Sadly, Reyla didn’t show any more evidence that she was clearing. I hadn’t imagined it earlier. She was there, and I was going to bring what was left of her back. I kept pulling power and casting the spell, leaning close to whisper it in her ear when no one else was looking in our direction.
We took Brenna to the dining room, but she shooed us away rather than encourage us to join her, stating she was dining alone with the king this morning. “As always, come to me in time to help me prepare for dinner,” she added. “I won’t need you until then.”
I gave her a curtsy and grabbed Reyla’s arm, grateful when she didn’t tug out of my grip. “Let’s go.”
She placidly walked with me, up the stairs one landing after another, all the way to my suite. Inside, I dragged her over to the sofa and sat, urging her down beside me. I lifted the dragon book and plunked it on her lap.
“Here’s your book about a Nullen woman falling in love with a fae lord,” I said. “Read it.”
She dutifully opened the book and started scrolling through the pages. Was she reading?
“Out loud,” I said.
She muttered the words found in the chapter,Deadly Plants of the Plains and How to Avoid Them, but I couldn’t tell if she understood what she was reading or not.
“Louder.” Rising, I rounded the table and stood in front of the crackling fire. Because it magically burned, we neverneeded to feed it wood. It threw heat all day and night at our request.
The dragon Vexxion had carved in the middle of the table was unmoving, though I swore its eyes watched me. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Had it shifted its leg that one time? Vexxion said such a thing wasn’t possible, that it was a carving and nothing else. I wasn’t convinced. Anything was possible inside this castle.
Finally, I couldn’t stand to listen to her recite the book in a monotone voice any longer. “You can stop now.”
She did, staring down at the page.
“What can you tell me about the story?” I asked. “Do you think the couple will end up together or will tragedy tear them apart?”
She said nothing.
“It’s a romance. You love them. You must believe they’ll end up together.”
Still nothing.
“Reyla,” I sighed. “Come back to me. Please. I miss you and Brodine so much.” I rounded the table and sat beside her, taking her hands. “Tell me about Kinart. No, I’ll tell you about him. He was the nicest guy. I loved him so much. He was tall. Skinny, though he ate like a youngling dragon. He loved to tease both of us. He adored kissing the back of your neck. He used to scoop you up and spin you around until your laughter rang out. Then he’d tumble you onto the ground and kiss you until you were a moaning wreck.”
Seeing her staring forward blankly gutted me, as if theasshole of a king took the blade from the sheath on my thigh and stabbed it into my heart and twisted it.
“You and Kinart were going to have ten children, and I was going to be their auntie,” I croaked. Damn, I missed him. He was the best. “You were the one who wanted ten children. No, twenty! And I was going to move in with you two and cook all your meals. I’d sing all day long, and you’d encourage me to do it.”
She hated my cooking. Hated my singing even more. Not hated, but Iwasa horrible cook and only a halfway decent singer. My singing was fun, and it made people laugh, but that was about the only good things I could say about it.
Rising from the sofa, Reyla placed the book on the table.
While I imagined the king twisting my blade in my chest some more, she left the suite without saying a word.
“I’m not giving up,” I called after her as she pulled the door closed. “Never!”
Since I couldn’t wrench the king’s imaginary knife out of my chest and turn it back on him, I might as well shovel shit.
“Want to come with me to the aerie?” I asked Drask. “Vexxion would want me to take you.” Sitting on his perch, he gave me a long look before turning to gaze out the window. Before I could cross the room to lift him and place him on my shoulder, he soared out the open window. “Alright, I’ll see you later.” I wasn’t sure why I felt sad that he didn’t want to come with me, but it would be easier to work without him bobbing around by my head.
I flitted to the interior of the shed beside the aerie. There wassomething satisfying about working with beasts. Sure, they tried to bite me every now and then or smack me with their tails. And I had to watch out for their claws and fire, but they showed me with a head nudge or a rumble in their throat how much they appreciated me treating them with kindness. I knew where I stood with them. No subterfuge. No conniving behavior. And no manipulation.
“Hey,” Airia said, coming over to me as I was backing the cart out into the sunshine. “Stay out of Prenton’s way today. For some odd reason, he’s in a snit. Snapping at everyone.”
I’d have no problem believing it of Will, but Prenton? He’d seemed like a nice enough guy. “Why’s he upset?”
She shrugged. “Who knows or cares? Not my problem unless he sends it my way. Just thought you’d want to know.” She tugged on one of her braids and swiped her hand across her face, adding dirt to it. Soon, mine would look the same, and I welcomed it.
“Thanks for the warning.” Leaving her, I pushed the cart toward the aerie entrance, the shovel handle clattering against the metal. I entered the dark interior and started down the hall, stopping short before I ran into someone standing in the middle of the aisle.
