Chapter Fifty-Two
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A knock at the door woke me. Seemed as though I’d just crawled into bed. I wiggled against the luxurious, down mattress, drew the buttery-soft sheets against my throat. Heaven. “Come in.”
The door swung in silently. I blinked at the flickerin’ glow of a lantern somewhere in the hall. The thin silhouette of a human filled the doorway.
“Mornin’ already?” I asked. “Seems I just went to bed.”
“No, far from it,” Selene said.
I prickled at the emotion streamin’ from the man.
“You have hours to sleep yet. But I thought you’d want to know.”
I swallowed at the followin’ silence. “Know what?” I finally prompted.
“We concluded our communion. If it suits you. The council has agreed to an offer Lord Rutland has tendered.”
The man paused overly long. Why’d he insist on the drama? I sat up and glared at Selene’s black outline. “Spit it out, man!”
Selene’s shoulders rocked in a silent laugh. “To take you on as an apprentice.”
A rush of conflictin’ emotions struck so hard, silver blotches crossed my vision. I took in a quick breath. What of my sisters? Who would care for them? How could I abandon them? At least livin’ with Morgan, I was only a hike’s away. I blinked away tears that welled.
“You’re thinking of your sisters, eh?”
“Aye,” I said, somehow avoidin’ a sob.
“Lady Rutland evidently feels Miss Nickie would benefit from having three other ladies among the household. Seems to think Nickie’s growing up without the dainty about she requires. Would having four sisters about suit you?”
I threw back my covers as a gush of emotion stole my words. I wrenched out of bed and stood, mind blank for a moment. Somehow the impulse to run to the man and throw my arms around him calmed. I peered down at my glowin’ white flesh, and my face prickled.
“Best wait ’till morning to thank Lady Rutland, eh?” Selene suggested.
“Aye,” I answered. My cheek cramped from the grin. I wiped tears from my cheek. Did Selene notice? Don’t care if he did. “I think that would suit me fine.”
“Then sleep,” Selene said. “By the way. Morgan contacted the ancient queen’s mate. Evidently all the young ones are in the Wildes hunting. But a commitment to retrieve us stands. Imagine that’ll please your backside.”
“Aye,” I said. Could news get any better?
“Of course, in the household of a Northern lord, you’ll have to become accustomed to riding. When they bring you all back.”
The man’s underlying humor helped soften that message. “One day at a time works for me,” I said. “Better than a forced trek over weeks.”
“Good point,” Selene said, backin’ away.
“One more thin’,” I blurted.
“Aye.”
“What of Morgan?”
Selene jumped with a swell of blue and gray emotions that confused me, and tightened my chest. Several long moments passed, which didn’t help.
“The council is talking tough. But the wait-and-see attitude they left that decision, is a promising position. Not that Morgan cared. He growled, of course, challenged them all to come for a visit, and he’d show them he wasn’t afraid of them.” Selene laughed, and slapped the side of his leg. “Them ogres.”
“Them ogres,” I echoed.
“Sleep well,” Selene said, drawin’ the door toward him.
“Ya too, sir.” I might have to get used to sayin’ you. That wouldn’t be so bad, soundin’ like a Northerner.
Selene paused, chuckled softly, before the room turned dark. My mind oddly mixed with thoughts of the healin’ Louisa, my sisters, and Nickie.
~
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