Stone Sacrifice ✔️Chronicles of Grey BOOK ONE [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-One

I turned to run as the man said, but Arion grabbed my arm.

"What—"

"Your blood." He reminded me firmly. "Stay by the man."

Right. As long as I was near him, he wouldn't be heard by the Grey Stone. According to Arion at least. But a part of my mind couldn't help but think that if this were true, then surly Jovian would have told me... no. He must not have known because I would trust Arion. Clearly the small amount of blood around his neck had actually worked, so this would as well. 

Of course it would.

But... what were we supposed to do? Keep the old man with us? Tie him to my hip?

"Trust me." Arion said.

I looked into his eyes and knew that I would do this.

I nodded once. He nodded back and rushed up the stairs towards our rooms. Leaving me to face the man who still had his hands over his eyes as if that would save me. "Where's your room, sir?"

"Oh, oh you must run. They'll come for—"

"Shh." I hushed quickly, knowing anyone could hear us. "Let me show you to your room. So long as I am near you, the Grey Stone cannot hear you. We are safe. So please, come."

He moved his hands away from his eyes and I saw with surprise that they were filled with tears but he trusted my word and took my arm, leading me. He shuffled a bit due to what I assumed was pain in his hip, but he no longer looked drunk nor sounded it. No doubt the shock of running into me sobered him up quickly.

Inside his room, which looked identical to my own, I sat with him on the bed and he gripped my arm. "Oh, your majesty," he whispered, "I've heard the rumors, I have, but not once did I think them true." He bowed his head. "Forgive me, my lady, I should not have looked upon your face."

"It is not the first time I have had to run from the Dragon Knights, sir, and you can look me in the face all you like. I am not Marqis." I squeezed his fingers, trying to calm him, fearing his heart at such an ancient age he was. I changed the subject somewhat. "You knew my mother?"

He smiled fondly at that. "Never knew her, of course, but I was a Hunter once, when my age didn't crippled me, and once had the honour of hunting a dozen or so serphent nests that were growing in the castle pool. I got bit by one and Queen Keira... oh she was sweet. She wrapped the arm herself, not making any deal of it. She barely even looked at me just continued ordering about the staff at cleaning the pool of blood, as if wrappin' up an old Hunters arm was just another thing she did on a daily basis, and no one batted an eyelash." He snorted a laugh. "Meanwhile, I sat there staring at her face and hands and trying to figure out of it would be polite to deny he aide, or polite to accept it." He patted my arm. "Never forgot her face after that. I can't remember the kings face much well, but Kiera's I could draw if I were any good."

I smiled at that, a piece of my heart soaking up every bit of this memory of the mother I never knew. Then his eyes turned away from the fondness of memory and returned to their sorrowful, regretful state. "What'll you have me do, misses? If you needs to take my life, I understands it, and I'm old enough with nothing but being a drunk to be remembered by, so if it needs to be done—"

"No!" I gasped, alarmed and touched at the same time. "No." I said more gently. "You will not be killed, sir." If Arion tried, I'd strangle him for it.

As if thinking his name brought him, Arion came through the door then. How he knew where we were confused me until I remembered that he was a Shadow and had more than likely heard us through the door. He had a bag over his shoulder and his cloak over his arm.