like a child that kept misbehaving. “We need to get your magic under control, find Anya, and sniff out the ones that aren’t loyal to you before you go out in the open like that again. Why don’t you waittill after the celebration? Many people are waiting for a formal announcement.”
“What about your father and the other priests?” I hadn’t gotten much time to speak to them. They merely stared at me. I figured a proper introduction was in order, right? Didn’t they want to at least speak to me?
Alric openly winced before he tried to cover it up. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
I cocked a brow at him. “Why not?”
He pursed his lips as he chewed on the inside of his lip. “I don’t think this is something we should be talking about.”
I rolled my eyes. “I could command you.”
He blinked long and slow. “Oh, could you?”
My shoulders slumped in defeat. “Probably not but only because you’re my friend. But what if I run into one of them?”
It was Alric’s turn to roll his eyes. “You think you’ll be facing one of them alone? No chance. Either I or Ryven will be with you at all times.”
