Page 119 of Of Storm and Emerald
“Oh, nothing. Ser Aeron would have your ass if he saw you right now, though.”
“Oh, fuck off.” Piper pushed her shoulder, causing her to stagger back a step.
Auraelia inclined her head, a Cheshire grin creeping across her features. “Want to blow off some steam?”
Piper’s eyes narrowed, as suspicion twisted her features, and she crossed her arms across her chest. “Depends on what you have in mind.”
Auraelia glanced over toward the training pitch, and Piper’s eyes widened.
“No. No, not no.Hell no.” Piper slowly began backing away from her friend, her arms stretched out in front of her like she was trying to calm a vicious animal. “We already trained once today, and I’m still sore from that. Don’t make me do it again,please. I’m begging.”
Auraelia chuckled and looped her arm through Piper’s. “Come on, it will be fun. “
They had taken all but two steps when ribbons of shadow wrapped around her fingers and parchment appeared.
“Oh, thank the goddess. Saved by the letter.” Piper pulled on Auraelia’s arm and led them back toward the stairs that led into the castle.
Back in her room, Auraelia stared at the letter.
In the last two months, their letters had been more about seeking answers than building their relationship. Both of them drowning in their own problems, while still trying to maintain transparency and open lines of communication.
She’d asked him if he had any information about Garnet, but he too, had come up empty handed. It was as if the court existed in name only.
Auraelia carefully peeled the wax seal from the paper and unfolded the letter.
Auraelia refolded the parchment and added it to the stack tucked away in her side-table drawer.
They weren’t getting anywhere.
Not with the treaty.
Not with Garnet.
And now with Daemon’s parents acting strangely, it was another facet to their ever-growing list of problems.
Exhaustion washed over her, and she sat down on the plush covers of her bed and removed her boots.
Laying back, she stared at the constellations that covered the canopy over her bed, her mind a tangled web of thoughts that she couldn’t unravel, no matter how hard she tried.
Her eyes grew heavy, and it wasn’t long before sleep claimed her.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Daemon
Daemonsatononeof the benches in the garden, rereading the most recent letter from Auraelia. He didn’t need to be near her to see how stressed she had become; he could see it through her writing.
Since her departure from Kalmeera, two and half months ago, things within both of their kingdoms had been strange.
Mainly with their parents.
She was still battling her mother over council meetings and still had no information on Garnet. And with him fighting his own battles, he hadn’t been much help.
And after months of holding their breaths over whether this time his father’s health would continue to improve, he was finally back to normal. They still had no answers as to what caused his illness in the first place, or how it was cured, merely vague reassurances from his father that he was ‘fine’and ‘better than ever.’
His mother was ecstatic at the news, but Daemon was skeptical. And when he pressed for more information, his father would give him a stern look and tell him to be thankful.
It made no sense.
