Avalon gave me a worried look, but I sent her a reassuring half-smile. She had a violent parent in her history, whereas my father might disapprove—maybe even disown me—but he’d never raise a hand to me.
Partly because he knew I would be able to beat him, both physically and magically, but mostly because he loved me, even when I was a disappointment.
“How are our people? Stellen told me that we’d settled some of them back in North’s Edge.”
Father nodded, leaning back against the table. “Most of the foot soldiers are stationed there until they’re needed. Some of the support workers. I didn’t want to bring the civilians down from Ozryn until I could assure myself of their safety.” He paused, and I held my breath. “What is your position with the First Line Heir?”
I sucked in a deep breath. Rip it off like a scab, just as Hayle had said. “We’re lovers.”
My father looked like I’d punched him. “You’d spit on the graves of our dead so easily?”
Grinding my back teeth together, I lifted my chin. “He is not my enemy, Father.”
“He is a direct descendant of Ivan Vylan. Tainted blood runs through his very veins, and you arefuckinghim.”
“It’s none of your business,” I growled, spinning to leave, but his hand stopped me.
“It’s entirely my business when you turn traitor,” he spat out, then flinched at his own words. He didn’t mean them, I knew, but it still hurt.
Someone cleared their throat. “Please remove your hand,” Vox said from the doorway. Behind him was Avalon’s small, worried face.
“This is a family matter,” my father replied coldly.
Avalon pushed beneath Vox’s arm. “He’s our family too. Everything that happens to Lierick is our business.” She came to stand beside me, her hand reaching out to peel back my father’s fingers, completely uncaring of the power difference.
I loved her so much.
“We love your son,” Avalon said softly. “And I know you do too. Don’t say things in anger that you won’t be able to take back.”
Vox put a gentle hand on her shoulder, pulling her back slightly, so he was just in front of her. Those cold blue eyes watched my father dispassionately. “There is nothing that your son wants more than to return his Line back to where it belongs. For your Line to be happy and whole. Goddess knows, they have suffered and sacrificed enough.” He met my father’s eyes easily. “Do not make him sacrifice his own happiness for theirs.” With that, he squeezed my arm and walked out, leaving me, Avalon, and my father.
“Not even an hour ago, you told me the Second Line owed my family a great debt. I don’t believe you do, but if you wish to balance the scales, here is what we would ask.” Avalon laced her fingers through mine. “You don’t break your son’s heart for no greater reason than prejudice.”
She turned toward the door, her hand still in mine, but loosening. She was giving me a choice: I could walk out with her, or I could stay here and continue to argue a man’s worth with my father.
I met his eyes one more time, then turned and walked out behind the woman who held my heart in her hands, and the man who had infected my soul.
Sixteen
Avalon
It wasn’t until I was settled into Hayle’s childhood bedroom that I remembered the satchel given to us by the Librarian underneath Fortaare. They’d put it in Hayle’s rooms with the rest of our stuff that had come back to Hamor with his brothers.
We’d all been given separate rooms, except me and Hayle. I guess they knew Hayle would end up in my bed, no matter where I was, so why make more work? Despite being given separate rooms, we were all in Hayle’s small sitting room, perched on every surface, with the exception of Iker and Shay, both of whom had retired to their own rooms.
Surprisingly, Zier was still here, writing letters at Hayle’s desk by the window. Vox was lying across the small leather couch, and Lierick was on the floor in front of him, his head resting back on Vox’s stomach.
He looked haunted, but I trusted that Baron Hanovan would do the right thing by his son. If not, Lierick could join the rest of us misfits, I guess.
Hayle was in the shower, and I was tempted to join him, but I could wait. Otherwise, we’d be in there for an hour, and no one else would be getting clean anytime soon.
Standing, I went over to our bags and found the leather book bag among the rest of our stuff. I carried it over and sat on the end of the couch at Vox’s feet. Not happy with the distance, Vox used his air to float me down until I was sitting between his thighs.
“I forgot about those,” he said guiltily, but I couldn’t blame him. It had been a day.
“Better late than never.” I carefully pulled out the package, which was completely wrapped in oilskins to keep everything dry. Unwrapping the bindings, I found two books inside. No note. No nothing. They were both incredibly old, and I couldn’t really believe that the Librarian had let them leave the library.
The first book was ontalsand even had one embedded in the cover. It wasn’t atalI recognized, though I wasn’t an expert. Opening the cover, I noted that it was handwritten. Most of it was in the High Language, which I definitely couldn’t read, but it seemed to be a bastardized version between that and the common vernacular we used now. Someone’s lifework, clearly.
