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“Jay. Oh, Jay,” I chanted his name as I rode him until he lost himself deep inside of me.
I went to my room to clean up, unsure of what lesson I was supposed to have taken from my love’s embrace that morning. I thought that maybe I was past the days of lessons, and that maybe Jay knew that too.
37
Alarie
We spent the next morning in each other’s presence enjoying a quiet, yet uneasy, silence.
“So, how did it go up north?” I asked.
With the way things went between us the day before, I hadn’t gotten the chance to ask him about the status of the magical wall separating Valencia and Alancia.
“It’s as we feared, Alarie,” Jay responded after taking a sip of coffee. “Grey and I went up north, and he confirmed that the magical weave he put in place all those years ago sealing off Valencia from Alancia continues to deteriorate. It likely is going to get to a point that Grey can’t fix it. We are going to have to post soldiers along the wall.”
“So, what does that mean for you? What do you have to do?” I asked, my breath catching in my throat with dread.
“It means I’ll likely be spending a lot more time up north. And there’s no need to fight about it, Alarie, because you’ll be coming with me. Once you’re House consort, you’ll go wherever I go,” he explained resolutely.
“What about my duties at the High Court?” I protested.
“We’ll let Luke handle the official flirting on behalf of House Vitruvian while you’re away, just like he did before you got here,” the high lord retorted.
I bristled at the gross oversimplification of my role at the High Court.
Seeing my reaction, the high lord added, “Alarie, with my powers back, I find myself in less need of that system that you and Luke are a part of. And anyway, I could use your help hitting the books again and digging into my imbalance theory on the dying magic. Unfortunately, if things keep going the way that they are, my theory may get tested at last and we need to be ready.”
A pang of guilt radiated through me. It had been quite some time since I had helped Jay with his research.
“Speaking of imbalances, I’m going to have to put an end to your friend Cass’s lesser fae rebellion, too. We can’t be at odds with the lesser fae and also looking at a potential war against the north.”
“What do you mean ‘put an end to it,’ Jay? You promised that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt Cass,” I said, as a knot began to form in my stomach, twisting my insides.
“Alarie,” he responded firmly. “I said no such thing. I promised to do my best to come to a reasonable outcome with the young don. Something that has been increasingly difficult to advocate with the King, I would remind you, because your friend has caused me and the King a fair number of headaches.”
“Headaches, Jay? That’s how you want to describe the lesser fae fighting for a decent wage and food and a home to call their own?” I retorted.
I was finding it harder and harder to maintain my neutral ground in the dispute between the high fae and the lesser fae these days.
Brushing off my attempt to bait him into an argument over the causes behind the current predicament with the lesser fae, Jay said, “What I’m saying is that it is very fortunate that there has not been the slightest sign of violence from Cass and his crew. If they had taken up arms, a peaceful resolution would have been out of my hands. But,” he said, cutting me off before I could get started, “there has been no violence, and I have no intention of harming your friend. As I promised, I intend to come to terms with him. Now, with the issues with the wall, Grey’s ready to come to the table and figure this out with the lesser fae,” Jay explained.
I sat in silence, considering everything Jay had told me. I knew what I was supposed to say and what I should do. I should do whatever I could to help Jay and Cass come to a quick and peaceful resolution. I should help Jay prepare for what seemed like an impending war with Alancia. But, for once in my life, I didn’t want to do what I was supposed to do. I wanted to be selfish and do what I wanted to do.
Finally, Jay broke the silence.
“Alarie, we ended on a fun enough note yesterday, but we still have to talk about it.”
“Jay, I…” I trailed off before picking back up. “You know I love you, right?”
“Despite recent events,” he said coldly, clenching his jaw, “yes, I believe that you love me,” he responded.
“Then can we talk about this later? I really need to get going,” I said.
Jay knew I was just postponing the inevitable, but he nodded his head in agreement, giving me a kiss before I left the room.
* * * *
My mind still on how I left things with Jay, I walked through one of the myriad hallways that connected the various Houses and halls at the High Court.
