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“What’s wrong, baby?” Eno suddenly asked.
“What?”
“You stiffened and started squeezing me tighter. What’s wrong?”
Rayne huffed a laugh and forced his arms to relax. “Oh…I was thinking of my sister.”
“When did you last talk to her?”
“I had a brief call with her before we left Stormbreak. She was excited that she’d locked in passage on the first spring ship heading for Sirelis. She’s eager to continue her studies.”
“Sounds like her big brother.”
Rayne grunted. “Some, but I think it’s also she’s eager to get away from our parents.”
“That sounds like you too. Why don’t you call her now?”
Rayne shook his head against Eno’s chest. “It’s late.”
“She’s young. I bet she’s still awake.”
“It would also be out of character for me. She’d worry that something was wrong.”
“True. Then tomorrow. You need to call her tomorrow.”
That would also be out of character, but with how things were looking in Ilon with the presence of Safa and New Rosanthe, he wanted to be sure that he got the chance to talk to Zephyr while he was able. Their tomorrows were growing more uncertain, and Rayne was determined to cling to those he loved for as long as possible.
FOURTEEN
Caelan Talos
Caelan flopped back in his seat and rubbed his tired eyes. The words on the pages were starting to blur together. He dropped his hands to his lap and took a minute to look around the library. Sun washed over the entire open space through the massive skylights in the ceiling, filling it with bright golden light.
Both the Royal Library in the Towers as well as the University Historical Library in Stormbreak were these dreary affairs filled with dark-wood bookshelves, winding wrought iron staircases, and shadowy corners to get lost in. Caelan had spent a ridiculous amount of time reading in both places over the years and they’d led him to believe that all libraries were gloomy, as if to protect the books or just to set the right mood.
But the Library of Ancient History and Folklore was sunny and cheerful. Maybe it was their way of saying knowledge casts away the shadows of ignorance and removes the darkness of secrets.
Of course, Caelan had known plenty of secrets to walk in the bright light of day with no problems at all.
Namely, his lover Drayce Ladon, aka Omari Souta, aka a giant freaking dragon.
Or the fact that his own father had stood next to his mother every day of Caelan’s life and neither one of them had thought to mention it.
Or the fact that his father was a dragon and that he was part dragon.
All of it minor details that waltzed through his life for years and no one had said one word to him.
Caelan sighed. Drayce keeping his secret made sense. Revealing that truth had cost him his wings and very nearly his life.
But his mother and father? That was just annoying. He couldn’t see any logic in never revealing the truth to at least him.
It was probably a matter of time. They likely thought they had more time. All the time in the world to sit him down and tell him the truth. Until they stood at the end of all things and realized that telling him the truth before he was supposed to leave for Caspagir would result in him refusing to leave.
“What’s wrong?” Rayne whispered.
Caelan jerked his wandering gaze to the man seated across the honey wood table from him. Stacks of old, leather-bound tomes separated them. Caelan’s annoyance evaporated when he looked at the studious Rayne, glasses glinting in the sunlight and his hair slightly mussed from running his fingers through it as he read. His advisor was dressed casually in jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie, but he still managed to somehow have the appearance of a college professor rather than a student.
“Nothing,” he mumbled with a shake of his head.
