I couldn’t keep the steel out of my voice as I frowned. He’d used almost the same words when we’d met and that wasn’t a pleasant memory. Lorien’s arm landed on the desk and I was forced to study the leather bracer bound to his wrist, that and the thick cord of muscle.
“Drathnor terrorised most of Nevermere,” he said. “She still does today.”
“What?”
“Least her bones do.” His eyes locked with mine, forcing me to maintain the stare. “We ran into her burial site to get away from the duke’s executioner,” he said. “Managed to fall through the cave ceiling to another hollow below. Was fair shivering in my boots, right up until I saw them.”
His wrist twisted, as if he’d conjure up a memory like a street charlatan, but somehow I knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Hovering in a nimbus of silver light, I’m pretty sure Drathnor used the last of her magic to protect her sons.”
Sons?
Auren’s voice rung in my head, but it was drowned out by Lorien’s.
“There’s a reason why people haven’t seen silver dragons in… forever. Our dragons were the last eggs Drathnor gave birth to, right before she died.”
My hand slapped down on Lorien’s wrist, some idle part of me disappointed it was leather I felt, not hot skin.
“Show me,” I demanded, my voice an echo of Auren’s. “Show me where Drathnor died.”
Chapter 34
Lorien
“I can’t.” Those were not the words I wanted to say to my girl, especially when I saw her reaction. She blinked as if shocked she’d even dared to ask, and what the hell was that about? Then that damn blush was back. It wasn’t cute this time, because just then I saw real pain in her eyes. “I mean, I can’t right now,” I amended hastily, but the damage was done.
“Of course.” Her hand fluttered through the air like a wounded butterfly. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
Fuck it. I was leaning forward, taking that soft little hand in mine and then clasping it tight. For just a moment, there was only the sear of her skin, the pleasure of linking my fingers with hers.
“Yes, you should. Ask anything of me, Fern, please.”
“What?”
I’d seen spoiled girls and petulant ones, charming ones that’d have you spending all your coin on them, but it was the hurt ones that got to me. Right now, I needed to do whatever it took to make that shocked look on her face go away.
“I’ll sneak pots of tea in for you,” I said, watching her closely,tracking every tiny shift in expression. “Gods, even a plate of biscuits.”
“Lorien.” A faint smile formed. Oh, that gave me hope. “The crumbs!”
“I’ll sweep every single one of them away,” I continued. “Gods, I’ll even read these books…” Those weighty tomes mocked me with their many pages, making clear how onerous a task it would be. “I just can’t fly anywhere today, because the general gave us a bag of coin and said we should go and have a drink on him at the tavern and Dain drank until he passed out.”
“Goodness…” Her spare hand went to her bosom, and I worked very hard not to look more closely at that.
“Kael wasn’t much better. I stopped drinking early in the night, but despite me trying to get those two bastards back to the keep, Kael insisted on staying at the tavern.” My hand rubbed over my face, because I really, really needed that coffee. “If I try to fly us to Harlston, there’s every chance I’ll fall from the saddle, and if Dain catches me, he won’t hold me tight, thanking the gods for the opportunity to keep me safe. He’s just as likely to drop me seconds later, preferably on my head.”
Shit, why the hell did I bring that up again? I dared a sidelong look at Fern and was surprised to see her smiling. That, that sweetness. I wanted more of that and I didn’t care what I needed to do to get it.
“Tomorrow morning,” I said. “You, me, the open sky, and old dragon bones. I’ll fly with you from one end of Nevermere to the other if that’s what you want. Just need a full night’s sleep before I tackle the Tomb of Terror.”
“If you’ve had little sleep, you should go and rest now.” Her hand pulled free, and I didn’t like that at all, only for it to squeeze my shoulder. I may have tensed the muscles there a little. The way her eyes widened? Yeah, she felt it. I fought the urge to smirk, right before I dragged my chair over to sit by hers. “You’ve done enough, really. If you could show me the tomb tomorrow?—”
“We’ll set out first thing.” I fought the urge togrin. Thoughts of how to spend some time with my girl alone had filled my mind and now was my opportunity to make that happen. “But it’ll be at least a few days in the saddle. Blackreach is some way away from the capital.”
“Blackreach…” Fern shook her head. “All the more reason to rest.”
“Can’t.” There I was, saying that word again, but she caught the different emphasis. “If you want to read all these books…” I was ready to promise her the world, but then I looked down at the stack. Figured the smallest book in the pile was my best bet, only to open it and find the writing was tiny and cramped. The words swam before my eyes, laughing at my attempt to read them. That was pushed to one side, and another book was chosen. The printed letters were far clearer, but the size of it? Gods, the thing could pass for a tombstone, it was so heavy. “Then that’s what we’ll do. Finding out more about Drathnor, right?”
