“Sorry?” Merry frowned.
“Some of your new seedlings. I recognize some of them. They’re all poisonous?”
“Yes, they’re for d’Arcan’s future poison garden.”
Phin nodded tightly, the look in her eye positively haunted. I bristled, the bond flaring painfully.
Merry’s cheeks pinked as she took in Phin’s expression. “Oh. I see. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean?—”
“I know you didn’t. How could you? They’re just plants. Please don’t apologize, the issue is mine.”
“Still, I feel terrible. Are you sure you’re alright now?”
“Yes, I’ll be fine.” Phin straightened her shoulders. My chest eased. Whether she thought so or not, she was very strong. Her eyes landed on the birds still lingering on the windowsill. “Are they…?”
“Introduce yourselves to the lady,” Hailon prompted.
She gasped, eyes wide as they communicated with her in their own way. I was excluded again but didn’t mind. I knewArchimedes very well, and Belmont was becoming just as much a fixture in the family as Rylan’s owl.
There wasn’t much space, but they each did their own version of a bow, spreading their wings and bobbing their heads.
“Nice to meet you,” she whispered.
“What mischief are you two up to?” I asked.
New friend coming. Old friend.Archimedes sent, blinking his round gold orbs before turning his head back her direction. Phin frowned at his words.
“Those are different things, yes?”
Same.
I sighed, sure that there would be no progress had if I argued with him. “If you insist.”
Belmont rarely spoke to me directly, but he made that loud knocking sound particular to corvids and blinked several times as he stared at me with his one good eye.
“Have you come to deliver a formal invitation to visit d’Arcan, then? Or just examine the new residents of the crossroads.”
Yes. Archimedes put his wings out and fluffed his feathers, blinking at me as they settled again. Cheeky bird.
“Tell Rylan I’ll consider it.”
“Oh, you really should visit soon if you haven’t,” Hailon enthused. “The new dormitory is well on its way, and I think Magnus and Grace may be moving into their new house soon. I can’t believe how much they’ve gotten done despite the cold weather. It must have killed Magnus to use the city’s masons and other craftsman. They’d have moved in months ago had the stone kin been the ones in charge of building the structures.”
“They really do work incredibly fast,” Merry nodded. “Days is all it took for these cabins to be all but final finishes.”
“When was the last time you went to d’Arcan, Tap? Was it the wedding?” Seir asked, smirk on his mouth. He was instigating again.
“You know it was.”
“Then you’re overdue. Surely going there is nearly as safe as coming here.” My brother winked at me as he crossed to the window to pet the birds.
“What is d’Arcan?” Phin asked.
“A collegium in Revalia,” I explained. “My brother Rylan’s institution. They teach various skills to budding mages.”
Belmont made the knocking noise again.
“Belmont’s bonded, Greta, is the alchemist Tap mentioned. She lives there. She’s mated to Vassago, another brother of ours,” Seir explained.
