Page 16

16

Reyla

“ T he Evergorne Crest,” I hissed.

Also the symbol I’d found on the cover of the book I’d stolen from the library that might be Isodine’s diary. Actually, after talking with Valera, I was convinced it was her diary. If only I could discover where Erisandra hid it and read.

The chill that slithered up my spine had little to do with the light breeze coming in through the cracked window, jutting around the room. The idea of the arranged bodies clung to my mind, sending dread crashing over me.

“Why the crest?” I asked.

Merrick's gaze narrowed on the drawing, and his hand lying on his thigh twitched. “Everything’s tied to Evergorne somehow.”

“The curse too, do you think?”

Lord Briscalar and Talvon sucked in a breath at the same time, and their eyes jolted to lock on the wall before they looked back at us. Yanked away by me saying “curse,” then returned with their minds blanked like usual.

“That would be my assumption,” Merrick bit out.

Briscalar nodded, probably linking Merrick's comment to his prior one about the court.

“Is this a warning or…?” Talvon asked.

Merrick's gaze narrowed. “Or what? Tell me your thoughts.”

Talvon leaned forward, his voice low. “What if this is an invitation?”

“In what way?” I asked.

“Outside of this crude display, they don't appear able to speak or communicate with us,” Lord Briscalar said. “Though they must be able to do so among themselves since this act was done in unison.” His brows furrowed. “Provocation implies they seek a response, and my assumption would be from you.” His gaze fell on Merrick.

“The last thing we need is to be manipulated by beasts in the forest, beasts that haven’t attacked this court for many generations,” Merrick said, his voice taut with frustration. “We cannot afford to play whatever game this might be, though I believe ignoring it would be unwise.”

“Exactly,” Talvon said. “Suggestions?”

“I’m open to whatever the three of you believe we should consider.”

“If this is a way of communicating, grisly as it is,” I said, “maybe we should show them we received the message.”

“Yes,” Merrick urged, leaning toward me.

“Could we project the image of the crest where they might see it? If they’re trying to communicate, this could show them we understand.” We might be traveling down the wrong road with this, but short of increasing protection, I couldn’t think of any other way to address this.

“You’re skilled with lights,” Merrick said to Talvon. “Could you arrange for something like this?”

“Easily. I’ll project something on the outside of the wall, though I’m not sure how we’ll determine they’ve seen it.” Talvon stared at the drawing, deep in thought. “They could also be trying to instill fear and weaken us.”

The window creaked ominously as the gust of wind picked up, the chill biting deeper, wrapping around my throat. My palms went sweaty, and my pulse quickened. “They’re doing a very good job if that’s their intent.”

“This is not the act of a friend,” Lord Briscalar said. “Nothing will convince me of that. It's ominous, and I believe we must do something, though I'm not sure what.”

“Increase our patrols,” Merrick said. “This will show those living outside the walls that we’re determined to protect them. A strong presence may keep the borgons away. And tell those living outside the walls that we'll find places for them inside if that's what they need. They should keep their animals inside at all times. I know that'll be a challenge with grazing animals, so send them what they need to make this possible. Hay. Whatever they ask for.”

“Excellent ideas, my king,” Lord Briscalar said.

It felt good to act rather than wait for the next horror to descend.

“Any other suggestions?” Merrick asked, and we all shook our heads. Most of this was speculation. It was hard to respond when we didn’t understand the motives.

Talvon rose. “I’ll speak with the guard about the patrols. Since we’re expanding the guard to cover this, we’ll need to enlist volunteers. ”

Merrick dipped his head. “The coffers are yours. Make it sweet enough you’ll have plenty of volunteers to choose from.”

“I will.” Talvon strode from the room as Lord Briscalar got to his feet.

“I’ll work with the farmers within the walls to procure feed and see to its delivery, plus arrange for accommodations for those who are eager for the protection of this court. If nothing else, I can put the aerie to good use.”

“Thank you,” Merrick said.

With a bow, the lord also left.

My focus remained on the attacks. Why had this escalated, and why were they leaving bodies shaped to create the Evergorne crest?

