Page 72 of Heart Cradle
“You know what scares me?” Nolenne asked, pausing beside a half-collapsed wall. “That they’re testing something, trying out a new kind of magic. Seeing how well it obliterates, seeing if anyone notices.”
Aeilanna’s jaw tensed. “Well, it worked, darling.”
“This wasn’t just about Delvain.” Nolenne’s gaze drifted to the distant hills. “This was intended as a spark. They’re trying to light a fuse.”
For a moment, they stood in silence, then Aeilanna lifted her hands. Threads of gold unfurled from her fingers, delicate and precise. Theyspun slowly at first, winding into patterns only she could read. With a breath, she whispered a word in the old tongue, and the threads bloomed, radiating outward like spider silk catching light. A cloud of glowing runes formed above her, darting into the air like a swarm of bees, swift and seeking. They raced through the village ruins, over collapsed roofs, under scorched beams, through broken stone. Her spell searched not just for magic, but for memory. For heat still clinging to the bones of the world but there was nothing, not even a hint. Aeilanna’s brow furrowed, her hands trembling slightly as the runes dimmed and began to fall like dying fireflies. “There’s no trace,” she murmured. “As if the land itself has forgotten they were ever here.”
They stood in silence and watched as Solirra stirred in the clearing behind them, restless and being nudged by a dozen screivens, black feathered and writhing around her. She nipped at them and they scattered, only to try again, earning a puff of smoke.
“We should speak to others from neighbouring towns and villages,” Aeilanna said. “Someone might’ve seen something before the wards went up. Movement, change, soldiers, traders, anything.”
Nolenne nodded. “We’ll send word back to the king. Quietly.”
Aeilanna gave a faint smile. “You sound like my father.”
“He’s rubbing off on me,” Nolenne said dryly.
They turned to head back to the soldiers, their steps heavy with what they now knew. This wasn’t just a village burning, it was the beginning of something worse.
A war.
Chapter Thirty-Three – Not Before Lunch
It was mid-morning, and sunlight streamed into Taelin’s study, warm and steady through the tall windows. Maeve sat comfortably in an armchair, her hair still slightly damp from a bath, dressed in a soft violet tunic and black leather leggings. Eiran stood near the fireplace, arms crossed and watching Taelin with suspicion. Taelin was calm as ever, but there was something more focused in his eyes today. “I need to speak with Maeve,” he said. “Alone.”
Eiran straightened immediately. “No.”
Taelin raised an eyebrow. “Don’t start, Eiran.”
“I’m not leaving her.”
“I’m not asking,” Taelin replied. “So just get the fuck out.”
Eiran scowled, but didn’t move.
“Calm down.” Maeve looked up at her mate, voice quiet but firm. “It’s okay, I’ll be fine.”
He hesitated, jaw clenched, but finally nodded. He left without another word, the door clicking shut behind him and Taelin let out a breath as he moved from the window and sat across from her.
“Sorry about his bloody dramatics,” he said. “But I needed a word without your shadow glowering over your shoulder.”
Maeve gave him a small smile. “Eiran doesn’t mean to. He’s just protective… he’s adjusting, we both are.”
“Yes, I know. It’s a new mate thing,” Taelin said dryly, then sighed. “However, this is important.”
She sat up a little straighter. “Okay.”
“Are you well?” he asked. “Really, not just physically. I want to know how you are doing.”
Maeve looked at him, surprised by the question. “Yeah,” she said after a moment. “I think I’m okay. Actually… I think I’m better than I’ve been in a long time.”
“Good and are you happy here? In Melrathen? As fae?”
She didn’t have to think long. “Yes. I didn’t expect to be, but I am. I feel like I have a place again. Now, I want to do something, I don’t want to just sit around.”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say,” Taelin said. “Because now that you’ve awakened as fae, you need to train. Properly. You’ve got power, and if things keep heading the way they are, we’ll need everyone ready.”
Maeve leaned forwards, already nodding. “Yes. I want that, I want to learn.”
