“Thank you.”
He fixes his eyes on mine and a smile touches his lips. “You’re welcome.”
“So, you have an upcoming class of eager young knights, correct?”
“That’s right,” he nods, plopping a berry in his mouth.
“Are you looking forward to it? It’s your first year as an instructor, right?” At only twenty-five, he’s one of the youngest captains in the king’s army. I don’t believe they actually do much, to be honest. There hasn’t been a real war since the curse. The most I’ve heard of them doing is sending some of the soldiers to contain unruly citizens from other regions. It never seems that dangerous and there are rarely any casualties.
Yes, some might think the world has peace. But is it peace if the majority of species are struggling to survive, the very essences of their beings threatened or already destroyed?
“That’s right. It should be a good group.” Maybe, if I didn’t have other goals that I was passionate about achieving, I’d consider joining out of boredom. It’s not unheard of for a female to join their ranks.
“And you’ll be staying here? Full time?”
A smirk crosses his lips, and he lowers his glass. His heated gaze makes my cheeks burn hot.
“Yes. I’ll be on the other side of the grounds by the barracks, but yes.”
I nod and take a sip. I feel the cold bubbles as acutely as a gentle stroke of a knife going all the way down.
“I’ll be busy, but… I’d like to still try to see you more while I’m here. If you’d like.”
Father told me to get closer to the dragon, not Adrian. And yet, this is one of Father’s favorite young proteges. I can’t imagine he would protest under any other circumstances.
I smile once again, meeting his gaze. “I’d like that.”
He leans closer, and for a moment I think he’s going to kiss me, but he reaches out and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, his thumb brushing my cheek, leaving it with a tingling feeling in its absence. “Good.”
By the time we finish lunch, I’m feeling a proper warm buzz from the fizzy drink. I curse myself internally because I had plans with the library for the remainder of the day. A nice walk should help alleviate some of it, though.
“Well, thank you for accompanying me. I really should get going now.”
“Busy afternoon?”
“Sort of.”
For a moment, he looks like he wants to pry more, but I smile sweetly, watching the hint of suspicion disappear from his face.
Chapter 6
A brisk walk around the garden was just what I needed to clear my head. After saying goodbye to Adrian in the courtyard and assuring him I was all right alone, I went to the library for some light reading, and now I’ve found myself strolling around aimlessly, thinking about what I’ll do when I finally figure out the last piece of the puzzle. The castle garden is one of my favorite places to be. While elves with the power of verdancy can create any living thing that normally grows from the soil, this particular garden is naturally grown, containing many of the plants native to our area. Those with verdancy do maintain it with a touch of magic in the cold season though. There’s a light dusting of snow on the ground right now, so most of them shouldn’t be thriving as they are.
I know things have changed drastically over the years, and most of these probably weren’t here before the curse, but I find a lot of beauty in the ‘cursed’ plants and flowers. Out here you’ll find tall plants with gigantic purple and blue leaves, bright blue flowers that seem to glow, though they’re not sentient like Lemakis, and dark crimson vines that make their way up stone columns. Those are poisonous. If you poke your finger on a tiny thorn, you’ll be sick for weeks. And in the pitch black of night, a lot of them glow even more, creating a breathtaking scene of lights and vivid colors.
I should have been gifted with the power of verdancy like my mother. I don’t know why I ended up with power over water.
Most places on the continent, it’s not wise to wander alone, especially after dark. And especially in the wild. You don’t know what manner of beast you may come across in the pitch black of the night. But inside the incredibly high castle walls made of ice that are also heavily lit and guarded, it’s a lot safer.
As I pass a particularly tall dark purple plant, I reach into my bodice under my coat, grab my dagger, and spin with it in hand.
I’m too slow.
Cold, dark blue eyes of flame focus on me, sending my pulse racing even higher. I hear my knife clatter to the ground as his forearm pins me by the chest against a stone pillar.
“Nice try,” he says coldly, his face showing no emotion.
I pull my head back, readying to spit in his face, when he reaches out a massive hand and covers my mouth.
