For a moment, he didn’t understand, but then her meaning hit him. “You’re right.” He needed to be with Eilidh. Now. “I’ll be back at nightfall.”
Joy nodded with a knowing smile. “Your mate loves you. Yes, she shared her love with Prince Griogair, but she has not been taking others to her bed.”
Grateful but embarrassed, Munro asked in a quiet voice, “How could you know that?”
Joy touched his arm. “A woman knows. Go. See your mate. Do your best to fix whatever problems lie between you. I will make sure Alyssa did as you commanded. She has been a good companion for you, but her attachment will create problems if you do not send her away now.”
“Thanks,” Munro said, wanting to get to Eilidh as quickly as possible. He shoved his feet into his shoes and tucked in his shirt. He kissed Joy’s cheek on the way out and left her standing in his suite. He wondered only fleetingly what about Aaron had brought her to his door in the first place.
Chapter 9
Lisle hesitated in front of Leocort’s quarters. She was behaving like a fool, but with a little bit of luck, he’d never know how anxious she felt. He might have been more than twice her age, but with her deep wrinkles and white hair, she looked ancient compared to his marvellous, youthful beauty. When he met her gaze, her breath caught. And then the guilt came. How could she think such things with Demi still missing? Not that Leocort shared her attraction.
A Mistwatcher approached from around a corner, startling Lisle as she stood like a morose schoolgirl, lurking outside Leocort’s private rooms. “My lady druid? How may I serve you?” she asked.
Lisle concentrated on scowling, an expression that always made people jump and would act as a suitable disguise for her ridiculous pining. “I’m looking for Leocort,” she said sharply.
The Mistwatcher snapped to attention. “Yes, my lady druid. I will find him for you at once. Where shall I tell him you’re waiting for him?”
Lisle crossed her arms. “I seem to be right here, don’t I?”
“Yes…yes, of course,” the woman stammered. “But perhaps a reception room would be more comfortable? It may take some time to locate him.”
“Maybe knowing I’m uncomfortable will make you hurry all the more,” Lisle said. Her feet were tired. She probably should have taken the woman up on her offer, but once she took up a stubborn attitude, Lisle sometimes found herself enjoying it. Not that she’d admit as much to anyone.
The Mistwatcher saluted and spun to go back in the direction she’d come, nearly colliding with Leocort and Joy on the way. They were walking slowly and their voices were low, as though they were having a very private conversation. Joy had her arm on Leocort’s, but then she was blind, so maybe their closeness could be explained away.
“There you are,” the young Mistwatcher blurted out. “Sir,” she added and saluted. “The lady druid is waiting for you.”
“So I see,” he said.
Lisle narrowed her eyes at Joy. What was she doing down here, and why was Leocort bringing her to his private rooms? Lisle had assumed Joy was Aaron’s lover, but the fae were capricious about sex. Could she have seduced Leocort too? She was beautiful, with her crimson skin and jet black hair. The silver mist in her eyes made her look even more mysterious.
Joy’s tilted her head toward Lisle and grinned knowingly. “I was just leaving, my lady druid,” she said quietly. For a blind woman, she saw far too much. Something about her made Lisle feel naked, and she wondered if others experienced the same sensation.
“Not on my account, I hope,” Lisle said, unable to bring herself to be sharp with the girl. She might be eerily intuitive, but she’d seen enough hardship in her life without Lisle adding to her problems with an unkind tone. It wasn’t Joy’s fault Lisle had let herself develop feelings for a man she couldn’t have.
“Not at all,” Joy said. “Aaron is waiting for me in our suite. I simply needed to check on something for Lord Druid Munro.”
Leocort gave Joy a polite bow even though she couldn’t see it. Lisle wondered if she could sense the gesture. Probably. Her spirit vision told her things none of the rest of them understood. “Thank you for coming to me with your concerns, Lady Joy,” Leocort said. “Do you need Mistwatcher Holin to escort you back to your suite?”
“That would be kind,” Joy said, and turned to the Mistwatcher. “If I can just take your arm?”
The pair left, but Lisle didn’t believe the little performance. Joy knew every inch of the Druid Hall. She was trying to give Lisle privacy with Leocort. Meddling girl. Of course, Lisle did want to speak with him alone, but it embarrassed her that Joy recognised her need.
Leocort tilted his head and met Lisle’s gaze. Damn him. She despised appearing like a swooning teenager. Why did he have to look at her so intently? “It’s good to see you, Lisle,” he said. It had taken her ages to get him to not use her title when they were alone. Now, the intimacy of the way he said her name threatened to bring down her walls.
“Yes,” she said. “I’ve missed your company.” Did it sound clingy to admit as much?
“How may I serve?” he asked.
“I finished speaking with Prince Griogair,” she said. What an idiot I am. As though she needed to report the fact to Leocort directly.
