AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Heed the warning clear,
Those who wander too near,
The shadows, where the Fae,
Play games of darkness, night and day.”
I shiveredwhen he finished speaking. "More moonlight, and a path lined with skulls. What a cheerful sounding place."
"It is," he said thoughtfully. "Nowhere you're familiar with, then?"
I wasn't sure if he was teasing or not but I gave him a playful curl of my lip anyway. "Not yet, but give me time. I'm sure I could line the corridor with skulls if you want me to. I could start with yours."
He chuckled. "So feisty. Is that why Vayne is training you?"
I should have known Ryze would know about that. "It's as good a reason as any." I tried not to smile, but failed.
"I might have to tell him not to train you, if I'm going to live to regret it. Or die regretting it." He rolled up the maps, one by one, and placed them back carefully.
"Don't give me an excuse to kill you and you'll be fine." I meant the words to be teasing, but he gave me a funny look before he turned away. Presumably Fae humour and human humour were different. Or maybe he didn't appreciate potential death threats.
When he turned back, his usual amused expression was back on his face. Had I imagined the look he gave me? He was a complicated man. Presumably most people were, after living for as long as he had. He must have seen and done untold things over all those years. You'd think he'd be used to death threats, even joking ones, by now. Unless that wasn't the Fae way. I certainly had a lot to learn where these folk were concerned.
They had a lot to learn about me too.
"What would the other Fae think if they knew those maps were here?" I asked.
"Apart from thinking I've lost my mind?" he asked. "Some would laugh. Others would want them for themselves. There may be other clues to the whereabouts of the two missing courts. Clues that can’t be deciphered without our maps. Mostly, they'd think I'm foolish for holding onto them. Fortunately, I don't much care what they think. Where's the harm in imagining something that may not exist?"
"None, I suppose. Unless you're planning to create your own path of skulls in the moonlight." If that was the case, I may regret drawing his attention to those lyrics.
"That would be one interesting way to decorate the city, but I suspect the residents wouldn't agree or appreciate it. A lot of them are very conservative folk. Dew and blooming flowers in the moonlight is much more their thing. And dancing around to ancient Fae songs while drunk on their favourite wine."
"That sounds preferable to me too," I told him.
"Now I think about it, I prefer that as well." He smiled.
I wiped a hand over my brow. It came back wet. I hadn't realised how warm it was inside the library. When we first stepped inside, it felt cooler than the air outside. Now, the heat pressed down on me, like I was locked in a room full of steam.
"Khala?" Ryze looked at me in concern. "Are you all right?"
I blinked at him. He looked hazy.
"I think I need some air."
"Fuck," he said under his breath. "I thought we had more time."
Maybe he had lost his mind, or I had, because he was making no sense. More time for what?
He started to put his hands on my shoulders, but stopped. "It's not air you need. You're going into heat. We need to get you back upstairs, into your room. Somewhere comfortable for the next few hours."
Hours?
Heat?
Fuck.
20
