Page 133 of First Light
Aisling won’t be here forever. Our mother will only allow her to be lovesick for so long.
Regan’s words came back with a vengeance along with the memory of Lachlan and Aisling at the banquet.
“Won’t you be sorry to leave?” Carys asked. “You’ve been here your whole life.”
“Exactly. It will be better…” She shook her head. “It will be better for me to leave. Seren and I used to talk about it all the time. Once I’m a mage, there will be positions available to me in other courts.”
“That would be amazing,” Carys said. “Everyone here raves about your work. You would be an asset.”
“Exactly.” Aisling’s nod was a little desperate. “We used to talk all the time about what I could do away from Sgàin. I’d meet new people. I might even travel to the continent if I could fly by coracle. Seren promised…” Her smile was bitter. “I always said I wasn’t brave enough for sea travel, but if that was the only option to get away from Alba, I?—”
“Is it Lachlan?” Carys kept her voice quiet.
Aisling’s face went pale, and she stared at the crate. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“It’s terrible to love someone when they don’t love you back.” Any doubt that Aisling was in love with Lachlan fled when she saw the poor woman’s expression.
Aisling couldn’t look at her. “I promise you nothing ever happened between us.”
“I didn’t think?—”
“Of course not. He loves you,” Aisling’s voice was barely a whisper. “He loved Seren. And I loved them both. I would never…” She looked up at Carys, blinking rapidly. “I only wanted them to be happy. I promise.”
It was a lie, but Carys couldn’t judge her for it. Aisling was probably lying to herself. How could she not have hoped that Lachlan would someday turn toher—to the woman who had loved himconstantly—and suddenly see thatyes, she was the one? How could she not have wanted Lachlan to return her feelings?
“I know.” Carys nodded. “I don’t blame you. I understand.”
Aisling’s delicate features crumpled in pain. “How could you? You have a good man who loves you. I just want to get away from this place, and my aunt” —she let out a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a cry— “my aunt is too busy meddling in the Anglian court to train me. She’s finally agreed, and it’s only because…” Aisling glanced at Carys. “It’s not important. I’m sorry I’m unburdening myself on you.”
“It’s fine.” Why was Regan meddling in Anglian politics if she was the daughter of the Éiren queen? Is that what mages did? Why was Regan now willing to move her niece from the attentions of the prince of Alba?
Would Regan have killed Seren to give her own niece a chance with Lachlan?
Maybe, but she was the only one besides Duncan with an alibi.
Carys nearly missed it with her mind whirling, but she looked down to see a green leather-bound volume with the titleFae Martial History through the Third Agewhen she opened the cover.
“Found it.”
Aisling looked up, wiping her eyes and spreading more dust on her face. “Oh, that’s it. Thank the gods.” She reached for the heavy volume. “Regan would murder me if I lost it.” She snatched it from Carys’s hands. “Bless you. For everything. And I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Carys felt the urge to reach out and take Aisling’s hand, but she knew it wouldn’t be welcome. “We can’t help who we love, can we?”
Aisling nodded, looked at the book, and tried to smile, but it was painful. “No. We can’t.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The banquet that night was a festival of light and music. There were a thousand blue-lit torches hanging in the air, suspended by fae magic, a gift from the same fae lords of the Borderlands who had been at Dafydd and Eamer’s welcome banquet. They were there again, eyeing her with even more interest as she sat between Duncan and Cadell.
Cadell had changed his leather armor into a set that was black and threaded through with silver. His shoulders were tense, and his eyes continually swept the banquet hall, moving from the fae attendees to the wolves and back again.
“Something is in the air,” he murmured. “Human, do you feel it?”
Duncan leaned forward. “Are you talking to me?”
They were the only guests left at their section of the table as the rest of the revelers had taken to the dance floor.
“Of course I’m talking to you.”