Page 7 of Broken Hearted
“Thank you.” I returned the smile, hoping my interest in him wasn’t obvious, as I had no desire to offend him.
When he left the room, we began to eat, and Adrien directed a question at me. “Is it true in Faerie that there are only seelie fae?”
So he had noticed.
I nodded. “It’s true. Our land seems set up similar to yours but instead of north, south, east, and west, we have summer, spring, fall, and,” I pointed to myself, “winter.”
He returned my smile with ease. “I’d like to see Faerie one day.”
I opened my mouth to respond, when Elisana interrupted.
“Darling, did you hear the dreadful news that the floral designer is ill? Could we send the royal healer over to her to make sure she’s ready for our big day?”
He smiled fondly at Elisana. “Of course.”
Then he looked back at me. “May I ask what your powers are? I’ve always wondered—”
“Darling,” Elisana said with a sharpness in her tone, and for the first time, I saw a flash of annoyance appear on Adrien’s face as he glanced over at her.
“Yes?” He asked her with the same sharpness.
Her mouth popped open in shock as if he’d slapped her. “Did you have your tea?” she asked in a tone that made the hair on my arms raise.
What was with this tea? Was he ill? Maybe it was medicinal.
The realization shone on his face, and he laughed. “I totally forgot.”
She relaxed, rolling her eyes. “You are so bad. I’ll just have to make it for you so my love stays healthy for our big day.” She stood, and leaning forward, she planted a slow kiss on his lips.
Nausea roiled in my gut as I watched them. My fingers curled around the meat knife I held, and I envisioned driving it right into her eye.
What was going on with me? Why was I acting like this?
I forced myself to release the knife and looked away to give them privacy.
When they finally broke apart, Elisana sauntered from the room, her hips swaying seductively with every step. Just before leaving, she cast a glance over her shoulder at me, a sly smile curving her lips.
I cast my gaze to Adrien. “So this tea sounds pretty important.”
Something was not right here. It was weird, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Adrien nodded. “Elisana has been a lifesaver. I was sleeping horribly and dealing with a lot of stress. I would toss and turn, grinding my teeth, and not even the royal healer could help me relax on a nightly basis. Elisana is from the Northern Mountains and grew up learning about herbs and tinctures. She’s studying to be a herbalist. She created a tea that’s taken away all of my symptoms.”
I relaxed a little after hearing that. Okay, so this teawasimportant, and it made sense, but I still didn’t like her.
“That’s nice,” I said just as Elisana appeared with a steaming mug of tea. The scent hit me, and I inhaled. Notes of rose petals and jasmine tickled my nose. “Oh, that smells lovely. Can I have some? I often have trouble sleeping, too.” And since I was in a foreign land, it would be nice to have some help.
She glared at me. “Sorry, fresh out of this batch, and by the time I make another, you’ll be long gone. So sad,” she mock pouted.
I ate the rest of my meal in silence, shooting eye daggers across the table at Elisana.
* * *
My sleep was fitful, I was nervous about meeting Zane and this whole Shadow Heart thing, and I couldn’t stop thinking about those blue-green eyes and how they bore into mine. It was good that I was leaving soon. Staying here might get me into trouble with Adrien. Or more correctly, Elisana.
After rising, I ate a quick breakfast alone, as Elisana had it delivered to my room and did not invite me to eat with her and Adrien. Even though it might take days for Zane to get to the Southern Kingdom from the Western, I was still ready with my bag packed, hopeful I wouldn’t have to remain in Adrien’s castle for very much longer. After my morning meal, I waited for hours before Elisana finally sent a maid with a note. Apparently, Adrien had somehow contacted his brother directly through some magical means after dinner the night before. Zane was coming down fromthe Western Kingdom to pick me up but wouldn’t arrive until after nightfall.
I had no idea how Adrien had been able to talk to his brother from a long distance, but maybe that was how the Ethereum lords’ magic worked? In Faerie we didn’t have the means to communicate across long distances besides sending ravens or messengers, but however it was done, apparently, it left Adrien drained. In her note, Elisana complained about the strain, blaming me for Adrien having to recover all day. She said that it would be bothersome for me to be wandering about the castle, and so I should stay in my room for the day.
