And for some reason, allowing her to have those all-too-brief moments wasn’t something I was willing to taint.
At least, for now.
NECESSARY SUPPLIES
Emil Da’Lahr was a motherfucker.
One either enjoyed being in his presence or spent the entirety of that time plotting various ways to murder him, something I truly believed brought Emil a perverse level of joy.
Either way, I routinely alternated between those two states of being.
But when push came to shove, the auburn-haired Atlantian had my back, and I had his. He was loyal, as quick with a sword and dagger as he was with his retorts, and although he had jokes for days, he was a beast if crossed.
He was waiting for us on the bank of a quiet lake nestled deep within the Grove, seated on a flat boulder.
And Emil wasn’t alone.
Crouched at his feet was a large, silver-and-white wolven. He rose upon our approach, nearly as tall as the boulder Emil sat upon. The wolven’s size alone would’ve stopped the heart of any mortal upon sight, so he would’ve traveled as a mortal, but I bet he’d shed that form the moment he could. None of the wolven liked to remain in their mortal forms for long stretches of time, even if it was by choice or forced by a situation.
“Arden,” I acknowledged, smiling.
The wolven trotted from Emil’s side, brushing against Kieran’s legs first and then coming to nudge my hand. I ran my fingers through the fur between his ears as Emil stood and gave an overly elaborate, sweeping bow.
“You’re not going to greet me with that handsome smile of yours?” the auburn-haired Atlantian asked as he straightened. “Flash those dimples?”
“Not now.”
Arden let out a low huffing noise that sounded like a laugh.
Emil pressed a hand to his chest. “You wound me.” He paused. “My Prince.”
I shot him a narrowed-eye glare, and the man’s smile deepened.
“Sometimes, I really think you have a death wish,” Kieran muttered under his breath.
Everyone who met Emil thought that.
Chuckling, Emil leaned back against the boulder. There was no sword on his hip. Dressed as he was in the dull brown breeches of a Solis commoner, a sword would’ve drawn too much attention. Still, I knew he had an armory of weapons beneath the plain black coat.
“How was your journey here?” I asked as Arden turned his attention to the dark woods. “Run into any problems?”
“Nothing that Arden and I couldn’t take care of. Just a few Craven and a nosy guard or five,” he answered. “All these years I’ve lived, and I’ve never seen a wolven basically eat a person before.”
My brows knitted as I glanced at Arden. The wolven chuffed, keeping his stare on the trees.
“We don’t usually make a habit of that,” Kieran replied. “Mortal meat is…gamey.”
“Mortal meat?” I repeated under my breath.
“It was morbidly fascinating to watch. Couldn’t look away. Also, very disgusting.” Emil crossed his arms. He glanced toward the east. “Anyway, got to say, I’m not impressed with what I’ve seen of Masadonia so far, especially what you get an eyeful of upon entering the city.” His lip curled. “Gods, I can’t believe they have people living like that.”
“Most wouldn’t believe it unless they saw the Lower Ward.” Then again, even if the Blood Crown took better care of their people, their cities would be a dull comparison to Atlantia.
I was eager to return to the Red Pearl, but there were things I needed to know. “How are things in Spessa’s End?” I asked of the Atlantian city that sat upon the Stygian Bay, within a day’s ride of the Skotos Mountains. The once-busy trading post was believed to have been destroyed in the war, just like the nearby city of Pompay, and since it was so far east, the Blood Crown had no knowledge of the city’s current state. It had to stay that way.
“Good. I think some of the crops are about to be harvested. At least that’s what Vonetta was talking about when I left,” he said, referencing Kieran’s sister. “Many more homes have been built. You’ll barely recognize the place when you return.” His amber gaze met mine. “Which we all hope is soon. Not me. But others, yes. They hope it will be soon.”
Laughing, I shook my head and then shifted the subject to a far more delicate one. “Any word from Evaemon?”
“The King and Queen are…concerned about your current whereabouts and your motives for being gone so long,” he shared, the humor fading from his features. “Alastir’s commentary on the matter hasn’t been helpful in easing those worries.”
Dragging a hand through my hair, I sighed. I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that. As the Advisor to the Crown, Alastir Davenwell’s duty was to keep the King and Queen informed about all things. However, the elder wolven did very little to quell my father’s temper or de-escalate plans for war. He wanted to see the Blood Crown burn. I couldn’t exactly blame him for that. He, like many others, had his reasons.
“We’d better get on with this.” Emil nodded at Arden. I glanced at the wolven. His ears were flat once more as he nervously paced near the boulders. “I don’t believe he likes these woods very much. I fear he will start eating one of us.”
Arden growled at the Atlantian, and Emil simply smiled. I imagined their journey here had been…interesting and long.
“Bad vibes,” Kieran murmured, turning his stare to the still lake.
Emil raised his brows at me.
I shook my head. “Kieran believes these woods are haunted.”
“I don’t believe,” Kieran countered. “I know.”
“Well, then, we really need to hurry.” Emil began rolling up the sleeve of his coat. “Because if I see even one ghost, you will never see an Atlantian run faster.”
Kieran smirked. “You can’t outrun the dead.”
Fingers halting around the sleeve, Emil turned his head to the wolven. “That was an…exceptionally creepy statement.”
He shrugged. “Just the truth.”
Emil frowned. “That didn’t help.”
“Thank you for doing this,” I cut in, stopping them before the conversation went any further. I took Emil’s hand as I looked down at the slightly shorter male. “The risk you took coming here is appreciated.”
“Anything for you.” Emil met my stare. “You know that.”
“I do.” I squeezed his hand. “I won’t take more than is needed.”
Kieran’s stare sharpened on me. I knew he didn’t look away. Not as I lifted Emil’s wrist to my mouth. I hesitated, even as my jaw began to ache more furiously. His blood would surely erase the lingering taste of the Maiden, and damn if that wasn’t an idiotic as hell thing to even think about.
Even more so was the fact that I hesitated because of that.
Biting fast and clean where Emil’s pulse beat strongly, he only jerked a little as I quickly withdrew my fangs. I smoothed my thumb along the inside of his wrist, soothing away the brief sting of pain. Feeding could be painful or bring pleasure. It could also be as impersonal as a business transaction. This was the latter as I drew his blood, his very life force, into me. The moment the rich, earthy taste hit my tongue, every cell in my body seemed to vibrate. It was like going too long without food or water. I wanted to gulp but forced myself to take slow, steady draws as Emil stood still.