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“I—” I start.
But he’s gone. Vanished into thin air.
“Sigurd.” My voice cracks over his name.
“Where?” I look to Moria and Hawke, but neither speaks. Hawke just shakes his head. The bond on my wrist tugs, and I know he’s nowhere close.
“He probably needs to calm down,” Moria says at last. “That was…”
I drop my gaze to the floor. “I shouldn’t have said all of that to him.”
“No, you were mostly right in your words. He’s heard them from others, but from you… They seem to have more effect. He takes them to heart, where most of us have little affect.” Hawke sits in the chair next to me. “There’s one point where you were wrong though.” His hand closes over mine, giving it a little squeeze. It’s the friendliest action he’s ever had toward me. “He does care about you. More than I think any of us realized.”
Then why tell me I’m nothing like Evelyn? I hug my arms around myself.
A tingle of magic ripples through the air, and a moment later, the announcer stands in the center of the room.
“What do you want?” Moria shoots him a glare so fierce that even the stalwart man, who held his place during the explosion meant to kill me, flinches.
He holds out the scroll in his hand, and his gaze drops to me where I lay huddled on a chaise longue. “Something for our brave competitor.”
Moria’s jaw stiffens, but she nods to him.
Slowly, he crosses the space between us. “You leftbefore you could receive this. Something for our competitors to study before the next game.” He passes me a scroll. “Well then.” He looks to my companions before vanishing from sight.
Hesitantly, I unroll the scroll.
“What does it say?” Mark asks.
It’s not just one page but many. Pictures of various plants dot the pages, surrounded by lines of text in a language I’ve never seen. “Another plant hunt?”
Geeze, you’d think they could be more creative.
Hawke leans over my shoulder, studying the top page. “No, these are poisons.”
Moria curses and turns away.
The pit in my stomach opens up as I roll up the pages.
Maybe I should quit after all.
Chapter 23
Iasktostaywith Mark and Hawke. After my blow-up with Sigurd, I can’t bear the thought of bumping into him again and having yet another conversation go awry. There’s still tension in our bond, but when someone can travel in an instant, distance means little.
“Why does he push my buttons so much?” I ask my eagle friend the next evening.
My borrowed room is smaller here but still bigger than my one at home. The stone walls are draped in fine tapestries. Ornate furniture dots the room but refuses to crowd it. Honestly, the place could have been crafted by a zen fashion designer, and I’d have believed it. Though, its actual designer, Hawke, or so Mark said, is easy enough to believe.
There’s no balcony on this room, just one off the main room of their sprawling apartment within the castle that apparently Moria shares with them. They’ve lived here since they were young, and why should she have to move all her stuff out just because Hawke has a mate? That’s what she told me when I asked about it, anyway. Hawke didn’t want to move either, and so they all live together, splitting the place down the middle.
Even so, my eagle managed to find his way here. A blessing because I need someone to talk to. Talking to Uncle Mark about Sigurd? Nope, no way. I tried, but the words caught on my tongue and felt all kinds of wrong.
He’s their king, his mate’s cousin. With how long we’ve been apart, Mark likely knows Sigurd way better than me, so venting about the insufferable man to him just didn’t sit right.
“I know. I let him get under my skin.” I give the eagle a scratch on his head. “I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t say things like I did either. He’s not some drunk at the bar that needs a good chewing up and spitting out before being told to sober up. Really, other than trapping me here.” Ugh. “He’s been…nice.”
Sexy. Ridiculous. Tempting.
