“To what end?” Keane asks again.
He looks back at the Ancient as if he’s expecting a certain answer, as if he’s waiting to hear if what he suspects is true. Keane knows something, and as Hirovale’s eyes quickly glance to mine, studying my face before he turns back to the Prince, I sit up farther in my seat to hear the answer.
“You know, King,” Hirovale says quietly.
The Prince shifts again on his feet, staring at the Ancient with hard eyes.
“Say it,” he commands softly.
Hirovale nods and then flicks his golden eyes back on me, speaking his next words directly, “to assist in their side of the battle against the change that is to come.”
The restoration of magic to the Old World.
Hirovale’s prophecy.
“You suspected this?” I look over to Keane in confusion, “you suspected some sort of conflict between the Kingdoms?”
“All roads seem to be leading that way,” Keane nods as I look back at him in small anger.
Hedidanticipate the Ancient’s answer.
Just as he anticipated his father’s death,suspectedhis impending doom. Not just from the Ancient’s casual toss of the word King, but from… what did Hirovale say in the Bell Grove? That Keane suspectednot just from him, but from all of the events of late.
My body stiffens in more anger as I continue to look back at the Prince. While I was battling with the information and my own suspicions of Zander’s death, battling with the Ancient on whether or not to warn Keane of his father, Keane was coming to the same conclusion, hiding it internally, just as he was hiding his suspicions of the Leviathans.
What more is he anticipating that he’s decided not to share with me? What more has he put together on the Kingdoms Councils, or the Leviathans, or thefuckingAireals for Ancients sake? The blonde Discerni from Woodlands confirmed that night that they were indeed interested in me. His own father confirmed at our meeting not shortly after that the Kingdom could perceive me as a threat.
I scoff internally at my thoughts and glare at Keane, not appreciating nor understanding why he would hold his suspicions from me, why he would keep me in the dark. I turn away from him and catch Hirovale from the corner of my eyes, his brows lifting at all the silent thoughts in my mind as if to say he’s staying out of this.
First time ever,I scowl at him. The Ancient chuckles out loud and just takes a sip of his whiskey.
“What are you thinking?” Keane’s voice pulls me back to him, his brown eyes confused and looking at mine in question. The look is so innocent in its confusion that I have to remind myself of a simple truth, that I’ve never given him any indication that I wished to be involved in all of this.
I’ve never asked him for more details or inquired into his own thoughts as to the events of late. He’s been keeping his suspicions to himself because he thought I didn’t want to discuss the politics of everything…
But not tonight.
Ancients.
Just tonight Keane told me that he suspected Iwouldbe interested in it all, that he believed I would embrace the politics and all of the worries and uncertainties that come from it.
I give Keane a soft smile in apology, “I’m thinking that I should like to be involved in everything you know, in everything you suspect. I’m thinking that once again you’ve seen my fire before I have.”
Keane’s brown eyes alight as they dart across my face, his glance assessing my request. His lips turn up slowly in a small smirk before he gives me a tilt of his head, nodding in agreement as the two of us smile back at each other.
“Why Rivian?” I furrow my brows in thought, looking back at the Ancient. He’s watching Keane and I quietly from behind the settee. “Why is she so revered by the Leviathans and how can she help them?”
Both Hirovale and Stormfall’s gold and yellow eyes move to mine, causing me to take a small inhale of breath at the intensity of them. I keep my gaze steady against the Ancient’s and wait for his answer.
Hirovale gives me an amused smirk, his features reverting back to the first night I met him. He’s friendly and casual now, all tension gone, his eyes crinkling in silent and small laughter.
“It’s good to see your curiosity will out again, Alex.”
I roll my eyes at him, “and it’s good to see you giving non-answers again,Hiro.”
The Ancient’s eyes blaze on mine as his lips give a broad smile. He turns back to Keane and then motions his hand to the settee in front of him, nodding his head in question.
“May I sit?”
