He couldn’t have hidden his surprise if he’d wanted to, but he nodded once, reaching for her hand.
Once they were in his study at Tybalt’s, he leaned against his desk, crossing his arms. “Anything in particular regarding Ash Riders?” he asked while Kailia did her usual scan of the place. That was more than warrior training. She moved with the stealth of spies and the lethal grace of mercenaries. Her mannerisms only supported his suspicions.
After a moment, she met his gaze, and there was something almost…tormented there.
“Maybe it doesn’t even need to be about Ash Riders,” she said thoughtfully.
“I’d love to weigh in on that if only I knew what you were trying to learn,” he retorted dryly.
She sent him an equally dry look as she lifted a hand, ashes fluttering around it. “My power is broken.”
“Power can’t be broken.”
“I don’t know how else to describe it,” she said, frustration seeping into her tone. “I can’t move through my magic like I’ve been able to for centuries. It’s been weeks—months—since I’ve been able to. Anytime I try, it takes control and takes me someplace else. Somewhere I’m not trying to go. It’s unsettling.”
“I thought once Cethin gave you back that arrowhead, your magic was supposed to work properly again?” he asked, already sorting through books in his mind he could research in. Some were here, but those that would likely be most useful were somewhere else.
“Well, it’s not,” she answered simply.
“Why haven’t you said anything? Does Cethin know?” he demanded.
Lia shook her head, her fingers flexing slightly at her sides. “I’m not naïve. I know why he bound me in a union. What purpose will I serve if I can’t even use my magic properly for his kingdom?”
She wasn’t entirely wrong, which is why he weighed his words a bit before replying. Cethinhadbound her to the kingdom as his queen to use her for her weapons. And yes, having an Ash Rider was certainly an advantage with how rare they were. But he’d also watched the king with her for weeks now. It may have started out that way, but his obsession withher went far beyond that now. So once again, he found himself defending Cethin to her.
“He’d want to know,” he said. “Not only for those reasons, but because he understands a power that is difficult to control.”
“He seems to control his magic fine,” she replied.
“You’ve seen a fraction of his power, Kailia,” Razik said darkly. “You’d do well to remember that.”
“I’m well aware of what he’s capable of,” she retorted, wandering towards a bookshelf.
“Not that one,” he said, going in the opposite direction and leading her to an area off to the left. Calling over his shoulder, he added, “It’d be useful to know your lineage. That would help with this.”
“I’m sure it would,” she replied, a few paces behind him.
“You don’t know it? Or you’re not offering up the information?”
“I know as much as anyone else about Ash Riders,” she answered.
“Do you know if both your parents were Ash Riders?”
“No.”
His irritation already spiking, he asked evenly, “Let’s try this, Lia: rather than me attempting to drag information out of you, you share what you know.”
“I already said I don’t know my lineage,” she replied, stepping around him to peruse the books.
“Do you have theories?” he gritted out.
She glanced up at him. “That would be helpful?”
“Yes, Lia, that would be helpful.”
She straightened. “Why? It’s not factual.”
“How do you think things are discovered to eventually become fact? Theories are followed and investigated to be proven true or false.” She nodded, clearly mulling that over. “If anything, it will give us a place to start,” he added.
