"The kitchens and staff working there are being investigated by the mages."
The clue leaves me confused, but a clue is a clue, so maybe they'll find the person responsible soon enough. The idea of a killer roaming the castle who may have his eye on Ahren next makes me sick to my stomach.
Michae walks deeper into the throne room and pauses at the base of the steps, lost in thought.
My hands are in the pockets of my riding pants, since it was all the maids had available and I was tired of how inconvenient dresses were. Clasping the cold ruby calms me. It has this way of bringing all my focus to the middle of my core rather than to hundreds of other distractions.
Sniffles sound, and I tilt my head sideways to gain a better view of Michae. I am convinced he is crying for the loss of his king.
I step closer to the spot where I remember seeing the late king on the ground, rolling the ruby over my knuckles. To lose my father sits heavy on my chest. I grieve the notion of losing him, not necessarily the man himself, who I didn’t know well enough. Which makes me want to find my mother so much more. To uncover what happened between her and my father, why they gave me away, and so many other whys that the muscles in my shoulders bunch up.
Don't get your hopes up, I keep telling myself.
"Are you permitted to be in here?" a male's voice barks.
I flinch at his abruptness, the ruby almost bouncing out of my hand, but I snatch it out of the air and stuff it into my pocket.
Behind me stands Jasion, and a shiver crawls down my spine. He's wearing his mage clothes—a black robe-skirt that falls to his ankles, metal chains around his waist, and a fairy skull that is fist-sized hangs from his bare neck. After meeting Hiss and having the fairies save me several times now, I sneer at the way he carries that skull like a trophy. I want to rip it off him. I hated this mage from the first time I met him, and my distaste for him hasn't changed.
Michae steps alongside me. "We were just leaving," he announces and takes my elbow to rush me out of the room.
I hold Jasion's gaze as we pass him, and if someone could spew hatred from their stare alone, this mage would be loathing me to the moon and back. It has to do with Ahren, this I know. Luther mentioned in the carriage on our way to Ash Court that Jasion might have a crush on Ahren, which would explain his evil eye at me.
With hurried steps, we make quick work on vanishing down a corridor that takes us straight to the bridge outside.
I glance over my shoulder, almost feeling Jasion's eyes still on me.
Michae murmurs, "He sneaks around the castle, but no one knows what he does." My guard finally lets go of my elbow, and we walk at a normal pace through the hall.
"Hasn't he been working at the castle for most of his life?" I ask, recalling the bits of information I learned from the princes.
Michae cuts me a sarcastic look. I'm starting to really like this guy. He leans closer, whispering, "The maids tell me they find all kinds of dead animals and birds in his room, that he tortures them."
I gasp. "Have they told Ahren?"
Michae stares at me as if I've grown horns. "Unless the maids want to suddenly disappear, they keep quiet. Jasion is a very vengeful mage."
The truth of his words doesn’t surprise me, but it worries me. "Did the king and Jasion get along?"
Michae raises a brow. "The king didn't like his wildness and disobedience, but he appreciated that Jasion carried strong powers, more so than the other mages. It's that old saying, sup with the devil."
I nod as the shivers return to my skin and remind me to keep my distance from the mage even more.
When I reach my room, I head inside and kick off my shoes while Michae stands guard outside.
A hard knock raps on the door, and I snap around, expecting my guard to tell me I forgot something.
Instead, it's Jasion standing in my doorway, glowering.
Oh, hell. What does he want?
Chapter 5
Guendolyn
"My apologies for not coming to you earlier," Jasion says. "May I come inside?"
Michae stands behind him in the hallway to my room, waiting for me to respond so he can have any excuse to get rid of Jasion. Except, is it a good idea to anger a mage who tortures animals in his chamber? Keep your enemies closer, floats in my mind.
I nod. "Michae, please join us too." Which he eagerly does, leaving the door open.
Jasion cuts the guard a hard side look. "These are not matters to be discussed in front of you. Wait outside," he commands.
I stiffen. "Michae, you are fine to stay," I reconfirm.
Jasion's lips thin, but I don't care. This is my room, and I honestly don't want to be alone with him. Every time I’ve spent time with him in the past, I ended up feeling like a bug under a microscope.
He steps into my room, chest sticking out, distaste twisting his lips.
I retreat and lean up against the back of the couch, hands on either side of me, gripping the wooden frame. Where I am as far from him as possible without it looking obvious.
"What did you want to see me about?" I ask, grasping onto every thread of confidence I have.
"I like to get to know anyone who works closely with Ahren. As you can appreciate, since he is going to be the king soon."
I lick my dry lips, trying to make sense of what exactly he wants. "You are worried about him?" I ask.
He bows his agreement with a small tilt of his head, the fairy skull around his neck swinging slightly. "I knew you were smart."
I
