Page 35 of Only Cold Depths
A table along another wall held red clay pots bristling with small topiary trees, along with pruning shears, gloves, and other gardening tools. Many of the topiary trees had already been sculpted into cats, dogs, birds, butterflies, and other small, whimsical shapes. The sharp tang of greenery perfumed the air, along with a pleasant hint of woodsmoke from the flames crackling in the fireplace.
The cozy space reminded me of Kyrion’s library at Castle Caldaren. Wistful longing rippled through me, but I couldn’t tell if it was my own feeling or Kyrion’s emotion reverberating through the bond.
A man and a woman were sitting in matching chairs in front of a large picture window that offered a sweeping view of the lush garden and lawn that stretched out from the back of the estate.
Siya was standing off to the side, her hands clasped behind her back as she delivered some report. Rigel was also here, leaning one shoulder against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, an unreadable expression on his face. Another man was sitting behind a small desk in the corner, typing notes on a tablet.
Siya stopped speaking, and everyone looked at us. Kyrion slowly set his duffel bag on the floor and straightened up. I did the same thing.
Asterin squared her shoulders again, then strode forward and stopped beside Siya, although she kept a healthy distance between herself and the other woman.
“May I present Lord Aldrich Collier and Lady Verona Collier,” Asterin said in a formal voice.
The couple rose to their feet. Aldrich Collier looked to be in his mid-sixties, with iron-gray hair that jutted up from his head like a layer of spikes. He was on the short side, and an emerald-green jacket stretched across his stocky chest. Seams of gold piping ran down the jacket sleeves, as well as the legs of his matching pants, while his black wing tips were polished to a high gloss.
Aldrich had the same light brown skin, hazel eyes, and straight nose as Siya, and the resemblance between the father and daughter was obvious. A large gold pendant dangled from a thick chain around his neck, and the round disk featured aCmade of glittering emeralds with two diamond hammers crossed in front of it.
Verona Collier was a few years younger than her husband, with long black hair and pale skin that made her look like an older version of Asterin. Her pantsuit was a pretty mint green, and she wore a smaller, more feminine version of the House Collier pendant. Her blue eyes were kind, and a welcoming smile creased her face.
The man sitting at the small desk finished his typing and got to his feet. He also looked to be in his sixties, with light brown eyes and pale skin. Thick seams of silver ran through his wavy, dark brown hair, giving him a distinguished air. He was dressed in an emerald-green jacket, shirt, and pants just like Rigel, but the cut of his uniform was much sleeker and more tailored, and not a hint of a wrinkle or a speck of dirt marred his garments.
“This is Leland,” Asterin said. “The House Collier chief of staff.”
Leland tipped his head to us.
“And this is Lady Vesper Quill and Lord Kyrion Caldaren.” Asterin finished the introductions.
We all murmured greetings, although an awkward silence quickly descended over the library.
The only other people I’d been around who had a truebond were Adria and Dargan Byrne, so I reached out with my seer magic and studied the Colliers a little more closely. The Byrnes’ bond had looked like jagged gray veins of energy crackling between the siblings, but the Colliers’ magic was softer and smoother, like pale green waves of power constantly flowing between them.
The married couple didn’t have the raw force the Byrnes had possessed, but Aldrich and Verona were still powerful psions. Even more impressive, the Colliers’ magic felt as warm, solid, and sturdy as the floor under my feet, and I couldn’t help but contrast it to the icy walls, hard knots, and wide gaps that sprang up between Kyrion and me whenever we needed our power the most.
A bolt of envy punched deep into my heart. The Colliers’ connection seemed so simple, so effortless, soeasy. What did they know that Kyrion and I didn’t?
“Once again, I will state my objection to this ridiculous plan.” Siya crossed her arms over her chest. “We have no business offering sanctuary to Imperium fugitives. We should send them back to Corios at once, not let their unwanted presence drag House Collier into a galactic incident. Relations with Callus Holloway are already tricky enough without us openly courting disaster by harboring fugitives.”
“Yes, everyone knows your stance on such things,” Asterin said. “Which is exactly why I asked Vesper and Kyrion to come to my workshop first, instead of here to the estate.”
“Please,” Siya scoffed. “You just wanted to tuck your friends away with the rest of the projects in your dusty old workshop while you sweet-talked my father into your scheme, instead of risking them being immediately turned away.”
“My workshop isnotdusty,” Asterin snapped back.
"The dirt on your face and coveralls suggests otherwise,” Siya countered.
Asterin stiffened and swiped a hand across her cheek, smudging said dirt. “You’re just pissed Vesper and Kyrion were getting the better of you. Exactly how many of your Hammers did my friends knock on their asses at the antiques emporium?”
Siya’s glare burned even brighter than before, and fury surged off her, hot enough to warm my cheeks. “My Hammers and I were only trying to subdue the fugitives. If we’d wanted them dead, then dead they would be.”
“Subdue us?” Kyrion let out a low, mirthless chuckle. “Funny how I distinctly remember you threatening to kill us where we stood.”
Siya turned her angry glare to him. “I can still make that a reality, Arrow.”
Kyrion stared down his nose at her. “As could I, Hammer.”
“Enough!” Aldrich Collier said in a deep baritone voice. “Threatening each other is a waste of time, oxygen, and energy.”
Siya fell silent, but she kept glaring at Asterin, Kyrion, and me in turn.