A thoughtful expression passed over Leocort’s fine features. “I have concluded my duty for the evening,” he said. “At the risk of sounding too familiar, would you like to join me for a quiet chat? I suspect you didn’t come here simply to tell me something I already know.”
Her instinct said no, told her to run, to make an excuse. He was too young, too beautiful, too out of her reach. “Yes, thank you,” she said, ignoring the screaming voices in her head that told her she was a fool. She followed him into his suite, surprised to find it decorated in deep, rich colours. She had expected utilitarian style from the soldier and commander, but his quarters showed a love of beauty and art. An acerbic comment about his worry over familiarity died on her lips as a remarkable painting on the far side of the room drew her attention. The bold composition covered almost an entire wall with motion and plays of light. She stood, entranced and silent, as he poured drinks somewhere behind her. When he approached, she smelled his familiar, earthy scent mingling with the herbal tea he brought in two stoneware cups. She accepted one from him and took a sip, the taste of honeysuckle teasing her tongue. Her eyes wandered the painting and then stopped at the bottom left corner, which bore a single rune: his name.
“You did this?” she asked, meeting his gaze.
He bowed his head modestly. “A few months ago.”
“I’m stunned. It’s incredible.” She studied the painting, following the sweeping shapes, seeing a whole new side of him on the canvas. “I had no idea you had such talents.”
He seemed pleased, but almost shy in the face of her praise. “Would you like to sit? I can ask for a light meal to be brought in if you are hungry.”
“Oh no,” she said, taking one of the wide, double seats in his main lounge. She chose the one that allowed her a lovely view of the painting. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I—”
“Lisle,” he said gently. “I always have time for you.” He sat across from her and smiled. God, he was beautiful. Her mind went blank for a moment. Why had she come? She didn’t really have a good excuse. But now that she was here, she couldn’t bring herself to say she’d simply missed him.
“I’m going to Caledonia at dusk,” she said. “I’m looking into the matter with Prince Griogair.”
“Are you?” he said and sat a little straighter. “Alone?”
His protectiveness pleased her. “Why shouldn’t I?” she asked, a challenge in her voice.
“Lord Druid Munro believes someone influenced Prince Griogair into committing murder. If he’s right, there is a ruthless traitor among the Caledonians. You cannot go unprotected,” he said. “You should have a full contingent of Mistwatchers.”
“Twelve?” she said with a laugh. The wa
rmth of his concern melted her worries about seeming foolish. “I think so many would be overkill.”
“Half, then. I could not send fewer in good conscience.” He put down his cup. His expression was deadly serious.
“Leocort, I hope to be subtle in my approach. I had thought to ask a few questions, but do so quietly and without making accusations. If I show up with a full or even half contingent of Mistwatchers, it will look like an invasion.”
Leocort grumbled. “Will you accept a bodyguard? Even Lord Druid Munro takes at least one when going into the hostile territory of The Bleak.”
“Caledonia is hardly The Bleak,” she teased. A bodyguard? She couldn’t imagine he would assign himself to the task, but the idea of him protecting her personally made her cheeks warm.
“No, but still, you were right to come to me with this. Thank you for trusting me with your safety.” He paused. “I have a thought that will perhaps solve two problems at once. Of course, you know Alyssa?”
“Yes,” Lisle said. “She’s a mite too attached to Munro for my liking, but he’s blind to her love for him, so no harm seems to be coming from it.”
Leocort grimaced. “Why didn’t I see it? I took her devotion for loyalty and nothing more.” He sighed. “She stepped over the line tonight. He sent her to me, and then Lady Joy came to ensure she’d admitted her inappropriate behaviour. It shames me to the core.”
“I’m sure Munro doesn’t hold you responsible,” Lisle said gently. “Her lack of self-control isn’t your fault.”
“But it is, and the druid lord knows as much, otherwise he wouldn’t have sent her to confess her error to me,” Leocort said. “I was charged to train her, but she’s been with him so often that clearly the basics have been neglected. I let this happen. He said he wanted her assigned to him because he knew her from Caledonia. I should have insisted she wasn’t ready for the duty. Our ranks have been growing quickly, and it’s been a challenge to organise and train everyone.”
“Is that why you stopped coming to see me?” she blurted out.
He flinched, letting the question hang in the air, then continued as though she’d never spoken. “Ever since I met with Alyssa, I’ve been contemplating what to do with her. I considered sending her back to Caledonia permanently, but that seems harsh when the fault of the situation is mine for not training her better. I tried to think of an assignment to keep her out of Lord Druid Munro’s path for a time, but where in the Druid Hall do you druids not go? You do not behave as normal nobles and stay within your own part of the Hall, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
Was this a subtle reprimand for her coming to the Mistwatchers’ section uninvited? She felt embarrassed and vulnerable again. Why was she doing this to herself? She should have just gone to Caledonia and focused her energies on the tasks required to ensure Munro was elected king, starting with clearing Griogair, if that was even possible. “You want to assign her as my bodyguard to get her away from Munro?”
