by Skye Horn
“If I allow you to do this, I need a guarantee you will come back,” Ainé finally said, looking frustratedly down at him. He lowered his gaze with a nod of agreement. As angry as he was with her for the possible lies, his intentions for this trip were only to find out if Thea was with child. If she was, then perhaps he could bring her back to Ivandor and beg for Ainé to spare her. Surely having Thea as a prisoner was good enough for the Goddess. He just needed to remove the threat, protect her and his child, and return to his Goddess. It sounded simple, but he was not a fool.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to her palm gently. “Anything, my queen.”
She cupped his chin within her palm and lifted his gaze to meet hers. He felt her searching him for answers that he would not give. Instead, he let himself fall into her gaze. There was nothing he could do when she looked at him like this, but he would protect his child from its mother’s fate and then return to serve his Goddess in whatever way she asked.
“I only ask that you swear an oath to me,” she said sweetly. Her long hair fell in waves around her shoulders as she looked down at him. “Swear to me that you will return to stand by my side in this war, no matter what.”
Kieran felt the power of those words and knew that he would be bound to them, but if an oath was what it took to save his child’s life, then he would not hesitate.
“I swear to you I will return.”
And with that, a powerful gust of wind lifted him to his feet as she leaned close to press her lips to his in a familiar embrace. However, this time, he knew he’d sealed his fate when he kissed her back. He would be bound to her.
“Go now, then,” she said, pulling away to meet his gaze. “Bring back the traitor.”
Kieran stepped away, feeling breathless from the kiss, and bowed low.
“Yes, my queen.”
He turned and walked from the room as quickly as he could, knowing if he stayed any longer she was bound to figure out his plans, and headed out to find out the truth about his child from a woman who likely wanted him dead.
Chapter 10
Thea awoke in a cold sweat, nightmares lingering just beyond her memory. The only thing she could recall clearly was a pair of glossy eyes staring at her through the darkness. It sent a shiver down her spine to recall her great-godfather’s gaze boring into her, but there was no time to contemplate what else the dream may have meant because as she turned to get out of bed, she rolled directly into another person’s body and let out a loud scream.
“What the hell are you doing?” She gasped, pulling the blankets up over her body in a poor form of defense as Adrian raised his hands up in surrender. A flush crept up his neck to his cheeks. He’d been sitting on the edge of her bed, doing what? Watching her sleep? For how long? She glared at him. “Do they not teach you manners here?”
“I’m sorry,” Adrian said, but he didn’t rise from her bed. Instead, he kept seated on the blanket, practically pinning her beneath the covers. He did look apologetic, but that didn’t make up for the fright he’d caused her. “I’ve just been waiting for you to wake up.”
Thea ignored the weirdness of that admittance, studying his face. She could see the dark circles beneath his eyes that hadn’t been there the last time they’d spoken. His cheeks were flushed red and his eyes kept darting away from her gaze with something close to concern in them. In the short time she’d been in Blackmire his mood swings had grown more and more confusing. Normally, he wouldn’t have apologized for doing whatever the hell he wanted whenever he wanted. He would have just told her to deal with it. Instead, he looked ready to flee like a child caught with his hand in a cookie jar.
She wanted to smack herself for comparing him in her bed to a child with his hand in a cookie jar, but decided to take a deep breath instead to calm her frustrations.
“I don’t remember going to bed,” Thea admitted. Now that she was beginning to awake she felt the tight knots in her back and wings, as well as the aching headache behind her eyes. It was as if she’d had a full night of drinking and had just woken up from sleeping wrong, but she knew that wasn’t the case. “How did I get here, Adrian?”
She looked at him with a lifted eyebrow, and tried to pull herself up into a sitting position. This time, the movement sent a wave of pain through her like nothing she’d ever felt before. She whimpered, collapsing back into the bed. “What the—”
“You took a pretty bad beating with Morrigan,” Adrian said slowly. He was chewing on his bottom lip in a way that made him look as if he were pouting. This new side of him, nervous and careful, was one she wished she hadn’t seen. After their last encounter, she’d been sure he’d never talk to her kindly again, and yet here he was, looking more nervous than ever. This man was one of the most confusing men she’d ever met.
“What do you mean I took a beating?” Thea asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she tried to remember what had happened. She recalled arriving in the gardens with Morrigan. The Goddess had shown her how to heal the palms of her hands, which Thea noticed were still healed. However, what happened after that felt like a blur. Had she been knocked out by something?
“Morrigan said that the magic overwhelmed you,” Adrian said slowly.
The words brought back a flash of memory—shattered wings. She immediately reached back to touch her tender feathers and winced. They were not broken, but they ached as if someone had stretched her as far as her body would allow. “She healed me.”
Adrian nodded.
“What did I do?” Thea asked quietly. “Did I hurt anyone?”
“Only Morrigan.”
At this, Thea’s eyes widened. She’d hurt the Goddess? Did that mean she had a chance at defeating Ainé?
“Don’t get your hopes up. I think she was going easy on you, but you caught her off-guard. Ainé won’t be so simple.”
