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Everyone else assembled remained still and didn’t move until the king again spoke. Then there was an explosion of activity. Whatever the king had said, while voiced gently, certainly got the elves of his palace moving.
Cal tugged on Maggie’s arm and couldn’t repress her shiver. “I think we should go.”
Maggie nodded, still pale. “That’d be for the best.”
Cal just wanted to get them to her room. Both of them would be shaken-up for some time. Plus, she felt like an interloper—as if what they’d witnessed should’ve only been for the eyes of those native to Eria.
As they turned to go, a light brush to her shoulder caused Cal to jump and whirl around. It was Relian. His eyes roamed over her in concern before turning the same look toward Maggie. Cal’s chest tightened painfully. Even at a time like this, he made the effort to come over and comfort them. That was something she hadn’t expected, but why was she surprised? Relian and the king seemed only to desire their comfort.
Talion stepped up beside Relian and favored them with a kind smile. She swore his eyes lingered on Maggie’s white face. At least he didn’t try to goad Maggie with a look, touch, or word she didn’t understand. But then, it wouldn’t have been the proper time for it. The king always observed such societal conventions, wicked humor or not.
She focused her attention back on Relian. The chainmail shirt he wore wasn’t so pristine anymore. It was dirtied with earth and something that looked suspiciously like blood. Her stomach turned. His hair was held back in a severe braid. At the temple, sweat dampened the black strands, and a few tendrils were working themselves free.
At some point, he’d taken her hand. When had he done that? His palm burned against hers. She glanced down at their entwined fingers. His hand was clean. This seemed strange when his clothes and other parts of his person didn’t look to be so. A sturdy-looking leather glove covered his other hand. What did people call them? Gauntlets. That was it, though it was a silly thing to think about right now.
She lifted her gaze to his face. He still regarded her intently. How could these moments stretch on, yet finish too soon?
Their trance ended when the king addressed a figure behind him Cal hadn’t noticed until now. Arrein stepped around the king even as he moved aside for her. Ah, she was to be their watcher for a while.
Maggie muttered under her breath, “Yay, a watchdog.”
Relian and his father both shot Maggie a look, quirking an eyebrow in an almost identical fashion. This would’ve been amusing at other times, other circumstances. Just how much English did they understand? The thought that certain elves might have a greater grasp of English than they’d imagined was unsettling. There was no way to find out, though. So until they knew the truth of it, they’d have to be careful.
As Relian released her hand, he bent down and whispered, “Holen re, Cal.” Until later, Cal.
She understood the simple farewell and fought to keep a dazed expression off her face at his closeness. He disconcerted her when she least expected it, threading through her personal bubble of space like an unerring needle. And just like a balloon, the air in her lungs would desert her when she most needed their aid in maintaining a calm façade.
Another fact pounded on her consciousness. He’d used her first name, a rare occurrence when others were around. Admittedly, he’d whispered it, so even those close by may not have heard. Still, his behavior was perplexing. The guys she’d dated had never been so intense and enticing, every word and caress a seduction to her senses. She squirmed, unsettled by the way her body responded. And her mind. When it came to him, it followed right along with her traitorous flesh.
After Talion and Relian made their goodbyes to them, she and Maggie found themselves trailing after Arrein. A flash of black hair snagged Cal’s attention. The pit of her stomach dropped.
Eamon headed her way with a glower affixed firmly to his face. But at the last moment, he seemed to think better of it, thank God. Something in her relaxed, and she blew out a ragged breath.
After today’s events, she couldn’t imagine dealing with his unpleasantness. So far, she’d only spoken to him that one time when they were first introduced, but that was more than enough for her. He gave her the heebie-jeebies, and their paths seemed to cross way too often. Without fail, he always glared at her with disdain but didn’t so much as utter a word.
Since he never attempted to speak to her, her fear felt foolish. She certainly couldn’t take her worries to Relian, even if the language barrier hadn’t existed. What could she say? That Eamon was giving her dirty looks and to make him stop? Wah, wah, wah.
Cal tried to shrug the thought of Eamon off, but he joined the hodge-podge whirling around in her mind. The lovely architecture with its soaring star vaults hardly penetrated her consciousness, though it’d often enraptured her before.
Before she was even aware Arrein had stopped walking, they stood outside her door. Smiling genially, the maid pushed it open and ushered her and Maggie in. Once she seated them under her mothering gaze, she lit a small fire in the hearth situated on the wall between their adjoining rooms. Arrein made motions with her hands to indicate she’d bring a light snack. Cal still found it hard to allow anyone to care for her, especially a female who appeared no older than either her or Maggie. Though she’d never inquired about her age, Arrein was probably anything but young.
As soon as the door closed, Cal tilted her head to look at Maggie. “That was what was chasing Relian and me? He and his soldiers must’ve caught that one.”
Maggie whistled, though it didn’t have the spryness it usually had. “I don’t know, but some heavy you-know-what is going on down here. They weren’t after you two to merely say hi.” She shuddered. “That creature-beast-elf thing was freaky.”
“And sad.”
Maggie frowned. “Do you think those people were his family?”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Yeah, me too.” Maggie sighed. “So it—the creature—must’ve been an elf at one time. Then something happened.”
Cal drummed her fingers on the table. “I think that’s hitting on the question of the day. Something definitely happened to bring about that change but what?”
“Whatever it is, it can’t be good.”
Her fingers stilled. “I think that’s a given.”
