Page 46 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

“Let me look at it.” Roderick pulled a pair of round spectacles from his breast pocket and placed them over his aquiline nose.

Caiden handed him the book. “You can read ancient sylph?”

“A little. Some of the most revered writings on war were written before the Trinity. So, I had to learn,” Roderick replied.

“Huh, you learn something new every day, I guess.”

“It’s not something I’ve shared before. I don’t think it’s ever come up.” Roderick dragged a finger over the script. “This is an old remedy for watery bowels. I don’t think we will find anything about the Trinity Wells in this one.”

Caiden ran a hand down his chiseled face. “I’ve been reading about watery bowels for hours?”

“Perhaps you need a break, my friend. These scrolls will be here tomorrow, I assure you. Come to dinner at our place.Amolie has prepared a lovely pasta, and you look like you could use a glass of wine.”

Caiden rubbed the weariness from his eyes.

“I guess I have been down here a long time.”

“C’mon, it’ll be nice.”

Caiden looked at the stacks of tomes surrounding him. There was so much to dig through and not enough hours in the day to do so. Guilt pulled at his heart.

“Fine.”

“Wonderful, Amolie will be so happy to see you.”

Caiden’s stomach grumbled. “I guess I am hungry.”

“Let’s go.” Roderick ushered him out of the cold basement of the library.

As they walked through the rows of ancient books, a question gnawed at Caiden. “Roderick?”

“Yes?”

“What do you know about Aelia?”

His friend shot him a questioning look, not halting his stride. “What do you want to know?”

“I feel like we’ve met somewhere before, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“You were the emissary to all the human lands, you probably met on one of your visits.”

Caiden’s mouth twisted as he wracked his brain, trying to remember their meeting. “That has to be it.”

“She’s trouble, Caiden, and she’s taken. You’re better off forgetting her.”

Caiden sighed. “I know, but I see her face every time I close my eyes. I can’t help but be attracted to her.”

Roderick stopped dead in his tracks. The flames of the torches danced across his fearsome face. His eyes narrowed on his friend. “Forget. Her.”

Caiden swallowed hard. “How can I?”

“Find someone else, anyone else, but not Aelia. She is taken, and the Alder King would have every right to kill you if he knew you were attracted to his lover.”

Caiden ran a hand through his golden locks. “You’re right. I know. I need to find someone new.” Even as the words left his mouth, he knew they were lies. He wanted to know Aelia in a way he hadn’t wanted to know any woman since his wife. Tharan was a known flirt who broke every heart he encountered. It would only be a matter of time before he broke Aelia’s. Being the Alder King, he’d be expected to marry for an alliance, and as far as he knew, Aelia had no land, magic, or money to her name. Unless controlling the army of the dead counted. Now that he thought about it, it was a very good thing to have in one’s back pocket.

“You are a Lord of the Stormlands. You can have any woman you want. Cassandra would want that for you,” Roderick said.

“After we find these Trinity Wells. There’s no use in starting something if there’s a war going on.”

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