Page 70 of The Duke and the Disciple

“One day.” He took her last empty stick and tossed it in another burn pile. “With the right companion.”

“I would happily travel with you.”

Rahn smiled, but his eyes were on the path behind them. “They’ll be expecting us back at the keep soon, but there’s somewhere we need to stop first.”

Aesylt held fastto the small keepsake under her robe, beaming as she marched in through the east entrance of Wulfsgate Keep. She wanted to take it straight to their tower apartment, where she could get a closer look, but she’d promised to visit Imryll after the market.

Rahn had already gone on without her. He said he wanted to read more of the books Pieter had left. She’d nearly swooned at the idea of it, and she’d never swooned in her life. Val and Nik would rather play than do just about anything else. They’d only joined the cohort for her. They never understood why she found her greatest solace when her nose was tipped toward a book.

The scholar’s little gift was evidence hedidthink of her beyond the research, but his mind was still a quagmirical mystery... How any man could claim her the way he had the day before and then speak in clear sentences about the weather and other pleasantries defied logic. She needed to study his separation tactics, or she’d never survive the rest of their experimenting.

Assuming he even wanted to continue.

The present in her pocket did nothing to clear anything up.

She turned down the hall toward the guest quarters, still grinning when she ran straight into Lord Dereham.

“Ahh, Aesylt!” He chuckled and held her at arm’s length with a fatherly sweep of his gaze. “Pieter tells me you spent the morning in the market with our enigmatic duke.”

She straightened, swiftly restructuring her thoughts. “It was just as colorful and fragrant as I remember.”

“That it is,” he agreed, watching her closely. “Do you have all you need in the tower?”

“Oh, yes. Thank you again.”

“And... Are you still comfortable sharing quarters with the duke?”

Aesylt’s nod was fast and desperate as she thought of them being separated, stuck in quarters where they’d lack the privacy and seclusion they needed. She was still stunned Drazhan had endorsed the notion of her sharing the tower with Rahn, but he probably believed the man valued his life too much to overstep. “It’s exactly what we needed, my lord. Now if the skies would only clear...”

Lord Dereham laughed. “All citizens are wishing for the same thing right now, albeit for different reasons.” He released her. “Have you had the chance to catch up with Nyssa?”

“I hope to soon.” She hoped no such thing, after her chilly reception, but nonetheless wanted to resolve whatever had prompted it.

“As does she, I imagine. She’s never taken to many of the girls her age here, but she was always fond of you.” He breathed deep, looking past her. “You’re looking for the stewardess?”

Aesylt nodded.

“You’ll find her in the study, going over her notes.” He shook his head. “There aren’t many women scholars in the realm.”

“Imryll is brilliant and deserves far more acclaim than the Reliquary will ever concede to.”

“Don’t mistake my truthfulness for criticism, cub,” Lord Dereham said. He clapped her on the shoulder and started to move again. “I respect what she’s doing. What you and the scholar are doing. But the Reliquary is already powerful, and even in their infancy, their reach is long. The crown has funneled more gold into their efforts than anything else since they arrived on our shores. The Reliquary ministers aim to be the foremost authority in all things knowledge and spiritualism in the realm, and the crown would use them to regulate both. The best the stewardess and you can hope for is their allowance of this work to continue, but there will never be credit given. There will be no glory for the researchers in the north. You’ll be fortunate if anything you submit even makes it into their precious annals, for neither the Reliquary nor the crown are concerned with facts that impede the ones they create for us.”

Aesylt hadn’t been expecting such candor from him, nor words that bordered on treason. The Northerlands had been the only Reach to rise against the installation of the usurper kings from Beyond, but they’d paid a heavy price for it—though nothing like what the Cross was still experiencing, years later. “You’re right, my lord, and trust we know so as well.”

“Good. Carry on then.” He squeezed her shoulder and walked on.

When she reached the study, her mood was instantly restored at the sight of Aleksy scampering across the room, chasing after one of the Derehams’ tomcats.

Imryll grinned and rolled her eyes playfully when she looked up. “Do you not miss the days when simple things could occupy your attention for hours on end?”

“I certainly miss simpler days,” Aesylt answered, shutting the doors behind her. She knelt and hoisted Aleksy into her arms, spinning and kissing him. “How is my sweet wulfling?”

“Ace!” he cried, one of the few words he knew.

“That’s right,” she said, laughing in delight.

“Ready for a nap, I hope.” Imryll stood, but Aesylt shook her head.

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