I hear Ilryth curse in the back of his mind. I push him away gently and call back to Ventris, “Of course, why would it not be?”
“It seemed very quiet.”
“Can two people not talk amongst themselves?” I glance over my shoulder at the kelp to make sure he’s not swimming through.
There’s a brief pause. “Certainly, they can. I simply desired to make sure all was well.”
If he wasn’t trying to listen in then he wouldn’t sound so confused and alarmed. I smile, taking no small amount of pleasure at the idea of thwarting Ventris. I hope he’s racking his brain, frustrated as to the reason why he can’t listen in. No doubt the carved symbols I’ve seen all over this place are also the markers of his grubby little magic trying to get into every corner.
Leaning back in, I press my forehead against Ilryth’s once more. I savor the sensation of initiating the closeness, even if it’s only for practicality’s sake. “What can I do to help you today?”
Ilryth shakes his head, his nose almost brushing against mine. “You can’t come.”
“I will.”
“But—”
“I’m going to and that’s that,” I say definitively. “I will help. I’m the offering, I know words of the old ones, surely all that meanssomething? Tell me how I can be of use.”
Ilryth narrows his eyes slightly. He wants to object, but he doesn’t have the speed or eloquence to continue doing so. And I remain resolute. Instead, his expression relaxes slightly and the focus shifts to something more internal. He props his right elbow on his left fist, bringing the latter across his body, and strokes his chin with his right hand.
For a moment I am very,verydistracted by the way his fingers glide over his cheeks and lips. He grabs me again, this time pressing his cheek against mine as though he is going to whisper in my ear. I barely resist holding his cheek with my free hand to feel his closeness.
“While there are general guidelines for anointing the offering, there’s a lot of room for interpretation depending on what the offering needs. The whole process is relatively new in our history and is still being experimented with,” Ilryth says, resting his hands on my shoulders to keep us together. “Because of this, it could be difficult for them to question the nuances. If you said we had to go back to the Natural World to anoint you in the waters of your home—that you heard in the hymns of the old ones that you needed clean sea, free of rot, and that it was Krokan’s will…they couldn’t object.”
I nod. “I can do that. When is best for me to—”
“The other singers in the chorus are here. We should make way to the meeting hall.Now,” Ventris interrupts. His tone is curt. I hope it is because he’s annoyed by not being able to hear our thoughts. “The hour is growing late and there’s much to be done.”
I can’t get in a word faster than Ilryth.
“We’re coming.”
“But—”
Without warning, his right hand glides against my cheek, fingers pressing lightly behind my ear, gently hooking my jaw. The movement draws my entire being against him. The momentum is stopped only by my body meeting his. The barbs of desire have hooked me once more, instantly upon his touch. Our lips nearly meet.
So close. Agonizingly…close.
Just once more before I die, I’d like to kiss a man. Kiss him…maybe?
Ilryth presses his forehead to mine. “All will be well, don’t worry,” he says, the words deep with purpose. “I will look after you no matter what. I swear it.”
The sentiment is innocuous enough that he could have said it aloud. It would’ve hardly been a problem if Ventris had heard him reassuring me.
But he didn’t. Ilryth kept that comfort for me, and me alone. He releases me, but the words cling. I hold them in my thoughts as delicately as I would an egg. They are warm, fragile, and carry something unknown, but possibly wonderful, within them.
CHAPTER27
I keepIlryth’s reassurance close as Ventris leads us into a large cavern. It appears naturally made, embellished with relief carvings of stone pillars against the walls that don’t appear to support the rough-hewn ceiling. Silvery vines trellis down from a trough carved around the top of the room, casting everything in the truest shade of blue I’ve ever seen.
Five shells are positioned in a semi-circle. The one in the center is placed upon a pillar of stone. Two each are positioned to the right and left of it.
With the way he’s been acting, I would’ve expected Ventris to take the top seat—the one that looks most like a throne for a king—but he occupies the one at the far left. The center seat is occupied by a pale, older woman with short-cut, dark brown hair that’s lined with salt.
Ilryth positions himself before them and I hover just behind at his right. The other two dukes regard us thoughtfully. One of them has long, thick black braids and brown skin. The other is tawny skinned and brown haired. I’m not sure where to go, or what to do. So I linger and wait. The dukes and duchess glance at each other and I know things are being said that I can’t hear.
Ventris takes a conch shell and places it on a flat, round stone in the center of the semi-circle, right in front of where Ilryth is standing. Much like the shell around my neck, it has been adorned with carvings and silver inlay of swirling lines and symbols that are reminiscent of the markings on us all.