“Secretly. No one will question your visit to the country since your grandson is in a nursery there. So, you could say you’re delivering Alyssa back to her commander in the Caledonian Watchers, but indicate that Lord Druid Munro wants her assigned somewhere away from where he and his mate live. Eirlioc Falls is about as far as you can get from Canton Dreich. Take her there and impress upon her new commander the need for serious training. While you’re at the castle, ask your questions about Prince Koen’s murder. Alyssa is a gifted astral faerie. She will no doubt consent to you drawing on her power in your interrogations.”
Lisle sat back and considered the fascinating suggestion. She didn’t know how to draw a faerie’s power like Munro did. He tried to show them after he learned, but without the flute, she couldn’t see the flows. But with it? She tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair as she considered. “You don’t think having me escort her back would seem a little…much? After all, I am a lady druid.”
“From anyone else, perhaps. But you have a way no one would question. If you are displeased about something, even the most hardened of Watchers would scramble to make the matter right.”
She hesitated to respond. It was true, she had a stern manner sometimes. She’d been revelling in it a few moments before, but that wasn’t the way she wanted him to see her. “Wouldn’t this be a bit cruel to the girl? They’ll be hard on her if they believe she’s failed her duty.”
“She did fail her duty,” Leocort said, gripping the arm of his chair in annoyance. “We can call her back after the situation with Griogair is settled, but a month or two of hard training will do her good and make her remember her responsibilities. By the time we recall her, she’ll be grateful enough to not want to step a toe out of line.”
“An interesting solution,” Lisle said. “I will need to find a way to keep her with me while I question the Watchers at Eirlioc Falls, but I’m sure something will come to me.”
“I have no doubt,” Leocort said with a smile. “You are an impressively resourceful woman.” His smile faded, and he sighed.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“The past few months have been difficult. So much work to do with all the new recruits. I never thought my absence might seem as though I’d abandoned you. I believed it was best to keep my distance. Our friendship…” His voice trailed off and his cheeks reddened slightly.
“Could never be more,” she finished for him. Her chest ached, and she worked hard to keep her features neutral. She was too old for heartbreak, she told herself. The lie went down like a bitter pill.
He nodded as though relieved she understood. “With your granddaughter missing and so many changes at the Hall, I worried my constant presence would bring more distress. I never intended you to feel slighted or to show disrespect. I was uncertain of the right thing to do. I decided to concentrate on my work and let you get on with yours.”
Her gaze wandered to the painting on the far wall. It revealed a man of deep passions and insight. Every instinct told her to retreat into her gruff shell, to not expose her vulnerable heart to this man more than she already had, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I’ve missed our talks. We were good friends, weren’t we?”
“Of course,” he said gently. “It has pained me to stay away, caring for you and your family as I do.”
Something wild and impulsive wanted her to plead with him, to offer to stay friends just so she could be near him, to admit that she felt so lonely losing Demi, then Jago, then him. Pride kept her lips sealed tight. She wouldn’t force him to reject her in any more stark terms than he already had. “If you could send Alyssa to my suite at dusk and have her ready to leave for Caledonia. Thank you for your help.” She put down her cup and stood, barely able to look at him. He appeared troubled, and she knew she was the cause. Why hadn’t she left well enough alone?
He stood and faced her. “I’m always at your service.” He slowly put his fist to his heart in a tender salute and bowed his head.
There was nothing more to say, so she inclined her head in acceptance of his gesture, then returned to her silent and empty suite.
∞
Munro kissed Eilidh softly before pushing himself up on one elbow. Her attendants were already bustling about in the next room, and they’d swarm in at any moment to tend to her early evening ritual of bathing and dressing.
“I’m glad you returned,” she said sleepily. “I only wish you could stay longer.”
“Me too.” He kissed her again, giving in to the temptation to let his lips linger. She tasted like honey. “I’m glad you’re not angry with me anymore.”
Eilidh smiled. “I’m furious with Lord Druid Munro, but happy to see my mate Quinton.”
“Is it that easy for you to separate the two?” He sat up and stretched, admiring the moonlight cascading from the window onto her skin.
“It’s what we royals must do.”
Munro admired the way Eilidh always did what she must. For her, some things were that simple.
She threw back the covers and got to her feet. Having a baby had made her body curvier, softer. She’d never looked more alluring. He started to tell her so, but then the attendants entered as though they’d known the instant her feet hit the floor. They probably did. “Have you decided how you’re going to vote in the Druid Council?” she asked as attendants pulled a robe over her and tied the sash around her waist.
“No,” he said, standing and looking for the shirt he’d tossed aside the previous morning. “If I’m honest, I am having trouble envisioning any of us on a throne. We’re just ordinary people.”
Eilidh chuckled. “I’d hardly say that.” She shooed the servants away, saying quietly, “I’ll take my bath when my mate leaves.” Once they were gone, she approached Munro and laced her arms around his neck. “Please consider Maiya’s future when you choose.”
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