Elias grinned. “As far as they are concerned, we Voltarians and Zephyrians are just annoying shits who don’t understand the beauty and majesty of magic. We lack the respect for its power.”
“What about necromancers? What do their scholars think about their magic? Is it connected too?”
Elias scrunched up his nose. “No one knows anything about necromancy! Or no one who isn’t a necromancer, anyway. I’ve read all the books I can get my hands on. But there just isn’t much available to us non-necromancers on how they train, learn, or how their magic works! It’s very frustrating.”
Elias pouted. He looked quite adorable pouting.
“My father would be interested in your theories,” Gerard said. “He wants dragon descendants. If he heard you talking, he would ensure that all those who carried his bloodline only received training regarding shifting into dragon forms. He’d send any tutors for any elemental form of magic far, far away.”
Elias smiled. For several moments, Gerard just watched him playing.
“You are a lot more intelligent than you let on.” Gerardhesitated. “Do you … encourage people to underestimate you?”
He’d been thinking on it for days. He’d realised that was why so many thought Elias a fool, because Elias seemed to want them to think that. But why would he want that?
Elias’s fingers stilled. For several moments he didn’t speak. He licked his lips, staring at the now silent lyre. “In my experience, sometimes it’s better for people to underestimate you.”
“What do you mean?” Gerard studied Elias’s face but could get no clues from his blank expression.
Elias’s fingers stroked the wooden frame of the lyre. “Sometimes keeping people distant, not opening up, hiding parts of yourself, it’s a way to protect yourself from others,” he said, voice only just above a whisper. He didn’t meet Gerard’s gaze.
“From what?”
Elias licked his lips. “From hurting you.”
Gerard waited for him to continue, to elaborate. But after several moments, Elias started to play again.
Gerard wanted to push. He wanted to ask more questions. He wanted to demand to know who had hurt Elias. He wanted to know why Elias felt like he needed to keep others away to protect himself.
Elias hummed. Then sang. But his sweet voice trembled ever so slightly.
Gerard couldn’t speak. He wasn’t used to seeing Elias anything other than completely composed. So he just let his questions go, hoping Elias knew he did not need to protect himself from Gerard.
Chapter
Forty-Two
“Iknow you have strong feelings for Lord Wolf, but make sure you don’t go baring your secrets to him. They are not just your secrets, Colette, but Voltaria’s. Remember that,” Elias said. “And you’ve only just met him, so be careful and don’t trust him too quickly.”
They stood in Colette’s room in the quarters provided for the royal family of Draconia. They’d just finished a training session, and sweat beaded on her brow. Soon, she’d leave to meet up with Lord Wolf.
“Of course, Cousin! I understand completely.” She smiled.
“Good. Then have a good evening.” Elias left her. He closed the door and headed towards Gerard’s room.
I really should take my own advice.
Unsurprisingly, Gerard was not present when he arrived. He was in a meeting discussing guards and whatever else they thought was necessary for the protection of the royals, nobles, dignitaries, and so forth of Draconia here at the White Monastery. And for Elias and Colette too. Gerard now saw their safety as his responsibility.
Elias walked to the bed and picked up a long object wrapped in black fabric that had been lying on it. He fingered the dark cloth. He placed it down, then poured himself a glass of water, picked up a book, and sat, waiting for Gerard.
But he couldn’t focus on the words in front of him. An uneasiness gnawed at him. He sighed. That uneasiness had started during his and Gerard’s courtship period. And it had grown into their marriage.
Elias had never had an issue lying before. Lies had always flown from his lips like rain falling from clouds. But at night, when he lay naked in Gerard’s bed, the two of them entangled together, he felt like he betrayed Gerard with every caress and brush of lips.
It had been one thing to lie to people he didn’t give a shit about. But Gerard had gotten under his skin. And when everyone around him was so untrustworthy and unreliable, it had been easy to play them all for fools. But Gerard … well, Gerard was different.
Elias sighed and looked out the window. Clouds drifted over the sandstone walls of the monastery.
