A well-dressed servant had slipped into the facility and was striding our way, flanked by two faerie guards. The servant was a dryad with black, bark-like skin and eyes the same color as gold autumn leaves. Most notably, he had three arms, the third sprouting from just below his right arm.
“Yes?”
“Lord Balik would like to speak with you, Princess Isolde,” the servant said. I was willing to bet that he was Tadgh’s personal butler. “And your sister.”
“Great. I bet she’s in her room.”
“She’s not.”
Isolde’s eyebrows pinched together. “You’re sure?”
“I checked the rooms before coming here. No one was there, and I thought you might know where she is.”
“Did you check the den near our suites? She had planned to stop by and see our friends.”
“She’s not there either.”
Isolde let out a soft hum before the confusion left her face, and a sly grin replaced it. “I might have some idea of where to find her.”
Chapter 12
ISOLDE
Ibit back the squeal of glee when I found my sister exactly where I predicted she might have gone—to the healing sanctuary.
Thyra kept Thantrel at arm’s length, but I’d caught her stealing glances. I’d watched her twist his way and saw how she tilted her head in his direction when he spoke. I’d suspected something was changing inside her.
There she was, sitting at his bedside as a healer applied fresh gauze around his wings, talking with him. Secretly talking. Some might call itflirting.
I was pretty sure Thantrel did. He hadn’t spotted me yet, hovering outside the door to his room, but I’d rarely seen him smile so widely.
Stars, if only Vale had come with me. He’d be elated to witness such a sight.
My wish to let them continue bonding warred with my desire to speak with Lord Balik. In the end, the latter won out. I cleared my throat. “Sister.”
Thyra jumped up from her chair and spun. Her cheeks, normally as pale as mine, stained pink.
“I just stopped by.”
“Fifteen minutes ago,” Thantrel crowed.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You must not have spoken with the Scholars for very long, huh Thyra?”
“They found nothing.” She rolled her eyes. “And then I was going to my room, as I said I would, but the sanctuary was on the way.”
“A twisty sort of way, I suppose.” I shrugged.
It was Thantrel’s turn to laugh, and my ear detected a heaping amount of satisfaction in his joy.
“Oh hush. The both of you. What do you want, Isolde?” She was irritated at being caught, but even so, as she said my name, her face loosened. Thyra had disliked that I’d clung to a slaver’s name. I understood her reasoning, felt it a bit myself, but I’d needed to move at my pace to claim my birth name.
“Lord Balik has summoned us.”
“Let’s go then.” She stepped away from the bed.
“No kiss goodbye?” Thantrel’s lips puckered, and he made kissing noises.
