Page 32 of The Curse of a Kingdom
Swallowing, he reached for the book with gentle hands. Chunks fell off, but for the most part, it stayed solid between his fingers. His wings twitched as his fear morphed into contained excitement that ran through him like a wave.
His fingers trembled as he brought the delicate tome under his tunic in the crook of his armpit. It wasn’t like the keeper of this place could stop him from reading it, but taking this without anyone being the wiser would give him a chance to get a leg up in this situation.
Orion took a deep breath and exited the burnt wing of the library, looking around for the curved old man who guarded this place, listening for the shuffling of his feet or the feeling of being watched. But nothing came to him, and he spread his wings before coming downstairs with quick steps.
He hadn’t fully made it to the bottom floor when the wavy tones of a shrill voice had him stopping. “Leaving already, sir?” For someone as old as this man, he was lethally quiet when he wanted to be.
Orion half turned to meet his hazy gaze, making sure the burnt tome wasn’t visible to the man. His schooled features would be hard to read, as he’d been trained to do by the Society of Crows. “Yes. Is there a problem?”
“No, of course not.” The man wrapped an arm over his stomach and came one step down the marble stairs, his other hand grasping at the decorative black metal railing. One more step down and then another. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
He took a deep breath to calm his sudden irritation at his nosy behavior. His aura expanded, turning a deeper shade of black around him.
“Let’s show him what happens to the ones that question us,”hissed a voice near his ear, and Orion’s hand twitched with the vibrations of his magic.
“Are you intent on wasting my time today?” he asked instead, and the man’s expression shifted from inquisitive to cautious.
“No, sir. However, if you were to find anything in the forbidden area, I’m bound by my duties to record it.”
“Let him try to take it from us.”The voices weren’t helping with his mood, and Orion had to take a calming breath to quiet them.
He had to give the old geezer something; the man was persistent and not too afraid of him. Orion guessed the keeper had to deal with his father often, whose temper was known to be short, much like his own. “I didn’t find anything other than burned books, Ellis. I’m sure you already know that,” Orion said and turned to leave but paused. “I will be back tomorrow.”
By the time he was out of the library, the shadows of daylight stretched over the castle halls. The air was warm and humid, almost as suffocating as the forbidden area in the library. However, the pleasant smell of summer blooms surrounded him as he walked at a quick pace toward the dining hall.
The book ground into his side, and his throat tightened as he thought it might be falling apart with friction. He took a corner and inspected the empty place; surely everyone was back in their homes, eating or working to serve the king.
He took the book out of its hiding place and looked around once again. He didn’t have time to find answers right at this moment, so without preamble, he sent it away to his room, the scent of magic burning his nostrils.
* * *
Orion was greeted by the smell of roasted pork and buttered potatoes when he entered the dining hall. His gaze settled on the king, who sat at the head of the table. One of his cohorts was draped over his lap, her thin arms wrapped over his shoulders while his face worked the nape of her neck.
Her half-closed lidded gaze snapped to Orion. Her eyes were a rich brown that contrasted against her very pale skin. Her hair was long and straight, the color of spun gold. He slowed down, hesitating near the table.
“The prince is here, sir,” she purred. A smile curved her plump pink lips.
Orion cleared his throat, shifting the weight of his body, not knowing if he should look elsewhere or pretend this was normal. “You called, Father?”
The king lifted his face, and his cobalt eyes darkened as he studied Orion closely. “You are late.”
“I got caught up in the library.”
The king hummed, straightening in his seat. His hand draped over his mistress’s hips, his other holding a half-full glass of wine to his lips. “I don’t like waiting. Don’t let it happen again.”
“You were . . . entertained without me.”
The king narrowed his eyes at his heir. “Sharp tongue, like your mother.”
Orion swallowed, remembering the shape of the ghost. Burnt and shallow, pointing at a book in the library. Dead.
The female sitting on the lap of the king straightened, her skin turning pale as her aura bloomed a darker shade of black; the scent in the air soured with her displeasure. He guessed she didn’t like the reminder of the queen, especially when coming from her lover’s lips.
Orion took a seat by the king and proceeded to fill his glass with some of the grape wine in front of him. Then he piled his plate with a healthy serving of meat.
“The forest fires, were they handled?” the king asked. “Have you found a guilty party yet?”
“What you mean to ask is, have I found a human to blame?” Silence hung heavy in between them, so Orion continued. “I haven’t found signs of any human that could lead us to what the guards have been claiming.”
