Page 18 of Bound By Stardust
I shrugged. “Not great.”
“But no longer drugged?”
“No.” I frowned, trying to work out how to start this awkward conversation.
Drazhan lifted the lids off the trays, and the scent of roasted meat made my mouth water. “At least sit and eat, and we can discuss.”
I reclined on the couch in front of him and filled my plate. The food of High Terrin was delectable: roasted meat that melted in my mouth, bread still hot from the ovens, fresh fruit and vegetables, and wine, although I only drank water to ease my recovery. The food masked the scent in the air, but underneath that constant floral scent was a hint of dark rot.
As I ate, I considered how to broach the topic of our marriage and what was expected of me in High Terrin, but broad ideas bounced around in my mind until I finally settled on one. “Tell me; how long did you live here before you ended up in the boneyard?”
Drazhan’s golden eyes held mine, a seriousness in his steady gaze. “First, Asira, I need to explain. I’m not one of them, not one of the Masters of High Terrin.”
“So you’ve said,” I nodded. “I remember.”
“Yes, I told you I was sent here on a quest to discover what was wrong with the Masters and destroy them.”
I nodded again; these were all things he’d told me before.
Drazhan took a deep breath. “Then you should know this room we’re in, it’s not mine. During the tithe, I flew up here to take my revenge on the one who cast me down. His name was Iscariot. I took his place, his mask, his room, and…I had no idea it was his turn to take a mate at the tithe, and I didn’t know that you’d been chosen.”
I sat down the plate of food, my stomach in knots.
Drazhan leaned forward and dropped his voice. “I wanted to bring you here with me, but I needed to ensure it was safe first, and I couldn’t remember exactly what had happened to me.”
“But you do now?” I confirmed.
He nodded, and his gaze shifted away, as though he had something to hide. Another wave of disquiet came over me, and I picked up a goblet of water, just to give myself something else to focus on.
I studied the room as I waited, giving him a chance to tell me more. The wardrobe was open, displaying rows of beautiful clothes. Half of them were robes, the other half of them dresses, all meant for a woman.Me?
If not for Drazhan, I would have been wed to Iscariot, and I wondered what kind of bridegroom he would have made. Then there was the drug, and if the Masters were using drugs, something wasverywrong. I turned my attention back to Drazhan, desperate to make sense of what was happening in High Terrin.
Drazhan finally spoke, his voice haunted. “When I was here before, investigating the Masters, I discovered their true identity, what they look like behind their masks.”
“I thought they looked like you,” I said.
“So did I, but they don’t. There’s a reason they hide behind their masks.”
My brows furrowed. “Because they are hideous?”
“Monstrous, in fact. I didn’t remember until I confronted Iscariot, and it all came whirling back. When I met you, I had the sense you could help me, and we could work together to unravel the secrets of the Masters.”
I frowned. “Why me?”
“Because you’re the Stardust Collector, and you have fae blood.”
My back went stiff, and my jaw worked. “How do you know?” I whispered.
“I’ve seen your pointed ears, and you have healing power in your fingertips. I’m certain it was you who woke me in the boneyard, who brought me back to life.”
My lips thinned. “I can’t raise the dead.”
“No, but I am immortal, and when wounded, I sleep for a long time unless awoken. My body wasn’t fully knitted back together, but all the same, I felt you.”
Me. I blinked and leaned back, refusing to look at him. “Yes, I am a healer, but how does that help you up here?”
“Because you’re also fae, an old enemy of the Masters. It was said that during the war, the fae learned the secrets of the Masters and how to destroy them, which is partially why the Masters took to the skies: to escape.”
