From over his right shoulder, Hawke’s gentle voice broke the simple sounds of Arii’s breathing.
“Your Highness…” he said, his hand coming to rest on the young man’s shoulder. “Miss Clearwater is perhaps the most resilient woman I have ever witnessed; she will be fine.”
Lorch sighed and stood. He had not bathed in two days and thought it best to clean up before she woke.
He gazed at Hawke. “You’ll send her to me when she is well enough to walk.” That was not a request, and the authority in Lorch’s voice was a rarity. Hawke bowed gingerly in answer as Lorch touched a hand to the Commander’s arm.
“I’m glad you came back alive, Commander,” he said, and Hawke’s gruff face flickered to a smile, his chocolate eyes skipping to the woman on the bed.
“Without her I would not be here, my King.”
Lorch’s sapphire eyes glittered. “You and I both, Commander.”
Chapter Seven
Memories flashed behind Arii’s closed eyelids. The feeling of her leg being feasted upon by a million fire ants; the constant reassuring presence of magic fleeing her body, leaving her drained.
The Kryvern’s talons glinting in the sun as it stalked towards her, the clicking of metal on stone, the agony of iron cleaving through her flesh.
Slowly her eyes opened, and her tongue darted across dry lips, her mouth as parched as if she had trekked across an entire desert. She felt the warm tingle of magic returned to her veins and almost groaned with relief.
She thanked the goddess of darkness and applied her dulling magic just as Commander Hawke entered the infirmary.
The room was large, light and quiet. Beds lined the walls, separated by curtains of white silk, fluttering in the breeze from a nearby open window. Her nose twitched at the soothing scent of lavender – a small bunch propped in a delicate vase nearby.
Hawke lowered himself to the chair closest to her bedside, his face holding a gentle smile.
“Welcome back, Miss Clearwater,” he said softly, and she noticed the bandage around his middle.
Her eyes lifted from his patched wounds. “I thought…” she cleared her dry throat and tried again. “I thought you were dead,” she said, attempting to sit up slowly. Her leg ached but her Fae healing would be kicking in by now, knitting the damage together twice as quickly as a human could heal.
Hawke handed her a crystal glass of water from her bedstand and she took it gratefully.
“I could well have been, but luckily my armour prevented the teeth from piercing anything vital. I must praise you for your swift work, your actions saved many lives.” He shifted gingerly before nodding at her leg under the white sheets. “That was a very nasty wound you sustained, Miss Clearwater. Having said that though, your wound is healing nicely. You’ll be back and sparring in no time.” The handsome old man’s lips twitched. “And you will be able to show the King that you are recovering. He visited you many times while you slept, you know.”
Arii paused with the glass to her lips and narrowed her eyes. She lowered the glass carefully, tapping the rim with her nail as she said, “He did? How long was I out?”
Hawke shrugged, before wincing lightly. “Two days,” he confirmed, and Arii cringed. Two days without reporting anything to the Three Fates, and two additional days that the King was still breathing. She was surely running out of time to fulfil her assignment.
“Thank you, Commander,” she offered. “I will see the King as soon as I am dressed.”
Hawke looked as if he were about to say something more, but the look dispersed and he rose from his seat slowly, offering a smile. Whatever he was going to say did not matter anymore.
“He is in the library. Down the hall and to the left.”
With a small, ginger bow he exited the infirmary.
Arii threw the sheets back and slipped off the bed, dressing in her novice uniform, neatly laid out on a chair nearby. Brushing her hands through her hair swiftly and weaving it into a long braid, Arii exited the infirmary, heading for the library.
~~~
As Arii approached the large doors to the library, she noticed the entry was occupied by guards. The two armour-clad men straightened and nodded as she approached, sliding aside so she could enter. Without a second glance, she pushed the doors open and entered the room.
Never before had she seen such a breathtaking sight.
