He gave me another tentative smile, “Goodnight, Daddy.”
“Goodnight, baby boy.”
Chapter twenty-three
Skylar
Monica found me asorcerer who wasn’t registered with the Medical Guild, so that I could have a paternity spell cast without the results being recorded and potentially alerting the queen. I made an appointment for that very same week. I’d brought with me a lock of Hiero’s hair, but I’d need something of Cedrych as well for the spell to work. Outside of seeing him myself, I decided the easiest way to go about getting it would be to visit my old apartment.
Passing through the gilded entryway, I nodded at the doorkeeper, who was new but eyed me with suspicion nonetheless, and with that one critical glance, my old life suddenly came rushing back to me. I’d always felt like a thief in my own home, especially because I suspect Cedrych had paid off the concierge and doorkeepers to keep tabs on me. How often I’d be summoned here at a moment’s notice by Cedrych for a quick fuck while he was between engagements, a duty which prevented me from holding down any sort of jobbecause the expectation was that my first obligation was always to him.
Meanwhile, Cedrych’s guards would be stationed just outside my bedroom door, sending me scornful looks while waiting to ferry him to his next appointment. How Cedrych would button up and say something trite like, “well done,” before reattaching his sword belt and continuing on his way. I’d had to drop everything for him, be at his beck and call, and if I made any sort of demand on his time, I was being unreasonable because he was a prince and I was… well, you know.
At the entrance to my suite, I noticed with some alarm that the door was unlocked, and as I eased it open, I heard a quiet rustling coming from my bedroom. Perhaps it was one of Cedrych’s retinue, here to clear out the place?
“Hello?” I called.
“Skylar?” a familiar voice called back.
“Mom?”
She appeared in the door to my bedroom, her long silver hair pulled back in a messy knot, her eyes sunken and her skin a sickly pallor. I’d seen her and my father briefly before fleeing Emrallt Valley, just long enough to say goodbye. I hadn’t told them where I was going, for I didn’t know at the time and besides that, they hadn’t asked.
“What are you doing here?” I said, having my suspicions already.
“If it isn’t my clever Skylarker,” Mom said in her airy way, her nickname for me since I was a youngling. “How are you, dear? Back from your grand adventure so soon?”
“I’m fine, and my visit here is only temporary. What are you doing in my apartment? I didn’t give you a key.”
“You don’t need a key when you have hands like these.” She held up her slender fingers, her joints like wooden knobs, and I recognized two of the rings she was wearing.
“You’re stealing my things,” I said, wishing I were more surprised by it.
“Repurposing, yes. Your prince was certainly generous. Shame that didn’t work out in your favor. He was a bit stuffy though.”
My parents had met Cedrych only once. In the beginning of our arrangement when I foolishly thought that we were a couple, doing couple things. Cedrych had pitied me and told me afterward that my allowance was not to be shared with them.
“How much do you think this one will fetch?” she asked, holding up a gold bangle inlaid with sapphires.
“I hardly know.”
“Too bad. You were never very good with money, sweetheart.”
“And you were?” I nearly spat.
“I know the price of things.”
“You know how much ether you can buy with it, you mean,” I bit out, not in the mood for her nonsense.
“Your dad and I need our medicine.”
“What you have is an addiction.”
She waved one hand, dismissing me. “Why have you returned? Have you and the prince reconciled?”
“No, we have not. And it’s really none of your concern why I’m here, since this is, in fact, my apartment you’re looting.”
“Only ghosts live here now,” she said, drifting over to my nightstand to open the drawer and rummage through it. “You won’t mind if I rehome some of your possessions,” she said, not a request.
