Page 82 of The Silent Mountain
“The former queen, Sine, maybe it runs in her blood. I don’t think she is of witch blood, but she is a scholar and very gifted. You are said to be her spitting image, not just in terms of looks. You might have inherited more from her than you think.”
“You are saying it’s a good thing, but doesn’t it make me weak?” Alana asks. “Or rather vulnerable?”
“Every talent and gift comes with a downside,” Erin says. “Think of your sister-in-law, Queen Azadeh, and how she grew up feared and shunned. You just need to learn how to block outside forces from your mind.”
To my surprise, Alana chuckles. “That easy, huh?”
Erin smiles. “We will work on it. I also assume being in the vicinity of your mate enhances your natural gifts. It’s the beauty of the mate bond.”
“Something blocked our connection earlier,” I tell Erin. “That was very worrisome. How can that happen? Alana wasn’t that far away from me. I should have still been able to link her and vice versa.”
“That’s worrying indeed,” Erin mutters. “Even unmarked, your connection should be strong enough. An outer force must have blocked you. Once you mark each other, your connection might be stronger, though I can’t say for certain.”
Alana sighs, with a tired expression on her face. I can barely fathom how she must feel. She is so far away from her home, and in such a short period of time, she has been attacked twice. I feel a pang of guilt in my chest. It’s my lands, my kingdom. What kind of king can’t protect his mate?
“I am getting cold again,” Alana says into the silence.
“We will return immediately,” I say, gesturing for the warrior who has been waiting a respectful distance to come closer. “Take Erin and Cassie back home,” I instruct him before looking at the two women. “Thank you, Erin,” I say. “And Cassie, you did well today.”
Cassie’s eyes widen in joy. “Did I really?” she blurts out.
“Yes, you did,” Erin chuckles. “Come, dear, let’s return home.” She tosses a look at Alana and me. “I will research this further.”
“So will I,” I say.
“There is something else, Your Highness,” she says. “It might be too early to tell you, but I can’t keep it from you. Cassie and I are currently testing potential antidotes to whatever sickness Barbara has. I was able to analyze her blood and how it reacts to the virus. While we still don’t know what it is, I can work with that knowledge.”
“We can’t make a potion for Babs yet,” Cassie says, excitement in her voice. “But we could do a prophylaxis for the healthy clan members.”
Alana gapes. “That would be amazing!”
“I agree.” At least we could protect the rest of the clan that way.
“The queen needs to return to the warmth of the castle,” Erin says. “Please make sure she takes a hot bath to warm up further.”
twenty-six
His
*ALANA*
WhileErinandCassiemanaged to warm me up a bit, it was still not enough to shake the cold off completely. However, once inside the castle and in our chambers, I feel warmth creeping into me again. It will only be better once I am in the bath. Favian has a beautiful bath, almost like a small indoor pond, like nothing I have ever seen before. He told me it was one of the Fae kings who gifted it to him.
My gaze shifts back to Favian. He found me! I was in the darkness, and yet, he found me. “Do you want to join me?”
Favian looks up at me, surprised. “Where?”
When I struggled in the ocean, everything was so clear to me. It’s easy, surprisingly easy. “In the bath,” I say.
Favian doesn’t answer, he simply walks to me, takes my hand and pulls me toward his bath. I laugh. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure you don’t change your mind,” he says, his usually serious face looking mischievous all of a sudden.
I can’t help but grab him and pull him into a kiss. “I won’t,” I say, before letting go and getting out of the spare clothes Erin had brought along. I thought I would feel self-conscious being completely naked in front of him, but I just feel a twinge of excitement. Crossing my arms behind my back, I turn around, cocking my head playfully. “And you?” I say.
“By Aengus,” Favian mutters. “I should make sure to throw you into the ocean more often. Such a lovely side-effect.”
“Don’t you dare!”
