Page 49 of Winds of Darkness

Briar huffed a laugh turning to Nakoa. “Are you staying for a while?”

Nakoa nodded. “I’ll send word when I need a portal home.”

“Actually, I was planning to spend some time in the libraries here. If that’s all right with you?” he asked, his gaze shifting to Eliza.

But before she could answer, Cyrus was there, Thia tucked into his side. “Of course, Drayce. Whatever you need.”

“Thank you,” Briar answered, turning and beginning the walk up the path Cyrus had just come from.

Sawyer fell into step beside him, and he didn’t miss that his brother had gone quiet. He knew the interrogation was coming, and within minutes of stepping into the libraries, he started.

“What is really going on, Briar?” Sawyer asked, his voice low as they began wandering among the various rows of books. When Briar didn’t answer, he pushed, “Does this have anything to do with why you’ve been going to the Wind Court lately?”

Briar threw a glare at his brother. “Maybe let’s not discuss this in another Court’s palace.”

“Apparently, this is the place to discuss a multitude of things, including new training regimens you haven’t even proposed to your own Inner Court yet,” Sawyer went on, his tone hard. “What the fuck, Briar?”

Briar sighed as they climbed the stairs to the next floor. “I know, Sawyer. This last year has been hard on all of us.”

“Shutting the rest of us out is not the answer. You can see what it’s doing to the Fire Court.”

“I know.”

“Do you even know what we’re looking for here?” Sawyer asked as they made their way through the stacks of books on the third floor.

They had a library in the Water Court, of course, but the Fire Court library was second to only the Wind Court catacombs. And, again, Briar wasn’t sure when he’d be going back there again. The truth was, he’d been a dick to Ashtine. He’d likely spoken to her in a way no one ever had, and while he stood by what he said, he’d said that to create distance between them. He’d been far too close to crossing a forbidden line. Or maybe not crossing it completely, but definitely pushing invisible boundaries.

“Yes. No. Sort of,” Briar answered absent-mindedly.

“That is not helpful in the slightest,” Sawyer replied in annoyance. “If you had an idea, we could at least ask Eliza where to look. There aresevenlevels in this library, Briar.”

“I know how many floors there are,” Briar retorted. He always simply looked through the books Ashtine had already collected when he was looking for answers with her. “Texts about the Great War and Avonleya,” he finally added.

“Avonleya?” Sawyer said, coming to a standstill. “What could we possibly need to know about Avonleya?”

“I don’t know,” Briar answered. “That’s why I’m looking for books about the kingdom.”

Avonleya.

The kingdom locked away to keep the rest of the realm safe. Or that was what King Deimas and Queen Esmeray had tried to rewrite into history. The truth was they had brought war to Avonleya when their monarchy had denied them something they wanted. The Fae Courts had fought alongside Avonleya, and that was why the then Court Royals had eventually been executed. While everyone had been at the public slaughter, the Court capitals had been ransacked and precious texts destroyed. It had been expected. It was why the hidden heirs had been dispersed among the crowd. No one would have suspected they’d be there to watch their parents be sacrificed in the name of setting an example.

He rounded the corner, taking the stairs to the next floor. Honestly, he had no idea where to look for anything in here. He’d simply been hoping that a change of scenery might help him sort everything out.

There was no warning when a figure stepped from the lingering smoke of the lit brazier along the wall, but Briar was used to the Ash Rider suddenly appearing. Whereas Ashtine could walk among the winds anywhere, Rayner needed smoke or ashes to move among. It hindered his movements, but only slightly.

“I asked Eliza. She said the main floor houses books about Avonleya, but there aren’t many,” Rayner said in his low voice,black hair falling across his brow and into his grey eyes that swirled like smoke.

“You spoke to Sawyer, then,” Briar said, only now realizing his brother hadn’t followed him up the stairs.

“He said he’d rather not wander around aimlessly the entire day. He also said to tell you he’d meet you downstairs when you were ready,” the male said, crossing his arms and leaning a shoulder against the wall. “Something we need to be aware of?”

“No. I mean, I’m not sure yet. Is Sorin here?”

Rayner’s features seemed to darken, the smoke in his eyes swirling faster. “He went to his mountain chalet.”

“Fuck,” Briar muttered. Eliza and Cyrus had conveniently left that part out. “Not letting anyone in?

“Has he ever?”