Page 29 of #Resort Love
“And?” he grunted, quickly annoyed by my hesitance.
“And her name is Sybil,” I shared warily. “She’s the child I watched over after I bound her magic years ago in Mide.”
His head whipped to me, our eyes meeting. Those dark crimson eyes bored into mine and I slightly winced. He knew how protective I was of her. Though he never understood why, he never questioned it—never questionedmewhen I would slip into Mide to make sure she was okay. I glanced back to Sybil, snarling quietly when I caught Ambrose kissing her hand.
My throat tightened when her blush grew darker. “Ambrose found her, somehow, without my knowledge. He is planning something regarding her, though I do not know what that is. My informant is keeping a close eye on it, but I have a feeling he is going to trick her into a bargain. He already tried it once, when she lost control of her magic in front of her fiancé and father.”
My eyes never left Ambrose as he pulled Sybil from her seat into his chest. I watched her linger in his arms before they made their way out of the patisserie. A silent growl left me, hot anger lacing through my veins. Vines began to curl from the table, making the male raise an eyebrow. When Ambrose and Sybil cut around the corner, I finally looked away, exhaling. I felt his eyes on me, and when I met them, they were filled with an amused interest, which only grew when I noticed the vines blooming along the table. Cursing, I flattened my hand against the table, making the vines disappear back into the worn wood.
Running a hand down my face, I leaned back into the chair before I quietly explained everything that had happened since finding Sybil. From her loss of control, the odd blood cells thatpulsed or morphed, the raw power of her magic, to the queen’s memories that she shared. By the end of my telling, the glint in his eyes had turned dangerous.
“Is she going to be a threat?” he asked flatly. His eyes were sharp, almost lethal, tracking every move I made, every expression.
Not wanting to answer, I took a long pull of beer, letting the taste of bitter hops soothe my nerves. “Yes, and no,” I finally answered, my stomach twisting with the words. “Like I said, she doesn’t know how to use her magic, and she can be a bit hot-headed, which will make her dangerous to anyone that provokes her. But watching her over the years, I know she will be on our side once she understands more about this world—about Ambrose. She’s kind and has a good head on her shoulders; she just needs to learn how to control her magic. My informant and I will do our best to protect her from whatever Ambrose is planning. However, you should prepare yourself in case his plan succeeds.”
Grunting, the male looked to the rebel closest to us, her short black hair bobbing when she jumped from her seat, quickly leaving the tavern through the kitchen. “Thanks for the information,” he said gruffly, pulling out a coin and tossing it to me. “Have another one on me,” he said teasingly before leaving through the kitchen.
I scoffed, watching the rest of the rebels drain their cups before they stood and walked through those doors, following him out of the tavern. Waving to the barkeep for another pint, I relaxed into the chair, watching while the fae of Volmire made their way to different shops. The barkeep placed another pint on the table, picking up the coin that I had left at the edge. Feeling him linger, I gave him a sidelong glance, noticing afolded paper in his hand. My eyes narrowed at him, and I hesitantly took the note, watching as he walked back to the bar.
Opening the note, I barked a laugh at the messy handwriting telling me to get my sorry ass home before anyone noticed my absence and to visit the camp later this week. Tucking the note in my jacket, I quickly finished my beer and made my way back to the palace.
Chapter 17
Kieran
The tavern door slammed shut behind me when amber eyes found mine, blocking the way toward the alley. Groaning, I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. This girl was going to be the death of me. “Didn’t I order you to help Vivi around the camp?” My voice had more bite to it than I intended, but this female seriously needed to learn to listen to orders.
“You needed someone to make sure the alleyways stayed cleared,” Amara shrugged. “I figured I could help.”
Opening my eyes, I narrowed them at her, ignoring the ridiculous grin she wore. “And are they?” I sighed, fighting the urge to strangle her. The city was dangerous for those of usnotinvited. If the guards had caught her without Volmire identification, they would have dragged her back to the palace for questioning.
“Are they what?” Amara blinked up at me.
This fucking girl.
“Are they clear?” I growled, quickly losing the battle to keep my hands to myself.
“Oh,” she giggled. She fucking giggled. “All clear and ready for us to head back to camp!” Her voice rang out, echoing down the stone walls.
Amara’s head whipped toward the empty back street, grimacing. Cautiously turning back to me, she shyly looked up, whispering an apology. A dark hand reached out, playfully hitting her on the back of the head. Orin stepped beside her as she rubbed the pain away, putting his hands on her shoulders and leading her down the walkway, scolding her. My lips twitched, wanting to curve into a smile when her shoulders dipped, but I pushed back on the impulse.
We left the side street in small groups, dispersing to conceal ourselves within the crowded streets, steering clear of the guards posted along the sidewalks. We timed our movements, allowing each group enough space to find the hidden passageway that led out into the city without being noticed, courtesy of Samian.
As their leader, I lingered in the entrance of the alley, waiting until the last of the group filtered away and counted the minutes as they passed by until it was finally my turn to leave. Once it was time, I gave the passageway one final glance, thinking of the woman in the sweet shop with that bastard.
The moment I saw her, I couldn’t look away. Those hazel eyes entranced me in a way that I had never felt before. It was like she had this pull that I was completely powerless against. It was all I could do to keep myself planted on that bench, to stop myself from marching in the cafe and stealing her away from Ambrose. It was a struggle that I was losing until Samian entered the tavern, until I saw him eyeing her with the sameintensity I felt when he saw the kiss Ambrose had pressed against her delicate hand.
Shaking my head, I focused back to the busy street in front of me. Time was up and I needed to move, to slip unseen along the horses, carts, and faeries of Volmire until I reached the hidden passage.
Stepping into the crowd, I crept along the streets, following the waves of people until I reached the door of the passageway. Entering the dark corridor, I silently continued along the path until the light of the exit blinded my eyes. Blinking, I let my vision clear while scanning the vast green surrounding me.
Luckily for us, the guards didn’t roam the fields outside of Volmire’s city gates, which gave us free rein to travel back and forth from the forest. I walked along the small hills of the meadow until I found the worn path along the shadows of the forest.
Before stepping between the trees, I paused at the threshold and closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the woods. There were creatures here that were dangerous even to me. With the large group heading back to the camp, it was a sure way to attract unwanted attention. It was another reason why we separated into small groups, why some of the rebels traveled along the treetops while those that could used their magic to transfer themselves to the gates of the camp.
The forest remained silent, though I could feel the scrutiny of hidden eyes wrapping around me. Sighing, I stepped into the dark shroud of the trees, carefully heeding every crunch of leaves, the creaking of wood, and the sharp calls of the birds.
It didn’t take long to find my way out of the forest, to find myself standing in front of the rusted gate blocking the entrance to the estate once used by the royal family. The gates groaned open, revealing Amara and Orin waiting for me on theother side. The latter had his face tilted toward the sky, irritation rippling across his features.
