Page 207 of Golden Queen
Their faces were twin visages of heartbreaking beauty. Full, wide lips under a thin, graceful nose, slightly upturned at the tip. Huge, gray-blue eyes alight with what could only be described as mischief.
“Manners, children!” A large, broad-shouldered man with intense dark eyes and a face covered by a well-trimmed gray beard, pushed around the twins.
The almost predatory smile on his gorgeous face would've had me backing away if not for his eyes. They were full of a friendly sort of appeal.
"Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you," he said, bowing his head and shoulders respectfully. "I am Edris Cenarion, and these two mannerless fools are indeed Ashdarrow and Everard Belyikan. The one lurking in the back is Ectr of Raintree."
I looked to the doorway to see a tall blonde with striking features. The face, at once masculine and feminine with wide-set eyes and solid grey sclera, was blank and expressionless.
They wore a long dove-gray cloak that shimmered silvery when they moved.
A Wyllan, I realized, recalling the ethereal Nefr, also of Raintree, that I’d met in the Darkwatch camp outside Albiyn.
Ectr slid into the training room, gliding over the floor so smoothly it looked like their feet were not even moving.
They bowed and smiled, and it was a warm smile. It changed their blank, vacant gaze to one of joy. "We are pleased to meet the future Lady of Darkwatch—the one who has captivated the cold, dead heart of our lord."
I stared at Ectr, wide eyed, until Edris laughed uncomfortably. "A joke, my Lady," he explained.
"Yes," Ectr said with wide, unblinking eyes. They laughed in a way that made me think it was the first time they ever had. "A joke."
My laughter was not forced as I realized ithadbeen an attempt at humor.
Ash and Ever came forward, both seeming to decide to move at the same time, with no outward signal. "But to be fair—" one of them said.
"—we all despaired of Amon ever actually settling down," the other one finished as though it had been one singular thought.
Edris gave them a look. "Shut up, children. You will scare her away, and then he will remain the miserable bastard he has always been until the end of time."
I sputtered laughter, surprised at the way they humorously mocked him. "It’s not so easy to scare me away," I said.
"Ah, yes," Edris said, eyeing my sword. "That was something quite unbelievable."
I turned to look at the training dummy that was in pieces across the floor. "Oh, well, thank you," I said.
I didn’t even balk at taking credit for the skill instead of admitting I’d found myself in possession of an enchanted blade by way of a magical sexy escapade in a cave.
"We're sorry to interrupt you, My Lady," Edris added. "We thought to do some training. We did not realize you would be using the chamber."
"Please, call me Aelia," I told him. "And don't let me stop you. I’m finished…and not entirely sure I should be here, in the first place."
Edris returned the smile and tilted his chin assessingly. "You are soon to be Lady of Darkwatch, Aelia. The Reach is yours. You will find there is not aplace in it that you should not be—nor a dragon rider here who would not give their life for yours."
"You honor me, sir," I said, speaking truthfully. His words had given me such an immediate feeling of acceptance that I very nearly hugged him.
I was glad I had not done so as I heard a voice behind me from the opposite door. "What are you rutting beasts doing here with my lady?" His tone was good-natured.
I turned to see a smile on Io’s face as he stalked into the room.
The smile died a slow death as he saw me, though. I couldn’t understand why until I followed his gaze to my chest and saw the way the sweaty shirt was sticking to my breasts.
I rolled my eyes. It was not that bad. He came straight to me and turned me fully behind him, staring down at me with a muscle twitching in his jaw. "Get out!" he told the dragon riders coldly, not taking his eyes off me.
I heard a laugh from one of the twins.
"Right away, Lord," Edris said with humor in his voice.
"We enjoyed meeting you, My Lady Aelia," came Ectr's musical, monotonous voice.
