Page 49 of Raven's Dawn
Interesting? Warren asked. You’re interested in the weirdest shit, darling.
You know, constipation is one of the leading causes of death in elderly patients in hospitals and nursing homes, I thought. It’s also incredibly painful. To know there’s a berry that works better than a standard laxative could be magnificent for modern science. We use things like pear juice and prunes and applesauce, but it’s not always enough, and some of our artificial laxatives are dangerous if used more than once in a while. Natural ones are no different. Of course I’m interested in another alternative.
Squeezing my hand, Rain smiled. I don’t think it’s weird, baby. I think it’s sweet that you’re interested in other people’s shit.
Bowel movements are not funny. I waved them off. They’re an incredibly important part of life.
Of course they are, Warren thought. And Rain’s right. I love how fascinated you are by science and medicine, even if a lot of it is fucking gross.
Considering you regularly fuck us in the ass—I gestured between me and Rain—I don’t think that you should be too grossed out by bowel movements, love.
That’s different. This time, it was him waving me off. Nothing’s gross when I’m horny.
In the distance, through the meadow ahead, the city walls became clear. I hadn’t noticed them in the sky when Warren woke me, perhaps because the trees stood so close to them, but they had to have been at least three stories high. Unlike the palace in the center of the city, however, they were composed of Elvan ore. Which made sense. Apparently, it was a stronger substance than steel or diamond.
Straight ahead, Iliantha joined hands with Laila and Connor. They spoke quietly amongst themselves, or perhaps telepathically, and exchanged a few nods and head shakes. Jeremy must’ve been in on the conversation we couldn’t hear, because he turned around and held up a hand.
We all stopped. He nodded, as if to say thank you. Then he turned back around.
Still nestled in the pine forest foliage, Laila and Iliantha continued ahead. One step out to the clearing, and a light as bright as day shined on them.
“What business d’ye have here?” a man’s voice called.
Iliantha cleared her throat. “I am Iliantha of the Deep North. I have an urgent matter that I must discuss with Caeda.”
“Fellow queens don’t usually arrive with an army at their flank.” The man was invisible behind that bright light, even more so when he shined it on us. “What might that be about, do gràs?”
“I didn’t bring them for you.” With an open hand, she gestured to us all behind her. “They came along to protect us from the air an tagadh. An enemy of us both, if memory serves.”
A moment of silence.
“Who stands beside ye?” His light turned on Laila. “She’s neither Fae nor elf.”
“I’m Fae, Guardian, and Angel,” she said.
He cackled. “And American.”
“Look, man, I’m not too proud of that either,” she said. As a Brit, I couldn’t help my chuckle. “But Caeda has met with my friend here.”
Connor raised an open palm, and the light turned on him. He spoke in Elvan, so I didn’t catch a word of it.
Again, silence.
“I can’t just let the lot of ye in,” the man said. His voice was calmer now. Less tense. Whatever Connor said must’ve changed the stakes. “I’ll have to wake the queen herself.”
“We’d appreciate that very much,” Iliantha said. “I brought her gifts as well. Tell her that first.”
The man laughed. “Aye, that’ll soften the blow.”
These accents made it hard to tell when people were being sarcastic.
19
RAIN
Slow. That was my first impression of Caeda, because it was almost an hour that we had been sitting here now.
The soldiers still stood. Iliantha, Amara, and Luci stood with them. The rest of us—me, Graham, Warren, Ezra, Jake, Ramona, Laila, Jeremy, Connor, and Naomi—sat. The Fae were the first to settle in on the ground. The rest of us followed. Even Jeremy’s massive winged wolves sat with us.