A Deal with the Elf King (Married to Magic, #1)(80)

“Understandable.”

“Yes, and as the brother of the king, he has leeway in such matters that other lords may not be given.” I resist the urge to say that any lord should be allowed to be home for the birth of his child. Luckily, Eldas continues before I risk insulting his people and their ways. “But he has offered to host us at Westwatch before the coronation. It’s his way of an apology, and trying to endear himself to the new queen.” Eldas glances at me. “I haven’t told him that you will be gone soon.”

Don’t look at me with such longing, I want to beg. I can already hear the stress fractures forming in my heart. They crackle like ice too thin. They crackle like the feelings he wove in me without me realizing.

“You think I’ll actually manage to do it?” I run my finger along the spine of the journal.

“If anyone can, it’s you,” Eldas says softly, his voice deep with emotion. “And you’re right in that it must be done. The queen’s power is diminishing… I cannot take another day of you dying before my eyes. The cycle must end and you have to leave.”

My breath catches in my throat. He worries for me. He’s doubled down on his support of my mission to end the cycle. Yet the way he says those words, almost expectant, almost waiting to see if I contradict him—like there’s some way out of this that will allow me to stay…

A voice whispers in the back of my mind, This is what you wanted, isn’t it?

Well, Luella, is it?

“In any case, I don’t have a good reason to reject my brother,” Eldas continues in the wake of my silence.

“Will the throne be all right if I leave?”

“We’ll charge it once more before we depart,” he answers solemnly. “But regardless of Midscape’s situation, you need a break from it. You won’t be effective if you keep pushing like this.”

I can’t argue. Just like I still can’t bring my eyes to his. “I’ll pack my things. When do we leave?”

“In a week.” One week more to work, then we travel for who knows how long. Another week, maybe? That will only leave me about two more weeks before the coronation and my deal with Eldas running out. “Unless…”

“Unless?” I look to him and he seems startled by my sudden eagerness.

“Unless you and I leave a little early,” he says gingerly, eyes searching.

“Where would we go?”

“There’s something I think you would enjoy and that should rejuvenate you.”

“Is that all you’ll tell me?”

“Yes, I think so.” The corners of his lips are pulled into a smile. “I was denied showing you my castle. Willow beat me to sharing the conservatory with you.” I resist informing him that he could’ve shown me the castle at any point in those early days. But things between us were different then. It’s astounding how much they changed in a handful of weeks. “I would like to share this with you.”

His fingertips trail lightly from my shoulder to my elbow, resting there as he waits for my response. I shiver, but not from the cold. Suddenly I’m burning. I realize I want that lazy touch of his everywhere. I want his icy fingers on my arms, my legs, my stomach…

“Yes.” The word is almost a croak. My tongue has gone heavy and useless. “I would like to see this surprise.”

His face lights up brighter than the dawn rising on his cheeks the morning he stayed on my settee. “Then we will leave in the morning.”

“In the morning? That soon?”

“It’ll take about a day to get there. And then another day out to Westwatch.” Eldas steps away, starting for the door with almost giddy strides. My chest bubbles at the sight of him like this—knowing that I had a part in making him so happy. “And I think you’ll want to spend more than a night there.”

“All right.” I can’t help but laugh. “I’ll pack my things tonight.”

“And I will see you at first light.”





Chapter 29





A gilded carriage awaits us in the long tunnel that stretches underneath the castle and through the mountain range surrounding Quinnar. Eldas informed me when he came to collect me that we would be riding by carriage. “I want you to know how you could get there without me,” he explained when I questioned why we wouldn’t just Fadewalk.

It only made me more curious as to where “there” is.

I’ve brought only one bag with me—a piece of luggage I found in my closet. My single bag is loaded by the footmen onto the back of the carriage on top of several others.

I cast a look Eldas’s way but hold comment until we’re in the carriage. “Do you think you packed enough?”

“I suspected you would pack too little. So I was certain to have the servants pack extra for you, just in case. You can thank me when you’re appropriately dressed in Westwatch.” Eldas settles into his seat and I stifle a laugh at his playful smugness. The carriage looked large enough on the outside. But, somehow, our thighs are still touching on the bench within. There’s another seat opposite, but he chose to sit next to me.

I try and ignore the solid presence of him at my side. The effort becomes easier as the carriage jostles forward, plodding down the long tunnel and emerging into the sunlight at the far end. I push aside the heavy velvet curtains, pressing my nose to the glass as we emerge along the winding road between the fields I’ve seen for weeks from the windows of my room.