Page 88 of Wingless Crow: Part 1

“I had to get him there as soon as possible. Beyond a certain point, a hag wouldn’t save him. That’d be a job for a necromancer then.” He winced. “And I really, really wouldn’t want to deal with a necromancer, trust me.”

He didn’t show a drop of emotion when Magnus was shot. But without the court knowing, he rushed him to find the magic to revive him.

“How far did you have to go?”

“Quite far. Especially on horseback.”

“Couldn't Alcon fly him there? Wouldn’t it be faster?”

“Alcon would never find those who don’t want to be found,” he replied cryptically. Then added, “Either way, it’s done. Magnus is well and safe now. He’s a wise old bird. He’ll know to stay away from certain people from now on. Won’t you, Magnus?”

The crow cawed loudly and hopped up to the nearest vine. Voron followed him with his gaze, watching over his old friend.

“You really care about him, don’t you?”

He gave me a small shrug, downplaying it. “We get along well, better than I ever managed to get along with any person.”

I shook the remnants of Magnus’s breakfast from my hands and closed the jar.

“But have you evertriedto make friends with a person?”

“People are impossible to make friends with.”

“Why is that?”

He shot me a teasing look. “Because even the most promising of them ask way too many questions.”

He made it sound likeIwas “the most promising” one to be his friend. And with Voron, this probably was the closest anyone could get to him.

His breakfast arrived. I noticed it had two of everything. He’d ordered for both of us.

“I’m not hungry,” I said quickly as he unloaded the tray directly onto the game table with its playing fields still folded flat. “I already had breakfast.”

“Just have some tea with me, then.” He poured the fragrant liquid into two teacups.

As I took my place at the table, he brought a velvet cloak from the room and draped it over my shoulders.

“It’s still rather chilly,” he explained.

His kind gesture warmed my heart.

It wasn’t just Voron’s good looks that drew me to him, I realized. There were plenty of good-looking men at King Tiane’s court to drool over, but I couldn’t care less about any of them.

Voron stood out because he cared about me without having any agenda or special interest. I wasn’t his breeder or his lover. He did all those little things for me that went beyond his duties simply because he wanted to see me fed, happy, and comfortable, without negotiating any price for himself for doing that. And if something bad happened to me, I believed, he would be the only highborn of the entire court, aside from maybe Dove as well, to be genuinely sad about that.

I blinked, glancing away.

The breeze was fresh, but the sun was out. Spotting our shadows on the stones of the patio, I thought Kanbor must be happy to finally have some sunshine for the gardens. Even Voron appeared to be in a much better mood today.

Everyone appreciated sunshine. But no one knew the price I’d paid to have the spring finally come to the shadowless Sky Kingdom.

Taking a sip of the warm delicious tea, I furtively studied Voron from under my eyelashes.

Didheknow where I’d spent the previous night? Nothing happened in the palace without the knowledge of the High General.

On the other hand, he’d come home late and tired. I’d caught him this morning still practically butt-naked. He might not have gotten the report yet. Frankly, judging by his bright and breezy mood this morning, I believed he didn’t know yet.

I wished I could talk to someone about last night. But I didn’t even know what to say and where to start, since I remembered nothing. Besides, after King Tiane broke my trust so heartlessly, I felt I should be far more careful about trusting anyone at all, even Voron.

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