Page 15 of Blooms of Darkness

“Ian,” I said, “he’s upset.”

Kalliah’s hands paused before she continued lacing up the leathers I wore over my white tunic. “Besides Andras hounding him at every possible moment”—Her eyebrows rose—“the rumors some people have spread are nasty. Though they’re doing it to discredit Ian, they also cast you in a poor light. Ian loathes the rumors. You know it, and I know it.”

“It’s not his fault, though. I’m shocked the rumors aren’t of the three of us being together.” I snorted, my chest tightening when I thought of how critical and demeaning others were of Ian only because of his status as the youngest captain. And my friend.

“There are rumors of the three of us now,” Kalliah said bluntly.

I arched an eyebrow in surprise, sensually turning my body toward her, my hand cupping her face, whispering, “I had no idea I was your type.”

She spun me around and resumed knotting the leather on my back. “You aren’t,” she said, snickering, while playfully slapping my shoulder.

This time, my laughter couldn’t be stopped as Kalliah filled me in on some of the spicier rumors I’d missed recently. My cheeks ached as I finished preparing myself for breakfast.

When I stood before the dining room door fifteen minutes later, my stomach had dropped like a sinking pit. Perhaps it could pull me under in some way so I could avoid this. I knewAndras would have said something and having a talk in the king’s private dining room instead of the main one, meant he didn’t want to risk being overheard.

Great.

The king’s private dining room, located on the main floor of the castle, may not be a central location, but there were simple routes to get to the throne room and the larger dining and dance hall from here. This more personal space boasted a sizable rectangular table surrounded by empty chairs. A room only used by my father for three reasons— when he wanted alone time with my mother, to make a point, or to maintain some sort of secrecy, even if rumors spread through this castle at an ungodly rate.

The strong scent of smoked meat filled my nose, as I entered. I opened the door so quietly, even the guard standing at attention did a double take. The skills I gained over time sneaking throughout the realm, allowed me to enter silently enough so I could study my father sitting at the head of the table, eating his breakfast alone for a few moments.

Two more Royal Guards stood a few paces behind him—silent, straight-faced, and seemingly unbothered by the power filling the room, both from his Fae abilities, and his commanding presence. My mother had yet to join him.

The king held the most power of all Fae in the land, as had all the royals who previously led Brookmere. The Fae were able to manipulate anything occurring in nature. A small gust of wind could be formed into a tornado. A few drops of rain could become a downpour in moments. The earth, when respected, answered the magic in our veins.

Well, the magic inmostof our veins—my own seemingly forgotten.

I flexed my fingers, shifting my attention instead to how long I could stand by the door before the king noticed me.

Nine… ten…I counted in my head, not only for the game my father and I played but hoping to also calm my escalating nerves about the upcoming discussion.

His icy-grey hair lay swept to the side. The purple and gold robe seemed large on his slimming body. The king never let anyone know his true age, and acted as young as ever, but in the past few months it seemed time caught up to him. Even if we Fae had immortal lives, something strange was happening to my father, for he had aged drastically. Most Fae aged naturally, slowly. With a smile, I thought of Elisabeth and wondered how old she might be.

The man before me, though, refused to admit to anything revealing his weakness, including his ailing health. Nearly as adamantly as he refused to acknowledge how severe the crisis had become at our border towns. My brows furrowed as I shivered, trying not to think of whether his mysterious illness and the issues throughout our land were connected.

Fifteen… sixteen…

A soft wind closed the door behind me. “All right, I can’t let you think you’ve bested me this long, now.” The aging king looked up from his meal and winked as he ushered me over to the open seat near him.

“You knew I was at the door, didn’t you?” I asked. “I made it to sixteen this time.”

He touched the side of his nose. “Oh, sixteen? You are getting better. I believe you only made it to ten the last time we played. If I hadn’t been expecting you, you may have claimed an even higher record.” A smile spread across his face. A smile reserved only for his family outside of Court.

I laughed, aware I’d never be as powerful as him, even if he did act as though I could be at times. A plate of bread, soft cheese, and fruit waited for me, along with a cup of hot dandelion tea.

I dipped into a quick curtsy before I moved to the open seat. “Good morning, Father.”

I looked at my father, waiting for him to tell me why he’d called me here. The dandelion tea was a trick to butter me up, usually reserved for when he wanted something. Although my favorite, it had grown scarce over the recent years due to whatever blight troubled our lands.

After all, Earth-wielding Fae could hardly be expected to focus on dandelions when they were needed for things like vegetables, fruits, and grains.

“Well, Illiana, my dear, how are you this morning?” My father using my given name set me on edge even further. Hereallywanted something. “I heard you had trouble sleeping last night.”

Ah, okay, I could play this game, too. My lip curled. Andrashadgone gossiping to the king after our run-in last night. Typical of the “esteemed” Counselor Andras Braumlyn to try to stay in the king’s good graces by revealing my every move. Andras believed secrets and gossip were the key to the king’s heart. The man was noticeably missing from this morning's conversation, thank Fates.

“Oh, yes, nothing to worry about, Father, just a bad dream. I needed to clear my head. A stroll through the gardens and some fresh air beneath the stars did the trick, though. You know it has always been my favorite.”

“And what of your bleeding arm?” His eyes narrowed, waiting to hear what response I could come up with, believing he had bested me. The game continued. A game I lost on too many occasions, but perhaps not today.

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