Page 149 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

I leaned in on the table, crossing my arms over the table. “That is one venomed remark, dear. Why such a poisoned attitude? I was never the bane in my father's way,” I teased, and the room chuckled under their breath. Except one. Gara glared at me from the corner of my eye, giving me a perfect confirmation of my vantage against her.

Very oddly my father remained quiet, shuffling at his papers, not answering to Reuben neither silencing nor attempting to reprimand me for my behaviour like he usually did. Something was not entirely right—I could feel it. His unusual show of affection and liberty he had given me felt forced and wrong. He was up to something or he did not really trust me, not the slightest. Was Demir his new obedient puppet, had that been the reason he assigned me under him, to keep me under control? He had truly chained me to a watcher after all.

Demir leaned in near my ear. “I think we will get along just fine.”

Flinging my hair to one side, I said, “I’m sure we will.”

“You have no idea how confused I am right now Snowlin,” Elias said, coming from the opposite end of the servant dining chambers. “Should I be going on one knee, or do you not expect formalities undercover?” he asked quietly, taking a seat across from me.

“My subjects don’t bow, they kiss my toes.”

He shook his head and laughed. “Didn’t expect Silas to let you inside the court so soon after your return.”

“My charm still does wonders.”

He lifted a brow. “So I’ve seen. You and Demir have become a topic of discussion.”

Of course we had. But it hadn’t been my intention. The man was a loaded chamber of secrets locked twice. “Why had no one told me about him?”

Elias shrugged. “He didn’t have much of a position in court before. Your father used him like a mop. Sending him here and there to do most of his dirty work.”

“Father seems to trust him. He trusts no one. And speaking on trust. I heard he pulled your marriage to Fren at the beginning of Summer.”

“He and my father have been picking up each other’s short sticks lately,” he grumbled, picking up one of my cookies and dunking it in my milk. “Would not be surprised if he is planning to have my old man killed so I can take his position. And with that, he has the full sealine as his.”

That made me laugh a little. “You mean mine?”

He looked around the empty chambers that I knew no one frequented at this time of day. “You’re forgetting Grasmere. Venzor, Casmere and Brogmere are all fishing ports, Snow. He sat me down a while back, sometime after Fren and I had been promised, and asked what I thought about joining Grasmere as a naval base. It was not long till I heard from the Isline Captains that he’d levelled down two forests up there and hired hundreds of Senchi Aura from Hanai to forge new ships. This is growing concerning, Snow. As if he is keeping measure in case the…sceptre fails.”

Whether it was one caused by the divine or one by the one pretending to be the divine, war drummed ahead of us. “I need you to tell me everything about the new Grasmere Lady. Everything, Elias.”

Chapter twenty-one

Animus

Kilian

Even though Adriata and Olympia had kept me plenty busy, each day that had passed since Snow’s return to Isjord was longer than the previous. Not only did I miss her fiercely, but I feared. Truly, she’d taught me fear.

After I passed the news of her return to our Solaryan allies, Magnus had invited me to study the sceptre piece location deep under the city of Theros.

Along with two of his soldiers, he guided us through the Abendrot caves that connected to the tomb carrying the Ybris who served as vessel for the sceptre.

“She is either brave,” he said, holding a glowing palm up as we manoeuvred through the tight tunnels, “or insane to try and deceive Silas by returning right in between his claws.”

“She is not afraid of her father as much as she is worried about his intentions.”

“Someone might call that noble.”

“Snow’s world is small, but if anyone dares to threaten it, she will open war.”

After tunnels and tunnels of salty rock, a sea cave flashed in sight ahead. A dim giant space that spread for miles.

Magnus sent several spheres of light floating over the clear blue water under us and towards the stalactite covered ceiling. The cave expanded wider and wider, the further the light spheres went the more I could make out a small rocky patch island standing in the middle of the hollow cave.

A rowing boat waited on the shore of our side to carry us through.

“The water is acidic,” Magnus warned. “In case you thought to freshen yourself up.”