Page 162 of Lady for Embers

“The last queen died before Tava was born,” Cassius said. The exasperation in his voice told Callan this had been discussed several times already.

“That we know of,” Cyrus countered.

“We thought she might have been a sister of your mother’s or some other close relation,” Scarlett said. “But if her name was Octavia...”

“This is not possible,” Drake said harshly. “Our mother died of a wasting disease shortly after Tava was born.”

“The Middell Family supposedly died of the same,” Tava said softly, her eyes glued to the book.

“The last Rydeon king had a son who also died when the queen died,” Drake retorted, and Callan was certain he had never heard him speak to Tava like that. “There was no Rydeon princess.”

“I do not see another reasonable explanation, Drake,” Tava said calmly, turning the page to read.

“Tava. Thereisanother explanation,” he snapped.

Her eyes ?ashed up, connecting with her brother’s. “Are you telling me you know something of our mother I do not?”

“No, that is not what I am saying,” Drake said. “But if there is not another explanation, then you are— And I am—”

“Well,” Tava said, snapping the book shut and pushing to her bare feet. “I do believe the only person who could give us another explanation has been pretending to be our father for the last ­twenty-some odd years.”

“We can keep looking into it,” Sorin said. “We can speak with Cethin. See if he knows of any other records we can compare those to.”

“I would like to assist with that research,” she said, hugging the book to her chest.

“Of course you can, Tava,” Scarlett said gently.

“I need a moment. Excuse me, please.”

They all watched as she hurried from the room, Drake moving to follow, but Callan was already up and striding to the door. “I willgo.”

“I do not think that is the best idea,” Drake said, reaching his side. His voice dropped low. The others shouldn’t have been able to hear him, but with their damn enhanced hearing, they would. “She told me of your conversation.”

That didn’t surprise Callan. The siblings were close, and who else did she really have here? She and Scarlett were friends, but Tava had said before they were not close, especially with Scarlett constantly being pulled into meetings or off risking her life.

“You are both reeling after some unsettling news,” Callan replied. “You are both upset. Let me go talk to her.”

“If she tells you to go...” Drake warned.

“I will do as she wishes,” Callan agreed.

Drake nodded once, and Callan slipped out the door before he changed his mind. He went down three doors, stopping at hers and knocking softly, hoping this is where she had gone. If she went anywhere else inside or outside the manor, it would take some time to track her down.

“Tava?”

There was movement on the other side that told him she was there, and a moment later the door opened a small amount. She still wore her dress, but her hair was down and ?owing over her shoulders. Her face was ?ushed, and she had de?nitely been crying.

“May I come in?” he asked.

He thought she was going to argue, to tell him no, but then her shoulders curled inward and she pulled the door open, turning andretreating back into the room. It was the same layout as his, large and spacious. A sofa and armchairs before a hearth. A small table and chairs were along another wall. A door at the back leading to a bedchamber.

Tava moved to stand in front of the sofa, hugging herself tightly. “What can I do for you?”

Callan shoved all the awkwardness of what they had become aside before he could think about it, and in a few long strides, he was before her and pulling her into his chest. She stiffened for the briefest of moments before melting against him, her face burrowing into his tunic. He stroked her hair as he slowly lowered them onto the sofa, not saying anything. The book was lying open on the cushion beside them, a drawing of a woman who looked nearly identical to Tava staring back at him.

“This is incredibly embarrassing,” she murmured after several minutes, her words muf?ed as she spoke into his chest. She pushed back, wiping at her face. “I apologize.”

Callan blinked at her. “There is nothing to apologize for, Tava. Anyone would be feeling numerous things at learning what you did tonight.”

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