“This is one of the many puzzling things about you,” Kade said, pointing to my arm. “Things like those.”
“What? My tattoos?”
“Cauld Ane can’t have them. Our skin heals too fast. It won’t accept the ink. And even if they could. I’m not sure they’d all glow like yours do. Have you ever experienced anything like that before, Arric?”
I shook my head.
“There is much about you that remains a mystery, but I have promised you answers, and I will make sure you get them. In fact, I’ve already contacted someone I hope can help enlighten us both, but it will take a few days for him to arrive. Arric, will you trust me enough to stay here at Castle Gunnach while we figure things out?”
“Yes, Majesty,” I said, once again surprised by my own words.
“Thank you Arric,” he said warmly. “And please, call me Kade. I’d like you to think of me as your host rather than your king.”
I nodded. “Thank you. I just wanna know why my memories suddenly feel like dreams. Why I know the faces in these paintings? How come sometimes I hear what people are thinking? Is all that normal? Is any of that stuff in any of these books?”
Kade smiled. “This library is mostly filled with the classics. This book is one of the few relics we have left from our early history. However, it is an excellent place to start,” Kade said with a smile, just as the library doors swung open.
“Excuse me, am I interrupting story time?” Connall Gunnach scowled.
“Con. Not now, brother,” Kade said.
“Not now? That’s what I should be saying to you. Or have your forgotten about the thousands of guests out on the back lawn,” Connell snapped back causing my spine to stiffen.
“Connall please. This is important,” Kade said.
“So are the games and believe me, brother. People are going to notice your absence sooner than later.”
“Let them notice,” Kade snapped. “My conversation with Arric is far more important than the bloody games, which you are free to return to at any time.”
“These may be the last games you attend for quite a while, and I think it would be best—”
“Thank you, brother. I will return once my conversation with Arric is completed,” Kade replied firmly but politely.
“The only conversation we need to have with this one is about how soon he’ll be leaving,” Connall said, his eyes locking onto mine.
“He isn’t going anywhere,” Kade said. “Arric is our guest and will be staying here in the residence.”
“Like hell he is,” Connall challenged. “I want this bastard as far away from Isla as possible by nightfall.”
My blood began to boil. However, the source of my rage wasn’t a result of Connall Gunnach’s insult to me, but of his defiance of the king.
Kade placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I understand your instinct to protect Isla, but you need to let me handle this.”
Connall violently swatted Kade’s hand away, but before he could speak another word of protest, I had him by the throat, suspended eight inches off the ground. My chest burned from within, and my tattoos glowed fire red.
“Arric!” Kade shouted. “Release him.” The instinct to obey the king being overruled by my instinct to protect him, my grip tightened around Connall Gunnach’s throat as he struggled to breathe.
“Dad!” I heard Isla from behind me. Although, I’d only had the one interaction with Isla, her voice was somehow more familiar to me than my own. “Let him go!” she shouted, causing me to finally release Connall, who fell to the floor with a thud.
“Get away from him,” Isla said, rushing to aid her father as he gasped for air.
“I…I’m sorry,” I said, staring at my hands, trying to make sense of why I’d done what I’d done.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Isla snapped back, causing me to feel shame like I’d never felt before.
“He’s confused, Isla,” Kade said. “I’m not sure Arric is completely in control of his actions.”
“Yeah, well he’d better be in control of staying the hell away from me and my father,” Isla said before ushering her father out of the library and slamming the heavy door behind her.
