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“You would know,” I say, tugging on my breeches and tunic. “With as often as you use them.”
The nymph pokes her head out from behind Nevon’s elbow, her delicate features twisted into a frown. “What does he mean by that? How many others have you brought here?”
Nevon shoots me a pointed look, and I arch a brow. The youngest of my judges has bedded more creatures than I can even begin to count over the centuries. I’m hardly going to cover for him so he can bed another. Especially not after he’s ruined my own hope for a few moments of peace.
“Hundreds,” I say, and Nevon scowls.
“Hundreds?!” Her voice vibrates with anger. Her power has no effect here, but if we were on Acarian soil, no doubt the leaves on the trees would tremble.
“Hmm.” I tilt my head, pretending to think. “Maybe more like thousands.”
I set off for the palace, and it’s not long before her angry tirade reaches my ears.
“You said I was the only one!”
Nevon replies with something to soothe her, but the words are lost to me as I shift back to my rooms and conjure a fire behind the wrought iron grate. The hiss and pop of it carries the solitude I was craving, but the faint buzzing under my skin is more insistent here than it was at the springs.
A knock echoes in the silence, and I cast my eyes to the ceiling. God's teeth, can I not have five fucking minutes to myself?
I stalk across the room and yank open the door, prepared to tell whoever it is to go the fuck away, but Garrick stands there with his hands clasped behind his back. He gives a slight bow when he sees me, the black cloak attached to his shoulders swinging gently with the movement.
Stepping back, I motion him inside and close the door, leaning back against it. It’s hard to tell from the look on his face if he brings good news or bad, but it’s a little early for his daily report, and that fact sets me on edge.
“Has something happened?”
“We found the forest guardian, my lord.”
“And?”
“The deer population might be a little worse for wear, but it’s been securely tethered to the veil again.”
“Where did you find it?”
“My men found it wandering in the woods near Rhagana.”
My brows shoot up before drawing together. It’s quite a distance from where the tether snapped to Kaia’s capital city. A long distance to cover in just under a week, even for a beast like that. A beast that would surely wreak havoc on a populated city center like the ones up north.
“And the veil? Any new breaches?” I haven’t sensed any, but confirmation never hurts.
“None that I saw. In fact…”
He stares over my shoulder, his weight shifting slightly while he measures his words carefully.
“In fact?” I prompt when his silence carries on too long for my patience.
“The veil is stronger than I expected it to be when we crossed. And we were weaker on the other side than we’ve been in a long time.”
I nod. More good news.
“If there’s nothing else, my lord.”
I dismiss Garrick with a wave, turning toward the fire as the door closes behind him.
Souls are no longer permitted to roam the land freely. Save for Garrick and the small band of souls cloaked with enough of my power to spend a few hours outside the realm should the need arise. Unless shielded with power, a soul that crossed the veil would whither and disappear.
It’s yet to happen, but the failsafe exists nonetheless.
Just as the failsafe exists to keep mortals from crossing the veil to commit suicide or save a loved one. Mortals cannot survive here. This land is for the dead.
