Page 89 of Crown of Ashes and Awe

I pressed. “What else do you know about Rowena?”Other than the fact that Tearloch stayed up all night with her and her family.

“Well, a creature called Ambition truly fell in love with her…after trying and failing to woo her six older sisters. That’s about all. Has she had an effect on Sweeite?”

“No,” the woman grumbled, “but he’s had an effect on her.”

Lennon laughed. “Well, then, you have nothing to worry about.”

Minkin finally flopped into a chair by the wall. “Thank you. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

They both looked at me and frowned. “What’s your problem?”

“I need to know just what kind of powers Moire might have…”

Lennon shook her head. “Only her visions of the future. And no, she won’t have any effect on Tearloch. He knows her too well. And if she’s paying him a little more attention, it’s probably because she’s trying to make her husband jealous. He doesn’t want anything to do with her, did I tell you that?”

“No. You’ve told us nothing. And I’ve been wandering around the palace alone for days having to eavesdrop on servants to hear any news at all.”

Lennon rolled her eyes. “Then did you know that the celebration-slash-revelation will happen today?”

I gestured to my bathwater in answer.

“Oh, right.”

“You’re not wearing these to the ceremony!” Minkin held up the pair of deep russet trousers.

“I am.”

“But…if you want to compete with Moire for Tearloch’s attention, don’t you want to look…as pretty as possible?”

“Do I?” I gave them both a sly smile. “Or do I want to prove I’m not jealous in the least?”

They both looked closer at the trousers. Then Minkin nodded. “Tearloch won’t care what you wear. And that alone will givehersomething to envy.”

* * *

I was stillin the bath when Tearloch rushed in. He took one look at my friends and stopped to take a breath. His hair was mussed and one side of his shirt hung loose. He must have slept in them.

He pasted a smile on his face, stepped up to the tub, and bent to kiss me. It was much too brief. He glanced at my friends again, and they started to stand. “No,” he said. “Stay. Keep her company. I have to…I have to go help with this afternoon’s preparations.” He backed toward the curtain with an apology in his eyes. “You and I can catch up after.” Then he paused, one foot out the door. “Rowena is a…she’s a handful. But she’s now got her sights on Bain. Just so…just so you ladies know.”

The outer door closed soundly, and I realized I couldn’t get my eyebrows to come down. It seemed Minkin and Lennon were having the same problem.

Lennon shook her head. “You see? Nothing to worry about. Stick to the plan.”

Minkin agreed. “Stick to the trousers. Or go naked. That will keep his attention.”

Once again, I gestured to my bathwater and its fast-dwindling bubbles. “I think naked has already failed.”

CHAPTER FOURTY-THREE: A NEW FAMILY

Just as it happened in The Soundless, the weather had completely changed overnight. The gardens were warming nicely in the sunshine, and the flowers willingly gave up their fragrance to create a delicious cloud for walking around in. I stopped near a man who was plucking spent pink blossoms off a bush and tucking them in his pocket.

“Does it always change so fast,” I asked. “I mean the weather?”

“Nah, nah,” he drawled, and pointed to the next garden. “Too late in the season for this. Moire asked the druids to pray for fine weather, for her to-do today.” A friendly nod, and he bent back to his task and forgot me.

When I turned my head toward the druids, I heard a strange note of music—a single humming note that couldn’t possibly come from a human. I had to investigate, and following the sound led me directly to the druids, more than a dozen of them. They were gathered on the grass with their hoods lowered, kneeling in front of an older man with a set of large bowls in front of him. Some metal, some smoky glass, the bowls emitted the elusive music while the man leaned over them, running a padded stick around their rims.

Without pausing, he looked up at me and smiled, then nodded to an open spot on the grass beside the other druids, inviting me to join them. Whether it was that smile or the tones embracing me, I felt compelled to stay.

---