“Yes, but do you honestly think Devlyn will be content with small details? We owe him more than that. Dealing with the prince alone should afford him some answers.”
“We can give Devlyn some small information to waylay questions, but no one else and only the barest details.” I considered. “We found a threat to Thrais and tracked the clues we had. The artifact got away and is now in the world somewhere.”
Jyn shrugged. “Fine. Works for me. What about Lucian?”
I cringed. “I don’t know.”
“He’ll know the moment he sees us,” Meryn said. “We were foolish to mention the scepters in front of him.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Meryn looked up at Camion. “Good luck with the prince. He’s going to be all over you two.” She wagged her eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes.
Jyn and Meryn had slipped off to bathe while I snoozed. Cleanliness did wonders to improve our moods. Jyn’s hair was freshly untangled and tied back, Meryn’s skirts scrubbed free of mud. I had helped Camion remove the bandages from his side so his wounds could breathe a bit under his shirt but they were healing well. We dallied through the last bit of packing, our motions slow. Intentionally or not, I wasn’t sure. I tied my cloak over my shoulders, lifting the hood before I shouldered my pack and quiver. My bow hung loose in one hand. Camion laced his fingers through mine, right before we stepped out of the cave to go home.
Home.
Chapter 38
Jyn insisted that we use the main palace gates. His logic was sound—by now Devlyn had to know that I hadn’t been seen in the palace in days. Lucian would make certain of that, if no one else. The main gate was sealed when we approached, but the night watch jumped to their feet immediately.
“Identify yourself,” one of them yelled.
“I am Jyn, the private guard of Her Majesty. I have with me Her Majesty Queen Natylia, Court Enchantress Meryn, and our companion, Camion.”
A shuffle of footsteps rustled behind the gate, and they lowered the barricade slowly. Devlyn himself stormed out, cloak whipping behind him. He raised a torch to the level of my face and stared me in the eyes.
“Where in the name of Nahara have you been?” His eyes slid to the bandage on my head. “What happened to your head? Your hair?” He shook his head, examining each of the others in turn. “Fine, to the infirmary with all of you. You’ll explain in the morning.”
The palace was silent with sleep. I led the way to the infirmary. Devlyn had already sent a guard to wake the healers, and they busily lit torches around the room before they began their work. The wound on my head was cleaned and re-bandaged, my arm wound into soft linens soaked in some compound that the healers claimed would mend them faster.
Camion stood by the door insisting he was fine, but I managed to coax him in and help one of the older women discreetly treat his wounds. She flicked her eyes to mine when she cleaned the upper half, concern pinching her brow as her eyes scanned the scars, but I shook my head. That was Camion’s story to tell when he was ready.
Another healer saw to Jyn. He fussed at every other wound she touched, complaining that everything the poor woman did was unnecessary. The healer ignored him, pausing every few moments to swat Meryn from her herb cabinet.
“Really though, I supply most of these. I can treat myself,” Meryn huffed as another of the healers dabbed at her bloody lip.
When they were satisfied that they’d done all they could—and insisted that I get extra bed rest for my slight concussion—the healers finally let us go to bed. I sent a servant to the second floor to prepare one of the guest rooms for Camion, though I was tempted to let him stay with me. The thought of soothing not only my nightmares, but his, made me remorseful that I didn’t. At the very least, I wasn’t going to send him to the servant’s quarters. Meryn and Jyn had better than that, so should he.
After Camion was settled and Meryn was escorted out to her cabin, Jyn and I went upstairs. The relief poured over me when Jyn closed the door to his rooms, and I was finally left to my own devices. After I unpacked, I spent several minutes walking my room. I ran my fingers over books, paintings, the curtains around my bed . . . grateful for all of the things I’d taken for granted.
When I finally curled up under the covers, I cried into my pillow, the full barrage of tears that I’d held at bay for days. At first I was relieved to let the emotions wash over me in the peace of my own home, but somehow when I finished I didn’t feel better. Instead, my heart was heavy with dread. I knew what waited right beyond the walls, and I knew that these walls wouldn’t hold them off. I prayed to Nahara that the angel held.
