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Did Cavan know this was here?
I stepped around it, eyes on it as though it might jump out at me or something.
"It's just a chair," I told myself.
My whisper almost made me jump. It sounded too loud in the silence. This whole sneaking around thing had me on edge, it was totally not the weird throne.
All right, it was equal parts of both. I'd seen some odd things in the last couple of months, this was just the most recent.
I tentatively put my hand out to touch it, careful not to prick myself on a thorn.
I remembered a tale I was told as a young Silent Maiden, of a goddess who did exactly that. She bled so much from that tiny pinprick, she passed out.
When she woke up, a thousand years had passed. Her children had all grown up. Her husband gave up on her ever returning from wherever she supposedly went, and married some other goddess.
Heartbroken, she killed her husband and his new wife before disappearing into the sky to become a shooting star.
Since all of that would suck, I was careful to avoid anything pointy and sharp.
The branches were still ragged, the wood rough under my fingertip. It felt like someone picked a bunch of sticks up off the ground and formed them into a throne. And yet, where my skin touched, I felt a faint tingle, like there was magic embedded in the chair.
"It doesn't usually let anyone touch it," a voice said from behind me.
I jumped back from the throne and whirled around. I hadn't even heard the door open, but now Illaria stood in the doorway, a candle in her hand.
"You scared the shit out of me," I told her. "What are you doing here?"
I couldn't immediately tell if she was armed or not, but after she distracted Tavian back in Garial, I could only assume her agenda was suspicious as fuck.
Fitting for the Autumn Court.
"I could ask you the same thing, but I already know," she said. "You're looking for the key."
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, shrugging one shoulder.
"Why else would you be in my father's court, unless you are searching for some way to find the missing courts?"
"Your father's court?" I echoed. "Harel is your father?"
She sighed and stepped further into the room before closing the door behind her.
"Unfortunately, yes. I've been in exile in the Winter Court for a long while. I thought it was time to come back and beg for my father's forgiveness." She grimaced.
"You're looking for the key?" I guessed.
"I know where the key is," she said. "I'm here to help you find it. I went back to the Winter Court, only to hear you'd gone to Havenmoor. I could have saved you that time. Would have if it wasn't for the first attack. I was supposed to distract Tavian, so my contacts could speak to High Lord Ryzellius. They suspected the attack might come. They wanted Tavian away from it, so he wouldn't be harmed."
I shook my head. "I don't understand. Who are your contacts?"
"Other people in the Autumn Court who believe in the other courts," she replied. "We believe the Court of Dreams will be the salvation of the seasonal courts."
She sounded dogmatic, and slightly unhinged.
"Salvation from what?" I asked.
"From division, apathy and antagonism," she said. "You know of how High Lord Cavan has tried to unite the seasonal courts. He's been ignored and ridiculed. Vilified. We believe Fae from the Court of Shadows have been working for a long time to create exactly that environment. When they awaken the rest of the court, that will be to their advantage. If the seasonal courts are pitted against each other, they can use that weakness. Even if it means stepping over bones and ashes."
Her words reminded me of what Tavian said of his vision.
