A Love From A Different World

Chapter 66

Rhys waited until the household lights dimmed before coming into Celeana's room. She'd been lounging on the bed, ever the picture-perfect of calm. None of the guest rooms looked out on the causeway—as if they wanted no one to notice it. Rhys arrived first, leaning against the closed door.

"I must say I'm impressed; you've turned Tarquin into a sex-crazed male whenever you're around."

She did not even look at him, as if she deemed him less than the dust on her shoes. "Not that much different from how you act when I'm around,"

Rhys hadn't expected that, hadn't expected Celeana to just throw that harsh truth to his face. Or have realized. But he supposed he hadn't been very discreet about it as of late- that much had been obvious by the words he had cruelly thrown at her a couple of nights ago.

Before he could think of something to say, Amren opened the door, scowl on her face.

"Have you searched the temple yet?" Celeana asked immediately.

"Not yet,"

"What are you waiting for?"

The sudden urgency in her voice startled him. Mostly because he knew that Celeana wanted the book for her own private mission- she had nearly as much admitted to it when she had asked the Bone Carver about portals. Rhys had continuously shoved those thoughts out of his mind, telling himself that he'd deal with it when the time came. And it was nearly here. Because in the near future the book would be in their hands and he needed to make sure that it did not land in hers. He was thankful that portals could only be opened using both halves, which allowed a bigger window of time to figure out what to do before he convinced the Mortal Queens to hand over their half.

He did not answer her, instead, he said, "How lucky you were to be able to enthrall Tarquin like that, he was beginning to be suspicious."

"He will never forgive me," Her words were soft, almost quiet. So different from how she spoke to him. Though, he supposed he deserved it.

"If you hadn't taken care of Tarquin," he went on, "chances are we'd be knee-deep in shit right now." As much as he hated the way she had looked at him, hated the way that the young high lord had dripped lust out of every pore, he was thankful that it had worked. Celeana had taken a chance with her comment about the building, and it had proved priceless from their reactions.

Just then the door opened. "It seems like a stupid place to hide a book," Amren said by way of greeting as she entered, plopping onto the bed.

"And the last place one would look," Rhys said, prowling away from me to take a seat on the vanity stool before the window. "They could spell it easily enough against wet and decay. A place only visible for brief moments throughout the day—when the land around it is exposed for all to see? You could not ask for a better place. We have the eyes of thousands watching us."

"So how do we get it?"

"I'm not sure that your...expertise will come in handy for this part."

The girl did not look pleased. "I think you are forgetting what it is I do in the human realm," Her bite was as poisonous as any viper. The temple was no doubt warded, and after all, Celeana was but a human unable to protect herself from such magic.

The high lord would have said as much if Celeana's face did not give away that she already knew. "I see. I suppose my part is clear enough." Indeed, her job was to remain Tarquin's distraction for that night. "And the two of you?"

"It's likely warded against winnowing," Rhys said, bracing his forearms on his thighs. "I won't risk tripping any alarms by trying. So we go in at night, the old-fashioned way. I can carry you Amren, then keep watch,"

"Such gallantry," Amren said, "to do the easy part, then leave the helpless female to dig through mud and seaweed."

"Someone needs to be circling high enough to see anyone approaching—or sounding the alarm. And masking you from sight."

"When do we move?"

"Tomorrow night," The blond responded without a second thought, her eyes calculating. "We note the guard's rotations tonight at low tide—figure out where the watchers are. Who we might need to take out before we make our move."

"You think like an Illyrian," The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"I believe that's supposed to be a compliment," Amren confided.

Rhys snorted, and shadows gathered around him as he loosened his grip on his power. "Nuala and Cerridwen are already on the move inside the castle. I'll take to the skies. The two of you should go for a midnight walk—considering how hot it is."

Then he was gone with a rustle of invisible wings and a warm, dark breeze.