Page 120 of Of Storm and Emerald
He had just put Auraelia’s letter back in his pocket when his mother’s silhouette came into his peripheral vision.
“Mother?” It was barely a whisper, and his brow furrowed in confusion. He hadn’t seen her without his father plastered to her side in over a month. But there she was, standing atop the steps that led out into the garden.
He stood from the bench and began walking toward the stairs. But as soon as she saw him heading in her direction, she turned and headed inside.
“Mother?” Daemon hollered after her, praying that she had somehow overlooked him, and wasn’t actually running from her own son.
But she didn’t stop.
“Mother.” He tried again, only louder this time. Quickening his pace to try and catch up to where she was disappearing down one of the castle corridors, but she wasn’t slowing.
In fact, she began walking faster.
“Mother!” He was practically jogging at this point and was over this chase. He needed to talk to her, and she was going to listen. “Fuck this.” The words were a low mumble that only he could hear.
He let the hold he kept on his magic slip. Feeling the swirls of shadows pull to the surface, and shadow-walked to the hall she was about to turn down. Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, he dropped his shadows as soon as she turned the corner.
Her surprise was audible, her gasp resonating through the hall. “Goddess, Daemon. You startled me.”
“I’m not sure how I could havestartledyou, Mother, when I’ve been calling after you—”
Queen Avyanna opened her mouth to protest, but he pushed away from the wall and stalked toward her. “Iknowyou heard me. Your spine visibly stiffened the first time, and you quickened your steps every time after.”
“Daemon–”
“What’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”
She sighed, her head drooping in defeat. “I wish I could–”
Just as she began to speak, one of his father’s stewards stepped into the hall. “Your Majesty, King Evander requests your presence.”
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
Daemon looked past his mother and toward the interloper. “Is my father okay?” He tried to keep his irritation from his tone but failed.
“He’s fine, Your Highness.” Even from where he stood, he could see the thin sheen of sweat that was forming on the man’s brow.
“Then, surely, he can wait a moment while I speak with my mother.” Annoyance dripped from every word, but he didn’t care. He was tired of being kept in the dark about whatever it was that his parents were keeping from him, and his mother finally seemed to want to share the information.
Queen Avyanna placed her hand on his chest, drawing his attention back to her. “I need to go to your father.”
“But, Mother–”
“I’m sorry, my son.” Immense sadness filled her eyes as her gaze met his, her eyes turning a bright cornflower blue as silver lined their rims.
She cupped his cheek and gave him a gentle smile, then turned on her heel and slipped down the hall.
Daemon stared after her, but when he noticed the steward trying to discreetly slip her a piece of parchment with a blood red seal, Daemon’s annoyance grew into a fiery rage.
Her words echoed in his mind and twisted something deep within his stomach.
Something was wrong.
A loud boom echoed throughout the quiet of the castle library, the doors ricocheting off the walls as he pushed them open and stormed into the room.
The library was one of his favorite places in the castle.
Spiraling staircases of iron and windows made of multicolored glass covered the area, casting the room in a kaleidoscope of colors. Large wooden desks covered the majority of the first floor, while the upper level held floor-to-ceiling shelves that housed innumerable volumes of books and scrolls.