***
I retrieved Raye fairly early in the morning. I felt horrible waking her but the bandages the healers had wrapped on my arm were so tight I wasn’t sure I could draw the bath water myself.
“Your Majesty?” Raye answered her door sleepily, still attired in her cotton night clothes. Her eyes widened after she’d had a moment to process. “You’re back?”
“Yes, sorry, I just need help drawing a bath. I’m sorry, I would have done it myself but . . .” I raised my arm.
“What happened?”
“I fell off my horse on my ridiculous adventure.” I gestured to the bandage around my head.
“Your hair!” Raye yelped.
“Don’t worry, my hair will grow back. Can you help?”
She nodded. “Let me dress quickly.”
The bath was worth the small fib I’d told her. I basked in the heat of the water and slathered every deliciously scented bar of soap I owned on my skin before I got out and dressed—in my favorite riding pants and cotton shirt. If nothing else I’d gained a greater appreciation for baths and comfortable clothing.
When Jyn woke, I offered him my bathroom and sent Raye to get Camion so he could bathe after Jyn. I wouldn’t be able to offer them the luxury every day, but today, after all we’d been through, they deserved this little comfort.
I sat on the edge of my bed while I waited for the men. My eyes traced the spines of my books and in the back of my mind I compared the adventures in those stories to what I’d been through. Reading stories, following the characters who suffered and fought as their worlds burned, the notion seemed almost romantic. In reality there wasn’t anything romantic or ideal about any of this. I had always wanted a storybook adventure and now that I was living one I wished the story would return to the pages.
A small tap sounded from my door, which Raye opened when I yelled. Camion stepped past her. His eyes were a bit wide, and he looked utterly bewildered when he sat down beside me.
“Your guest bedroom is nicer than my entire house. That’s the norm here? Just for guests?”
“Yes.”
“I’m really starting to think I’m not good enough for you,” he joked. Genuine concern lingered in his eyes, though. I reached for his hand and threaded my fingers through his.
“You’re too good for me.”
Camion’s expression softened, and he shifted to face me. “How’s your head?”
“Good. No stars today. How’s your side?”
“Fine, but I’ve been healing longer and a side heals far easier than a head.”
I conceded that.
“So. Why did you bring me up to your tiny fortress of a bedroom?”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “After Jyn, you can use my bathroom to wash. I have the best soaps in the palace.” I paused, adding gently, “Plus you won’t have to worry about anyone interrupting you with your shirt off, even servants.”
“Thank you,” he said quietly. “For all of this. Taking me into your home. I’ll have to retrieve things from my own property but this is . . . too generous.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll make you work for everything.” I nudged his arm and winked. “I’ll take you down to the armory this afternoon. See what we can get you up to.”
His eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly. “I’d feel much better knowing I did something for all of your generosity.”
“You’ve done more than most people,” I said. “And Meryn and Jyn already have titles. I’ll find you something permanent, whether or not we’re together.”
Camion cupped my cheeks in his hands and kissed my nose before pressing another to my lips.
“You need to shave,” I said absently, tugging at the tiny beard he sported.
“Anything,” he said against my lips. I leaned into the kiss, claiming his mouth with my own. For once, I welcomed the butterflies in my stomach.
“Well, this is going to get old quickly.” Jyn grinned from the doorway to the bathroom, rubbing a dry cloth over his wet hair. “All yours, Camion. Raye is drawing fresh water already.”
***
After Camion bathed, we went down for breakfast.
