Page 77 of A War of Embers

“Lord Rowan won't approve,” Alyvia says in her high-and-mighty voice she typically reserves for when Zeke is annoying the hell out of her.

“Which is why we aren’t going to tell him.”

Her eyes widen in horror. “You can’t ask me to keep something like this from him! He’s going to notice you’re missing if you travel there.”

“When does Rowan ever seek me out?” I scoff. Never. I just always happen to be in the place he’s traveling to when he finds me. Not once has he specifically sought me out. “I don’t require help this time, I’m just letting you know my plan because, as you put, we’re friends.”

“Friends don’t let themselves die alone.”

Frowning at her twist of words, I simply stare. She can’t be serious. “I don’t need you to watch me die, Alyvia.” Her sorrow would only distract me from what I need to do. Not to mention the guilt that would plague me for allowing her to put herself in a position like that. “I can do this on my own.”

“The account could be wrong,” she presses. “Maybe it was an old practice no longer used. You’ll be going there for nothing.”

Dammit. Perhaps the documents could be wrong. Only a Lord or Lady would be able to help me. Rowan is immediately off the table. He won’t so much as allow me access to his private study unless he's there to supervise. Zeke, while a Lord unto himself, won’t cross Rowan to help me even if he would enjoy getting rid of my ass. And there’s only one other person who regularly visits the estate who might be willing to send me on a suicide mission.

“I don’t like whatever thought you just had,” Alyvia tells me.

No, she probably wouldn’t. “I need to go speak with someone.”

“I’m coming too.”

“Absolutely not.” I shake my head and level a glare at her. “I’m not wandering off, I just need to speak with someone privately.”

Her eyes brighten suddenly. “You’re going to speak with Lord Rowan again.”

I’m not but pointing that out seems counterintuitive to my goal. If she thinks I’m seeking out Rowan again, trying to appeal to him, she’s less likely to follow or stop me. And in part, I really don’t plan on going to the Cliff of Embers just yet until I know more about what the documents mean.

From what I know, Lady Cirilla was around back then during the Province Wars. She would know what was done with the immortals once the war was deemed over. And she wants to get rid of me to gain Rowan’s attention even though he finds her weak.

I shouldn’t be smug about his lack of interest in a person proposing to have his babes, but I am. He’s right, she is far weaker than he is, but so am I. A tingle runs down my cheek where the tattoo lies.

I guess I’m not as weak after all. He gave me some of his magic, ensuring I could be his equal in all ways.

He’s also a lunatic, I remind myself.

“I need to get going. I’ll meet up with you later,” I tell Alyvia as I turn down the hall away from her. From the look on her face, she definitely believes I’m in search of Rowan.

Walking towards the main foyer, I keep an eye out for the particular Lady in waiting. She isn’t always here, but with Rowan returning today there’s no doubt she’ll have shown up wanting to speak with him.

I don’t spy her in the kitchen either, but I do find Zeke eating a crispy piece of bacon while staring at me with his narrow reptilian eyes. For a moment I consider walking past, but he clearly wants to confront me about something and it’s better to get it over with than let it fester.

Coming into the kitchen, I grab a cup of tea from the kettle to keep myself busy, giving him ample time to approach me. There’s no way I’m going to be the one to start this conversation.

Zeke doesn’t keep me waiting long. He saunters over casually, pointing the rest of his bacon at me before taking a large bite. “You’re causing quite the stir.”

As if that’s anything new. “Unfortunately I don’t blend as well as I think I do.”

“I meant with Lord Rowan.”

My face flushes, remembering he caught Rowan and I earlier in his private study. “Well, ah, it wasn’t exactly my decision.” I brush my hand over the mark on my face. “We got in a little tiff regarding it actually.”

“Sure. If you call screaming his name as you two go to town a tiff.” Zeke’s voice carries over the kitchen, stopping almost everyone abruptly as they turn towards us.

“Seriously?” I hiss.

He shrugs unrepentantly. “It’s not like Lord Rowan planned on keeping this a secret. He wouldn’t have marked you otherwise.”

Turning to glare at everyone still hovering, watching our exchange, they quickly duck back to their tasks and pretend the last thirty seconds never happened. “I can’t deal with you right now.”

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