Page 28 of The Light Falls
“Sorry. Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Leandra did drop me on my head a few times when I was little.”
Rusty laughter erupts from his throat, and he’s forced to put down his tools. When it stops a minute later, he flashes me a blinding smile.
“I don’t know why I’m laughing. That was so wrong.” His words make him pause. “Maybe that’s why. You forget the reason I’m here.” Lean hands wave at the walls around us. “It makes me forget, too.”
Still a tiny bit embarrassed, I shrug. “I see you as my friend, and since I don’t have many of those, I refuse to treat you any differently. I’m one hundred—no, make that two hundred—percent positive I’ll stick my foot in my mouth a million times. Please consider this my upfront and universal apology. I hope you’ll forgive me every single time.”
A soft smile lingers on his lips. “Friends, huh? Those are pretty scarce around here.” He picks up his tools. “I’m almost done.” Seconds go by. “Okay. What do you think?”
Leaning up, I twist sideways to look at my hip. The three branches at the top of the rune all have daisies on them. It looks like a mini bouquet. “I love it. Thank you.”
With a firm nod, he collects his tools and puts them back into the box at his feet. Swallowing hard, he spears me with an intense look.
“Friends. I’m a little rusty and given how old I am…” Silence. “I’m sure I’ve forgotten how to be a good one. We may have to forgive each other.”
A slow grin spreads across my face. “Deal.”
CHAPTERTWELVE
CORMAL
Dusty weapons line the shelves of the forgotten storage room. Most would dismiss them as old or useless, but my gut is telling me there are a few valuable items in here. Feeling a particularly strong pull behind me, I ignore it to concentrate on the two men in front of me.
“I don’t like it. Coincidence means the odds were in someone else’s favor,” I say furiously. “The guard we chose to train Meri is suddenly dead. Likely from a deliberate act, even if we can’t prove it.”
Kaius runs a hand over his head but jerks it away quickly. A sheepish grin crosses his face when he sees my raised eyebrow.
“Still not used to having a head full of hair. When this is done, it’s getting buzzed.” Crossing his arms, he stares at me. “I’ve checked everything. Twice. Whoever did it can move through shadows. I sure as hell didn’t do it. I thought you had taken him out for some reason. Or sent Callyx to do it.”
My mouth hardens. “Shadow walking is not a common ability, but it’s not rare either. Narrowing it down to one person is near impossible.”
Rivan steps forward. “Who’s going to train her now? I’d offer to do it, but it’s been so damn long, I’m not sure I remember how to hold a sword.”
Kaius claps him on the shoulder. “She needs to learn how to fight and wield magic. Together. All the years she spent with very little magic have made her think like a human.” One corner of his lip curls up in a sneer. “If she doesn’t learn how to use the immense power at her disposal, someone will waltz in here and challenge her for the crown. And win.”
“We’re not going to let that happen, are we?” I interject. “Tell me about this replacement you found.”
Kaius’ mouth stretches into a feral grin. “I’d like to see them try to kill this one. He wouldn’t even have to wake up to take them out.”
Uneasy, I shift my weight between my feet to prevent myself from pacing. I completely trust Kaius’ judgement when it comes to finding a fighter.
“He can take out a small army. What else?”
“His name is Madoc. Captain says he’s been here a while but can’t recall how long,” he recalls. “Big, lethal. Scars everywhere. Aristocratic Fae. Doesn’t talk much.”
Fae rarely scar. “What kind of scars?”
He thinks about it for a second. “I’d guess demon.” An evil grin appears.
Ignoring Kaius’ sense of pride that a fellow demon did that much damage to a Fae, I turn to Rivan. “You’ve been here a while. Ever seen a Fae guard with scars?”
Rivan straightens. “Never. I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I.”
“We don’t have another option,” Kaius insists. “Most of the guards are soldiers, not warriors. Meri needs a warrior. Someone who will ignore the fact that she’s queen and force her to defend herself. This is our man. Until he does something I don’t like, he’s it.”
We don’t have a choice. With a reluctant nod, I agree. “For now, we’ll go with him. In the meantime, I’ll try to dig up more information on his background.” I turn to Rivan. “See if you can also find out anything from the staff.”
