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Julien studied the dagger in his hands. “Do you have any hobbies? A large weapons collection?”
“And what about your magic?” Edmund’s smirk told Essie this was his spy’s intuition at work. “I’ve heard it’s rather awe-inspiring.”
Essie took one of Farrendel’s hands, squeezing, feeling the heart bond warm between them. Talking to others was difficult for him, and her brothers hadn’t earned Farrendel’s trust enough for him to open up. It would take him time.
But she couldn’t talk for him. Not in this case. He needed to answer for himself, however much or little he was comfortable saying.
Farrendel’s shoulders were tight, his grip tighter still.
Paige rolled her eyes. “Stop interrogating him. Especially you, Avie. You remember how intimidating my father was.”
At the time Averett started courting Paige, her father had been the captain of palace security, though he had since retired. Even though Averett was his king, he apparently hadn’t been afraid to come down hard on him about his motives for courting the captain’s only daughter.
“It’s so much more fun being on this side of things.” Averett stretched out in his chair, folding his hands over his chest.
Great. Her brothers were settling in for a long night.
Essie bit her lip, words building up in her throat. Hopefully Farrendel thought of something to say soon because she couldn’t take much more of this.
Farrendel glanced at her, some of the stiffness easing from his posture, his mouth twitching with a smile. “You want to talk.”
“Yes.” The word came out with a whoosh of air. She’d been holding her breath in an effort to stop her chatter. “It’s just so hard not to answer. Please, tell them something before I explode.”
That tilted Farrendel’s smile wider still. It faded quickly, though, as he raised his head and faced the room. “I am Laesornysh. It is my duty to protect Tarenhiel from the trolls.”
And, he was back to hard and scary, his tone flat. When she’d first met him, Essie had found it intimidating. Now she saw it for what it was. A mask to protect the vulnerable, broken part of him.
But it probably wasn’t the best route to go for reassuring her brothers. They had seen this side of Farrendel already at the wedding. This hard persona had caused them to worry for the past three months about what type of marriage they’d just handed their sister into.
By the way Averett, Julien, and Edmund stiffened, their jaws tightening, hands straying toward the new daggers they had just been given, Farrendel’s mask had been a mistake. Essie wasn’t sure what to do or say to ease the rising tension.
Mother leaned forward, spearing Avie, Julien, and Edmund with a look, before she gave Farrendel a soft smile. “Duty is something we understand very well in this family.”
Farrendel’s gaze lifted, and he studied Essie’s mother for a long moment. “I have a whole branch in Ellonahshinel.”
“That’s equivalent to a wing of the palace to himself,” Essie hurried to add. Not that a single main room and three connected bedrooms was really a whole wing, but it was as near as the elven palace had. Besides, she was going to run with the change in topic now that Farrendel had brought it up. “I wish I could show it to you. Ellonahshinel is huge.”
Farrendel raised his hands, and a faint blue light began to flicker around his fingers. He glanced at her, as if asking her permission.
But for what? Essie sucked in a breath. What was he planning to do? Why had he activated his magic?
Her brothers started reaching for their daggers once again.
Farrendel’s magic didn’t build into the charged, crackling magic he’d used against the trolls. This was a soft, brilliant blue light tracing patterns in the air. He formed a picture of Ellonahshinel, its branches crackling magic instead of wood and leaves.
Both nephews left off with their playing in the corner and eased closer. Essie waved Bertie over. When he drew close enough, she pulled him onto her lap, and he settled against her without protesting. Finn crept closer, staring wide-eyed.
“Would you like to hear about the big treehouse where I live now?” When Bertie nodded, Essie described their home and how they had to walk across the branches like roads. Then she moved on to the town of Estyra with its shops nestled into the trees, connected with branches and rope bridges. All the while, Farrendel illustrated her stories with patterns drawn by his magic.
“Maybe you can all visit someday,” Essie finished, giving Bertie a hug and reaching over to ruffle Finn’s hair. She looked to her family watching them. “We mean it. Once the danger of this war is over, I’d love to host whoever wants to come in Estyra. We have a few guest rooms where you can stay.”
“Yes.” Farrendel met her gaze and tipped his head in a small nod. Letting her, and her everyone else know, that he was on board with her inviting her family.
“And the branches aren’t that scary once you get used to them, though we might want to carry these guys.” She poked Bertie’s stomach.
“Hey.” Bertie jumped off her lap, giving her an exaggerated scowl.
Farrendel’s fingers flared with blue light again. He flicked his wrists, and magic burst in a starburst of sparkles like miniature fireworks popping inside the room. The blue sparkles hung in the air like fireflies. He glanced at her, then held out his palm to one of the sparkles. It winked out against his hand.
