Page 143 of Sweetling
A comely blush pinkened her cheeks. “I like being Lady Scarborough.”
“There is none other who could be the mistress of Scarborough.”
That earned him another smile, and he obliged when she leaned her head back for a kiss.
With his beautifulazaion his arm and her taste on his lips, Allarion led them down to await their guests.
The day turned into a pleasant one, just on the right side of warm with nary a cloud in the sky. Guests meandered the grounds and the first floor, admiring the newly finished rooms and partaking in the finger foods Molly had worked hard to prepare over the past days.
He was still learning about humans—and half-orcs, manticores, harpies, and dragons—but Allarion thought everyone was enjoying themselves. None more so than the house, which kept the small crowd of guests entertained with music and guided them to different rooms with cheery knocks of its shutters.
Even Bellarand and his small herd of unicorns—the two surviving dread-mounts of the triad, a dark chestnut bay named Achaiös and a dappled gray stallion named Tulare—had joined the festivities, allowing the children and women to fawn over them. The two unicorns were far more amiable than Bellarand, although all three enjoyed the admiration of those brave enough to draw near.
In another surprise, Molly had been able to bond with both unicorns, and through her bond with them, all the inhabitants of Scarborough estate were able to communicate. It made for a loud mind when there was a fresh shipment of carrots, but with practice, Allarion and Molly had learned to block the worst of the unicorns’ quibbling.
Perhaps because she wasn’t a female fae, Molly was able to forge the bond. Perhaps it was the uniqueness of Scarborough. Allarion wasn’t entirely sure, although he suspected it was the first of many surprises to come as he too learned more about the ramifications of a lone fae weaving his magic into a new land and taking a humanazai.
Achaiös and Tulare offered Bellarand company—and, honestly, someone to lord over—and Molly protection. Overall, it pleased Allarion.
It was a small good to come of the triad’s attack.
The scars on his body and the unicorns were the only proof that the attack had ever happened. Upon waking from his long sleep, he learned from Hakon that the other bodies had already disappeared, subsumed into the earth itself. It was a reminder that the forest was an inherently wild place, one that did not subscribe to human or fae morals. The forest gave and it could take, too.
While it may have given his honor peace to bury the triad in the traditional way, say rites over them and burn sweet sage to cleanse their spirits, Allarion understood that the forest had sacrificed to help heal him. It claimed the bodies and their magic for itself, and Allarion could only hope that, in some small way, it meant the fae and unicorn would live on, free of Amaranthe.
Something he hoped for all his kind one day.
And that day was closer now that the house was complete, the bond with the estate secure.
Today was about reintroducing Scarborough to their friends and allies. It was about Molly taking her place as the lady of the estate. Yet it was also for Allarion to finally decide on who he would ask to steward the estate while he and Molly were away.
He’d underestimated Amaranthe’s reach and spite, only making him want to fulfill his promise to Maxim all the more. With themagic woven and the bond formed, Allarion felt it was time for Ravenna to come home. He had to hope that, despite no further signs or threats from the faelands, she was still safe in her bower. Allarion wouldn’t leave it to chance much longer.
A heavy slap to the shoulder jarred him from his thoughts, and Allarion turned to look upon Balar, grinning at him in that leonine way of his. His tunic sleeves had been shorn short to show off his tawny, bulging arms, and the seams strained with how tightly it clung to his wide chest. His mane and wings had been groomed to a high shine, as were the scales of his tail and leather of his boots.
All the manticore pride swaggered around the estate, trying to catch the eye of every available female in attendance. When she’d seen them, Molly had just rolled her eyes.“Just keep them away from the girls. Nora is at the right age to make wrong decisions.”
Thankfully, the manticores were gentle and friendly with the children, saving their lustier looks for any adult woman who crossed their paths—even the ones with graying hair.
Perhaps they should sleep outside,Allarion considered.
And have them stink up the forest with their pheromones? I think not,scoffed Bellarand.
“An excellent gathering, my friend,” said Balar, slapping Allarion’s shoulder again.
“Thank you for coming. It pleases me to have you visit finally.”
Allarion had initially thought of Balar and his brothers to watch the estate, but now he was thinking Theron and his half-sister Briseis would be the safer option. He worried under the manticores, Scarborough would become little more than a den of iniquity.
Bellarand snorted.As if you aren’t up to plenty of iniquity yourselves.
You’re just jealous,Molly quipped.
Allarion bit back a smile, soothed by the voice of hisazai. Last he’d seen her, she’d been off to show her little cousins the library. Merry, the scholarly girl, had practically bounced as Molly led the way into the house.
“It’s good to see you up and about,” Balar continued. “You gave your female quite the scare.”
“She takes good care of me.”
