Page 79 of Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight
Aislinn glared at him. “Do you want the throne?”
“No, not remotely.”
“Then why—”
“I want thedrama.”
Aislinn stuffed a bit of cave-snail in his mouth, making him gag.
“Point taken, you win. I concede.”
Aislinn turned back to Minerva, who was staring misty-eyed into the fire. “Did your sister duel you for it?” she asked.
“Aye, she did.” She rolled her empty shoulder back.
“That’s… not how you lost your arm, is it?”
“No. No, it isn’t.”
“Right. You’re still on good terms with her, then?”
Diana coughed. Luna’s eyes looked everywhere but her. Flora puffed on her pipe.
“I wouldn’t say that, exactly.”
“Then why would you ask her for help?”
Minerva frowned. “Forhim,of course,” she said, gesturing to Caer. “Why else?”
Aislinn’s eyes drifted once more to Caer’s form, and she found herself understanding Minerva’s words exactly.For him. Of course. Everything for him.
Luna yawned loudly. A few of the rest of the party followed suit.
“We should sleep,” Minerva declared. “Who’s on watch?”
“I’ll take the first watch,” Beau offered. “I find myself somewhat awake.”
“You just want to stay up to make notes on the wall etchings,” Aislinn said.
“Yes, and?”
“Scholar.”
“Uneducated cave troll.”
Aislinn feigned hurt, clutching her hand to her chest, but snorted with laughter a second later.
One by one, the dwarves nodded off. Aislinn stayed up with Beau for a while, watching him make his notes, unable to sleep, to calm her thoughts.
Caer had still not yet woken. She knew that made sense, given the lack of sleep, the time of day, and the exhaustion of his powers. How many hours had she slept after she teleported? She’d not given much thought before as to how it must have felt for him to watch her, to be alone…
Beau sighed, closing his book and coming to sit beside the fire.
“You should rest, Ais.”
She shook her head. “Not now. Not while he’s… Not now.”
Beau sighed. “It’s his arms, isn’t it?”