Thea’s face fell a little, but she nodded, letting go of the hope that she might see her family sooner than expected. She wanted to curl up and go back to sleep, but instead, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and slowly stretched her arms above her head. Nothing felt broken, just sore, and the memory of the pain was worse than anything else.
“If you give me a few minutes, I’ll be ready for training,” Thea said, starting to tug the blanket off herself despite the fact that Adrian still sat on the edge of the bed.
“What?” Adrian lifted a single eyebrow and began shaking his head. “Didn’t you hear me? You’re not ready for more training.”
Anger bubbled up beneath the surface of Thea’s skin, but she pushed her temper down by biting her cheek until she tasted blood.
“The king ordered you to train me every morning,” Thea said slowly, waiting for Adrian to realize he couldn’t just skip this. His career depended on her success. However, his hesitation was short lived before he started shaking his head again.
“Training today will only make you worse. I’m not going to risk it.”
The way he said risk it made Thea tilt her head. “I’m just sore, Adrian. It’s not like running laps is going to kill me.”
“I said no.” He stood, walking toward the window to avoid her fuming glare.
“I can’t just sit around all day! I need to be working toward getting my family back. What does Morrigan have to say about this? I’m supposed to train with her every day too.”
“She is the one who told me to have you rest.” Adrian’s voice was strained, but he faced away from Thea. She could not read his expression, only his tone. However, his words made her heart sink. If Morrigan had said she needed rest, she imagined she was going to be stuck in this room all day. The thought of it made her want to cry.
“I can’t just sit here…” she repeated, voice pleading. Whatever version of Adrian she was dealing with today, he was not in the mood to fight, but he was also being careful of his words. “Where is my cousin?”
“Likely in the library.” Adrian sighed, shoulders sagging.
“Then take me there,” Thea responded, perking up
at the thought of books.
“It’s royal family only.”
Adrian turned to look at her again, but his emotions were under control and whatever he’d been hiding had disappeared. She frowned.
“Am I not part of the royal family as the king’s niece?” she asked, crossing her arms.
If she couldn’t train today, then she could at least do some research. Declan had told her that the libraries of Gimmerwich contained their history; perhaps it was the same for the libraries of Blackmire. She wanted to be productive, so maybe she could find something that would help her control the magic rather than have it controlling her.
Adrian paused, looking her over. “If I say no you’re going to be a pain in my ass all day, aren’t you?”
Thea’s lips pulled up into a smirk. Apparently, that was answer enough because he started rubbing his temples with a sigh and said, “Fine. We can go if Caden is in the library. If he’s not there, you’re not stepping one foot inside.”
Thea perked up at that and nodded. She’d take it if it meant she would be able to learn something about what to expect.
“You have five minutes or I’m locking you in here.”
Adrian strode out of the room without a backward glance and Thea let herself smile. She couldn’t believe that had actually worked. Whatever was bothering Adrian was enough to stop him from fighting with her, and she was not about to question that.
So instead, she jumped up to find something to wear as quickly as possible, letting the nightmares that had plagued her sleep fade away.
When Thea emerged from her chamber in a simple cream-colored gown, Adrian tried to hide his surprise. Her complaints about dresses had made him believe she’d never willingly choose to wear one, and yet, here she was.
“I only have so many articles of clothing,” she said by way of explanation, flushing pink. “I never said I don’t like dresses. Just that I don’t want to wear them to fight in.”
She reached to smooth the material down over her abdomen, and Adrian’s eyes lingered a second too long on the curve of her hip. He’d seen her mostly in tunics, nothing form-fitting enough to even tell if she was showing—not that he would have looked before. He shifted his eyes away before she could catch him and frowned. He was going to get into trouble. It was already hard enough fighting with himself about whether or not to tell her the truth, but Morrigan had made it clear that if he did, there would be consequences. He needed to protect Caden, and that meant not failing to become the head guard.
“You look nice,” he mumbled before turning down the corridor. “Let’s go.”
Adrian didn’t wait to see if she was following. He headed straight for the Royal Library walking at a quickened pace. If Caden was in the library, he could leave Thea with him and just remain outside. Normally, Adrian liked to spend the time with Caden while he did his studies, but right now, he felt the need to get away from Thea. Perhaps he could request another guard watch them while they worked. He’d be less likely to say something he might regret if he did that.
“Are you okay?” Thea asked, catching up with him. She was watching him with cautioned curiosity, but he tried to smile, which only made her look more concerned.
What was he doing? They’d been bickering since the day she arrived and now suddenly he was acting like this? He should have been wearing a sign around his neck explaining his guilt.
“Seeing you injured concerned me,” Adrian said as coolly as possible, not meeting her gaze as they turned another corner. He lowered his eyes to watch his feet as he walked. It wasn’t a complete lie, but his concern for her safety was no longer the only thing bothering him.
You’re carrying a child and if you don’t stop training you might lose the baby! he screamed on the inside, but he didn’t allow a single word out of his mouth. If Adrian messed this up, he’d be failing Caden. If he failed Caden, then he’d lose his place in the castle, and if he lost his place in the castle, there wouldn’t be enough money to send home to his family.
