“I listened to your words very carefully tonight, Keane…”
The Prince crosses his arms over his chest as a hint of amusement dances across his face.
“Forfeit all green agate wheninGaumond. I expect to have these back the moment I step foot outside this city.”
“You will,” Keane nods, eyes still dancing.
“Okay then,” I accept my punishment, turning back around to walk towards the settee in front of the fireplace. I grab the blanket on the cushions and fold it slowly, finally placing it back on the chair. I take my time walking to the large table in his room, bending down slow to blow out each of the candles one by one until I hear Keane’s chuckle from the bed.
“Alexis…”
He knows I’m stalling.
I take a deep breath and blow out the final candle, trying to steady my beating heart before I turn towards him.
Ancients, he’s one of you.
His lightly tanned chest glows under the moonslight and stars above, the silk of the black sheets looking like dark moving waters as he lays casually on top of them. His brown hair is a bit ruffled over his head, the casualness of it all matching the rest of his relaxed figure as he stretches his legs out in the middle. He leans back against the headboard as my eyes instantly drop to the black chain around his neck. I sigh to myself and the color against his skin. Black has always looked good on him.
Keane draws up one of his knees with a grin and lays his arm across the top.
“Come,” he commands, fingers reaching out to me.
I walk towards him slowly, stopping in front of one of the large corners at the end of the bed to wrap my arm around it. I let my head lean against the dark mahogany and press my hip softly against it for support, taking another deep breath as I look at him with the same resolve I had this morning.
“I’ve made a travel plan. Cal, Holis and Mana are all in agreement. As is Alanna.”
Keane sits up straighter, watching me quietly as I continue, “I don’t mean to take her away from your Court, but I want her to be with me when I travel to Woodlands.”
“I know of your plan, Alexis,” he nods quietly.
I had suspected this morning but am still curious.
“How?”
“Desmond’s scouting.”
“His summoning?”
“Yes,” he nods again, “when Golem is not around to block his summoning, he can insert himself as a silent participant in a conversation that he is near.”
“That’s…” I breathe in awe.
“Intrusive,” he says, reminding me of my words when I learned about his location summoning under the Shadow Oak.
“I was going to say that’s probably what makes him a good Master Informer,” I reply with a soft shrug.
Keane watches me with silent curiosity and nods.
“Does his scouting work like your location summoning?”
“No,” he shakes his head, “Desmond’s is more intricate, more layered and detailed. Mine is surface level. Where I can place a person within a general area and oftentimes, but not always, see their location through their eyes for brief moments, Desmond can enter the room or area with that person. He can experience every detail of the surroundings and listen to every word of conversation without being seen. His summoning deals heavily with stealth and scouting and a few other things.It iswhat makes him a good Master Informer.”
My eyes widen with every bit of explanation, marveling at the magic of it all.
“What you don’t know, then, and what I didn’t tell the rest of the group because the desire is my own…”
I look down at my hand wrapped around the tall wooden post, “your brother will be waiting for me the moment I get back to Bardot, Keane. He will find a way to pull me aside. He always does.”