I paused in the doorway to the dining hall, Jyn and Camion to either of my sides. For a few moments, I stared at the large chair at the end of the table. I almost felt more justified than ever to sit in that chair, but a larger part of me screamed that I was even less so. Camion’s fingertips trailed over my wrist and down my palm. A subtle, reassuring touch to remind me he was there. I took a breath and moved, taking the seat down from my normal one so Jyn and Camion could sit on either side of me. I loaded my plate with everything—eggs, muffins, warm bread, fruit. I never realized how little I truly appreciated a fresh meal as I devoured everything I could manage. Jyn and Camion shamelessly did the same. Our cook needed a raise. Or two. I had even sent Raye with a basket of food for Meryn, who was likely arms-deep in her books and far too absorbed to remember to eat.
The door to the dining hall opened not long after I’d finished my second plate, and the hall filled with a loud shriek.
“Nat! You’re back!” Annalea raced around the table to hug me. “What happened to your head? Your hair?”
“Long story.” I grinned, standing to hug her.
I filled her in from the beginning, as quickly as I could, as she and Raul sat to eat. I left out several of the more gruesome details and a few of the more personal ones. Though, I did mention that the Council wasn’t going to like my decision to pass on Lucian’s offers. Annalea glanced at Camion and smiled. “I approve.”
“That’s what I said,” Jyn muttered under his breath. That cursed smirk was back, and I elbowed him.
“I didn’t say anything of the sort,” I protested, but Annalea rolled her eyes.
“You never were very good at lying.” She paled slightly as she added, “But you should know . . . the Council is furious that you broke a direct order and left the palace. They’ll be visiting within the week. They’ve threatened all sorts of actions against you because of your unexplained absence. Honestly, the worst of them seemed to revolve around you not being here when they arrive, but since you’re back . . . ”
“I’ll deal with the Council when they come.” I cringed. “I can’t say I’m looking forward to their presence though. They’re already mad, and I failed what I set out to do. We didn’t find the scepter, Annalea. Someone beat us there.”
“Do you know who?”
I shook my head.
“What will you do now?”
“Go after the other two, likely. I don’t know. I have to deal with the Council first, see what punishments they have for me.”
“Our trip wasn’t for nothing. We know that the scepter isn’t where it should be,” Jyn said quietly. “I can attest to that if the Council wants to give you trouble.”
“And me,” Camion spoke up from the other side. “I saw what a door was capable of in those catacombs. I’m not thrilled about the idea of going up against that scepter in the wrong hands.”
***
I dragged Camion to the gardens after breakfast in an attempt to savor some peace before everything began spiraling downward again. Jyn went to check on Meryn, to see how she was and if she’d found anything interesting in her books. I relished the thought that Jyn felt secure enough with Camion to go to the other side of the grounds.
Camion and I sat in the grass, leaned against one of the stone benches that dotted the path. I rested my head on his shoulder, his arm stretched across the seat behind me.
“I’m going to have to get used to this.” He cast a side eyed glance at me.
I tilted my head back enough that I could see his face. “Get used to what?”
“You, not being a spitfire.” His lip twitched. “I keep waiting for you to turn on me like a rabid animal.” I snapped my teeth at him and he laughed. “Yes, exactly.”
“I’m still fairly tired,” I admitted with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back to giving you hell in a few days.”
Camion grinned. “I look forward to it. Though, I am enjoying getting to see this side. You’re cute when you’re peaceful.”
I threaded my fingers through his and scoffed. “If you see peaceful, I’m glad. My mind is anything but.”
“Will this visit from the Council really be so bad? Your absence?”
“Honestly? If the Council finds out that I’m rejecting Lucian for you my absence will probably blow over smoothly.” I chuckled softly. “The Council doesn’t really disapprove of non-royal matches, especially since you can offer something to the throne—I can argue that your blacksmith skill is unmatched and Jyn would likely verify that. But as long as Lucian is unmarried, they’ll give us trouble.”
“I think I’d enjoy making Lucian squirm.”
“I thought you didn’t have an opinion on him?”
“Of course I have an opinion on him.” He laughed. “But do you honestly think I was going to say anything if you were happy?”
