My eyes instinctively shift to his shoulder. Kyor isn’t a man who likes lazing in bed. When we were in the Retterheld, he was up before dawn every day training, even though he was the most skilled in combat and the one with the strongest magic there. For him to want to rest doesn’t make me feel any better.
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ he says. ‘It’s your fault I didn’t get much sleep.’
‘Oh, well, in that case, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again,’ I reply, unable to stop the grin on my lips.
‘Was I complaining?’ he says, leaning in and putting his hands around my waist as he pulls me in closer.
There’s none of the desperation from the night before. This kiss is entirely easy. Effortless. As if we know we’ll be doing the action for years to come.
‘Do you need me to leave you some of the tonic?’ I tell him. ‘If it’s hurting that much.’
‘It’s not that bad. I promise.’ He holds my gaze a little too steadily, but I don’t press him on it. If it was bad enough, I’m sure he’d take something. Maybe.
‘I’ll see you later,’ I tell him, offering one small peck on his lips before walking away and leaving him.
‘Too right,’ he says, blowing me a kiss as I reach the door and disappear.
After telling the landlady not to disturb the room for at least a couple of hours – hopefully ensuring Kyor gets some decent sleep – she gives me directions to the Galreck library. Apparently, it’s the biggest building in the city, and I’ll recognise it as soon as I see it, although her confidence causes an uneasy squirm within me.
I haven’t forgotten how last night I was drawn into the temple of Oel. Whether it was the ring or some other force acting on me, I felt myself pulled towards the place. And the peace I felt inside … The only other place I’ve felt that kind of peace is wrapped up in a certain prince’s arms.
But now, in the cold light of day, it’s hard not to wonder how good an idea last night was. Even if I take my own heart out of the question, there’s still William to think of.
Which is why we need to get to the Issen as soon as we can.
Just like the landlady said, the library is easy enough to find, and inside I find Caz curled up asleep in a leather armchair, a pile of books, paper, and pens by her side.
By the looks of things, she’s been drawing maps, copying them out of books. Sensing that she needs the rest as much as Kyor, I take the half-completed one on top of the pile, move over to a seat, and continue where she left off.
Despite all my father told me about the Issen warriors and the manner in which they tried to push into Morathkian land, I never realised how vast their territory was before. If the map that Caz was copying is correct, their land spreads well beyond the Coltan Mountains, while the Torailian dominion stretches far further east than I expected.
As to how we pass through the mountains to get to the Issen, that’s an issue we’re going to have to face when we get there.
How will I find you?I ask myself as I trace my fingers along the umber paper, thinned with time and wear.Where will I find you? And how will I stop you from killing me?
The questions continue to roll around in my mind as I finish up the map and flick through the books that Caz has in her pile. One of them is on visions. And another, one that is barely held together with frayed threads and ripped pages, has the number four written in numerals on the front, though when I open it up, I find it’s not in a language I can understand.
‘Rose?’ Caz’s voice draws me out of the pages. Twisting around, I find my friend sitting up in her seat. ‘How long have you been here? How long have I been asleep?’
‘Not long,’ I say.
She stands and peers over my shoulder at the map I was working on. ‘You finished it? I meant to do it. I just fell asleep.’
‘You did most of it,’ I assure her. ‘I was just having a look at these books you found. Do you think they’ll have things we can use?’
‘Maybe. I had a look through the visions one, but there wasn’t anything that sounded like your experience – you know, slipping to different places. But there was something about visions in the one about Sannings.’
‘You found a book on the Sannings?’ I question. Other than what she was writing with Rohan, I assumed there would be nothing on paper about the fur-clad forest dwellers.
‘I think so, but the language … it’s archaic. I need to translate it properly, but there are words I recognise in there. Talk of ravens and these three “vendari”. Protectors, I think that means. But I’m not sure if it’s talking about the Sannings themselves or something else. I need much more time with it to work it all out. Maybe Thessa will be able to shed some light on it too. There’s also one about the Torailians, detailing land disputes, and with a list of battles that’ve taken place over the last couple of centuries. I don’t know if that’s worth looking through – you know, just to make sure we steer clear of disputed areas.’
I contemplate the comment. We have Kyor with us and Elska, meaning that we should be able to stay clear of any confrontations with the Torailians, and even if we do happen to meet them, we’ll hopefully be able to convince them that a small travelling group like ours isn’t a threat. It’s not like the Morathkians and Torailians have been at war for decades. But visions and ravens and the Sanning … it definitely sounds like something I want to know more about.
As I pick up the book in question, I glance around the library, which is substantially busier than the one in Wrohelm, yet still quiet enough that I’m certain no one is watching when I slide the item into my bag.
Caz shoots me a look, but I offer only a shrug in response. I can’t imagine anyone has more use for a book on the Sannings than we do.
And as for protectors, I’ll take as many as I can.
