Page 13 of Embers to Flames

He looks deeply into my eyes without blinking. It feels like mere minutes have passed when I finally find my senses and shake my mind back to reality.

“We should get going. Erhorn won’t like it if I’m late. Umm… where is Eulee?”

“I let her outside hours ago. She wanted to hunt early today.”

“Oh, she did huh? And shetoldyou this?” I ask with a giggle.

Theo nods shamelessly. I roll my eyes as I don on my overcoat and scarf giving him back a playful grin.

“Let’s just go.”

The flight over is just as stimulating as it was yesterday. With the hard muscles of Theo’s arms wrapped around my torso and my face nuzzled into his chest, I can feel the warmth from his body. His aroma has my muscles tensing up deep in my lower stomach. I wonder if he finds himself just as aroused as I am with his body so close to mine.

Gods above I would give anything to know what he is thinking.

We land just outside the back kitchen door to Erhorn’s mansion. Theo reaches for the door handle to open it for me.

“Have a good day, Rosanhi.” He says with a wink.

I hurry inside to find Lenna and Ava are already in the kitchen preparing tea and breakfast. They both pause what they are doing and take long looks in my direction as I enter the door.

“Would you look at that Ava… we actually beat her today,” Leena says with a smile. Ava looks up and smiles too. But she still doesn’t say anything.

“Yes, yes… let’snottalk about anything that has happened in the past twelve hours. Okay? Do you have Erhorn’s tray ready?”

Lenna takes a long glance at me; a look of curiosity settling on her face. “Not quite, but he was asking for you.”

I make my way into Erhorn’s study and find him sitting behind his desk warming up his sealing wax with one hand and holding a rolled-up parchment in the other. I stand in the doorway, waiting for him to acknowledge me.

“Ah, Rosanhi… come in, come in.” He waves at me to enter and then points toward the chair in front of his desk. “Give me one moment dear girl, I need to get this sent off with the courier.”

He stands up and walks towards another door where an elven guard stands waiting patiently. Their voices become barely audible whispers. I strain my ears, but their words are muffled, and I can’t make out what they are saying. So, I sit with bated breath, trying not to fidget as I wait for him to rejoin me.

I’ve been in this office a thousand times over the past three years, and never once have I really looked around. I always just sit the tray down on the round table that dominates the center of the room, then take my leave. But glancing around at the room now, I’m noticing so much more.

The room is lavishly adorned with intricately carved wooden furniture, each piece handmade and unique in design. The woodwork is rich mahogany, dark as a full-bodied wine, it’s surface polished to a mirror-like sheen. Against the far wall, there stands an imposing bookcase filled to the brim with wondrous texts of all sorts. Ancient scrolls, heavy tomes bound in leather, and parchment papers are filled with indecipherable Elven runes. Their worn spines and faded covers hint at the plethora of knowledge contained within each one.

There are maps and paintings too. My attention is drawn to one particular painting that catches my gaze from atop the mantelpiece. The painting depicts a sprawling Elven city, grand and beautiful. It teems with life, light shimmering down on ivory towers, brilliant green foliage spilling over the city walls while waterfalls cascade down into azure lakes. I can only assume it is the city of Zorrina, which lies in the heart of what we Humans now know as, Edwardian—The Elven Realm.

Erhorn steps back towards me, his hands folded behind his back. The look on his face is morose. “I was deeply sorry to hear about what happened to you last night. Although, from the looks of you, it seems you came out unharmed?”

“Yes, well… just lucky I guess.” I lie. I’m not sure Theodas is allowed to do what he did. I don’t want any trouble to come to him. Not after all he had done for me.

“Ah yes… I’m sure my nephew’s visit with you was also helpful.” He cock-eyed a smirk towards me. He knew. Even if he couldn’t say it, he knew.

“Yes, sir,” I reply guiltily, looking at the floor. As if not looking at him made my thoughts any less loud.

“Good. Well now, as for your husband… he is going to be taken to the capital for trial. As I’m sure you have been told, he is being charged with the murder of that man down in Mara two nights past. A few witnesses have finally come forward.” He pauses before continuing, “As for the events of last night… well, I’ll leave it up to you to decide.”

I steady myself, the weight of his words sinking in. It’s a struggle to keep my composure, to stand firm when all I want is to collapse under the weight of uncertainty.

“Can I see him, sir?”

“I think I can arrange that. I will warn you though, I’ve gotten reports that he isn’t in the best of health this morning. It seems his body is going through a sort of—purification. It’s unfortunate for me to say, but I believe your husband has been a victim of the Auraroot.”

I don’t know why a look of disbelief spreads across my face. My forehead wrinkles and my eyebrows curl down as I look up at Erhorn.

“Are you… sure?”

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