I glanced up at him. His jaw was smoothly shaven again, but he hadn’t touched his hair, which brushed his cheekbones now. “Wait. How long—” I hesitated, not sure I wanted to know the answer to the question on my mind.
Camion leaned down closer and lowered his voice. “Longer than you care to know, Tyli.”
I squeezed the hand I still held and brushed a kiss to his cheek. His responding smile made my heart skip. I stood, pulling him up with me. “Come on, we should go find Jyn and see if Meryn has found anything.”
***
Jyn met us before we even passed the front doors. Meryn was buried in her studies and Jyn hadn’t wanted to stick around to help. Fairly, she always got rather involved in her books, and with all the new information she’d gathered we might not see her again for a few days.
“Besides, she has Sylvr helping her.” Jyn grinned and wagged an eyebrow.
“Helping? Or helping?” I laughed. “She’ll find us when she’s ready. I’m not worried. But maybe we should keep sending her food.”
Jyn nodded his agreement as the palace doors slammed open behind us. Lucian’s face was twisted, an expression laced with rage and betrayal. Jyn had his daggers in hand in a second. He scaled the prince up and down with his eyes and dared him to try something. I didn’t miss the fury in Lucian’s eyes, or how he sized up Camion when he tugged me behind him, my hand still tightly laced with his.
“Well, I hope this isn’t serious,” Lucian snarled at Camion, leveling him with a threatening gaze. “That’s my intended you’re making eyes at.”
Camion’s eyes narrowed. I swallowed, but Jyn stepped between the three of us. “You’ll have to go through me to even look at her again if you keep running that trap of yours.”
“Really? I’d think you’d be at least a little disappointed that she couldn’t even choose you over some peasant.”
“You have absolutely no idea about the nature of my relationship with Natylia,” Jyn spat. “Love and desire are not synonymous emotions. Do you even know how to love someone other than yourself?”
Lucian cast him a disgusted look but crossed his arms over his chest. Jyn stood down, only slightly, but nobody moved.
“Where have you been?” Lucian asked finally, eyes locking onto me. They scaled my face, my hair, and froze. “What have you done to your hair?”
I shrugged and the gesture reignited his tem
per.
“I’ve been searching. Days, you’ve been gone, with no word. The Council is in an uproar. You were restricted to the palace. You knew that, and you still took off and didn’t even have the courtesy to tell me.”
I stared at him. “Where I’ve been isn’t your business.”
Lucian’s eyes burned in my direction. Apparently, he’d decided to ignore Camion’s existence. I sighed.
“You mistake me for an ingrate,” Lucian hissed. “You know what I figured out, days after you’d left? That you’re impatient, Natylia. You’ve always been impatient.”
“And?”
“And that means that when you mentioned those scepters, you weren’t merely curious. You planned to go after them and if I had to guess I’d bet the bandage on your head is from your wonderful escapades into the forest, correct?”
I nodded. “What’s your point, Lucian?”
“My point is, I know, loosely, where your scepter is. You wasted all that time, and what you sought strolled right past your palace.”
“So tell her now,” Jyn spat.
“Here’s the irony—I found the scepter while looking for you.”
My eyes widened, and I took a small step toward him. “What do you mean you found the scepter? Where?”
“Why don’t we take a walk? I can fill you in.”
Jyn laughed, pure raucous laughter. Camion tensed.
“Over my dead body,” Jyn said between laughs.
“Should I be worried? Really? Because you almost failed her the night of her coronation and well, that bandage seems to say you failed her again in the forest. What an amazing guard you have, Natylia.”
Someone turned off the sound. The poison shimmered through Jyn’s eyes, and his hands shook with rage around his blades. Unconsciously, Camion had tightened his fingers around mine.
“Get out,” Jyn growled, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “Get out, now.”
“Fine.” Lucian shrugged and spun on his heel. My stomach dropped when the door slammed closed behind him. My heart sped up. Camion glanced at me, and again at Lucian’s retreating back.
Imber Page 30