It wasn’t like him to be so dismissive with me. Did that mean he was in the middle of something and just couldn’t talk to me? Or that he wouldn’t? Those were two vastly different scenarios.
I felt down the bond for his location, wanting to know if he was with his father, and instinctively knew he was on the way back but wasn’t through the last wall to Kavan Keep yet. Though I had felt less of his emotions the farther from me he went, I had still been able to feel his location even from within Nerede.
Meanwhile Owen was snoring next to me on the bed. I wanted to be amused that the book in his lap was a considerable distance from the spot he’d been reading to me, but I was also worried about whatever I felt coming from Krew.
I gave Owen a slight shove.
He jerked awake, soldier mode immediately. “What is it?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really know. I woke feeling anguish from Krew and he told me he isn’t okay, but he is also not being harmed. He said he’d be back to the castle within an hour.”
Owen cocked his head. “If things got aggressive in Nerede, you’d think you would have felt it long before now.”
“Unless he is just finally within range of the emotional part of our bond or something,” I added.
“The king sent more than thirty guards with him so it shouldn’t have gotten violent.” Owen gave his head a shake and moved to stand up. “Well, I guess let’s ring for some sandwiches and wait. Since there is nothing more we can do.”
I bit down on the inside of my cheek. I didn’t like this. I didn’t like this at all.
I’m worried. Can you tell me anything more about what is going on?I pleaded.
I will when I get there.
Why can’t you now?
Because I want to be next to you to discuss this.
My shoulders slumped in utter defeat. It was bad. Whatever we needed to discuss was bad enough I was feeling Krew’s emotional turmoil over it, and he wanted to wait until he could see me until he told me what it was. I tended to think of our bond, the ability to feel Krew’s emotions, as a good thing, a way of protecting our relationship and each other. But it also made it nearly impossible to keep things from each other. And in cases like this, when some things are just better said face to face, it could be bothersome.
I quickly filled Owen in.
“Can’t be worse than yesterday, can it?”
I groaned. “Please do not tempt fate like that. He’s enough of a prick as is.”
Owen’s chin went back. “How do you know fate is ahe?”
I squinted at him. “Because all the biggest pains in my ass are.”
Owen took a drink of his water as he went to set it on the tray for the staff. “Fair.”
The next hour passed slowly. I was barely able to eat at all despite Owen’s constant badgering. I wasn’t sure I breathed normally until I felt Krew in the castle.
I took a deep breath and moved to sit at the edge of the couch in the adjoining room. I hadn’t even consciously known I was doing it, but I had been pacing Krew’s normal track in the rug.
The door opened and Krew came in. He walked right over to his bottle of whiskey and poured himself one.
“That good of a day?” Owen asked gently.
“That good of a day.” He put the glass down and spun toward me, moving to sit next to me on the couch.
“What?” Tears were already rushing to my eyes because I knew whatever he was about to tell me was going to further crush me. “Did everything go all right in Nerede?”
Krew took a steady breath and looked to Owen before looking to me. “As well as it could.” He let out a sigh and I again just felt aguish coming off him. “It’s the sword.”
I stopped breathing altogether.
“It isn’t the object my mother’s magic is siphoned into. Just like the ring, there is no magic within it.”
