‘I thought we all knew that wasn’t my strong point,’ I joked, meeting Ifan’s blank stare. Gods, he must have swapped his sense of humour for muscles.
His eyes darted up, widening as a grey moth fluttered towards him. He jerked back, knocking the vase once more. Thistime I was the one to grab hold and settle it as he recoiled against the wall. I shooed the insect away, trying to hide a grin as the huge form of Ifan watched horrified as the tiny creature headed towards a flickering lamp.
We all had our fears, I reminded myself.
‘I-I need to…bye,’ he said brusquely, sidestepping Pablo and stomping down the corridor.
I furrowed my brows. The youngest of the three Elmswoods was a rare sight in the palace. He never dined with us or spent any time with either Matthias or Skye. I wondered what rift had opened between the three of them to cause him to shun his older brother and twin. What could have severed the deep connection they’d once shared?
I continued my walk towards the library, wondering if Matthias knew why Ifan had cast himself adrift. But he already had his fair share of worries and responsibilities. He’d always been the one to shoulder the load, even as a child. If I told him about Ifan, he’d try and take some of those worries away by adding to his own.
No. As I reached the library, nodding my thanks to the blurry servants opening the door, I needed to keep this to myself. Maybe I’d be better speaking to Skye? She was Ifan’s twin after all.
Another stab of pain sliced into my skull, and I stumbled against the door.
Pablo stepped in front of me, stopping my fall.
‘Your Highness?’ The servant who’d opened the door took my arm. ‘Are you all right?’
I nodded, brushing him away. In the space of a few minutes, I’d fallen twice.
Closing my eyes, I heaved in a great breath. It was a headache – a simple headache. The lighting needed adjusting, and I was using borrowed glasses. It couldn’t be the blight. They maybe getting worse, but Iwastraining. Iwastrying. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’d try harder. I’d master this gift.
But if it didn’t balance?
‘There she is!’
I opened my eyes and spotted the forms of Skye and Asher. I dragged down all the fear and pain and pushed them away, forcing a smile onto my face.
Clinging to Pablo, I walked over to the table where they stood. Skye studied a map, held flat by dusty tomes at either corner.
I shook away the last of the pain and, taking the glasses I’d borrowed, peered at the map. I pushed them lower down my nose. Although they helped me focus somewhat, my vision still wasn’t perfect. The shadowy marks and swirls seemed to increase when I concentrated.
‘Is this one any use, my queen?’ Asher remarked, pointing at the map.
Scowling, I traced my fingers over the lines and leaned in, squinting at the various places.
‘If it doesn’t show any potential pestilence sites, I could always roll the map and shove it up your arse every time you call memy queen. Sorrow is fine.’
The rich sound of Asher’s laugh tugged up the corner of my own mouth.
I leaned in closer, my fingers tracking forgotten roads and faded labels describing land use. Tilting my head, I sighed.
‘It might be useful. If I could cross-reference with any records of what crops were being grown.’
‘Fascinating,’ Asher said, earning a bat on his arm from Skye, a blush spreading over her cheeks.
‘It’s not supposed to be fascinating,’ she said. ‘It’s supposed to be useful.’
‘Unlike me,’ he said as he moved closer to Skye.
I focused on the map.
‘As we all know, I’m both fascinating and useful.’
‘Just like an umbrella,’ I muttered under my breath.
A cough from the doorway snagged our attention. A young guard, a little out of breath, entered the library and approached Asher, handing him an envelope.
