Page 187
Story: Princes of Ash
Three Royal houses.
* * *
Summer in Forsythhas this smell to it.
It’s a warm scent, a little musty with every breeze carrying a tinge of the river algae. Even though I can never handle it, always burning pretty much instantly, I’ve missed the sun. Tipping my face up, I let it warm the bridge of my nose, already knowing my freckles are going to come out in full force.
“You little fucker.” Beside me, Effie walks the length of the shovel I’ve set up for her as a perch, her head jerking with each syllable. “Little fucker.”
I give her a stern look. “I see Mama taught you some new words.”
She trills before squawking, “Cute little fucker.”
Laughing, I realize, “Thawed her heart, huh?” Which I already figured out, considering the frown Mama gave me when I went into her office to snag the cage.
I give her head a gentle pet. “It’s just too nice of a day to be cooped up inside, isn’t it, Effie?”
“Effie is a pretty bird,”she agrees, her mimicry of Pace’s voice the best out of all of us.
I’m careful not to exert myself, sitting on a pillow as I use the pruning shears to lop off a thick stem. The whole concept of bed rest is torture, even if it’s only for two weeks. I spent six days in a hospital bed, and not long before that, five days in the dungeon. The last thing I want to do is waste away in another small room.
Not when there are important things to do.
“Verity?” The voice doesn’t surprise me, nor does the long, charged silence that follows it. But what surprises me least of all is his next words, delivered with a long-suffering sigh. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I see Lex putting his phone away.
Something tells me his brothers won’t be far behind.
“I’m taking it easy,” I explain.
Helpfully, Effie adds, “You little fucker.”
Lex’s eyes cut to the shovel, a touch accusatory considering it doesn’t even have dirt on it. He sighs, descending the steps slowly, his footfalls heavy. “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?”
“Honestly?” I look around at the solarium. The dahlias Wicker gave me are looking bigger than ever, their petals fanned out dramatically. “I thought Pace would have seen me.”
Effie jolts at his name, zipping down the length of the shovel. “Pretty bird?”
Lex approaches me, bending to carefully take the shears from my hand. “He hasn’t bothered setting his equipment back up, seeing as how…” He waves vaguely, inspecting the bed of nettles. I can see the question on his face before he even gets it out. “How is he?” he asks, eyes dropping to my belly.
Humming, I reply, “Are we going to pretend like you haven’t been looking at my records?” I hope the sly look I give him lessens the sting of the accusation.
His mouth twists wryly. “I know the vitals and prognosis, but not… not how hefeels.”
The statement, spoken so stiltedly, but so earnestly, makes my chest clench. Softly, I say, “He’s been moving.”
Lex’s head snaps up, eyes flashing in shock. “Really?” Then, his face falls. “I missed it.”
I’m just about to tell him how new it is when another voice sounds from the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” Pace asks, voice deep and tinged with fear. But as soon as he says it, Effie is flapping her wings wildly, clumsily flying to his shoulder.
“Pretty bird,” she squawks, the words rushing out so fast, they’re barely intelligible. “Good girl.”
If there was any ice around my heart, it melts at the way he greets her, a painfully tender smile on his face as he touches her. “Hey, hey, girl,” he coos. “Miss me, huh?”
She jerks her head. “Cute little fucker.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192