Page 90 of The Devil In Blue
“Are you sure about this?” Elanor asked.
My newest raven, Naeve, stood behind her looking like a lost puppy. She would be good for Briar. She needed someone with as much enthusiasm as she had and Elanor often lacked the energy. I tossed her a glance and nodded.
“Yes,” I said. “And it will give you time to show Naeve more of the Glyn. You’ll need the help to keep things peaceful here while I’m gone. She seems to like the hounds. Let her bond with them. It will do them all good.”
“How long will you be?”
“Only a few days. Briar’s grown obsessed with the art museum she saw in one of my books. I’ll take her there and then we will roam a bit.”
“Aren’t you afraid she’ll want to stay? All she talks about is seeing the mortal world.”
“Areyouafraid she’ll want to stay?” I retorted.
“Of course not, my king. She loves you. But you love her, too. Which means she distracts you. I fear that you’re getting distracted from…”
I narrowed my eyes at Elanor with a low growl. I didn’t fancy being questioned by someone who’d known the Glyn and my responsibilities for a fraction of the time that I had.
“It will be fine,” I assured her. “I’ve been away from the Glyn before. This is no different. And I trust you. You’ll tell me if anything urgent happens. Ravens can cross realms far quicker than anything or anyone else and at all times. It’s one of the many reasons I keep you around.”
“I know,” she complied. “Forgive me. I think you two deserve this. I just worry.”
I chuckled lightly at her reservations. “Why?”
“Because…” she trailed off. “Because you are my king. I care for you. Perhaps more than I should.”
I raised a brow at that, not wanting it to mean what I thought it might. An uneasy silence swelled in the room and Naeve, smart as she was, quietly ducked her head and slipped out the door.
“Elanor,” I said, walking slowly toward her. A pink hue spread across her pale cheeks. She never blushed. “Are you well?”
“Very well, my king,” she said, raising her chin.
More silence. I took a deep breath, knowing Briar was upstairs choosing her outfit.
“You are bound to always be honest with me,” I said gently. “To never lie.”
“And I have never lied,” she said, her tone seeming defeated.
“But… you are not saying everything.”
“Do you want me to?”
I didn’t. I didn’t because living in ignorance made things less complicated.
Elanor cleared her throat and straightened, veiling whatever glimpses of emotion she’d shown me with a stoic expression.
“I understand what my role is here better than you think,” she said. “And more than that, I understand how you feel about Briar. She is a candle in the dark, Rune. One even I can see. But… something in my soul knows that light can be an addicting comfort. When someone blows out the candle, we’ve already forgotten how to live in the dark.”
I furrowed my brows. I’d created Elanor during a long stretch of time when I was unhinged. Violent. She reflected bits of that every day, unable to change the same way I had since Briar appeared. And she’d inherited some of my magic. She never chose to use it, but she had it, I was sure. Her emotions could change the temperature in a room.
I swallowed, giving her a small nod before I stepped back.
“My king,” she said, her voice soft. “You are becoming soft. I think it might hurt you one day.”
I shook my head. “Say no more. Pain, my beautiful raven, is abundant. We must all feel it. In life. In death. In this place in between.”
The way her shoulders relaxed, I wondered if she was giving up or simply pretending to. Either way, she appeared willing to drop her reservations and flashed a gentle smile at me.
“Of course,” she said. “I wish you and Briar a safe and wonderful trip. I hope you show her everything she desires to see.”