The high ceiling was domed over by a stunning metal structure of stained-glass windows, the glass panes catching in the sun and causing a glittering rainbow kaleidoscope of colours to splash across the room. The walls were lined with bookshelves, separated occasionally by a long window connecting with the glass structure above. In the middle of the room was a large pool filled with crystal clear water, the beautiful, tiled artwork beneath the surface distorted by the ripples.
Any free space in the room was occupied by tables with red padded velvet chairs. Gold candelabras were fixed on the ends of the bookshelves, and Arii noticed that every space that could be was covered with more shelves. Books, old and new, filled every shelf, seemingly endless titles filling the room with the scent of vanilla. The room was magnificent, but also had a sense of comfort with the warm wooden furniture and light rays of sunshine.
Standing by the pool was Lorch, his dark blue outfit immaculate and without a thread out of place. He turned, the copper in his hair catching the glittering rays from the stained glass above as he smiled.
“Ah! My Kryvern slayer has returned, and with two more notches under her belt!” His expression was delighted, a hand smacking against his thigh. “Gods I wish I could have seen that!”
Had the King been displaying worry for her wellbeing, none seemed to be obvious now.
Arii’s lips twitched in a wry smile. “It is lucky you were not there, Your Highness. I don’t think I could have saved you again from three of the beasts.”
Lorch was chuckling, his eyes alight with mirth. “I absolutely have no doubt you could have kept me protected, My Lady. The men say you move like a whirlwind, and they now call you Kryvern Rider.”
She pressed her tongue to the inner wall of her mouth at that. Her repertoire of names was growing.
Lorch motioned for her to approach, gesturing to a table nearby laid out with tea, cakes and fruit.
“Please, join us for breakfast.”
At the mention of ‘us’, Arii’s eyes drifted to the dark figure of a man by a nearby window. His hood shifted slightly but he remained staring out the glass, seemingly ignoring them. With a moment more of pause, Arii’s eyes glided back to Lorch.
“Thank you,” she replied and approached.
Looking up at her through light brown lashes, Lorch leaned towards the table and pinched a little white cube and lifted it for her to see. “Sugar?” he offered, and Arii’s brows rose in surprise as the King poured the steaming amber liquid from a gold teapot into a delicate, gold-trimmed teacup.
“Should it not be me serving you the tea, my King?”
Lorch chuckled and placed the sugar down.
“Miss Clearwater, you saved my life. As we stand here now, I want you to see me as a potential friend, rather than your King,” he said, blue eyes glimmering.
This was perfect. The King wanted to trust her, and her to trust him – offering a sort of hand in friendship.
All the better for her to get close and strike.
“How is your leg, Miss Clearwater?” the King asked, a flicker of concern on his face. She remembered Hawke telling her that he had visited her many times while she slept. Again, she felt her mind drifting to question why he would do so.
What had he to gain?
“It is healed enough. I barely feel pain now,” she replied, watching as Lorch gestured in Elijah’s direction.
“It took Elijah about two days to heal from his wounds
inflicted by the Kryvern too.”
Arii threw a look over Lorch’s shoulder to Elijah’s dark form. He almost seemed to absorb the shadows around him, despite his position against the window.
“It was lucky that Commander Hawke was not killed,” she said, gaze returning to the King, noticing his eyes were fixed on her. Under his gaze, she tried not to twitch.
“And thanks to you, he lives to fight another day,” Lorch said, leaning to swipe a grape from the platter, popping the fruit into his mouth.
“Alright, if we are to be friends then I feel I can speak freely while we are here,” Arii said boldly, her chin lifting.
Lorch’s teeth flashed in a smile. “Of course,” he replied lightly.
“The Kryverns we faced in Amberbourne, they were modified to have iron claws,” she said, and she could feel the shift in Elijah’s direction, the air becoming strangely heavy.
She dismissed it before continuing. “I think someone has been modifying the Kryverns, but for what purpose I do not know.”
She knew this was something she should be confiding to anyone but the King, but she believed he may know something, and after her injury she wanted to know.
