Page 36 of Faeling
In his bed,Oberon confirmed, and Ravenna could hear the echo of his gleeful whinny.Well, go on. What kind of mate is he?
An overbearing one. Like someone else I know.
Good. Perhapshewill finally talk some sense into you.
I don’t intend to tell him, nanny goat.
Ravenna—
Severing the connection, she disentangled from the coverletand threw her legs over the side of the bed. It wasn’t an insignificant hop down to the ground; the bed was sized for an orc, a big orc, and so the mattress with its bedding rose to her chest. She’d likely need steps to get back in it—or a running start.
Notthat she’d be getting back into it, of course.
Straightening out the linen robe Brynhíl had put her in after the bath and finger combing her hair, Ravenna padded silently around the bed to peek past the threshold.
Vallek’s quarters were luxurious and included several rooms, all branching from a short central hall. The four main rooms—the bedchamber, den, the front antechamber that he used as a meeting room, and what she presumed was an office of some kind—were clustered like clover leaves around the hall, with a door to a smaller space in between their arched thresholds. One such door led down to his private bath, another to a garderobe, the third into an expansive closet of all his finery, and the fourth was the door leading outside.
Ravenna couldn’t help peering long and hard at that most elusive door. It wasn’t even that far away. She could likely reach it before he even thought to catch her. The problem was, she’d run right into the waiting arms of the guards posted on the other side.
She’d have to find another means of escape, then. What she planned to do beyond that…she didn’t truly know. Leaving Balmirra entirely was out of the question. She’d spent too much time on this plan; everything was already in motion. And…she wasn’t sure how long her mind would last against the gnashing instinct to be near him.
It’d been one thing when she was hidden away. Seeing him now and then for a friendly game while touching herself to thoughts of him had seemed to be enough. Now, though, that allchanged. Now, her instinct drove her out of the bedchamber in search of him.
Before turning into the den, the sound of voices met her ears. Ravenna stopped by the side of the archway leading in, concealing herself in shadow.
Her mother always said listening at doors was rude, but Aine likely never imagined her daughter in such a situation.
She could tell by the happy way her magic hummed inside her that Vallek was near. Two female voices accompanied his within the den, and Ravenna held her breath to hear better.
“It certainly complicates matters,” said one voice. Definitely Lady Eydis.
“I don’t see why,” said the other. “All kin know the beast has the final say. No one will argue with it.” This one took Ravenna a moment, but she guessed from the easy way all three of them spoke that the second voice was Captain Asta, Vallek’s younger sister.
“They will argue when they see she’s a fae,” said Eydis.
“Half-fae,” Vallek corrected.
A pause, in which Ravenna could imagine Eydis shooting her brother the kind of look only eldest sisters managed. “Half or not, shelooksfae. There will be suspicions. Ulrich is already against her, even knowing she’s your mate.”
Asta huffed. “Ulrich has always had a stick up his—”
“He’sloyal,” Eydis interrupted. “That’s what matters.”
“Perhaps too loyal,” Vallek ruminated.
“There’s no such thing.”
“There is too,” insisted Asta. “I agree with Vallek. These past few years, Ulrich has been…fervent in his loyalty.”
Another pause, then Eydis said, “We aren’t discussing him right now. More important is your new mate.”
“She can glamour herself, right? Just have her wear a human face. Or even an orcess’s!”
“And keep up the ruse for the rest of her life?” Eydis scoffed.
“Fine. Then get some cosmetics and make her the right complexion.”
“These are good suggestions,” Vallek said diplomatically, “but will only bandage the wound, not heal it. There must be something more definitive.”
