Page 31

“You can come see me too, you know.”

Aunt Evalyn waved a hand. “Bah, you know how I feel about that family. Thane, I can tolerate. The other two, not on your life.”

Layala chuckled. “Ugh, they are the worst. I can barely handle them myself.” She was reminded of thelovelynotes Talon and her friends left and rubbed her temples. A white fluffy dog trotted out from behind the countertop, tail wagging, tongue sticking out. “Hello Dregous.” Layala rubbed his head. “You’re such a good boy. I missed you. Are you keeping Aunty Evalyn out of trouble?” He barked once and rested his chin on her thigh. “Of course, you are.”

“Need a drink? I’d need an entire bottle after a day of dealing with her royal majesty and her royal majesty junior.”

“Not tonight.” She couldn’t take the risk of her senses being dulled in times like these.

Aunt Evalyn cocked her head to the side and brushed her black curls behind her rounded ear. “Are you and Thane doing alright? I don’t even know what you’ve been up to lately.”

Layala just shrugged. They certainly weren’t what she wanted them to be. She didn’t want to tell Aunt Evalyn the Black Mage showed up today or she’d lose it, and they hadn’t spoken much about her possibly being a goddess reborn though Aunt Evalyn knew. She wasn’t sure what to think about it. She only said, “If you are a goddess it still doesn’t change that you’re my Layala”.

“You know you can come visit whenever you want and talk to me about anything. My door is always open, and you always have a bed upstairs if you need a night away.”

“I know.”

Aunt Evalyn nodded. “If you’re too busy, feel free to say no, but I could use a little help. I’m running low on certain plants I use for my remedies. You were always my gatherer. Now I’m left to do it myself. Or use my worthless apprentice who doesn’t know a purple pansy from a deadly nightshade.”

Said apprentice hustled around the room delivering drinks and clearing plates. She may not be good at identifying plants, but she was a phenomenal waitress. Her long blonde braid hung to her low back and swayed with her agile steps as she swooped up empty mugs. She had a gap between her two front teeth but that didn’t stop her from showing off her radiant smile.

Layala did miss the simple days of scavenging the woods for plants her aunt needed, and now that was a dangerous task. She didn’t want Aunt Evalyn or her apprentice doing it. “I’ll do it. You shouldn’t be going outside the city.”

“I must on occasion. How else am I supposed to get the things I need?”

“Hire an able man to do it or at least to be your guard. I’ll pay for it.”

She scoffed and gestured around the place. “I got plenty of coin.”

“And I might take you up on the offer of staying the night, although…” Layala glanced at the man down the bar on her left. He watched her warily through a side eye but wouldn’t look directly at her. “It’s not like it was in Briar Hollow. You’ve seen the papers.”

“No one is allowed to speak ill of you in my place or they may find a dash of Nerium O in their drink.”

Layala laughed at that. “Have you heard any rumors about who Telvian Botsberry’s anonymous source may be?”

Aunt Evalyn picked up a dirty glass from the countertop and dunked it into the basin of bubbly water beside her. “There’s been plenty of talk, but no one seems to know who.”

“It could be Varlett,” Layala murmured. “Based on some of the information, it must be her. At least one of the sources.”

Aunt Evalyn bobbed her head. “I wouldn’t put it past her if she’s still around working with the Black Mage. But the latest story makes me believe the source may be someone in the castle. Perhaps a maid or guard.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Have you not seen it?”

Layala shook her head and the pit in her stomach that seemed to linger all hours grew heavier. She tugged it out from behind the counter and set it down in front of Layala. The headline jumped out:Trouble in Paradise?

Our High King Thane fought hard to win the heart of Layala Lightbringer. Last Summer Solstice the two could be seen laughing and dancing together. They fought in Doonafell side by side and the two were so in love that even a broken mate bond couldn’t separate them. It seemed they were devoted, that the stars aligned, and the Maker brought them to be together despite wars, and her destiny for darkness, even with the rumors of her being the Black Mage’s true mate… or so we thought.

An anonymous source claims that no one has so much as seen them kiss. Shouldn’t she be attending breakfast with the royal family or at the very least, her betrothed? What about important meetings she seems to be absent from? Does she still wear her engagement ring? Why aren’t there wedding plans? We know with the war things aren’t ideal but we in Palenor have lived and wed and celebrated through the fight against the pale ones all our lives; it’s nothing new. I know if my betrothed was mated to the Black Mage, I’d call off a wedding, too. The question is, why isn’t she out of the castle yet?

~Telvian Botsberry

Layala looked downat her purple lily ring and pushed the paper away. If she had to wager, it was Talon or one of her friends.

“Is it true? Are you and Thane...”

“Things are complicated with all that has happened.”