Better yet, she wanted to find out if they were preparing the beasts to attack Fae specifically. Iron was a Fae’s kryptonite. If whoever was doing this was targeting Fae, then why modify the already deadly creatures? Fae numbers were so little now, and male Fae were non-existent. All she could think was that someone was preparing for something, but for what she had not a clue.
Lorch’s brows shot up and he looked stunned. He surveyed her with questions swimming in his eyes, his lips pursing as he mulled over her words. He lifted a hand to take the end of her braid in his fingers, pinching it and surveying the lightened ends. Such peculiar hair, like the ends had been lightened in the sun. After a pause, he spoke, his voice seemingly distant in thought.
“The Kryverns come down from the mountains sometimes, they are starving, and food is scarce in the Dragon’s Teeth. I have men in hunting parties clearing the land of as many as possible, but they are incredibly difficult to take down. I lose many men with each encounter, and it takes at least fifteen per beast.”
His eyes met hers and she let out her breath. Gods, he smelled good, like sweet soap and honey. Her Fae side, kept carefully suppressed, wanted to grab the man by his finely tailored tunic and inhale deeply.
Get a grip, Ariiaya.
Lorch did not seem to notice her inner turmoil and continued. “I have had no reports of iron claws on the beasts, but if what you say is true, I could make some enquiries.” He tilted his head, eyes smouldering, and she could feel the heat of his breath brush her face.
She also noticed the slow lowering of his tone, the nonchalant and almost uninterested cadence of his words. Her gut simmered with the beginnings of persistence, but suddenly she realised just how close he had become.
Far too close.
Smiling gently, Arii slipped past him, moving around the table of food in a swift motion – eager to put distance between them. She could feel the burn of Elijah’s gaze on the back of her head, and she supposed their talk of modified beasts was done – for now.
“I’m famished,” she said, and she heard Lorch’s breathy laugh behind her. She plopped down on the padded chair and swiped a cake from the colourful display, choosing one with white sugar frosting.
Lorch soon joined her, and Arii watched as he sat on the red padded settee and leaned back, swinging one leg up over the other. The King bounced his leg on his knee, eyeing her openly and curiously.
“Of course you would be famished, you have not eaten in two days. Once we part, I will have a full meal brought to you, and of course you will not be required to participate in guard duties today.”
Arii spoke around a mouthful of sweets. “Sthanks,” she said, covering her mouth with her hand, startled. Gods it was hard to remain formal around him, he made her feel casual.
It was dangerous.
From her left, she heard a tsk from Elijah. She had almost forgotten he was there, save the heavy weight of his gaze which had not left them while they spoke.
“It is the least I can offer for you saving Commander Hawke,” he said, and his tone was honest. Resting his arm on the shoulder of the seat, fingers lifting to his clean-shaven jaw in a gesture of thought, Lorch seemed on the verge of speaking again when the doors to the library opened.
A man entered, his brow covered with a sheen of sweat, as if he were nervous. Elijah pushed from the wall to stand straight, alert and ready for anything.
The man bowed quickly and deeply.
“My King, I am sorry to interrupt but we have an unexpected guest to the castle.” As the man spoke, a new figure entered the room.
Arii felt her lips quirk in an unexpected smile.
Standing in the doorway was a woman in all of her undulled Fae glory. Ash blonde bob wavering around her sharp face, aqua eyes glittering, lithe figure draped in a raven black gown.
Nemesis entered the room with chin lifted and lips curling in confidence, and her eyes were fixed on Arii.
~~~
King Lorch’s eyes settled on the new addition to their gathering, before bowing lightly to the woman in the doorway as the guards clicked the door closed behind them.
“To what do we owe this pleasure, erm…”
Lorch paused and Arii was surprised to see a slight hesitation in his normally quick and gracious manner. Nem’s eyes were on Arii as she spoke, their aqua depths a riot of questions; and Arii felt that she was in for an absolute tongue lashing later.
