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Later, he tried to gild something small in the cabin just to be sure, and he couldn’t do it. Jari couldn’t either, and his eyes were green as usual. He said he felt nothing in his head despite touching the melted gold. Whatever happened to things that went beyond Mist, it was gone now.
Perhaps the edge of the realm lay there, and when the dragon and the pack fell off, that broke their power.
“I don’t think they believe your lie,” Jari said that night. “They couldn’t stop staring at dinner, and I heard someone asking if your eye was blue before.”
Aurelius rested his head on Jari’s chest. “They can’t do anything or prove what they saw, and Este stayed on our side.”
Tenth had seemed to be in a big hurry to cast off like he thought a whole swarm of dragons might rise from the volcano and come after them.
“I guess if they talk about it later to anyone else, they’ll be thought of as utterly nuts.”
“Exactly. We can’t go back to Morning Glory now-”
“No! You’re not going back to court. I’ll drag you off by your ankles, and you can claw at the floor and order me to unhand you all you want.”
Aurelius snorted. “I do need to return-”
“No. It’s still a snake den. You’ll be miserable there with all of those fake fucks.”
“I need to make sure everything is set before I run off,” said Aurelius. “I can’t disappear forever without a single word. Tomson’s probably already worried and wondering what the fuck I’m doing. Or he thinks I died. Besides, I need to get my stuff like Mother’s jewelry box.”
“All right. Promise me you’re not going to stay there. I’ll stay with you, but I don’t want to live there, and I think it’d be much better for you to shed that weight too.”
“We’re not staying there. I promise.” Aurelius shifted to kiss him. “My lion.”
***
“What’s going on here?” Tomson demanded as a servant walked by with a box.
“I’ll talk to you about it in a bit.” Aurelius cinched his pack. He should have known Tomson wouldn’t listen for long when Aurelius told him to give him some time. “Also, you should ask before barging into my bedroom.”
“Why are you taking everything out? You just waltz in and-”
“I’m only taking some of my stuff. I don’t care what you do with the rest. Leave it. Toss it outside. I have what I want most.”
Tomson gaped at him and glanced at Jari who was sitting on the end of the bed. “Are you going somewhere? You didn’t invite Este and now-”
“I did invite Este,” Aurelius said in a lofty tone. “She declined because she wanted to hurry home and deal with some things that need urgent attention in her family.”
“We have doves here-”
“Some things shouldn't be written and need personal attention. She couldn’t delay anymore. We have no trouble with Wockston, and Zora is a part of the Kingdom now.”
“Yes, I know. It was said you killed David.” Tomson scratched his head. “How did you get a hold of a weapon?”
“Luck.” As far as Aurelius knew, Este’s most trusted men would keep what they’d seen a secret. If not, denial would be his friend again. Nobody had actually seen him turn anyone gold and shatter them like a glass.
Tomson stared at Aurelius who stared right back. “Some of this doesn’t seem right. You found a weapon in a garden and managed to kill David. Jari got there in time to get you past the guards. Este admitted she’d intended to betray you for her Father, and now she’s not. I applaud her for her honesty and for going against her Father to do what’s truly right, but a couple of things don’t make sense. Why did-”
“Tomson, you know what you can do?” asked Aurelius. “Stop worrying about it, go downstairs, and wait in the Hall. Have the courtiers brought. I wish to speak with everyone.”
“But-”
“What matters most? Knowing every damn little detail or the fact that I’m all right, and Nova is safe?”
“You and Nova.” Tomson pursed his lips. “Your eye is blue.”
“I know what color my eye is.”
