Page 129 of Sweetling
Just a little farther. A little more. And then he would see her again.
Although given the room she’d shared with Allarion not long ago, Molly didn’t sleep. She couldn’t.
It was so strange being there without him. There was where he’d first undressed her. There was where he’d held her all night long. Here was where she’d sucked his cock and there was where he’d broken a lamp with his magic seeing her bruised jaw.
Really, though, everything about this was strange.
Molly paced the room, arms folded tightly around her middle—she needed something to keep herself from completely falling to pieces.
There was no hope of getting any sleep, not when all she could think of was where Allarion was, if he was safe, if he’d outrun those fae. She might’ve stayed in the stables with Bellarand if he hadn’t sent her off with Lady Aislinn and Lord Hakon. Far more gently than he’d ever spoken to her, he’d said,Make a good plan and then get some rest, titmouse. Try not to worry, Allarion can take care of himself.
That the overgrown pony was trying to be sensitive only worried her more.
After hours of hasty plans, she’d scraped all the loose skin off her lips and bitten all her nails down to the quicks.
That Bellarand was being niceandthey had a plan that wouldn’t happen until morning kept Molly pacing. Lady Aislinn and Princess Isolde had tried to coax her into eating a small dinner, but she hadn’t been able to stomach the thought of food.
Was Allarion hungry? They hadn’t taken luncheon in Mullon like they’d planned before leaving. He was always hungry at dinnertime, but what could he eat out in the forest? He didn’t know what plants were edible or poisonous. What if he was felled by a bad mushroom rather than a fae blade? What if—
A swift knock rapped against her door before Lady Aislinn’s golden head poked inside. She offered a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Stepping quietly inside, she proffered a fine linen nightgown, laying it out on the bed. “This should fit nicely,” she said, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles.
Molly’s throat closed at the simple kindness. She wanted to thank Lady Aislinn. She wanted to tell her it didn’t matter, she wouldn’t sleep anyway. She wanted to demand they leavenow.
What she managed to get past her clenched teeth was, “Everything’s ready?”
Lady Aislinn nodded, her eyes heavy with sympathy as she gazed upon Molly. “Hakon just arrived back with Balar, Theron, and several others from the village. Captain Aodhan has already found a dozen volunteers to ride out with you tomorrow, too.”
Molly swallowed hard, wishing the news would calm her roiling stomach. Nothing helped, of course, but she rationally knew this was all good news.
If she’d had her way, it’d be the entire castle garrison riding out, but Molly understood that all this put Lady Aislinn in a precarious position. They couldn’t confirm it, but the fae knights had no doubt been sent by the Fae Queen. Doing battle with a foreign queen’s warriors could be flirting with a declaration of war, which Lady Aislinn couldn’t have. However, as she put it,“The otherly folk are a different matter. As your Allarion has found, they inhabit a gray area of fealty. That includes my husband, and I of course won’t send him off without proper protection.”
At first, she hadn’t wanted to hear that they couldn’t leave immediately with every available knight to help Allarion. It’d takena good hour of calm, sensible arguments from Lady Aislinn and Lord Hakon—they had to gather their allies, they were losing the sun already, they couldn’t walk into a dangerous unknown—to finally sway her.
“There’s also been word…” Lady Aislinn delicately cleared her throat. “Mayor Doherty sent word that your cousins have asked after you. The city is already humming about your ride through the streets. I hope I haven’t overstepped, but I sent word back that you are well and will send word when you can.”
Chest seizing, Molly nodded. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I don’t want the girls to see me like this.” She didn’t mean to say it aloud, but it was the truth. Seeing the girls, feeling their alarm and worry, might break her.
Lady Aislinn bowed her head in understanding. The two women gazed at each other for a long moment, Molly sensing the heiress wished to say something else.
“I know this will feel like the longest night of your life,” Lady Aislinn said softly, taking Molly by surprise, “but do try to rest. Allarion is strong and capable, I’m sure he will handle himself.”
Another tear spilled down Molly’s cheek. “Thank you,” she croaked, “for all of this.”
“Of course. Allarion is a friend. You both are. A threat to you is a threat to all of us.” Offering another kind look, if not quite a smile, Lady Aislinn asked, “Do you wish to have company tonight or would you rather be alone?”
More tears welled, making Molly’s nose burn. Her immediate instinct swung from wanting to be alone to desperately wanting distraction and back again.
“I’ll be all right,” she said, for her benefit as much as the heiress’s, “but thank you.”
Nodding, Lady Aislinn stepped toward the door. “All right, then. Try to rest. Hakon and the others will ride out with you at dawn.”
Molly thanked her again and managed to hold in the tears until after the door shut softly behind her. The day, the ride, the plan, the kindness, all of it bore down on her in a wave of heartache.
So insulated in their little bubble of magic, the outside world seemed so far away. Allarion had sounded so sure that nothing fae could reach them here.
She was angry that he’d been wrong.