We both stared toward the empty fireplace grate for a long time, not speculating aloud.

Finally, Merrick sighed. He took my hand and urged me up from the sofa to sit on the edge of the table in front of him. He placed his hands on my hips, and I realized how quickly I’d slipped back into a comfortable relationship with him. But both of them had cared for me the past few days, and it was hard to be angry with someone who’d sacrifice their sleep and their own comfort to see to mine.

“How are the borgons related to Evergorne?” I asked, pushing aside my emotions to focus on figuring this out. I felt like vital clues were missing and if I could find them, it would all make sense.

“No idea.”

The creases around his eyes showed how worried he was about this. He had so much on his mind at all times. His thirtieth birthday loomed. His mother was being a pain in the ass. The lords and ladies appeared poised to revolt. And now the borgons. We’d tumbled over the edge of a cliff without a way to break our fall.

Merrick shifted closer, his hands sliding to the table beside my thighs as his brow furrowed. “The crest.” His voice came out heavy, like he was dragging his thoughts through mud. “Why that of all things?”

“It doesn’t make sense. Could it relate to the elder’s comment about how they may be seeking something that went missing?”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” His gaze flicked toward me before dropping to the floor, and his shoulders tightened. He released a long sigh that made my chest ache. “We’re missing something.” The words came out low and distant, as though he was speaking more to himself than to me.

“We'll find it.”

His sad smile rose. “I love that you say we.”

“These people are mine now. You're mine now.” It might be bold of me to state it that way, but I meant it. I'd gone from dreading being with this man to feeling the first touches of affection, to… Was this heady, torturous, exquisitely painful feeling love? I'd loved Kinart, but with Lorant and Merrick, it felt different. Richer, though that could come from me being older and hopefully, wiser.

What we had could be lasting if I could find a way to grab onto it and make it my own.

“I am yours,” he said with so much pain in his voice, it gutted me. “No matter what happens, remember that. Remember me ?”

My eyes burned with tears. That time was roaring toward me and there may be no way to get out of its path, but we still had now.

“No matter what happens, I will find you in every lifetime.” His gaze searched mine. “I promise.”

The threads I’d used to bind together the squares in my quilt of peace were shredding. Perhaps it was a wall I’d erected between us. Kinart’s death nearly destroyed me. I’d wanted to make sure Merrick and Lorant’s wouldn’t.

I should’ve been tugging them beneath the quilt with me instead of lifting it between us.

“Merrick.” I pinched my stinging eyes closed before opening them again. “You break me.”

“That’s never been my wish. I only want to make you feel whole. Fulfilled. Happy.”

Was that even possible with everything going on around us?

“Don't carry this burden on your own,” I said. Mentally, I was lifting the edge of my quilt, nudging my chin to show him he could climb beneath it with me. Share warmth and the peace the quilt could bring us both.

“It’s my role to hold the burdens that come from being king of this court.”

I braced my palms on the edge of the table, leaning toward him. “I’m here. I want to share this with you. Let me shoulder some of those burdens for you. I can hand them back when you're ready to carry them once more.”

His lips tilted up in a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re already helping more than you know.”

Maybe that was true, but it wasn’t enough. Not for me. Not when he looked like he was holding up Evergorne and the entire world on his shoulders. I wanted to ease some of that for him, even if I couldn’t take it all. And not just because of our marriage or my duty as queen. I wanted it for him, for the man I was coming to care for in ways I couldn’t define.

“Please,” I said.

He searched my eyes for a very long time. “Alright.”

“Thank you.” I could almost feel him easing beneath the quilt to join me. I mentally tucked it beneath our chins and hoped he’d feel the strength and hope it offered.

Swinging my legs against the table, my shoes brushed against his shins. “Maybe we both need a break to clear our heads.”

His brows lifted, and he tilted his head. “What do you have in mind?”

“Do you have to meet with your advisors today?”

“Yes, but fuck them.” His mouth curled up further. “Tell me what you're thinking of, because I'd much rather spend my time with you.”

“I don’t know.” I mentally riffled through ideas. “A walk outside? Maybe some sparring in the training room?”

