Page 69 of The Spark that Ignites
“This morning per Prince Vesper’s message. I was the cook for Castle Dusk before—” She broke off. Before the fire, Emmery assumed. The woman gave her a grin accompanied by smile lines and crow’s feet that spoke of joy. As if on impulse, Emmery searched for a vestige,cavaeorzvezda. None were visible.
“Do you need help?” Emmery asked.
Behind Marlys, a young woman and man, likely siblings with similar hair and complexion, meandered around one another in the kitchen as if they’d done it for hundreds of years.
“No, no. You go and relax, dear. I heard about the ordeal you went through.” Marlys waved her off. “Can I make you something? We have fresh eggs. An omelette perhaps?”
Emmery’s stomach grumbled. How long had it been since she’d eaten, let alone since someone cooked her a meal? “I can’t tell you how happy that would make me.”
A smile crept onto Marlys’s lips. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. You haven’t tasted it yet.” Emmery’s reply was stifled by another hug right before Marlys spun her toward the door. “Feel free to continue with your day, Miss Emmery. I will find you when your food is ready.” The door swung closed as another pot clattered to the ground, followed by muttering about secrets and orders. “And if you see that damn Prince, tell him Marlys’s patience is running thin!”
The west wing housed rooms for many purposes: sewing; a forge, and even a colossal training room lined with multiple practice dummies.
She stumbled upon the library last. More books than anyone could consume in a lifetime stuffed the shelves stretching to a glass ceiling spiderwebbed in rainbow streaks. Aera leapt from Emmery’s shoulder, bounding through the library like a racetrack. Her heart palpitated as she took it in.
Emmery padded along the plush blue carpet and ran her fingers along the spines, waiting for one to call to her. Settling on a decrepit novel onKennahistory, Emmery curled into a velvet armchair. Marlys delivered her plate shortly after and Aera surveyed it with hungry eyes as Emmery, lost in her research, let it go cold.
Hours later, Vesper cleared his throat in the doorway, eyeing the snoring Aera in Emmery’s lap. “I thought I might find you here,” he said, giving her one of his famous grins.
“It’s a good escape.” Emmery peeked from behind the book. “You have quite the library.”
“That we do. Unfortunately, the value is lost on me. I’m not much of a reader.”
“I assumed you couldn’t read, but now that you’ve admitted it—”
“Very funny.” He shoved his damp wavy hair aside and tugged at his ivory button up and dark wool trousers as if they strangled him. His chest and hips seemed naked without his weapons but despite the clothes tailored for his body, he squirmed as if he wore a costume. Sauntering to the chair, he plucked the book from her hand, bent the cover, and eyed it curiously.
Emmery winced and snatched it back. “Don’t do that. The books don’t like it.”
Vesper’s lips twitched. “Thebooksdon’t like it?”
“Yes, they ... get rather upset.” Emmery smoothed the creased cover and set it on the side table. “I met Marlys this morning. She was nice.”
“Maybe to you.” Vesper snickered. “She was my father’s right hand though she would never claim to be more than a cook. Modest, that one.”
Emmery nodded. Good for Marlys. However, her lack of visible magic gripped Emmery’s curiosity. “I noticed she doesn’t have a vestige,” she blurted, her voice low.
Vesper busied himself with his sleeve cuffs and rolled them up his forearms. “She has the blessing of fire but was never beckoned. She’s Forgotten.”
“Thank you for telling my life story.” Sarcasm was heavy on Marlys’s tongue as she strolled into the library, shootingan unimpressed look Vesper’s way. “Though I prefer to tell it with more feeling. Maybe shed a few tears.” Her brows pulled together as she spotted the untouched omelette. “Did you not like it, Miss Emmery?”
“Oh no, I—” Her stomach twisted. How had she forgotten when Marlys went to all that trouble? Emmery grabbed the plate and shovelled the food into her face, the savoury eggs, cheese, and mushrooms exploding on her tongue.
Vesper watched in awe, and a bit of disgust, as she scraped the plate clean. “Are you going to lick it too?”
Emmery shot him a glare. “It’s not likeyoubothered to see I was fed.” She placed the plate into Marlys’s outstretched hand and mumbled her gratitude around a mouthful.
“You are very welcome, Miss Emmery.” The smile fell from her face as her eyes slid to Vesper. “I need to speak with you privately.”
Clasping his fingers behind his back, Vesper looked the image of princely authority and unnerving ease. “It’ll have to wait an hour.”
“Vesper—please.” Her low, urgent voice caught his attention. “I need your assistance.” The air pulled taut by an invisible string as Emmery’s attention darted between the two.
Finally, Vesper ran a hand down his face, sighing. “I need a minute.”
“Thank you,” she said with a side of snark and Marlys gave Emmery a polite smile before heading back to the kitchen.
“I like her,” Emmery said, side eyeing Vesper.
