“We’ll be careful not to mess them up,” Susan said, sliding her hand on the top book.
Selene gave a perfunctory nod and moved toward the invisible door. As she opened the door she turned back to them. “Oh, once I leave this room you will be stuck in here until King Rylo or I come to fetch you. We’re the only ones able to enter this room. Use your time here wisely. I won’t have time to usher you about tomorrow, with the feast preparations.”
The door dissolved and Selene was gone in a breath.
“She’s not very nice, is she?” Morgan asked Susan.
Susan shrugged. “I don’t know. She is the Sage of Nephel. It seems she’s plenty accommodating for how busy she must be.”
Maybe Susan was right. She couldn’t help but judge these folk based on one bad, very traumatic experience. But there still was something unnerving about them, even the Nepheli who didn’t have the under the skin tattoos and the jarring resemblance to her attacker.
She didn’t even know what horrors Goldoth could hold.
“You’re probably right. Anyway, why don’t you take the top book and I’ll take the next one,” Morgan said, settling into one of the leather chairs.
“Fine by me. Do you think Rylo knows the information we’re looking for but is making us find it ourselves? You said he knew about the Divine Five,” Susan asked, sliding into the chair beside Morgan. The sunlight from the large window shimmered on Susan’s red hair and freckled nose.
“Oh, I have no doubts he already knows the answers we’re looking for. He seems to take pleasure in withholding information and probably likes knowing that we’re having to work for the answers he could just tell us.”
“That’s what I thought too,” Susan mumbled, cracking open the old tome in her lap.
They both fell into a comfortable silence that had become so routine now. Both of them reading and searching for the information they needed.
“Oh, oh no, Morgan,” Susan groaned as she lifted her head from her book.
Morgan jumped in her seat, startled from Susan’s voice in the silence. “What?”
“The Divine Five are five relics from the witches that separated the two realms during the Cleaving, which is what we already knew. But this says that one artifact was given to the King of theCavern. The King of Goldoth is known as the King of the Cavern. Do you think Rylo is bringing you there to steal Goldoth’s relic?”
Morgan’s stomach flipped. There was no way Rylo didn’t know that Goldoth had one of the Divine Five. “Obviously he knows. These are his books.”
“Oh of course,” Susan said in a quiet voice. Morgan didn’t mean to come across as harsh.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. But yeah, he knows. He was way too eager to go to Goldoth.”
Morgan heard a whooshing sound and Rylo stood in the doorway. His skin glowed in unnatural beauty and his mouth was curled into a devious smile. “Of course I know. Why else would I be so willing to bring you along, pet?”
Morgan snorted. “Pet? Stop calling me that. I am not some animal.”
Rylo’s tall, lithe body filled the space, his wings relaxed from their tight position when he stopped in front of Morgan’s chair.
“Oh yes, you’ll be playing the part of my pet in Goldoth, all the while looking for a lost relic that calls only to the witch bloodline.”
He was so close she could smell his spicy scent, his knee brushing hers. “You could have shared this with me the other day.”
“But where’s the fun in that?”
Morgan glanced over at Susan who looked very uncomfortable, either being in Rylo’s presence or with the conversation.
Rylo looked at Susan and smiled, making a dimple show on his left cheek. “Dear girl, you have worked so hard finding this information. Why don’t you retire for the afternoon?”
Susan’s eyes grew round as she looked at Morgan like she was seeking permission to flee the room.
“Go, I’ll be fine. Let’s practice that spell we found on revealing when someone is withholding information tonight,” Morgan said, shifting her eyes to Rylo and pointing her chin up in defiance.
“Yes, that should be… um… helpful,” Susan said in a high-pitched voice, seeped in discomfort as she fled the room. As soon as she walked out, the door disappeared and Morgan was left alone with the Nepheli King.
He continued to look at her, that mischievous smile still on his face making the dimple on his cheek pop just enough to drive Morgan wild. But, she had no reason to let on that his presence was affecting her.
