Page 57 of The Night Prince

“I… I got too much Sun.It’s happened before when I was little,” Declan answered.“Finley, tell him. It happened before and I recovered fully.”

Finley blinked behind his glasses. Why did Declan want him to talk about that?And then, of course, he knew.Revealing this would make it seem like Declan was revealing everything.Even though he wasn’t.Finley would never lie to Michael if he could help it.So he would tell the truth.Hopefully, Michael would read between the lines.

“You want… oh, yes, it did happen,” Finley said.“I thought he was dying then too, but his parents told me he would be fine in the morning–”

“And Iwas,” Declan added just as firmly.“Perfectly fine.And I’m fine now.I’ve just got to–to avoid the Sun for a while and stuff.”

“Is that what King Aquilan recommended?”Michael was like a dog with a bone. Finley had never been so grateful for his doggedness.

“Uhm, he didn’t really… ah, he wasn’t sure…” Declan was trying to crawl into the glass he was polishing.“I told him I was fine and didn’t let him really examine me.”

Michael pinched the top of his nose.“Why is that exactly?”

“Because he’s the king,” Declan mumbled.“And I don’t want to bother him with unimportant stuff like this.”

Aquilanwasthe king and yes, that aspect of who he was likely was causing Declan concern, but not for the reason he had suggested to Michael.It was, undoubtedly, because Declan feared what the Sun King would do if he knew that Declan was Sun sensitive or whatever it was.

“Declan,” Michael’s voice held a touch of command, “I appreciate that you don’t want people making a fuss over you.”

“I don’t, because it’s not necessary–”

“But what I saw outside today?That… that was terrifying.”Michael was not going to let Declan downplay what had happened.Finley was internally cheering.

Declan’s shoulders curled forward.“I just need to stay out of the Sun and I’ll be fine.”

“Sun bad,” Snaglak finally broke in.The whole chicken carcass was suspiciously gone.He had eaten it all from the crispy, fatty skin to the bones.“Stay out of Sun and Declan be good.”

Declan flashed the orc a genuine smile.“Thanks, Snaglak.I’ll take your advice.”

“Sun give headache.Make woozy like drinking beer, but not good woozy.Sick.”The orc grimaced down at his nearly empty beer mug.Declan took it and refilled it, which had that grimace disappearing.If Snaglak had clapped his hands together and performed a little dance, Finley would not have been surprised. “Sun bad.Beer good.”

“Is that because…” Here Declan raked his teeth over his lower lip.“Because you’re from the Under Dark originally?That the Sun makes you sick?”

“Yeah,” Snaglak said and took a great swallow of beer.He wiped the foam off his lips with the back of his left hand. “Darkness good.Night better. Declan stay out of Sun.Be fine. Like Snaglak.”

“Declan cannot remain out of the Sun forever, Snaglak,” Michael objected.

Declan and Snaglak were silent, which meant that they disagreed. Clearly, Declan already led most of his life between the hours of dusk and dawn.It was only because Lily couldn’t work that afternoon–a rare occurrence–and the arrival of the Sun King that Declan had to be out before the Sun had set.He’d managed not to be outside during the day for over a year.Declan could just continue on that way forever.

Except what will he miss?

For a moment, Finley envisioned Declan with him at Taranth, walking those Sun-drenched halls while Finley spoke animatedly of his research.Or striding under the oak trees in the nearby forest on the Sun-dappled ground.Or Declan riding the horses he loved so much in the flower-filled fields at high noon. While he could do some of those things during the night, it was far more dangerous because of the Leviathan.It might never be completely safe. So Declan would be reduced, restricted, limited.Declandeservedto be out in daylight.

Finley sighed.“Michael knows that youcouldstay out of the Sun, Declan, but that would limit your life.Figuring out what’s wrong will–”

“It’s just a thing I was born with.”Declan shrugged.

“You don’t actually know that,” Michael pointed out softly.“There’s so much we don’t know about your birth parents.And now that the internet is a thing of history, we can’t track down those records–their medical records, especially–and find out what sorts of illnesses you might develop.”

“Good thing the Menders can fix most anything.”This time Finley gave his best friend a stern look. “So youneedto go to one, Declan.”

Declan suddenly blushed and ducked his head.“I actually think that the–the king might be upset if I went to a Mender.”

“Why would that be?”Michael’s eyebrows rose.

More blushing, which had Finley staring.“He–he wants to, ah, he was probably just being kind, likely didn’t mean it, but… he wants to take care of me himself.I think he’d be hurt if I went to a Mender.”

“Really?”Michael glanced over at the Sun King’s table.Aquilan actually raised a glass and tipped his head towards the empty chair.Michael nodded and slid off his bar stool.Turning back to Declan, he said, “Here’s the deal.You didn’t want to bother King Aquilan with your injuries earlier, but now you want me to believe you’d go to him for medical advice?”

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