And then it was gone, schooled into place with practiced ease. Gently, he pushed me aside in the direction of Orin. I tried to dig in my heels, but Orin’s hand found my wrist, and he yanked me against him.
“Fine,” he whispered in my ear. Then he raised his head and spoke to the room. “Jules is free to go, so long as she never sets foot on our lands again.”
Throughout it all, Jules stared only at me. “Why?”
I had the feeling she wasn’t speaking to Orin, but he answered regardless. “Because it’s as Lydia said. Enough is enough.”
“I’ll escort her out,” Rorik said. “Seems like a job for thedog.” A touch of venom filled his words as he glared at Jules, but something was off. Something not quite as dark and malevolent as I’d expected or witnessed. His mask was nearly perfect—perhaps good enough to convince his family—but maybe because I’d witnessed a different Rorik while we danced beneath the stars, I knew otherwise. I could feel it.
Orin stiffened against my back. “No. Seville will do it.”
I couldn’t help but frown at Orin’s terse reaction. Why did it matter if Rorik got to spend one last minute with someone he obviously cared about?
Rorik merely lifted his shoulder. “Fine by me. I have better things to do.”
“Do it now, Seville.” Orin shook his head. “We’re done here.”
Rorik strolled down the hall back in the direction he’d came. He didn’t even spare Jules a final glance or goodbye as he rounded the corner and disappeared. Jules had deflated entirely, the last of her anger leaving her in a slump. Seville grumbled in disgust as she yanked Jules up by the arm and turned her toward the door. Her shuffling feet were a hollow, echoing sound that reverberated through the foyer and filled my heart with sadness. I couldn’t fathom that ache in my soul, that total feeling of loneliness. AndI knew in my core it was what I would face if I didn’t save my brothers.
Orin let out a soft sigh of relief as Lydia and Clesian sauntered upstairs. “You won’t have to deal with her again.” His brows scrunched together as his grip on my wrist finally loosened. “Why did you come to her aid?”
My shoulders relaxed, and I exhaled deeply. “She’d been through enough. Plus, I trusted you’d be there if in fact I had made an error in judgment.”
A droll smile claimed his lips. “Oh, your judgment is far from sound, but”—he stroked my cheek before shaking his head—“you were at least right to count on me.”
That was yet to be seen, but the resistance I’d felt toward him was waning faster than I’d anticipated. I glanced around at the debris, gaze halting when I noticed the influx of attendants rushing to help clean the mess.
“What happened with the fete?” I asked.
Orin’s expression turned to one of reluctance. “As you can imagine, the festivities ended rather abruptly when I noticed your absence. Quite a few families are still here on our lands for the time being. I need to orchestrate their transport back to Willowfell, as well as smooth over a few things.” Then he turned to me fully and brushed his knuckles softly along my jaw. “Please, rest. Take a couple days off training. Research if you must, but nothing too taxing until you’re fully healed.”
“I’m assuming that includes any shared activities with you.”
His grin was tantalizing. “That would be incredibly taxing, I can assure you.” He broke away with a slight nod and headed straight for his study. As appealing as the idea of sharing a bed with him was, I couldn’t deny the exhaustion that had crept into my limbs. My healing was progressing quickly, but there was little that could replace the effectiveness of a good sleep.
As I climbed the stairs to my room, I felt the weight of someone’s eyes on my back. The hairs along my neck rose to the heavens, and I turned in place to find nothing. Again. The space was painfully empty, the only muffled sounds coming from the kitchen as the staff began preparations for dinner. Unease trickled down my spine. The heady stare followed me the entire way to my quarters, but no matter how many times I turned in place, I couldn’t find anyone. I rushed into my room, thankful, at least, that the feeling evaporated the moment I shut the doors.
Seventeen
The following morning, I headed straight for the library. A night of fitful dreams coated with blight had left me on edge, and even though I knew rest was important, I couldn’t convince myself to stay hidden away. Not after I’d unearthed the truth about the Ferngloves’ sickness. I dove back into the tomes with a new understanding of what was happening, hoping that some piece of their history or some rare plant was the answer. I’d brought my apothecary cases with me, undid the brass clasps and watched as the drawers jumped outward and vials clanked together. I didn’t need to heal anything, but I wanted my remedies nearby as I cross-checked ingredients between my tinctures and the flora Evers used in their own magical blends.
There was something to combining our abilities and strengths. My freshly healed wounds were a testament to that. I wasn’t quite ready to broach the topic of a heartbond just yet, but researching ways to meld Ever magic with my own creations felt like a real start.
I worked for two more days like that in quiet solitude while my body recovered, and Orin dealt with the aftermath of the fete.I hadn’t thought much about the townsfolk in the wake of my terrorizing evening, but Orin had plenty to do.
“Hard at work?” he called, and I looked up from my notes to find him standing in the open doorway with a tray of coffee and pastries. “I thought you might need some caffeine.”
I stretched my neck from side to side before straightening and then smiled. “That sounds lovely. Thank you.”
He crossed the room in a handful of easy strides and set the tray down beside my cases. As he handed me my cup, he tilted his head toward the stacks of tomes. “Any luck yet? None of the former threadmenders had knowledge of plants and herbs like you do. I’m hoping that helps.”
“Me, too.” I blew gently over the steaming mug. “I want to try blending remedies, but there’s no way of knowing whether that will work without threadmending.”
“Are you ready for that?” He took a careful sip, his gaze never leaving my face. “I know the remedies you and Vora came up with have worked wonders for your body, but I don’t want to push you.”
“I don’t really have a choice.” I dragged my finger along the rim of my cup. “Basic threadmending can’t save my brothers, but perhaps this will work.” Of course I wished I had more concrete proof that I wouldn’t be wasting my life’s threads for nothing, but we were pioneering into uncharted territory.
“Tomorrow, then.” With a gentle finger, Orin grazed my cheek. “I’ll be with you throughout the entire process. I promise.”
