Page 60 of A Lie so Pretty and Poisonous

Heat built in my chest, and I clenched my jaw at the underhanded insult within their question, but my voice stayed calm and steady. I had to keep my responses polished, as was expected from a noble. The only way I could verbalize my disdain was through digestible words of calm intellect. “Humans may not be as physically strong or have enchants, but we have ingenuity and adaptability. We built our entire society without the enchants and physical strength that you have limitlessly here. Things that you take for granted.”

All three scholars frowned at my pushback.

“I see,” Epicuro cut in. “What are the humans’ greatest weaknesses?”

I blinked and briefly looked over at Darragh. There were several things wrong with human society, but many were the same issues that were wrong in Tironaill. I wondered if they would even see their own societal reflection in what I revealed or if they would feign ignorance of their wrongdoing. I decided to hold up the proverbial mirror to them. “Classism, inequality, and prejudice.”

Acrion scoffed, and Zeno leaned back in his chair with folded arms, but they immediately moved on. For an hour, they asked me questions. Some were about myself, but most were about our military, wars we had, humans in power, weapons, and the like. I became increasingly more uncomfortable as the hour dragged on, and the scholars became increasingly more irritated. Especially when I didn’t know specific things or didn’t answer how they liked.

“Alright, Lady Aurora. I suppose we have enough to document for now. Should we have any further questions for you, we will send word.” Acrion’s previous warmth and excitement at my presence had chilled.

Darragh and I stood and turned without another word. I wanted to leave here as quickly as possible, and Darragh kept to my side, matching my quickened pace.

After retrieving our horses and putting some distance between us and the library, Darragh slowed Astorath. I hadn’t realized he led us to a more wooded area near the city’s edge. My thoughts gripped me too much to notice.

“Are you alright?” Darragh dismounted Astorath, and I followed suit. There were a few homes and a tavern down the street, but the trees provided a secluded and private setting for conversation.

I let out a breath. “Yes. What was with that questioning? It seemed so…so…”

Darragh raised his brows. “Excessive?”

“Yes! I found it odd that they didn’t ask anything about what led up to Cora and me crossing the threshing wall to get here. I thought they would want to document that. Also, they asked so many questions about things I don’t have much knowledge of. Military tactics? I was never privy to that information, even as a noble. I mean, my father sat on King Lethos’ war council, but I never did, and those weren’t conversations I ever had with my father.”

He nodded. “I also found that strange. None of our noblewomen would know those things. Not unless their husbands talked at home about what went on behind the closed doors of meetings and councils.”

“Do you think the scholars’ questioning has anything to do with the threshing wall being breached?” The possibility that they had anything to do with it made my stomach turn.

Darragh frowned, running a hand through his raven-black hair. “I don’t know. I wanted to tell you that I spoke with a few of my own contacts who are stationed out by the threshing wall in the west valley. They all said that they have heard rumors of humans being seen briefly, but they haven’t seen any themselves. One of my contacts said that strange things are happening over on the western side of the continent. Sometimes it sounds like large groups of voices are carried on the wind, but when they go to investigate, they find nothing amiss.”

I chewed on my bottom lip. “Could the militia be doing something to break the barrier, I mean, the threshing wall?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t fully know the extent of their capabilities.”

I couldn’t ask Darragh about my next thought. Could the crown be behind this? I knew he had no love for the king, or any royal for that matter, but I couldn’t risk him knowing I was suspicious. He still worked for them. Alternatively, I couldn’t absolve the militia either. They had proven to be violent and used whatever methods were at their disposal to hurt the aristocracy. Maybe they wanted to use humans in their quest to destroy Themis and the crown. If the crown was behind this, then why not put Cora and me with the other humans that they had taken? None of this made sense, and my head throbbed from the stress and uncertainty of it all.

I shrugged. “The scholars may be militia sympathizers, feeding them intel they collect from me? I don’t know at this point. I do know that my search for a way to get home is now at a standstill, and an even more dangerous problem could be at hand. If humans are being brought here against their will by seraphs, that doesn’t mean Cora and I are safe back in Edenalee either. I could wind up right back in Tironaill, only at the mercy of seraphs who aren’t so accommodating.”

I gasped.

Darragh stepped into me. “What is it?” He placed a hand on my shoulder and searched my eyes. “Rory?”

“What if the numerous missing people of Edenalee over the years could have been brought here by seraphs?”

His brow furrowed. “Humans have been going missing?”

“Yes. Steadily. There has been a rise in missing people for well over a decade.” I gulped. My next words were caught in my throat, and tears welled in my eyes. “My own father went missing,” I whispered, holding back tears. I looked to Darragh, whose mouth parted. “And so did Cora’s father.”

Maybe Micah didn’t leave us willingly. All the note said was that he loved me. The emotions that threatened my composure broke free, and Darragh caught a tear that rolled down my cheek, wiping it away with his calloused thumb. His warm hand cupped along my jaw, and I leaned into it. Our eyes locked, and I was drawn in, like an invisible string pulled taut between us. A breeze cooled the rising heat of my face and ruffled his hair. I reached up and brushed the loose strands aside, grazing my fingertips on his brow. He dropped his hand, and we both took a step back from each other.

Get a hold of yourself.

Darragh looked away from me, stroking Astorath’s neck. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I will do everything in my power to find out what is going on. You are safe with me.”

“I know I am.” Being in his presence had been one of the few times in my life when I felt with certainty that I was safe with a man.

“Will you speak to Gabriel about your suspicions? I know this became a lot bigger than finding a way to get you back to Edenalee,” he said.

I was unsure of how much I could trust Gabriel. He would ask so many questions about how I heard the rumors, which would lead back to Darragh and our trip to Toolock Farm. Underworld, help us if he found out about our night in the forest.