“I do enjoy rolling around with you on a training mat, and a walk outside could prove entertaining.”

I leaned close to him and placed my hands on his shoulders. He really was well built. I could stare at his body—drool about it—all day. “I could teach you to flit.”

His gaze snapped to mine. “Are you going to tease me with your kisses, then disappear from my arms?”

“If I share the spell, it could be you teasing me with your kisses while you disappear from my arms.”

“If you're kissing me, I'm not going anywhere. But flitting… I've heard of it, of course, and I’ve seen you do it a few times, but it's not something anyone does here. I may not be able to perform the trick.”

Our magic did appear to be different in many ways. Why, I didn’t know; this was just how it was.

“I'll teach you, and you can try,” I said, grimacing. “I've found that kind of magic to be an inconsistent bitch. She doesn't want to behave for me like she should.”

“Sounds like a beautiful woman I know.”

I pouted. “Are you calling me a bitch? ”

“Never,” he vowed, though his eyes sparkled. I loved that I could lighten his mood if only for a few moments. He wallowed too much in duty and dismay, though I understood why.

“It's not only my role here as queen of Evergorne Court to help my people with their needs but to make sure the king has a good reason to smile.”

“I'm not sure flitting will do that for me, though I'm eager to find out if it involves kisses.” He nuzzled his nose against my neck. “You smell good.” And he licked, his tongue tickling my skin. “Taste good too.”

“You're an incredible distraction.” Was that my voice coming out breathy?

A guarantee when Merrick was touching me.

His fingers slid up to bite into my thighs, holding me in place. No, slightly spreading them wide. “I could keep distracting you if you'd like.”

The heat this man drew from my core…

What a dilemma. I could lay back on the table and let him do whatever he pleased because I knew it would please me as much, or I could insist on teaching him how to flit. While taking pleasure from him might help him shed his burdens for a short time, I wanted to give him more than that.

“I'll teach you to flit and then you can teach me to…” Oh how delicious the possibilities between us were. “Something. You figure that part out.”

“Alright.” He sent me a boyish smile, telling me I'd made the right decision. If teaching him gave him a small reprieve from the heaviness surrounding him, I’d count it a victory.

“Ready to learn, King Merrick?”

“Here?” At my nod, he released my thighs and settled back on the sofa, his gaze gliding down my body. His finger flicked out to encase the room in a ward. “You're in control, Wildfire. ”

“Don't tease me with such a tantalizing notion.”

His sly smile rose. “Do you like to take charge sometimes?”

The sexual innuendo in his voice made me want to command this man to strip everything off so I could discover how he tasted. Soon. That time could no longer be denied.

Because he was too distracting, and I really did want to teach him the spell, I slipped off the table, and eased to the side, savoring how he reached out to trail his fingers across my ass as I passed.

I paced a few steps away and turned back to face him, forcing myself to focus. “The spell itself is pretty straightforward. It’s the mechanics that can trip you.”

He tilted his head, watching me like he was eager to gobble me up. “I’m listening.”

“Where I come from, we're taught to picture a well full of power in our mind,” I said. “I told that to… Well, to you. Lorant. Did he share that with you?”

He nodded, his gaze locked on me and with a sly smile on his face.

“Alright, then. When we want to perform magic, we cast a spell.”

“You've already learned it's different here. No well. We pull in power from the world around us and send it back with a wish. A command, if you'd like to call it that. We persuade the magic to do what we need. What are the specific words for the flitting spell?”

I stepped over to stand in front of him again, braced my palms on his shoulders and whispered it in his ear, though this wasn't a secret. I couldn't resist touching him, getting close to him. I leaned back in his embrace. “The words are old.”

“Ancient fae, actually. I studied the language when I was small.”

“Truly? ”

He flashed me a smile. “Truly. They mean to flow through the crest of power.”

Now I wondered what the other spells I’d learned meant.

“It may not work for you.” I didn't want to disappoint him, but if he couldn't draw from a well deep inside like those where I came from, then he might not be able to?—

He disappeared from beneath my hands and reappeared in front of the fireplace.

“I believe it’s time for me to give you a lesson, Wildfire,” he purred.