Page 42 of The Elven Spymaster's Thief

Then Avril stumbled. I took the opportunity to sweep her into my arms right before crossing the portal’s edge. She sagged against me with a soft sigh, giving way to exhaustion. Striding to the chaise with the intention of laying her down, I found myself suddenly very hesitant to let her go. I stood there a moment, staring down at her delicate features.

“Shall we resume?” the king asked.

Reluctantly settling her on the chaise, I turned to face my guest. “My apologies for the interruption.”

The king inclined his head with far more ease than I had observed since the beginning of our meeting. “Some things are of more immediate importance. Will she recover?”

I gazed down at Avril for a brief moment. Her shoulder was healing. There would be not even be a scar by the morning. For all of the trauma, I sensed only exhaustion. “She will likely be up and about within a day if I can hold her back that long.”

"Why didn’t the shadow elf kill her outright?”

I frowned. “I suspect to hide the fact there is a traitor in our midst. If we hadn’t been so quick to respond, Avril would be dead from the siren, and we would only be reinforcing our security against sirens, not looking for a mole.”

“But why her?” The Seelie’s eyes narrowed. “Is there something special about her?”

I gazed down at Avril’s prone form. An orphan, a thief, and my companion—unless there were some missions in her past that I hadn’t been able to uncover, the only possible reason for the targeting was her association with me.

“Her connection to me.” I brushed her hair with my hand, catching a loose curl with one finger. “How that leads to someone wanting her dead, is beyond me, though.”

“Then perhaps we should reconvene another time after you have figured that out. A life is a precious thing, and worth your full attention.” He had been eager to take every opportunity to cut our meeting short until Favian’s call for help. I had been astonished when the king had followed me into the garden clearly intending to assist. It was strange behavior considering his off-putting approach all evening.

“No,” I immediately protested. “As long as you don’t mind discussing things in front of my companion, I would wish to continue.”

Sadness moved across the king’s features. “I fear, despite your kind offer earlier, there is little you can do to free me from the constraints that have been forced upon me.” His gaze fell upon Avril’s sleeping form. “My opponent has chosen a ruthless set of demands in exchange for my freedom. Demands I am debating whether or not to even attempt.”

“There is no other way to break—” I hesitated to say the word curse.

The king stopped me himself. “I cannot speak to the particulars of my release lest it make my struggle to fulfill them easier. I can say, if all humans are as brave as your companion, I have hope.”

Multiple questions jumped to mind, but not all of them were constructive. I pressed my lips together, resisting letting them loose. Discussing the curse would only drive the king away because of the geas put upon him.

“Until that time, then, you can do nothing about the wild hunt?”

“I am very limited in my power concerning this, but I can promise to do all I can to move it to safer regions.”

“Understood.” I bowed to him. “Thank you for the effort.”

“Of course.” He inclined his head to me. “And should there be anything within my ability, do contact me. I can promise to listen.”

“Thank you, your majesty.” I bowed again as he opened a portal to his realm.

“Thank you, Spymaster Whispier.” Then he stepped through the portal and was gone.

∞∞∞

Chapter Twelve

Avril

The next morning when I woke, I was surprised to find I wasn't sleeping in my bed. Wrapped in something soft and warm, I was pleasantly comfortable and reluctant to move. Slowly, my senses woke to other stimuli. Watching the light and shadows playing across the honeycombed ceiling of Illeron's study, I ran through my memories of the night before. No matter how I tried to recall the face or any identifying details about the elf that attacked me, I kept coming up empty. I hadn’t seen him.

The familiar softness of my shawl against my cheek no longer felt reassuring. Shadow elves moved silently through the palace constantly. Flickering from shadow to shadow, any of them could be the assassin. A shiver shook me. Something tightened around my knee. Illeron sat on the floor at the side of the chaise. His dark head rested on the edge, and one elegant hand was curled around my knee as though to ensure I didn't disappear while he slept.

Someone, a shadow elf by the sound, moved through a shadow near the window. They didn't stay, just flitted in and promptly out again as though to check I was still there and left.

Strangely, I took comfort in Illeron’s presence. Surely, the elf out to kill me wouldn’t dare do it while Illeron was present, even if he was asleep. I tried to relax. Illeron’s soft respirations and his subtle scent were reassuring in many ways.

I rested my head back against the couch's plump cushions. Memories of being held in his arms the night before as he physically restrained me from answering the siren's call brought a warm flush to my cheeks. Only a few months ago, I had never encountered an elf. I had just thought of them as manipulative and scheming. Now I owed their most powerful spymaster my life many times over. I groaned softly. If I survived this, how would I ever repay him?

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