Page 45 of Immortal Origins
“So, Casimir approved?” she asked while she ran her hands over a particularly beautiful flower the color of the deepest parts of the ocean.
The days grew colder and the nights more harsh. Nothing that would be cold enough to bother them but enough that his garden shouldn’t be in the full bloom that it was. Everyone in the palace was discarding the mid-autumn fashion for thicker alternatives as the days grew shorter and the nights longer until the temperature began to rise again in a few weeks. It didn’t surprise her that regardless of the chill in the air, his garden bloomed vibrantly. It did surprise her the amount of care it must take to maintain it.
“He seemed interested in your capabilities and encouraged us to explore where they might go.” He kept his usual distance behind her.
The closeness they experienced the other night hung silently between them but neither of them mentioned it.
A part of her wished he’d walk faster so she could feel him that close again. She could still remember the way his arms felt wrapped around her, and how effortlessly he’d swept her up into them when she needed it.She could still see the array of colors that made the blue of his eyes that she could only see when her face was inches from his. She craved that closeness again but maintained her distance.
“So, he knows what happened the other night?” she poked.
“Yes, he does.”
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
“Well,” she said thoughtfully as she sat on a bench. “That’s good. Of course, that’s good.”
Akadian looked at her as though he could see the lie staining her lips.
Ambrose tried to feign calmness as she looked at the mosaic of colored rocks that made up the pathway of his garden. “And where will we be going?”
“The edge of the Fae Forest. That should give you enough room to let your magick go to its fullest extent without worrying of a nearby village or town. It should be relatively safe.”
“That’s really far, that trip alone will take us two weeks just to get there.” Ambrose looked at him surprised.
“Actually, about a month. Maybe more. We’re going to the northern edge.”
“That’s almost to the tundra zone,” she remarked.Perfect.
“Yes, it is.” He nodded.
“Who’s going with us?” She did her best to appear as though this conversation were of no more consequence than he thought, trying to stay as calm as she could, though her heart raced in her chest.
“I’ll introduce you to them when we leave, Little Rose,” he assured.
“And when will that be?” she asked as she pricked her thumb on the thorn of a rose that she pulled from a vine. A crimson drop traced down her hand.
“Tomorrow.” He folded his arms and looked at her. “At first light.”
Chapter 18
“He almost killed her,” Akadian fumed as he slammed his fist into the wall, shaking the very foundation of the stone.How dare he touch what didn’t belong to him. The image of a cowering Thornehart flashed across his mind and a heat seared through his veins that moved through his body like a flaming river of acid. The prince wished nothing more than to release it but had nowhere to do so.
“I’m well aware.” The Grand Mage bent over his desk, lost in thought as he poured over letters in a language Akadian didn’t understand.
“I should’ve killed him.” The words rumbled from the prince’s chest.
“We both know you couldn’t. Not without orders.” Magnus shook his head. The old mage had been spending all of his spare time in his office lately. “Either way, Thornehart is of little consequence. The real concern at this point, is Casimir.”
“Yes,” Akadian agreed. “He’s growing into quite a problem.”
The Grand Mage’s study was cluttered with unusual items and papers strewn about everywhere as the mage filtered through them, searching for answers he didn’t seem to find. Frustration etched itself across his ancient features and for the first time, Akadian saw the fire master angry, as he whispered more to himself than anything, “Nothing.”
“How am I supposed to keep her alive if she won’t even listen to me? She’s going to get herself killed.” Akadian spat, but a deeper part of him flared to life in a sensation he was growing more accustomed to feeling when it came to her… “She almost—” He couldn’t finish the sentence, let alone the thought. Something deep inside him recoiled at even the possibility and the flames in his chest roared to life, begging to be released against anyone who would ever try to harm her. He told himself it was all for the mission, but he knew that as the days passed and the more he saw her fire, her tenacity, and outright defiance against those who would dare try to control her—the more hesawher.
Andgods,she was beautiful.
