Page 158 of Beneath a Shattered Sky
“He isn’t in the afterlife,” I remind her, trying to inject some gentleness into my tone, but probably failing. “His spirit is haunting the people he cared about in life while he waits for the Wild Hunt to take him to the Otherworld at Samhain. You’d be giving him something to do.”
How many spirits have I seen carrying out the same routines that governed them in life, over and over, just to stave off the reality of death?
Rose jerks like I’ve struck her, and I grimace as the fir boughs in a vase across the hall ignite and turn to ash in the space of a second.
Goddess damn it.
“If that’s true,” she says, voice hitching. “Then why is he keeping his distance?”
“I assume he’s keeping out of sight so as not to upset your mortal sensibilities.” But it’s much harder for the dead to hide from me. “He hasn’t left you for longer than a day since his death.”
She’s taking this the wrong way. I can see the incorrect leaps in logic her thoughts are taking in the way her violet eyes glimmer with emotion.
“Rhoswyn,” I mutter. “Wherever your mind just went, I assure you, you’re wrong.”
Kitarni is giving me alookover her forkful of vegetables, the kind one gives to an errant child, but my attention is diverted as a familiar silhouette catches the corner of my eye.
Hawkith.
“You should head to the temple,” I blurt, all thoughts of fixing the mess forgotten in the face of the very real danger that is my mother. “Take Bricriu with you. Now.”
The last is a snapped whisper, cutting off her protest before it can begin. Bree sweeps an arm out, ushering her away, and the high priestess abandons her food to follow them. They barely make it from the room before my mother reaches me.
I’m more than aware of the eyes of the rest of our table on our interaction, along with the eyes of everyone else.
No doubt Cedwyn will be informed of this ‘collusion’ in minutes.
It’s hard not to let my aggravation show. She knew this public approach would send waves, just like she knows the clips in her hair are a few gems away from being regarded as a crown.
Once again, she’s trying to pull me into a battle for a throne I don’t want. Worse. This time she’s trying to drag Rose into it too.
“Son, I was hoping to speak to your Nicnevin.”
“She’s occupied. You’ll have to speak with me.”
Lore’s head is bouncing between the two of us, his grin ludicrously wide. No doubt the redcap is getting off on my discomfort.
“I’m hosting a small dinner tonight. I’ve been eager to spend time with my daughter-by-mating.”
The words are warm, but her tone is just as frosty as everything else in this court.
“I’ll inform her.” And at the same time, I’ll tell her she won’t be going.
“Good. Torrance had some interesting claims. It would be a shame if she was unprepared for the allegations she’s facing.”
It’s a ruse. A carefully worded poke designed to get under my skin and play on the protective instincts mates have. I can’t let her win.
But if thereissomething we need to know…
My spine stiffens infinitesimally. “If there’s a threat to the Nicnevin, you’d do well to inform her Guard.”
I can’t let my own history with the woman who birthed me blind me to anything that might put Rose in danger.
“So we can peel their eyeballs,” Lore pipes up, unhelpfully.
Jaromir’s palm comes up to smack his forehead in an unnecessary display of exasperation.
Hawkith offers Lore a small smile. “I’ll discuss it with Nicnevin Rhoswyn. Oh, and, Redcap? My offer still stands.”
