Page 50 of Maleen

“It was Jesper’s idea,” she warned. Nero caws. “And Nero’s”

I raise a brow, waiting for her to continue.

“Ocular gems,” she laughs. “They were trying to make it “Plucking my enemies’ eyeballs” but we vetoed that.”

“Probably wise, I agree.” Nero lands on my shoulder and bites my ear before flying off. “You little shit,” I yell at him and I swear I hear him laughing.

“I should probably get back,” she sighs. “Cynder and I are doing a castle tour soon. I want to show her where she would have grown up if we were raised together. Do you want to meet me later?” she asks hesitantly.

“Of course. In the library?” It was part of the reason we came here. The royal library is filled with all sorts of knowledge and secrets. Fae from all over would put in requests to visit, before the war.

She grins widely. “I’ll meet you at our table.”

My heart races with nerves and excitement, warming my body in ways only this stunning female could. “It’s a date,” I promise before placing her down and watching her walk across the yard and into the castle.

That female is my entire world, and I would burn it all down if it meant never having a bad thing happen to her again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I CAN STILL FEEL KILLIAN'S tree-trunk sized arms around me and the unfinished bond between us pulsing in frustration. If I could talk to it, I’d tell it to be patient, especially after the haunted look in his eyes when I found him on the training grounds. I wanted to do nothing but drag him back inside and distract him from all his worries, but between getting my mother settled in her rooms with the healers and meeting all these new faces, and not to mention making sure we are going at a pace he is comfortable with, it’s just not the time. Stolen touches with him? Yes, perfect. I would do anything he wanted if it meant making sure that haunted expression never came back.

My feet carry me through the familiar hallways by muscle memory. It’s eerie, almost as if the castle has been stuck in the past of my fledglinghood. Well, most of it. Some parts you can tell were rebuilt after the fall of my family, though even then, unless you knew what to look for, you wouldn’t even notice. Like scuffs of burn marks on the stone floor from when we lit sticks on fire and pretended to be fire wielders, and I ended up dropping mine when it got too hot. Then Jesper dropped his too to help try to put mine out before realizing his caught the curtain on fire—smoke stained a portion of the window before a water elemi discovered and helped us. We were never able to get it all cleaned up. But now, it’s been completely rebuilt, and no evidence of that memory exists.

I’m shaken from my reveries by a shout. “Rav! There you are!” Rozen yells from the other side of the hall. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Ember rolls her eyes. “Don’t be dramatic, it’s only been five minutes.”

Cynder and Lennox follow behind them looking at everything but each other.

A wide smile pulls at my cheeks. “Well you found me. Where did you want to start?”

Rozen’s eyes glow with mischief. “Can we see the armory?”

Ember shakes her head and pinches the bridge of her nose as he elbows her. “Come on, we know you want to see it too, you practically lived in the armory in Vathia and at Phixmery.”

She throws her hands in the air. “Fine, yes, I want to see it, but only because it’s supposed to be the most well-stocked armory in the entire realm! I’m curious to see if they have any weapons I haven’t been able to get my hands on yet!” As she continues talking, her voice pitches with more and more excitement and Rozen’s chest puffs out with pride.

“Come on, it’s this way,” I state, nodding in the direction I just came from. A part of me hopes to catch another glimpse of Killian.

Roz and Ember hurry past and I wait for Cynder and Lennox to catch up, falling into line between them. “So,” I start. “Will any of the crew be joining us?” I glance at Cynder and she shakes her head.

“No, Dante and Evander are heading to Derfenë to round up the rest of the troops, and Cormac and Thorne are somewhere.”

Lennox scoffs and my brows rise.

“What?” I ask, crossing my arms.

He ignores me and speaks directly to Cynder. “Those males aren’t good for you, you know that, right?”

She stops and spins toward him, her pale pink eyes narrowing on him. “And why is that? And why do you think you even have a say?”

He takes a step toward her and I step back before I’m stuck directly between them. “You do realize they are pirates, right? Thieves?”

“So? They also help fae of all kinds! You don’t even know them, and if you took a second to talk to them instead of judging them, then maybe you wouldn’t be stuck with that Fates-damn stick up your ass! Or did you forget that they saved me too!” She doesn’t let him answer and storms off to catch up with the others, leaving Lennox with his jaw on the floor.

He starts to go after her but I grab his arm. “Let her go. What was that about?”

Lennox crosses his arms, sighing, before running his hands through his white and blue-tipped hair. “I have no idea, she just gets under my skin without even trying. I wish Mel was here to talk about this because I’m lost, Rav.”