Everly~
Ronan avoided me the entire day. It was early evening before he had calmed himself enough to even emerge from his room.
Talon fetched me after dinner and I joined him and Kaes around a crackling fire, anxiously awaiting the details of their meeting with the king.
The evening air had a slight chill to it and my shoulders shuddered once I had found a comfortable place to sit.
Before anyone could say a word, black smoke crept from Kaes' palms and slithered up the stone wall into my window. It recoiled with a blanket in tow, carrying it above our heads.
With his eyes glued to the floating blanket, Talon smirked and spoke directly to Kaes.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you had a soft spot for the little healer."
The blanket stalled above me, but then continued on its path toward Kaes, dropping in his lap and tucking the sides around him.
"Really? And why's that?" He sneered, pulling the warm blanket up to his chin for emphasis as his black smoke dissipated.
Narrowing my eyes at him, I used my hands to cover my bare arms as he snuggled in my blanket.
Ronan's footsteps could be heard as he finally joined us, scowling and silent. Without greeting anyone around the fire, Ronan brushed past me, snatching the blanket from around Kaes and dropping it in my lap without a word.
Giving Kaes a victorious smile, I nestled to the blanket, tucking it all around me.
"Well to start things on a positive note, execution is off the table for now." Kaes sneered with no one giving him a smile in return.
"What did the king say?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"He's very interested in your gifts."
"Interested how?"
Ronan braced himself, taking in breath before he spoke as if he'd rehearsed his response.
"He thinks your gifts could help Thoracia." It was a diplomatic answer and I wasn't buying it.
"Help Thoracia do what?"
"If other kingdoms are made aware of your...abilities and that you have pledged fealty to Thoracia, it would make them more...compliant." Kaes added, trying to piece together an eloquent version of what was actually said.
"He wants to use me as a weapon." I corrected with disgust in my voice.
"More of a deterrent." Ronan offered.
"What's the difference?" I snapped.
No one answered me.
"So that's it? The king spared my life so he could gossip about my abilities to other kingdoms in hopes of scaring them?"
There's got to be more to it than that.
Ronan made eye contact with Kaes before he answered my question.
"Not exactly."
I knew it.
"Then what?" I was losing my patience and wished they'd just spit it out.
"He doesn't know enough about your talents to boast of them. King Ragnar has given us orders to...observe your gifts and report back to him in detail."
Tilting my head to the side in confusion, I slowly processed Kaes' words.
"My gifts are self explanatory."
Leaning forward, Kaes gave me a sly grin through the flames of the fire between us.
