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Ainsley
Istared, having no earthly idea what to say to Thomas as he continued beaming at me as though he knew something I didn’t. He must have hit his head somewhere—and hard.
“I’m sorry… I’m not. Are you okay? Thomas, right? I’m not sure—” I stopped talking, uncertain of what to say. I was clearly at a loss for words.
Thomas began stripping off the sweater and button-up shirt he had worn, revealing a tucked-in white flowing piece below it. The cover he had used was tossed to the side, and the salt-and-pepper hair atop his head removed. The glasses were next, followed by the baggy pants.
When he was done, a fearsome-looking man stood before me. Tattoos covered his body, and his slick black hair was pulled back tightly into a bun that he tugged at, loosening it into a ponytail. He stood straight and put his hands on his hips.
All I could do was stare, open-mouthed, and in complete disbelief. Why was Thomas disguised at the Hall of Knowledge? And who was he really?
His men backed away from the stairs and one of them ushered me down, acting as though I should know to head to the main deck and speak to Thomas.
I moved slowly.
“Well, hurry up now and let me look at you properly.” Thomas waved his large hands at me, and I stumbled down the last few steps.
Standing before him, I was unable to look away. He was commanding, and he stared at me as though I was the most incredible thing on the planet.
“Thomas?” I questioned again, now feeling uncomfortable.
He chuckled and took my hands, kissing them both. “My fierce Ainsley, allow me to properly introduce myself as I wish I’d been able to do every day for the last twenty-one years.” He bowed before me and lifted his gaze to meet mine. “My name is Wyatt Silverthorne. And I have the absolute pleasure of being your father.”
I swayed on my feet, continuing to stare at him. “But you, you said—you told me you were dead! I mourned for you. I ran off in pain—completely gutted. You said Wyatt Silverthorne was dead.”
The man claiming to be Silverthorne tilted his head to the side. “I said he wasn’t at any of those addresses, which was true. I was right there. Quite uncomfortably mind you, Killian Flynn is no companion. Especially not for my daughter.”
“Are you serious right now?” I questioned, removing my hands from his, stepping away, and rubbing my temples. The energy I had drawn into myself had begun to dissipate, as were the darkened thunder clouds in the sky. I swayed and grasped the railing for support.“You also said he was not amongst the living.”
“Perhaps we should take this somewhere more private.” Silverthorne approached once again, gently taking me by the arm. I did not bother fighting him, as I honestly needed his assistance at that very moment. The feeling of light-headedness, along with the weariness in my limbs had only grown worse. “Sail for Inwardbend.”
“Captain?” A voice came from our left.
Silverthorne nodded. “Just a short respite. We need to leave the skies, especially with Bash sure to be releasing his fury.”
The man inclined his head, and Silverthorne adjusted his grip on my arm, looping his other around my waist to fully support me.
“I am okay.” I clearly was not, but I tried to stand stronger, shaking off the dizziness and fatigue assaulting my body. Magic use—it truly was hard on a caster, mind, body, and even soul.
“Aye, I’m sure you are. But let me help this once.”
I hated the way his words made me feel. Safe. The duke was my father. It was as if my heart betrayed his memory, accepting care from someone else claiming that role.
But this was what he had wanted. This was what I had been searching for since his death.
Silverthorne led me into a small sitting area. The airship was much larger than Killian’s. Larger than Bash’s, at least from the little I had seen. It had to be difficult to keep something like this hidden.
“How did you stay away all these years? Where have you been? Why does everyone believe you to be dead?” I spewed questions out faster than I had meant to. But where were you supposed to begin with a man you knew little to nothing about, specifically after being told there was some grand plan to make him appear to be a bad guy and destroy all magic within the world?
Silverthorne chuckled. “You attack me as quickly as your mother.” He pulled up a chair and set it down opposite of me. “You must know, I have kept accounts on you throughout your life. Your mother and I went into hiding and wanted you as far away from danger as possible. She was friends with Gwendolyn from childhood. Langford and Gwendolyn agreed to take you in immediately. No questions asked.”
He smiled down at his hands and rubbed them together, back and forth several times before seeming to gain his composure once more. When his eyes met mine again, they were rimmed with tears.
It was painful to swallow my own emotions, watching a man of his strength and stature crumble.
He sniffed once and met my gaze. “I took every precaution to ensure your safety. Things in our world worsened. Langford couldn’t stand remaining quiet about the injustices in Darkhold getting worse. He had reached out to us, to warn us, and update us on your progress. But, in the process, caught the attention of Bash, I’m afraid.”
There was that talk of injustice again, as Bash had mentioned. Even the mere utterance of that rogue’s name set my blood on fire. Balling my hands into fists, I inhaled a deep, calming breath, returning to the conversation at present. What else was going on here? I paused, going down that road of questions until I was given more personal answers.
