A Court of Ash and Necromancy

27. The Truth From Two Sides

Estelle woke, feeling surprisingly well rested for once. She hadn't dreamed at all. She stretched her arms over her head, the corners of her mouth tilting up as she recognized the pleasant, but slightly uncomfortable, ache between her legs. She rolled onto her back, clasping her hands over her stomach.

The meeting is the day after tomorrow, she thought. I wonder if anyone has arrived yet. What will we tell them? What will I tell them? A seed of panic gripped her heart. Estelle pushed the feeling aside. I won't think of that right now. I need to stay relaxed while I can.

The bedroom door opened and Mikael entered. He smiled as he joined her. "Hey." His fingertips brushed her jawline and he kissed her softly. "You didn't wake up at all last night."

"I told you." Estelle wrapped her arms around his neck. "Maybe you should fuck me like that more often."

Mikael laughed and nuzzled her neck. "Maybe I will. You should probably get up though. Elain was asking for you. I think Calden, Sienna, and Celeste are coming by later this afternoon."

"Elain is here?"

Mikael nodded, releasing her as she sat up. "Helion, Larilis, Lucien, and Elain arrived this morning. You were asleep. I didn't want to wake you."

    Estelle groaned and slid out of bed. She entered the closet, shucking off her shorts and Mikael's shirt. She pulled on a different shirt and a pair of pants. Estelle tugged her fingerless siphon gloves on and stepped into her boots. She attached Znaniya's sheathe to her thigh, but left Aesira and the rest of her siphons behind.

    Mikael rested his hand on the small of her back and escorted her out of the bedroom. Estelle ran her fingers through her hair self consciously. "Am I walking funny?"

    "A little," Mikael chuckled. "Not like you were last night though."

    "Some small comfort."

    "Mm." His hand curved around the back of her neck. "I'll try not to be too possessive of you while we're around everyone, but my instincts have been acting up again."

    "It's all right."

    They made their way down a flight of stairs and turned into another hallway. Mikael led her into a sitting room, where everyone was already gathered. "Estelle." Elain rose and hugged her, a small smile brightening her graceful features. "I've been waiting to see you all morning." Nyx snorted and Venelia elbowed him sharply.

    "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," Estelle replied, ignoring her cousin.

    "Let's go for a walk." Elain looped her arm through Estelle's. Mikael remained in the doorway, watching until they disappeared around a corner.

    Estelle guided Elain outside onto a veranda. Already, the flowers that crept along the walls of the Palace were dying. Soon, the leaves on the ivy vines accompanying them would become deep shades of copper and crimson.

    "I wanted to talk to you about your dream and my visions," Elain said. "I'd hoped to speak to you about it sooner, but I didn't want to bring it up in front of Eris and there wasn't time until now."

    "I thought you might say that," Estelle sighed.

    "In your dream, did you see anything that might help us locate the missing people?"

    "I saw an underground cavern, almost like a cave. There were lit sconces, and several chains, manacles, and collars hanging from the walls. People arrived and became trapped in the chains as my dream progressed."