“Nemesis Rion,” Nem replied, breaking her gaze from her friend as she swept into a curtsy. “I am here on behalf of the Three Fates.” Her piercing gaze was on the King now. “They feel it is about time an official Emissary was required in the castle. They are aware of the rise in sightings of Kryverns from the mountains in the North.”
With a cool, stoic look, Nem said “I am here to offer my assistance and through me, the Fates council.”
Lorch was quick to smile and approach the woman, taking her hand in his and placing his lips to the back of her palm.
“It is my pleasure to accommodate you, my Lady, and I gladly accept the Sister’s offer of assistance.”
Well, he would be stupid not to accept anything from the Three Fates, thought Arii. They were the most powerful in the land next to the King’s forces and the heads of the Courts. They held mass influence and the most magic since the male Fae magicians had been wiped out.
Arii spared a quick glance in Elijah’s direction, and saw the man was rigid, arms either side of his body, one hovering close to his sword. He did not trust anyone around the King, and it showed. When she let her eyes drift back the King’s exchange with Nem, she saw her friend’s eyes were on her again.
“The Fates heard of her involvement with the Kryverns in Amberbourne,” she paused, tilting her head in Arii’s direction as she added, “I would like to speak to the King’s Saviour.”
Her expression did not leave any room for argument, even for the King.
“Alone,” she finished.
Arii felt the hair on her neck stand on end.
Nyx’s arse she was in trouble…
Lorch paused before glancing at Arii, and she swore she saw nervousness in his eyes.
The King was nervous for her?
He was a bloody fool without knowing it.
“Who am I to deny the Sister’s request?” He shrugged, and then Elijah spoke, his voice low and deadly.
“You are the King, you can refuse whatever you see fit.”
Arii felt tension in the air that she could almost taste if she only opened her mouth. She blew out her breath inconspicuously.
The bodyguard had balls.
Nem’ brows were ar
ching high on her narrow face, and Arii knew that if the King were not an audience at that moment, the Fury would be sliding her knife between Elijah’s ribs and into his heart in a flash.
Lorch lifted a hand in Elijah’s direction, placating. He could feel the thickness in the air also and offered a wide smile and a laugh to ease the tension. Arii was noticing more and more that Lorch was a peacekeeper rather than an instigator. He seemed inclined to avoid conflict, rather than seething for it like his father.
“Elijah, it is fine. Let us leave the ladies to talk,” he said and directed his smile to Nem.
“Miss Clearwater has become especially important within my guards. I think the Fates will like her.” He shot Arii a smile before motioning for a very unimpressed Elijah to leave the room. They exited, albeit the bodyguard a tad slower, and Arii swore he paused for a split second at Nem’s side. From beneath his hood, she knew he was glaring at Nem with mistrust.
If only he knew whom he stood beside.
Nemesis Rion would gut him like a fish and use his skull as a paperweight.
The door clicked shut behind them, and Nem was rounding on Arii a few moments later. With a smooth wave of her hand, the silver haired Fury placed a veil of magic around the room to prevent eavesdroppers, and Arii tasted the magic on her tongue. She imagined Lorch Kruel and Elijah Wolfe pressing their ears against the door in an attempt to listen to their conversation – the image causing a bubble of laughter to rise in her throat.
Nem’s lips curled back over her teeth.
Oh, she was royally fucked.
“What in Nyx’s name are you doing?” Nem snarled, storming towards her like an enraged Kryvern. Arii stood quickly, her usual bravado smattering across her features.
The two stood nose to nose.
“You have no idea what has been happening here, or what I have had to endure!” Arii flicked a hand at her novice’s uniform. “Do you think I want to be here, working for the man I am meant to have assassinated by now?” she snarled into her friend’s face. “I have not had a moment with him alone thanks to the man who shadows him everywhere he goes!”
Love, Blood & Fury Page 10