Page 166 of A Queen's Game
“Brynden is a lot of things, but he will always be the fool, not you.” He lifted his chin as he regarded her.
The tears started anew. Sylas barely knew her, but she believed each word from his mouth, believed that he meant it. Such truth made her heart swell. “But he’s your friend.”
“That doesn’t mean I’ll sit by and watch you degrade your self-worth over a fool.” A smile hooked his lips. “If you don’t accept my offer of marriage—which there’s no need to answer now and no pressure to accept—then I hope you consider dinner with him, Keyain, and Marietta.”
She laughed mirthlessly. “Why would I entertain such an idea?”
“Because you deserve the closure.” Sylas took her hand in his. “And you deserve to enjoy yourself. Let Brynden dote on you for one last night before you say goodbye.”
True enough, it would be enjoyable. Marietta and Brynden together would be entertaining, to say the least. She thought back to Marietta, discussing which lines of Brynden’s letter would make Keyain the most uncomfortable. It brought a smile to her face as she laughed.
“What is it?” Sylas asked.
“I think going just to watch how Marietta and Brynden interact would be reason enough.”
Sylas huffed at that. “I’m sad I’m going to miss it. Marietta seems like she’s fun.”
“She is.” Elyse hesitated and added, “I’m happy to call her my friend.”
Sylas nodded with a smile, glancing down at the table. “Did he gift you anything by chance? When you two were still courting?”
“Yes, a necklace of black and white diamonds.”
“Bring a gift the day you see him—don’t be indebted to him, okay?”
“But it was a gift—”
“Nothing is as it first seems, Elyse,” Sylas warned. “Trust me. Bring something of equal value. If you need money, I can help.”
Elyse narrowed her eyes. “But then I’d be indebted to you.”
A full smile cracked on his face. “A quick learner. But Brynden anticipates a reply. I can come by in—”
“Or I can give it to you right now,” she said, standing up and going to her desk. A moment later, she returned with a folded paper, handing it to Sylas.
With furrowed brows, he opened it and laughed. “As I said, you’re a quick learner.”
Sylas stood from the table, pocketing the drawing. Elyse’s emotion scattered as she followed, keeping her gaze to the floor. Sylas and Brynden were hiding something—beyond Brynden’s former partners. Something didn’t sit right, but at least she’d get one last chance to question Brynden before he left.
“One more thing before I go,” Sylas said, carrying over a clinking wooden case. Inside were rows of glass vials of various colors and sizes. “The top three rows are for head pains—at the first sign, take a quarter of the vial. If the pain persists, finish the bottle.” Sylas took out a vial from the last row. The contents were dark and amber-hued. “This is a liquid form of Mage’s Eye—highly potent and concentrated. You only need a few drops.”
“Sylas, I can’t take this—this is too much.”
“Not for the favor I’m going to ask,” he said with a smile.
Nerves knotted in her stomach. Of course, there was a catch.
Sylas pulled out a scrap of paper with lines of text scribbled on it. “I don’t have time to search the library here for these texts—can you find them for me when you have a moment? Preferably in secret?”
Elyse took the paper, reading the names.
Goodnight Feyries: Bedtime Stories from Feyrie Tales.
Statues and Sculptures of Syllogi.
Beyond the Tefra Forest: An Outsider’s Guide to The Disputed Lands.
Aithyr and Air.
