They broke apart, not seeming to notice I was there.
Zayde stroked her face. “I promise you, Brenna. It’s going to be alright.”
I backedinto the sitting room, shut the door carefully, and scurried to the entrance, bumping into Reyla as she was coming inside.
“Oh, hey, there you are,” I said brightly—and loudly. “Let’s go see if Brenna’s awake yet. I wonder what they’re serving for breakfast.” As if I cared? I wouldn’t be there to eat it.
If Reyla was her usual self, she would’ve something snarky about my perky demeanor. Instead, she looked at me blankly. Should I consider the fact that she was actually looking at me an improvement? I wasn’t sure, but I’d take it.
I latched onto her arm, and to give Zayde time to flit from the bedroom, I dragged Reyla over to the sofa and made her sit.Like with Brodine, I tugged power from my refilling well and tossed it Reyla’s way with the spell. Like with Brodine, I didn’t expect it to work, and I was right.
When I felt depleted for now, I gave up, rising and walking around her. I strode toward Brenna’s bedroom, making my footsteps extra loud to ensure she heard me coming.
I stopped outside the door and secured a smile on my face before stepping inside, finding her lounging on her bed on top of the blankets. “Are you ready to rise, my lady?”
“I believe I am. I slept very well last night. I had the best dream.”
“What about?” I walked toward the bed, pausing beside it, keeping the pleasant smile on my face.
“I rode on a dragon.”
“Ah, that’s always nice.”
“You were a rider, so you understand.”
She’d told us she’d only ridden once, that she was afraid of dragons, but they were huge. They shot fire and sparks. They growled a lot. And smacked you toward entrances to valleys.
All she’d done since I’d arrived here was eat, sit in her living area, attend functions with a few random fae ladies, and join the king in the throne room. She had to be bored. No wonder she was dreaming of doing adventurous things.
Her hands fluttered at her throat. “I was so frightened the one time I rode on a dragon. They fly very far off the ground.”
“They do.”
“And they snap their heads out and sniff you. The one I rode on tried to burn me!”
“It shot flames at you?”
“No, sparks. My dress nearly caught fire.”
“Ah, yes, that is scary. Riders wear leather tunics and pants. Boots. The sparks can’t reach our skin.”
She blinked. “I wonder why they didn’t suggest I wear something like that.”
I shrugged. “Maybe they thought you enjoyed wearing pretty dresses, not serviceable leather outfits.”
“Maybe. After that one incident, my father told me never to ride again. He said it wasn’t ladylike.” Easing to the side of the bed, she sat.
“I enjoy it, and that’s all that matters to me.”
“But you’re not a lady.” She coughed. “Excuse me. I didn’t mean to slight you. You’re my lady-in-waiting and the controller’s claimed Nullen. You’re also a friend, and the latter’s the most important to me.”
“Thank you.” Because I didn’t know what else was expected during a moment like this, I gave her a curtsy.
She nodded and extended her hand for me to help her rise from the bed. “I’ll bathe this morning.”
“Of course.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Reyla, please start the water for Lady Brenna’s bath. She—”
Reyla stood in the open doorway. There was nothing unusual about that. She often followed me or Delaine around, waiting to be assigned tasks. But for the first time since she sat in that wretched chair at the Claiming, her eyes met mine and I saw . . . I saw!
