Page 118 of Fated or Knot

Well, it was worth asking. He had me sit, and we worked on control while the three princes chatted just out of earshot. I caught a glimpse of them at one point. Fal was trying to convince his brothers of something. Whatever it was, Marius looked interested and Tormund beside himself with excitement.

That was terribly distracting. I shifted my shoulders so I didn’t notice them again and focused on figuring out how not to summon another accidental vortex. It was like learning how to retract the membranes between my fingers but involved a mental muscle rather than a physical one. Even though it was a difficult concept to grasp and made my head hurt anew, I followed Thalas’s directions and promised to follow the series of meditation-like mental stretches that would keep my magic under my control.

This way, I also wouldn’t accidentally end up in someone else’s dream. Too-crisp memories of entering Cymora’s dreams haunted me as I practiced. She’d always been furious if my powers catapulted me into her mind at night. I’d had no idea why it happened so often, since I’d only been a kid hoping each time that it wasmydream and that I’d conjured a kinder version of her. No matter the punishments she delivered by day, before the silencing band, my sleeping mind had sought scraps of kindness where there were none.

She’s in a jail cell. I won’t ever see her again,I reminded myself, shaking off the chill bumps crawling down my neck. Another kindness from my Unseelie family that I’d never forget.

I eventually said goodbye to Thalas with a hug and made my slow way out of the workshop, trailed by the princes. I’d assumed at least one of them would get bored and leave, but no. The heat of their attention was more noticeable than usual on my back, too, and I itched from it.

“Nay, I’m going to tell her,” Marius growled when we were close to the royal wing.

“It would be more fun if I did,” Fal said.

The kelpie snorted. “Your relationship with the truth is why we’re in this situation in the first place. How many secrets are you keeping from all of us right now?”

“You’re blaming me for her actions?”

“When you immediately started scheming with us on what we were going to do about it, aye.”

“He has a point,” Tormund put in.

“No one asked, baby brother.” Fal’s tone implied a roll of his eyes.

“Orphan.”

“Oaf.”

I halted my momentum and turned with a little hop, causing them to come to a stop in the middle of the hall. “Stop fighting,” I whined.

Marius raised his brows and slanted a look Fal’s way. The dark elf put up his palms. “Fine. The one of us with the least manners will tell you what we were talking about,” he said.

I tapped my left crutch on the ground in annoyance. “Sometimes straightforward is best,” I said and went back into motion. “Are you really adopted?”

Fal walked ahead of his brothers, pacing slowly by my side. “Stars, no. It’s my father’s dumb joke that’s taken on a life of its own,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. “Mother is half dark elf, and I took after her side of the family rather than his. So clearly, when I’m at my most annoying, I must be an orphan the family took in.”

“Oh.” As the actual orphan recently re-welcomed as part of the family, I didn’t know if I liked this, but it’d be rude to make the moment about me.

“Another common insult is that Mother’s making my replacement. We’re soon welcoming our first baby brother since Tormund.” Fal called over his shoulder, “Maybe he won’t be the favorite son anymore!”

“That’s okay. I don’t compete with babies,” the giant replied.

Fal tilted his head in acknowledgment. “To your suite, then,mo stór. As long as you don’t mind us all hanging around.”

“Oh, it’s fine. You’re not getting bored of me?” I asked with a little nervous giggle.

“Please. I’m going to need at least two centuries before you ask that question again,” he said, winking. As we entered my rooms, he called to Jani, soon getting both my handmaidens’ attention. Tormund paused to talk with them as well, while Marius walked past the group, motioning for me to come with him.

34

LARK

We entered my study, and Marius closed the door behind him with an irritated flick of his ear. He indicated that I should sit, so I lowered myself into one of my new overstuffed armchairs, and he dragged over a second one across from it. He simply sat and looked at me, and after maybe ten seconds of silence, I yielded.

“I’m sorry I kept this from you,” I said, still speaking Serian.

“A female is entitled to her secrets,” he replied, speaking Theli. “Though this one was guaranteed to come out sooner rather than later. It’s not why I wanted to talk to you.”

“What’s going on?” I asked.

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