“It’s fine.” I offered my interlaced hands to give her a boost. “Get up and I’ll adjust the stirrups.”
Fifteen minutes passed before we were all in the saddle and ready to go. My temper had softened to a distant hum, and I tried to let pressing matters slip away. My father never seemed to find a balance between ruling and enjoying life, but I refused to do the same.
We ambled down the trail with Audryn on my left, Grave and Amalee behind us, and my sister and Rodrick picking up the rear. The sea was unusually angry, with frothy white-capped waves crashing into the cliff. The ocean mist stuck to our skin as we continued down the same winding path I'd ridden as a boy.
“You’ve been busy the last few days.” Audryn assessed. “Is your father well?”
I shrugged. “As well as he’s going to be.” It was the truth. The healer couldn’t estimate when he’d die; he only worsened as the days passed.
“Can I meet him before …” The question lingered in the air like a bird gliding on the updraft of the ocean breeze.
“Would you want to?” I asked, knowing he would decline. His decision was clear from the day I’d begun to look for my mate. But I’d still ask in hopes he'd change his mind.
“I’d like to meet both of your parents. You can tell so much about a person by their mother and father, don’t you think?” She looked across the sea before turning her gaze to me.
“I’m not sure they’ll agree, but I’ll try.” I paused. “If anyone saw how unwell my father is, Rivale would be … vulnerable.”
“From who? Every fae in the land knows what’s happening with him.”
I pulled the reins back, and Audryn stopped Ollie next to me. We’d made it to the landing, which sat about halfway up the black, rocky cliffs.
“Rivale has many challenges.” I overshared. “The castle is crumbling, and we’re struggling with repairs.”
She rubbed her shoulder, fingers gliding across her collarbone as she sat deep in thought. It was the same skin my lips traced so many days ago. Too long ago.
“The stone is damaged—I noticed it when I arrived. Yet you’ve not made repairs.” Her statement was more of a question.
“My father is impeding the process,” I admitted. “The bitumen we use is a dark brown color—basically black. If we use it for repairs, the disparity against the white stone is unsightly. And Divine help us all if the castle appears to be anything less than flawless.”
“So what are you going to do instead?”
“Do you remember the blue roses I showed you?”
Audryn nodded, keeping her gaze on the white beach below.
“Elowen is the woman’s name, and she’s able to change the bitumen. But it’s not the same.”
Tilting her head, she gazed at me. Damn, she was beautiful, especially so when she was sitting quietly.
“Let me put it this way: if I gave her an orange and asked her to change it to an apple, it might look like an apple, but it might taste like a banana. Occasionally, it might even taste like an apple, but something will always be different. Maybe the nutrients have changed. Maybe the seeds belong to an orange. On the surface you may not notice, but the actual composition is different.”
“Like the roses,” she said, her voice drifting.
“Correct. Something is always … wrong. The magic always comes at a cost.”
Audryn toyed with her hair, wrapping a strand around her two fingers. My hand twitched, craving to feel her hair between my own fingers while my mouth roamed her skin. But if there was a chance we could be mated, I needed to focus on finding the connection between us first.
“Can you paint the bitumen?” she asked.
Her interest surprised me. I wouldn't expect any woman to concern themselves with such matters. Hopefully she was trustworthy enough to keep the information to herself.
I shook my head. “No, it’s much too porous, though we’ve tried. It’s a byproduct of the crude oil we receive from Kuroden. The material is too oily for the paint to adhere, which was why my father requested Elowen change the color from black to white, hoping it would easily blend in.”
Audryn hummed under her breath, then gasped as two shadowy figures flew past us, too close for my liking. I’d permitted Grave’s beasts to feed as they needed, but hadn’t expected to have to see them.
The ebony creatures dipped into the ocean, scooping up mouthfuls of the fish wading just below the surface. Theirmovements were jerky and quick as they dove and climbed repeatedly. Though filled with pure evil, the sight as they hunted was quite captivating.
“Stay close,” I warned, and looked over at Grave, who’d taken a position on Audryn’s other side. How long had he been there waiting and listening to our private conversation? The thought of exposing the kingdom, more than I already had, filled me with dread.
