Page 41 of Blade of the Nightking

He paused, searching for the right words. “Think of magic as a river,” he gestured toward the Vein. “The Binding Rite interrupts the flow.”

“Like a dam?”

“Yes. When the magic can no longer move freely, it must choose. It can spill outward and tear the land apart, or it can pass through the thing obstructing it.”

My breath caught. “Aedric… is the obstruction?”

“More like a conduit.” His voice dropped, touched with quiet reverence, as though he admired his High Lord’s strength. “It’s agonizing. Only the strongest survive it. His line has held this Court for centuries, but that has never stopped others from testing the chain when opportunity arises.”

“Your father seems to think Calantha would be strong enough to challenge him.”

He stiffened at the words. “She may be. But she doesn’t want the seat. She’s loyal to Aedric.” He glanced at me sidelong. “She answers only to him.”

I said nothing. Just thinking about Calantha made my skin tingle with fear. I picked up my pace, and Hamish didn't press the matter.

By the time we reached the fortress again, I realized Hamish had led me in a complete circle. We crossed the same bridge overlooking the training grounds, climbed the endless flights of stairs carved into the rock, and finally stepped back into the quieter corridors of the upper levels.

The walk had done me good, despite the fact that Dheren was anything but beautiful. Even with the pounding headache the wine and the city's relentless heat had left me with, I no longer felt quite so weighed down. Perhaps it was the company. There was something uncomplicated about Hamish. A quiet goodness seemed woven into the very fabric of him, the kind that didn't need to announce itself. With him, there was no pretense. He was simply… him.

I suspected he’d enjoyed my company too. The hard edge his expression had worn when we'd left Aedric's chambers had softened over the course of our walk, and though we'd spoken little, the silence between us had settled into something easy.

We stopped outside Aedric's door, and I let out a slow breath, grateful for the way the tightness in my chest had eased, if only a little.

“I feel much better,” I said, giving him a small smile. “The walk… helped.”

He inclined his head. "I was hoping it might."

The words settled warmly somewhere beneath the ache in my heart.

"Thank you," I said. Without thinking, I reached out and rested my hand lightly against his forearm.

At that exact moment, the door to Aedric's chambers swung open.

We both turned.

Aedric stepped into the corridor, his hair slightly disheveled, his expression drawn tight with worry. The instant his eyes found me, every line of tension in his face eased. "There you are!"

His gaze dropped to my hand against Hamish's forearm. The relief vanished, his features hardening all at once.

I pulled away. "Aedric⁠—"

"I see you've been keeping busy." His voice was unnervingly calm. He turned to Hamish. "I don't recall instructing you to remove her from my chambers, Hamish."

Hamish immediately straightened, every trace of the easy companionship we'd shared over the past hour dissolving as he bowed his head.

"My Lord. Elowen asked to get some air, so I accompanied her."

Aedric's face was a mask of perfect composure, but his stare burned into his cousin. "I wasn't aware my chambers lacked any."

The temperature in the corridor seemed to climb all at once, flames leaping higher within the sconces, and for one terrible heartbeat I truly feared for Hamish's safety. Fae males were possessive of their mates, but this wasn't some rival male. This was Hamish.

"Oh, please, Aedric." Irritation flared before I could stop it. "What am I supposed to do? Sit alone in your chambers for hours until you decide to come back?"

The flames in the sconces climbed another inch. "Yes, El," he said quietly, his scorching gaze flicking to me. "That is precisely what you should have done.”

The rapid click of approaching footsteps broke the silence before another word could be spoken. A moment later, Sairus rounded the corner flanked by his two ever-present guards, their blank expressions illuminated by the faint glow of the beads beneath their skin.

He came to an abrupt halt, his gaze sweeping over the three of us gathered in the corridor. A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.