Page 20 of Towering Future (The Emerald Realm 5)

I growled under my breath and earned another jolt from Elle as I gingerly led her over to her cushiony bed. With a single swipe, I shoved the mass of disorganized cushions and blankets aside, then helped her lie down with a single pillow at her back.

“Wait here. I’ll return shortly with a proper meal.” I turned away to make a dash for the kitchen, but a soft tug on my sleeve held me back. Yet again, she had perfectly guessed where my hand was without any vision.

I turned and touched her hand to let her know I had paused. She released my sleeve and sat up a touch taller. “Thank you, Miron.” She spoke the words softly as a grateful smile raised weakly on her lips. “I appreciate your help, but if I may...” Her sweet smile set into a serious line. “I need to request you bring me one more thing.”

chapter thirteen

I only managed to stay in bed for maybe a full ten seconds after Miron left before I started pacing the floors. My body felt heavy and weak as I walked circles around the square room. I was far too anxious to sit still. A loud growl emitted from my stomach and I shushed it impatiently.

You’ll get food soon. He’ll come back... I know he will.

My head pounded as a mountain of conflicting emotions waged war within my brain.He had offered to help me leave...Why would he do that? He had already made it clear he wanted to overthrow his brother and claim the crown for his own, so why would he risk ruining that chance by helping me escape? It was one thing to visit me against his father’s knowledge, but if I were to disappear entirely... Surely, the king would find out, and then what would become of him?

Another round of hungry gurgles echoed from my ravenous belly as I completed another lap around the room. He would have to have known the risks of helping me, yet he offered to do it, anyway. Was he just trying to trick me into sharing my visions with him? I suppose it was still possible, but he seemed genuinely concerned earlier. A slight tickle raced through my fingers as I recalled the softness of his touch. If he was capable of faking that much sincerity, then I deserved to be tricked...

My heart strained rebelliously as I found my thoughts flickering to the moment I had taken in his striking blue eyes. It was a shame I couldn’t look at him more often. Aside from being handsome, he was always so expressive, and a part of me was interested to see his reaction to happier events. What did he look like when he smiled? Or when he laughed? Did he have dimples?

A soft smile rose up my cheeks, but I pushed it down into a hard frown before I lost my senses.What are you doing, Elle!?I rubbed my eyes fretfully, shaking the images of my visions from my thoughts. He was going to die anyway... I couldn’t get attached to him. My heart sank as I imagined Conan taking control after his brother’s death.

Would I even live to see Conan crowned?Surprisingly, that question didn’t weigh on me as much as I thought. I know what I saw in my first vision, but now that I’d seen his true colors, it was hard to imagine him hurting me like that...Maybe there was another explanation for his words?

This would be so much easier if I could just ask him about it, but how do I know if I can trust him with my visions?

The unmistakable sound of Miron’s nimble lock picking alerted my ears, and I hurried over to the bed. With quick fingers, I tied a sturdy knot in the silk blindfold and rested my hands innocently in my lap as the door swung open.

A tapping noise caused me to arch my eyebrow before I recognized it as Miron tapping his shoe in irritation. “Did I just hear you running?” he asked sternly, his shoe halting its shaming taps as he crossed to the bed.

Despite being unable to see him, I averted my gaze and twiddled my thumbs in shame. “Well, I was only...” A soft pressure distracted me as a tray full of the most decadent smelling foods was placed atop my lap.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he huffed. “No talking, just eat. You can make it up to me later by telling me what you wanted this clay for.”

My head jerked up from the platter as a hot roll dropped from my grasp. “You got it already?” I asked eagerly, then stretched out my hand in request. A hard, thick lump of modeling clay was placed heavily in my hands, and I pulled it close to my chest with a gleeful grin. “This is perfect, thank you!” I kneaded the tough dough with my right hand as my left stuffed steamed vegetables into my mouth.

“I can bring you more if you need it. We have a small collection of art supplies for royal portraits and the occasional artist commission, and fortunately, there’s a good supply of clay. That was the hardest kind I could find. I hope it’s alright.” He sat at the foot of the bed, causing the mattress to sink under his weight.

“It’s definitely sturdier than my material.” I muttered between chews. “If I dry out my sculpture in the sun, it should be strong enough to hold its shape even under pressure.” My fingers landed on a thick sandwich and I bit into it giddily.

“And you really think you can make a key out of that?”

A proud smile swept up my face as I held up the rough form of a skeleton key I had already molded. “Definitely. I’m not certain if I can make a perfect match for the king’s door, but there’s certainly a good chance of it. I already made a cast of the lock’s interior, so if I match that shape, I should be able to forge a key.”

“That’s incredible, Elle,” he said in awe. “I never even thought of making a new key. It must be the Ashbourne blood in me. We don’t think around problems, we just plow through them until they break.”

He let out a soft chuckle, and I felt a new surge of intrigue touch my thoughts. “Are Sybettians inventive thinkers?” I slowed my bites to focus my attention on his reply. I had never realized it until now, but I hardly knew anything about the culture of the surrounding kingdoms, especially my own.

“They’re very inventive,” Miron said firmly. “They were intended to die off after your parents were killed, but instead, they’ve survived long enough to form a rebellion and fight for their vengeance.” His tone held a note of admiration, and he let out a taut chuckle. “They’re stubborn little desert mice, that’s for sure.”

“That’s rather fascinating. What are their lands like? Are there other sorcerers like me? What type of culture do they uphold?” My curiosity spilled out before I could think to contain it. I reached for a teacup to help swallow back my chattering tongue, but was surprised to find a tall glass instead.

Miron chuckled. “I could bring you a few books on their kingdom if you’d like. I’m sure they could answer your questions far better than I can.” The bed springs creaked as he readjusted his seat. The mattress’s movement caused a drop of cold water to splash onto my collar-bone as I raised the mysterious glass to my lips. I let out a small squeal from the cold contact, and the bed jostled as Miron moved a hand forward to help steady my tray. “Whoops, I’m sorry. I’ll try not to move around while you’re eating.”

He sounded like he was laughing, but his tone grew shallower as he likely noticed my perplexed expression. I wrapped my long fingers around the cool glass with a troubled frown staining my face. “Why is it so cold? I didn’t think tea could be so frigid, and I’ve let plenty of pots cool completely.” I touched a curious finger inside the edge of the cup and dipped my fingertip into the chilly liquid with a small shiver.

“Well, for starters, it’s not tea.” Miron laughed. “It’s just spring water. It tends to be colder this time of year since the early spring air still hasn’t warmed.”

Water?I tipped the cup up to my lips and took a small sip of the icy drink. It tasted clean and pure, but also like nothing at all. I guzzled the entire cup in a single drink before coming up for air. I wiped the remaining droplets off my upper lip and smiled brightly down into the cup. “It’s delicious! I’ve never had plain water before, only hot tea. I always wondered what it would taste like on its own. It’s certainly more refreshing than I had expected.” I placed the cup back on the tray, then scanned my hands over the plate for my next tasty discovery.

“Wait a moment.” Miron sounded a tad flabbergasted, and despite his earlier promise, the bed shook with an apparent wave of his arms. “You’ve never drank plain water before? Ever?”

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