“That was terrifying,” she whispered.
I knew she was brave when she looked at me as a bear and didn’t run for her life. But this gave new meaning to the word. I squeezed her shoulders, wishing I could look at her face. “You showed as much courage as a fae warrior running to battle.”
She dragged in a slow breath. “Does that mean you’re not mad at me anymore?”
I dropped my forehead down until it touched the back of her head. “I’m embarrassed by my anger earlier. I’ve seen people wither at a glance from Dedalus. I can’t imagine what gave you the strength to stand up to him the way you did.”
She folded her arms, and I adjusted my hold to let her arms move easily while I still kept my hands on her. “It was you. I did it for you. You chased away the elves for me and then gave me a home with food and clothes. I don’t even know if you know you bought me clothes, but Brielle told the dressmaker to send the bill to Parcival. I’m living in a castle with no worries about my nextjob or meal. The idea that I’d ruined something you’d worked so hard on made me sick. I had to try to fix it.”
Something in my chest stirred as she rushed through her excessively long and wordy explanation. She’d done itfor me. Nobody did things for me. They always wanted me to do things for them.
She shrugged. “And besides, you were right behind me. I hoped that if I messed up again, you wouldn’t let him kill me.”
I shook my head, lifting it off hers. “I wouldn’t let him lay a finger on you. Brielle should not have let him grab either of you. I’ll have to ask her why later.”
Auria tipped her head. “Brielle is half his size. I was as scared for her as for me.”
I scoffed, then realized that it could have been misinterpreted as mocking. “Sorry. The idea that he could hurt her just made me laugh. Luxar House nobility have powerful light magic, as strong as lightning. She’d stand a better chance in a fight against me than Dedalus would. He’s big and strong, yes, and he plays it up to scare people all the time, but his magic makes plants grow.”
Her shoulders shook in a silent chuckle and her heart rate finally slowed. “Plants?”
“Yes. Plants. It’s very strong—he grows forests of trees and ships them all over Kalshana, but he’s no threat to me or Brielle or Dearan.”
She took another deep breath, and her shoulders relaxed. “That’s good to know. Do you think he—Dedalus—will stay long enough to help you make your council?”
“Yes. Actually, I think he’s a stronger ally now than he had been before. And I could not have done that without you.”
She sighed. “I’m glad.” She took half a step forward, and then stopped. “Bylur? I meant what I said before he came in. I won’t lie to you. And if you could find some way for me to prove it, I would. I know we have the strangest marriage ever, but you’ve made my life better. I’d like to help you too.”
I stepped forward so I could keep a hand on her shoulder more easily. “If you manage to break this curse, you will have saved me from a fate worse than death. I would be in your debt for eternity for that single act alone.”
She nodded and tried to walk forward. I stopped her by holding her shoulders. “And Auria. I believe you. I—” What had convinced me to believe her? The way she’d raced after Dedalus with her heart beating so hard I feared it would burst from exhaustion? Or when she’d confessed she’d done it for me? What if that confession had been another lie?
No. She couldn’t fake the way her heart raced when she was scared. And she’d been painfully open in our conversation before and after Dedalus showed up. “I appreciate you telling me the truth.”
“Thank you.” Her voice sounded full of emotion, but I couldn’t tell if her eyes were moist because I had to stay behind her. She tipped her head, looked at myhand on her shoulder, and drew in a sharp gasp. “Bylur! Did the shadows turn your fingertips black?”
“No,” I said slowly. “That is a side effect from the way I calm myself.”
She tipped her head away from me. “Will you tell me what it is?”
I sighed. I did not want to, but she’d just exposed her weaknesses to both me and Dedalus. It seemed a fair recompense. “I write. Usually in a journal.” I extended a hand in front of her. “They are ink stains.”
“Oh.” She brushed a featherlight touch over one of the stains, but didn’t say anything more about it.
I nudged her to the shadows on the edges of the hall. “Let’s get you back to our rooms.”
She shook her head. “I need to find Rat. He should have warned me when Dedalus came down the hall. Unless I was distracted by talking to you, which is certainly possible. But I need to look for him anyway.”
I took my hand off her shoulder. That bird was a menace. But he clearly meant a lot to her. “Don’t turn around. I’ll be right behind you.”
She nodded and jogged to the end of the hall. Jogged. No other lady in all of Kalshana would rush down a hall with so much abandon. The irony made me smile—Lady of House Umbran, the most prestigious position for a woman, running down the hall like a maid late to work.
My smile collapsed when we turned the corner and she gasped, falling to her knees.
Rat, the most infamous of cockatoos, lay spread-eagle on the stone floor. Again. Dedalus must have swatted him down.
Auria carefully gathered him in her arms, and turned to face me.
