“Lochmatten.” Damien gestured around them. “This place.”
Warm sunlight spilled through the trees. A light breeze smelled like the ocean. They could hear music playing somewhere nearby.
“I like it here,” Evelyn admitted.
Damien nodded. “I had a feeling you would. Lochmatten was different during the war, obviously, but I liked it even then.”
“Did you make friends with the fae here?”
“A few, yeah.”
Evelyn accepted a sandwich. “Did you stay in touch with anyone?”
“No.”
When he didn’t elaborate, Evelyn let the subject drop.
I’m pretty sure Damien and Haydn were friends. Did that not end well? Or is he thinking about someone else?
61
Maybe
Evelyn and Damien spent the afternoon wandering through Lochmatten’s castle. They rarely came across a locked door, and there seemed to be more libraries than bathrooms. One library had no windows and only magic-based lighting in order to protect the heavy tomes.
“These areancient,” Damien said in awe, carefully opening one of the books. “Wendell probably wrote them as a child.”
“What language is that?” Evelyn asked.
“Hell if I know.”
Another library gave Evelyn goosebumps and an icy tingling up her spine. The air was heavy and cold, like they were under a frozen lake without getting wet. There were no living things inside the room, not even a neglected succulent. But there was an overwhelming sensation of being watched. Evelyn and Damien could have been standing in the center of a crowded arena and felt just as many eyes on them.
“Nope,” Damien decided, dragging Evelyn from the room. “That’s fucking haunted.”
They didn’t find Haydn’s tower library, but they did come across the ballroom he had shown her in a vision. Evelyn recognized the row of high windows. The polished stone floor and wood-paneled walls were cozier than the similar space at the palace.
“This might sound dumb,” Evelyn said, “but this place feels like it’s meant for drinking beer instead of wine. You know?”
Damien chuckled. “There was a lot of that during the war.”
“I can’t picture a war happening here. It’s too peaceful.”
“That’s exactly what we fought to protect. The battles were mostly along the northeastern shore. I’d be curious to see if that area has been rebuilt or abandoned.” Damien’s eyes went dark and distant with memories.
Evelyn wanted to draw him back. “And how many men and women did you seduce during your time here?”
Her teasing worked and Damien smiled. “What can I say? I’m irresistible in leather armor!”
He grabbed Evelyn’s waist and spun her around like they had danced at the ball. She laughed cheerfully and Damien beamed at her.
Music started playing, but the sound was muffled. “Where is that music coming from?”
Evelyn nearly toppled over because of how suddenly Damien stopped dancing.
“You can hear it?” he asked.
“Yes, but it’s quiet, like it’s coming from outside.”