There was no debate about this. He couldn’t tell Thea. No matter what it did to his soul.
“It concerned you?” Thea pressed on. This time, she reached out and touched his wrist. Adrian immediately jerked his hand away and glared at her.
“What are you doing?” he snapped, unable to stop his temper from rising. He saw her cheeks burning as she crossed her arms.
“You practically drag me all over the castle but the first time I try to touch you, you act like I’ve stung you?” The concern from before was gone, replaced by anger.
Good, he thought. Better that she’s angry at me again.
“We are here.” Adrian stopped in front of a set of large double doors, blatantly ignoring her question, and watched as she exhaled a heavy breath that could have been dragon’s fire with how angry she appeared.
“You’re insufferable!”
Thea turned and stormed through the wooden doors without invitation. Her words stung, but Adrian knew they were for the best. He caught sight of Caden inside the library at his usual large desk. It appeared he’d heard Thea yelling because he was looking past her toward Adrian with a lifted eyebrow that clearly said What did you do now? But Adrian didn’t have the energy to fight about it right now. He needed to get out of Thea’s presence before he drowned in the guilt he was feeling.
“I’m going to find a guard to watch her. Can you make sure she doesn’t leave?” He had stepped into the doorway to stop it from shutting just as Thea froze mid-step to stare at the massive library in front of her. The anger on her face had disappeared, replaced by awe as she gawked at the overflowing bookshelves. Adrian had felt similarly his first time in the library, but now he tried not to watch her for too long.
“Wait—” Thea spun to face him, but he didn’t bother. He slammed the door shut between them and practically sprinted down the corridor, getting as far away from her as possible.
Chapter 11
As soon as the door shut, Thea pursed her lips together and turned to Caden ready to rant, but his hands were already up in the air.
“I have no idea what is wrong with him,” he said immediately, looking defensive, and Thea deflated, settling herself into a chair across from him. On top of the oaken desk was a pile of ancient-looking texts. Some of them, like Declan had once told her, appeared to be in a different language. Others were even written in runic symbols. Suddenly the idea that she was going to find anything in this library became much more foolish. If she couldn’t even read the texts, there was no way she’d find anything out. “Why aren’t you training?”
Thea lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Apparently I’m not strong enough.”
The words sank in one by one, making her even more miserable, and she stared at her hands folded in her lap. Right now, she hated everything life had to offer her. One minute she felt all-powerful, with all of this raw magic building up inside of her, and the next she was weak and sore. There never seemed to be a middle ground.
“I was training with Morrigan and passed out.”
This caused Caden’s eyes to widen and he shut the book in front of him, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve heard of the magic being overwhelming, but that’s new.”
“Not for me. It seems like every time I try to learn something new it’s too much for my body to handle. Almost as if someone overpacked me with power and now it’s impossible to use.”
“Interesting.”
“I just don’t understand Adrian. One minute he doesn’t want to stop pushing me, and the next he refuses to train me at all. I’m not weak. I could have done something today…” Thea felt the frustrated tears forming in her eyes and looked away. She didn’t want to be this open with Caden, but it was getting hard not having any friends in this kingdom. Caden seemed the safest person to trust, and yet, he was the son of the enemy, so where did that leave her?
“I can’t speak for his reasoning today, but you aren’t the only one looking out for others.”
Thea glanced ba
ck at Caden with a tilted head. “Tell me more.”
Caden hesitated then sighed, seeming to realize that a little bit of information wouldn’t hurt. “Adrian has a mother and a little sister. She’s only six, but she’s been sick nearly her entire life. Without the support of the other kingdoms, many of our villages have suffered during the endless winters. There just aren’t enough supplies to go through every village.
“The ones who have stayed are mostly families of soldiers who send their earnings home each month in form of supplies. That’s why Adrian wants the position of guard so badly. He would be able to bring his mother and sister to the castle and they’d be under constant care.
“Unfortunately, my father uses that knowledge as leverage to keep Adrian loyal. He dangles what he needs just out of reach at all times.”
Thea frowned, thinking of the way Iris had taken Ethel in. It brought a heavy weight upon her heart to think of any child suffering, but even more so to think of Ethel. She blinked back her tears furiously and nodded her head. “I understand that. I don’t want to stand in the way of him getting what he needs. I just don’t understand why he’s so…”
She paused, unsure what word described the way she felt about Adrian.
“Closed off?” Caden offered.
Thea nodded. “He acts as if I’m trying to undermine him.”
“He has trust issues.”
“That makes two of us.” Thea sighed, and reverting her gaze back to the library, longed to change the subject. “Tell me about yourself, Caden. Why do you care so much about Adrian?”
This seemed to catch her cousin off-guard. He leaned back in his chair and brushed a loose hair from his face. “We’ve been friends a long time, and I guess I just know that he needs me.”
Thea could tell there was much more to that story than Caden was letting on, but she settled on a simpler question. “You can tell that he needs you? What does that mean?”