Page 91 of Crown of Ashes and Awe

My new family.

When Viggo took a step forward, they tensed and he retreated. I couldn’t say the hard look in his eye was jealousy, but it was something just as intense, and it had no connection to his forced smile. “You’re staying for the ceremony?”

I tried not to grin. “I am.”

“Then perhaps we can have a nice chat afterward…without your bodyguards.” He looked at Minkin and bent at the waist in a deep bow. “Miss.” Then at me. “Asper.”

“Viggo.”

A curt nod and he marched off in the direction he’d come from.

Tearloch captured my fingers between his, tucked my arm beneath his elbow, and turned us toward yet another section of garden where servants were setting up tables. “Come on. We’re going to steal some food.” When I came willingly, he couldn’t hide his smile.

I glanced at each of my “bodyguards” and couldn’t hide mine either.

43

BETTER THAN GOING NAKED

“This is nice,” Bain said, leaning back in the shade and peeking at the sun through the branches with one eye closed.

“What’s that?” Tearloch sat on the grass at my feet with his arm and head resting heavily on my lap.

“Sitting here…nowhere we have to be…no one to chase…no one trying to kill us.”

Minkin and Sweetie hummed their agreement. She sat on his lap popping morning fruit into his mouth and adding a kiss after each. Then Sweetie let out a small gasp. “Although…”

“What?”

“Some man might come looking for his pants…” He glanced pointedly at my trousers and laughed.

Lennon and Griffon joined us, all dressed up in gold and silver, marking them as members of the royal family—evidently, they weren’t keeping it a secret from anyone. They brought plates of food they’d stolen from the same tables we’d raided half an hour before. Bain caught them up on the subject at hand.

“And no one hunting us? That’s a rare day for us.” Lennon shifted a chair and sat in the shade as well. “We thought we’d left all that drama behind when we came here. Of course, we knew we might have to run from a few black dragons, but how hard could that be, right?”

Sweetie shook his head to the offer of another piece of fruit. “I guess you’ll find out tonight, if the royals don’t want you to leave.”

Bain was right. This was a perfect moment, and we should appreciate our last day with Lennon and Griffon. It was probably futile to hope this calm would last. After all, most of us were about to find out how much time we had left to live…

* * *

I didn’t knowif the druid’s music was replaying in my head or if I was hearing a new version of it until my friends sat up and looked around.

“I think that’s us, then,” Sweetie said, and helped Minkin onto her feet. “Follow the gong.”

I hooked elbows with Tearloch and Bain and we all joined a ragtag procession toward the far end of the gardens well beyond the palace. Amongst the treetops, there was a dark stone structure toward which everyone flocked. It was a long leisurely stroll, and as we drew nearer, the sound of splashing water flanked us on both sides. We soon passed a series of fountains with flowers dancing along little waves. And a familiar taste met us halfway.

Memory trees!

I closed my eyes and let my escorts guide me down the path, inviting memories to fill the stage of my mind. But it wasn’t the memory of that first night among the trees, or stuffing my pockets, or even passing those leaves over to Lady Edeen’s people. No, I saw crescent-shaped benches surrounding a fire, and a hedge of tiny yellow blossoms I kept reaching for, but someone stopped me. Someone with red hair and soft hands, the feel of which…made me…want to cry.

If I opened my eyes, I would lose her!

Tearloch and Bain stopped. My eyes opened on reflex, but the scene before me was much the same. In the distance, a fire burned in the center of a ring of heartstone, surrounded on three sides by rows of curved, white stone benches. But this time, they were filled with finely dressed people and a sprinkling of druids.

Along the outer row, servants hurried to find a place to sit. Others stood with their backs to a tall line of shrubbery that served as an outer perimeter to the space. And still others sat on empty stretches of grass. Along either side of the assembly, row upon row of guards stood at ease along with dozens of dragon riders. Chatting, waiting.

I had the strange notion that this was just another arena, only this one had no dome. And a shiver ran up my spine.

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