The little boy looks barely two years old, his wings tucked neatly against his side, his head buried as if he finds comfort in the thud of Baelen’s heart.
I mouth:Parents?
Baelen’s concern for me gives way to a deeper sadness. He responds:Gone.
The little girl on his right—the one whose blond head he patted—tugs on his arm, whispering so he has to take a knee to hear her. He nods, after which her gaze darts to me.
She wobbles into a curtsy, her young voice a nervous whisper. “Supreme Incorruptible, I honor you.”
I answer, “I am very honored.”
“C’mon, children,” Baelen addresses them. “Back to the Court.”
“One more story!” one of them shouts.
“Yes, please!”
Adalie takes my hand. “Bae-Bae has told us all about battling talon crows and shadow panthers…”
She babbles away as I walk with her, following the children who follow Baelen. Every now and then he glances back to check I’m still there. He might be focusing on the task at hand, but I know it’s only a matter of time before he demands to know exactly what happened while I was gone.
Up ahead, I recognize many of the females from Harem Hall. Some of them are obviously waiting for their children to arrive—those are the ones who pace anxiously along the cliff-side of the Court. Then there are those who are helping others, bringing drinks and food and making sure the children are happy. At the nearest corner of the Court, I recognize Gilda, her dark hair flowing freely down her back, watching over a group of children who are occupied with drawing.
I’m several paces away, just about to greet her, when a male gargoyle soars in from the expanse beyond the cliff, lands on the edge, tucks his wings in, and heads straight for her.
It’s Roar, his blue-veined wings stained with soot and his boots covered in mud. Gilda freezes when she sees him, drawing up tall, uncompromising and prickly. He keeps his head down, watching where he’s going instead of forcing her to make eye contact.
I stop right where I am. Baelen has led the children off to the other side of the Court, glances back, sees me, sees Roar, and quickly stays where he is, giving the unfolding situation the space it needs.
Roar drops to a knee in front of Gilda as she eyes him warily. He’s absolutely filthy, worse than I ever saw him in the mines, covered in sweat and dirt. Her eyes narrow, her back straight, but that’s the only reaction she gives to his appearance.
He holds up both hands, one cupped beneath the other, opening his palms to reveal an offering: a delicate white flower, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.
Her eyes widen. Her dark hair lifts in the breeze, framing her face as she opens her mouth to speak but stops. His head is still down. Without hesitation, she whisks the flower from his palm, takes one look at it, and crushes it in her fist with a vengeance. She presses so hard that her knuckles turn white.
My heart sinks as she opens her hand and allows the flower to fall. Tears sparkle in her eyes. She stalks away from him while the flower’s mangled remains flutter to the ground and land next to his boot.
He scoops it up, finally lifting his eyes to watch her swaying form as she strides away. She doesn’t look back.
I race to his side. “Roar! I’m sorry.”
He startles me by breaking into a grin, beaming at me, his eyes more alive than they’ve been for days. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Lady Storm. She accepted my gift.”
“Uh… really?”
He hands me the flower. “This is a chrysalis flower. It’s only found in the wastelands in muddy bogs. After you pick it, it wilts after four hours. No time for me to take a shower.” He shrugs at his own disheveled appearance. “But look…”
He holds it up for me to see. “Its true beauty is not in its appearance, but in what lies beneath the surface.”
The flower has changed color, turning a deep amethyst, and the most amazing fragrance wafts up from it. The scent contains layers of vanilla and roses and immediately makes me feel comforted and warm.
Roar says, “It only releases its perfume when you crush it.”
“So… when she crushed it…?”
“She accepted my gift.”
Thank the ancients.“I’m happy for you, Roar. So happy.” I attempt to hug him but he quickly sidesteps my gesture.
