Page 53 of Shadow Kissed
Colonel Graybane taps the slab, and it returns to its cloudy glass colour. For a minute, the colonel and I are silent. Both processing what we’ve heard and witnessed. “Nothing for a hundred years. Why now?”
I shake my head, lost in my own thoughts. Mutts migrating south and behaving out of character, breeching the walls, and now activity at the void. Mutts are territorial creatures they are not migrant in nature. They claim their patch, and they stay there. Captain Farran is right. Something is brewing.
Last night, someone attacked the convoy of restorative chambers. A hooded figure with mysterious magic. Which is concerning as only the Night Borne can control the night mutts. The attack reeks of the rebellion, but they have yet to lay claim to it. It begs the question, is there someone with night blood on Asen?
I ask Graybane to keep me updated, then shadow weave back to my office. Jasiel walks in two seconds behind me and he takes a seat and props his feet up on my desk. He glances at the half empty glass of Rosuk on my desk.
“Needing a drink after sparring with our little Asen?” He grins at me. “Aren’t you a little busy to be taking time out to sparwith a Shadow Kissed? I’m sure sparring isn’t in the approved teachings.”
I glare at him and picking up my glass; I neck back the rest of the bitter drink. “Just spit it out whatever it is you are itching to say.”
He chuckles and places his hands behind his head, watching me. “The boy is asking when he can see her.”
My frown deepens. That blasted young pup. “The rules forbid soldiers from fraternising with the chosen ones. You know that, so why ask?”
Jasiel shrugs his shoulders and half smiles. “Did you enjoy getting up close and personal with her?”
I clear my throat and jump to my feet, walking over to the window that overlooks the valley. “She’s skilled with daggers. I hazard a guess that if she could join our army instead of being a tribute, she would.”
Jasiel laughs in agreement. “She’ll go stir crazy in that mansion with nothing but etiquette and crocheting classes.”
I nod my head in agreement. “Maybe we should introduce self-defence and combat into their class schedule.”
When he doesn’t answer, I turn to see his response. He whistles and laughs. “This one has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she?”
I can’t stand his teasing expression, so I turn back to the view outside. Jasiel knows me too well, and it makes it impossible to hide anything from him. But this isn’t anything to do with me wanting her. Because I don’t want her. For a start, she is Asen, and she is unladylike. A poor choice for someone of my station.
“Can you take over whilst I return home? There are matters I must discuss with the king.”
“Of course. What do we do about the convoy?”
“Arrange collection of a second shipment but double the security detail and plan an alternative route and go during the day.”
“As you wish.” Jasiel gets to his feet and heads towards the door. “Oh, and Raegal, she asked a lot of questions about you on our walk back to the mansion. For two people who can’t abide each other, you sure occupy each other’s thoughts an awful lot.”
I turn to glare at him, and he winks at me, smirking as he closes the door. “Please pass on my regards to your mother.”
Returning home is something I like to avoid for as long as I can. As much as I hate it on Asen. At least I can escape my crippling guilt and the harsh criticism of my father, but the king needs to know what is happening here, and it is best if it comes from me and not via my mother courtesy of Moryen.
22
REYA
Iwake the following morning, and I’m relieved to say I had no strange dreams. There’s also no brooding male beside me with his inky shadows wound around my body. When he came to my room last night, I thanked him for taking me sparring and told him it really meant a lot to me. He’d coughed and said it was nothing, that he’d have done the same for any Shadow Kissed, and I felt stupid for thinking he’d gone out of his way to make me happy. Of course he hadn’t. I was just a silly Asen girl who he’d made clear what he thought of from our very first meeting.
Heading down for breakfast, I overhear him in the entrance hallway talking with Moryen. I only catch the tail end of the conversation, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping again. But I’d heard him tell her he’s returning home soon, and he asks Moryen if there’s anything she needs from home or any messages for him to pass on. Moryen tells him to tell his mother that the next time she visits the orphanage, she is to call here for tea. So, Raegal’s mum also visits the orphanage. The elite women of their society must feel like they are doing good workby visiting the poor Asen orphans. Maybe they would make better use of their time if they concentrated on why they were infertile and how to provide their men with children instead of pretending to care about our orphans. I round the bottom of the stairs as he’s exiting.
“You’re leaving?”
He turns, looks over his shoulder at me, and nods, a frown etched across his face. “Not tonight, but soon,” he informs me before he smiles tightly at Moryen and closes the door behind him. To Moryen, that exchange would mean little, but to me, it is his assurance that he will be back in time to lie with me and cover my scent.
“Right, breakfast,” Moryen announces. “I think we will have a walk over to the market this morning.”
“All of us?” I ask, hoping we can escape this stuffy mansion for a few hours.
Moryen nods her head briskly at me. “All of us, but Reya, I expect you to be on your best behaviour.”
I nod in response to her pointed look. Message received. I will be the epitome of a lady.