Page 106 of Of Storm and Emerald
“Hello, Mother.”
“Hello, my son.” Her smile was sweet, but it was the cockiness in her eyes that stoked the embers of his anger.
Daemon stepped aside and let his mother in. “What are you doing here, Mother? And don’t give me the whole ‘can’t a mother come see her son’bit.”
Her chuckle was mirthless. “I wanted to see how things went with Auraelia.Ifthey went anywhere.” She sighed and turned to face where he still stood by the door. “I wanted to see howyouwere. Are you alright?”
He sighed, and pulled the door closed. Motioning for her to sit on the couch that Aiden had vacated earlier, he walked over to his desk.
“What are y–”
Daemon held up a finger to cut her sentence short. “You’re currently impeding my plans, Mother. So, please, give me a moment to handle something that is of utmost importance.”
Queen Avyanna acquiesced, closing her mouth with a small smile, she held her hands up in surrender and sat down on the couch where she waited for him to finish.
Once his letters had been penned and sent off to their destinations, Daemon turned his attention back to his mother.
“Now, let’s talk about this meddling habit of yours, shall we?”
Auraelia
With Daemon gone, and Piper off goddess knows where, Auraelia wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself. She’d lounged in bed and picked at the tray of fruits and bread that he’d left her with, but that would only get her so far. She needed an actual meal. She needed coffee. And he was taking longer than she had anticipated.
Standing from the bed, she padded into her bathing chamber to take a quick shower and try to tame the mess that had become of her hair. Once she was finished, she pulled on her dressing robe and headed back into her chambers.
She was still towel drying her hair when a folded piece of parchment fluttered down and landed on the floor at her feet. Her smile was brief, as disappointment set in at the realization that he wasn’t coming back as quickly as he said that he would.
The smile returned to her lips as she finished reading the letter again, just in time for the knock at the suite door.
When she reached for the handle on her door, she heard Piper’s singsong voice echoing across their shared sitting area. “Rae, there’s a tray here with your name on it. Literally. Your name is written on a piece of parchment.”
What the hell?Auraelia scrunched her brow in confusion, but she tightened the sash around her waist and pulled the door to her chambers open.
Piper stood in the middle of the room with the covered tray in her hands. “Do you want it in here or in there? Either way, I’m staring at you while you eat until you spill all of your secrets.” A sly smile crept across her friend’s features, and she shook her head.
“Come on, then.” Auraelia stepped aside, sweeping her arm out in front of her in a mock welcome. “I will share my secrets, but I amnotsharing my food. That man seems to think he can fuck me without feeding me.” The latter part of her statement was said more to herself than to Piper, but she heard it anyway and started laughing as she set the tray down on the bed.
“I didn’t hear you complaining this morning when I came toget youfor breakfast.”
Auraelia rolled her eyes and walked over to the bed. Plopping down next to her friend, she removed the parchment from in front of the cloche.
It was simple, but it still brought a smile to her face. When Piper snatched it out of her hand, flipping it back and forth like that would make more words appear–her brows scrunched in confusion–Auraelia laughed and removed the cloche from the dish.
The smell of toasted bread, butter, eggs, and bacon wafted through the air with the removal of the shining dome. There was also the sweet smell of blackberry jam, and honey that had been drizzled over strawberries. And coffee. Sweet, glorious, rich coffee.
She added sugar and cream to the bitter liquid before she fisted the mug in both hands and brought it up to her face, her eyes fluttering closed as she inhaled the rich aroma. When she took a sip, her body relaxed as she savored the flavor on her tongue.
When she opened them again, Piper was staring at her like she’d lost her mind.
“Are you okay over there, Rae? Do you need a little time alone with your coffee?”
“Oh, hush, you!” She grabbed a pillow, and smacked Piper over the head sending them into a fit of hysteria.
Once they calmed down, she dug into her food as Piper peppered her with questions about her night with Daemon.
When all the sordid details had been spilled, and there was nothing left to say, a tension filled silence descended into the space.
“So, you still haven’t talked? About anything?” Piper asked, her tone full of worry. When Auraelia shook her head and looked away, Piper pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Rae, come on. You’re smarter than this.” Her tone was harsher than Auraelia was used to, but she also understood why.
