Page 60 of The Silent Mountain
“I am sure she will be able to help,” I say. “Your visit was very beneficial to us. Cù Sìth shed light onto things as only someone involved with the deities can.”
“I wish we could have done more,” Aza says. “But we know so little.”
“I would advise looking into the cult once more,” Shayan says.
“But didn’t we destroy it last year?” I ask.
“Yes, the main base,” Shayan mutters. “But I don’t know… I was there, and it was incredibly well organized. There is a possibility that they had a plan in case things went astray. Maybe members escaped, or they have another branch somewhere else.”
“It’s a possibility,” Aza says. “Though I’d hate it if it's true.”
“I am with Shay on this,” Ty says, surprisingly earnest. “It’s too much of a coincidence for me that suddenly the dragons get targeted, right after the wolves did. I have heard bothersome information from other realms to boot.”
“It might have only started with the wolves,” Shayan adds. “Fact is, we don’t know their exact motivations. Maybe they truly just followed their leader back then, and that was it. Maybe the nameless threat you are currently facing is something completely different. But let’s make sure of that first, and digging deeper into the cult is much easier done than following new traces.”
I take his advice more than seriously. Shayan used to be the general and advisor of the human realm and was even trained to be a spy. He is one of the most capable men I know. It’s definitely smart to listen to him.
“We will do our own research in the kingdom,” Aza reassures me.
“Thank you,” I say. “It means a lot to me.”
“You are my sister-in-law,” Aza says. “It goes without saying that we will help. Besides, the dragons and Favian, personally, helped us so much last year. Without Favian, we would not have won against the cult. We will not leave them hanging now.”
I hug her. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“Endellion will be very happy when I tell him how well you are doing,” she says. “He is always worried about his siblings.”
“Can’t shake off being a big brother,” I chuckle. “Tell him I am fine and that although I miss him and everyone, I really am happy here.”
Azadeh shows me her radiant smile and nods.
“Are you staying for a while longer?” I ask hopefully.
“I have decided to stay until Erin arrives. I know her personally, and I guess her arrival might go smoother if I am around,” Aza says.
I let out a sigh of relief. “Yes, I strongly believe that too.”
“Five minutes break, finally,” Favian sighs when he joins me late afternoon. The clan has just wrapped up their wake, and everyone went home, with only a very few dragon shifters still around. I helped with the clean-up and also spent time with our guests to make sure they were well attended to. It will be a while until I see Ty and Azadeh again, so I want to make the best of this situation.
Now, I am taking a break in one of the private royal chambers. Most rooms here have a balcony attached to them, something I love. It’s just so humbling and fascinating to stand outside. The thick walls of the high castle are behind me, and the mountains and gorges right in front. It makes me feel small, but not in a bad way. More like my fate is just one small part of the whole world, and that my problems are solvable. They seem small, eye to eye, with such a majestic view.
Favian wraps his arms around me from behind, making me melt into his embrace.
“You are like a fresh breath of air,” he says. “You just emit so much life and energy. It’s like you can pull everyone along.”
His words mean more to me than any shallow compliment. I never cared for someone’s looks or if they sweet-talked me. I just like to click with people, and I do with him.
“Since you are already so open and vulnerable…“ I start.
Favian snorts. “Very curious where this is heading now.”
“… how about you fulfill your promise and tell me why you don’t like Stefan?”
“I was hoping you would forget to ask,” he says dryly.
“What made you think that?” I turn in his arms and chuckle. “I have done very well containing my curiosity for weeks if not months. It’s not just that you don’t seem to like him. The other clan members don’t seem to particularly appreciate him either, except for Frederick and Barbara maybe.”
“Alright, alright, you win,” he says, brushing his thumb over my cheek and putting a strand of my wild hair behind my ear. “Hair like fire,” he mutters, “so beautiful.” He shakes his head as if to remind himself to focus. “So, Stefan and I. Stefan used to be my father’s advisor back then. You knew that, didn’t you?”
