“You’re friends,” I say, not really a question, making no move to reach for the pot. Not sure I can stomach anything right now.
“Guilty as charged,” the raven quips.
“We haven’t been properly introduced.” The lioness’s long tongue rolls out of her mouth. “I’m Ardruna.”
“I know. I heard Roane calling you that. And the raven?”
“I’m Talton,” the raven says. “A pleasure.”
“Olm,” Olm says. “In case you were wondering.”
It’s the first time he has spoken in a while, but they don’t react to his voice.
“You really can’t hear Olm, can you?” I ask, to make sure. “My brother had to hold the book to hear him.”
“Olm? Is that the name of the book?”
I nod.
“You should eat,” Ardruna says.
“I’m not hungry. Why did he…?” I wince. Despite the conversation, my mind is still on Roane. “Why did he react like that?”
“Who? Ro?”
“No,” Talton chuckles, “Apurita, the goddess of love.”
Ardruna ignores him. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen Roane like this. This… panicked.”
“Maybe you remind him of someone,” Talton tells me. “Maybe he remembered something from his past. He seemed afraid.”
“Roane? Ha.” The lioness cackles. “He doesn’t know the meaning of fear. He’s just not used to being around people, like he said.”
Talton preens his feathers. “I’d say. What do I know? I’m just a bird.”
“You like saying that, don’t you? Gets you out of trouble.”
“I hadn’t realized I was in trouble,” Talton says. “What did I do?”
My heart is racing. The way Roane had looked as he fell on me, shredding my bodice… It had seemed like rage, but underneath it… had that really been fear? For me?
No, that doesn’t make sense.
“Are you in pain?” Talton asks, twisting his little head up to look at me.
“It’s just a scratch and a bruise,” I mumble. “I’ll live.”
“Someone ought to tell Roane that,” the raven says thoughtfully. “Maybe I should.”
“Why would he be afraid I won’t survive?” I whisper.
“He’ll come back. He’s probably checking the books in the sanctum, making sure everything is in order.” The lioness grabs the pot with her teeth and hauls it over to me. “Eat, girl.”
“The book.” I give up and lift the pot into my lap. “What do I do with it? Tell me what to do and then I’ll be on my way.”
“Lock it up and chain it.”
“Be serious.”
