Page 53 of Winds of Darkness

“What brings you to the White Halls today, your Highness?” Tarek asked.

“A prince who hides in plain sight,” Ashtine said, looking past him to the window beyond. “Why is that open?”

“Are you cold?” Talwyn asked.

“No.”

“Then why does it bother you?”

“It does not.”

Talwyn set her silverware down, pushing her plate aside. The weight of her full attention landed on Ashtine, but before she could speak, Tarek said, “What do you mean, ‘a prince who hides in plain sight?’”

“It could mean many things,” Ashtine murmured.

“But you have an idea?” Tarek pushed.

“She doesn’t know,” Talwyn said.

“Surely she has an inkling,” Tarek argued.

“That is not how the winds work.”

“She is a Wind Walker,” he replied. “Her entire purpose is to communicate with the winds.”

“The winds speak like an Oracle,” Talwyn said tightly. “Only Ashtine cannot have a conversation with them. She can only hear their chattering.”

“And she has been doing this for decades,” Tarek said, clearly growing agitated. “One would think she’d have learned to understand them in some way.”

“One would think you’d speak more respectfully to yourqueen,” Ashtine cut in, her lilt sharp as the air around the room stirred. A moment later, a hawk’s cry sounded before Nasima appeared at the window, perching on the ledge.

“I am not speaking to her as my queen right now,” Tarek replied flippantly. “I am speaking to my twin flame.”

The silver bracelet coiled around Talwyn’s wrist shimmered, and Tarek’s eyes dropped to it before meeting her gaze again. Ashtine watched, somewhat fascinated, as his features softened. “I did not mean to upset you, Moonflower.”

She ventured east,whispered the winds.

Ashtine slid her gaze to Talwyn. “Did you visit the Wind Court recently?”

Talwyn slid her plate back in front of her, watching Ashtine carefully. “Do you think I would visit your Court but not visit you?”

Ashtine tapped her nail again absent-mindedly. “Visiting me is not a requirement of visiting the Wind Court.”

“Ashtine, I—”

“But I would have felt you enter the Court,” she continued, as though she hadn’t heard Talwyn speak at all.

But if she hadn’t come to the Wind Court that only left the Witch Kingdoms, and why would she go there? It was common knowledge Talwyn and the High Witch did not get along.

There was a long moment of silence before Talwyn lifted a hand, a swirl of leaves appearing and disappearing, taking a message to someone.

“We need Azrael for breakfast?” Tarek asked shortly, apparently knowing who Talwyn had sent the message to.

“No. I need my Second because Ashtine is troubled by something,” Talwyn answered.

“We don’t even know if that is true,” Tarek argued. “Furthermore, how will Azrael help with that?”

Lies and truth, who can tell?