“We have. Faern and Leannon are longtime friends. We had mutual ideas on many aspects regarding this cause, and she asked us to join her. I won’t say I was surprised to find that it was Hydrans who led it.”
I turned towards Aegir. “And you—you didn’t tell me you knew Semuel.”
“Well, I couldn’t tell you about any of this back then. I was planning on telling you when we came here, though. I knew you would have agreed to it even if you didn’t yet remember who you were. Cordelia Wildheart fights for others.”
I reached for his knee.
“I still can’t believe you’re all here.We’reall here.” I wished Cinnamon, Sabi, and Nadya were here, too.
“Tell me about it,” Marshen agreed, clinking his glass with mine. “I’m only alive because of her,” he told Semuel.
“I heard about the execution quarrel. You didn’t climb the ladder, Sir Deucane; you high-jumped from condemned to royal advisor. As did you, Wildheart. Leaping from servant to queen.”
“Who better than an apex predator of the sea to advise on the protection of Ilma?” I replied, clinking my glass with Marshen’s.
“Very impressive. And the balls to defect from your king like that.” I could feel Ryvar’s eyes piercing our way, but Amani saved the day.
“Oh! Aegir, I almost forgot.” She threw something at him, then another. It was impressive, the way he caught them midair, no distinction in dominance between his left and right hands. “I knew it couldn’t just be the wine,” Amani added.
Aegir handed them both to me. They were the size of large dates and fit my palms perfectly. I blinked in surprise as I brushed their material with my thumbs. Their texture was similar to rock, but their transparency resembled that of glass. And embedded inside both was a hexagonal piece of metal with small inscriptions on each of its six sides.
“They’re intriguing. What are they?” I asked.
“They’re thermal talismans.” He took one of them from my hand. “Carrying one of these would keep you warm. It takes a while to kick in when you first wear it, but once it adjusts, there’s no way you’ll feel cold. I’ve had Amani make them for you.”
I gave him a puzzled look. “When? I was with her all day.”
Amani barked out half a laugh. “Bah. You think I can make those in one day? Girl, it took me one week to get them both ready. Oh, and to answer your question, I believe he sent me the letter around…three months ago, was it?” My head snapped towards Aegir and…did he just blush?
“Thank you. That’s very thoughtful of—”
Amani’s burst of laughter had my attention. “Oh, poor Aegee is flushing.”
“It’s because I was holding the talisman,” he snapped, replacing it in my free palm. I found my lips to have curved upwards.
Leannon gave Amani a piercing look. “So you’re telling me that you’ve had the solution to my freezing ass all this time and you kept it from me. My birthday is a week from today, I’d better be receiving one of those.”
“How did you think the castle’s kept warm, Lee?” Amani replied flatly.
“Why two?” I asked Aegir. Were they fragile?
“One for you and one for Cinnamon.”
My eyes tingled. I wished we were alone; I would have kissed him if we were.
Ten servants entered the room like an army of ants and made every plate disappear. They returned, placing a piece of the best lemon cheesecake in front of us.
“It’s rather late. Meeting’s adjourned to a week from today, same time,” Ryvar announced. “Don’t be late,” he added, looking my way. Then he showed us his stiffened spine and with a trailing green cloak, exited the meeting room.
“Happy birthday to me,” Leannon grumbled beneath her breath.
Chairs groaned as the revolutionaries rose around the table, one by one.
Eldric passed by me and I turned his way. “Hey, I w—” My face fell. He did not look my way. He just left. Left, just as I had done.
Aegir placed his palm on the small of my back. “He’ll come around.” I gave him a small nod, doubting his comforting words.
“We’re going out for a drink—you guys want to hang?” Faern asked.
