Cahir’s eyes darkened, and a low growl vibrated from his throat. “He put hislipson you?” The smallest bit of green magic expelled from his nostrils.
“…Yes.” The hair on the back of her neck stood as she watched the magic escape him.
He watched her nervously bite her lips, and hiseyes flared.
A painfully long and awkward silence stretched on before he finally cleared his throat and spoke, his voice rough, “That must be one of the stones. I’ve never seen one like that before. That fucker has probably been working for Mordred the entire time.”
Nothing Kalon did made sense. He was kind and gentle with her. She had a fleeting moment of doubt when she refused to kiss him further, but nothing else he did suggested he was working for Lord Mordred or the monsters. Something about Kalon just felt… different, too. She wasn’t sure what it was. But it was almost like she had known him much longer than she actually had.
She shrugged and said, “I don’t know. I think researching the stone might be a good first step, though. Maybe I can find something written about it in the library.”
Cahir continued watching her mouth before shifting his gaze up to meet hers. He cleared his throat. “I think that’s a great start. I’ll meet you there this afternoon. I have a few things I need to finish up first, but I’d love to help you look.”
Seda nodded, eager to learn more about the stones and to potentially discover more information about herself.
She still felt the lingering warmth of his hand on her knee and perhaps also liked how he responded to Kalon’s kiss.
Chapter 7
Seda
Seda strolled with Luelle around the castle. The interior, both lavish and vibrant, was vastly different from her small, dusty apartment back in Joro. Everything was absolutely breathtaking, and everyone seemed to be in a joyful mood. The servants and guests joked and laughed as they went about their day, and children raced through the halls, their magic freely used. She saw women using their magic to clean, men moving heavy tables with it, and children flying paper airplanes farther than expected. They all used the same green mist as Cahir, which emanated from their palms to move objects. It was the most interesting thing she had ever seen, second to the magic of the Vatte in the Amanita Copse.
Seda’s dress was still too tight, and her breathing felt restricted, causing her to ask Luelle to pause several times to catch her breath. They slowly stepped through the large front doors and into a green, grassy field lined with rows of colorful roses. Seda couldsmell the salt in the air from the nearby ocean, a smell she had never experienced before. It was fresh and alive, wild and free. Joro air was stuffy and constricting, and she suddenly felt the weight of the vast world around her.
“The roses were planted for Ael’s mother,” Luelle said as she pointed to the colorful assortment beyond.
Seda’s interest piqued at the mention of Cahir’s family, and she looked over to the roses in the distance, perfectly manicured and displaying a rainbow of colors. “They’re beautiful,” she replied. “What happened to her?”
Luelle pursed her lips as she stared into the distance. “She passed when Ael and I were children.”
She wanted to ask more, eager to learn about Cahir and his past, but held back from pushing.
Seda spotted Elco lying in the grass, with children placing small flowers from the field into his mane, and pointed him out. Luelle smiled, and they walked closer to him.
When they neared, Seda said, “Yet again, I find the Lionne with children and flowers in his hair.”
Elco opened a lazy eye at her and huffed warm air around them. The children giggled. “I’m where I want to be, moon-flutter. Don’t disrupt them.”
“I heard that you were eating wolves?” she pried.
“They taste like chicken.”
“Well, I’m glad that you’ve stuck to your word and aren’t eating the Fae.” The same little girl from the night before looked up at Seda with wide eyes, and the flower she was about to place into Elco’s hair fell to the ground. She ran away, glancing back at them as she hid behind a nearby green bush.
“Don’t scare them away,” Elco complained. Seda laughed and walked over to the bush, peering around it.
“Elco’s nice, sweetie. He loves the flowers and how fancy they make him look. He won’t hurt you, I promise.” Thelittle girl looked at her with big, brown eyes and hesitantly walked back over to Elco. She picked up the dropped flower and placed it in his hair, giving Seda a broad smile after she positioned it perfectly.
Elco purred under the touch, murmuring something about happiness and how it felt like his heart was melting its thick layer of ice.
“Would you like to see the gardens?” Luelle asked Seda. “It’s through the hedge maze.”
“Sure.” The two left Elco behind as his purrs rumbled across the grass. Luelle led her through the large hedge maze, and they came out on the other side. Rows of lush gardens greeted them, and the little green orbs fluttered all around the plants.
“The essence makes our plants grow stronger,” Luelle answered her silent question. “Umbrea’s produce is unmatched in all of Xyberus.”
Seda watched the orbs. “I see that. Back in Joro, we had a plant science division called Gardvord. Cahir and I worked there, studying the decline of produce being harvested.”
