The Water Howlers - Book II ✔

Chapter 39 - Ki

"I can't believe this," Emmie muttered. Ki looked from her to Thatch and finally to Ori. They were all sat in Emmie and Ki's bed chambers and after having checked for any eavesdroppers in the walls, Ori had told them what he had learned out in the jungle with Aebond, Luka and Luka's mother. Ki had never once considered the possibility of Aebond having such ties with Eslea, born, and raised here at the palace and witnessing the slaughter of the royal family all those years ago. Her mind felt boggled and scrambled, like her thoughts couldn't entirely connect together and were all jumbled in her brain.

Upon Ki and Emmie's return from their visit on The Phoenix, a servant had found them by the entrance and told them their presence had been requested by Ori. The girls had shared a glance before rushing to up to their rooms where they had found Ori and Thatch searching the walls of their bedroom.

After ensuring no eavesdroppers were around, Ori had told them how he'd followed Aebond through the hidden tunnels into the Ellesmere jungle and how Luka's men had caught him and taken him to a cottage where Scholar Aebond and the lost Princess Solis Victari were waiting.

"And he just let you go?" Emmie asked, her eyes locked on Ori and Ki thought she saw a faint flush of his cheeks, but he had moved his head and obscured Ki's view. But regarding Emmie's questions, Ki had wondered why as well. Luka, or Aebond, must have had faith in Ori to not go alerting King Edmond. Then again, Luka probably had eyes and ears everywhere. Especially now that they knew he had a cat as a familiar. It could literally be anywhere in the palace, and no one would be the wiser. Ki didn't know if familiars appeared different than regular animals or if other gifted people could sense spot or sense them nearby.

"I told him, all we wanted was to leave with Isadaya. That we didn't want anything to do with these internal affairs."

"Let's hope he believed you," Thatch said from his seat in the windowsill. Ki and Emmie had both taken a seat on Ki's bed whereas Ori was stood in front of it, having paced around as he explained everything. From their shared bond and their close proximity, Ki could sense his restlessness. It wasn't difficult to decode from his expression either.

"It would be of no interest to Luka if he harmed an Aethorin delegate, let alone killed one here," Ki said after thinking it through. "If anything, he'd want to remain on our good side so if he does in fact succeed with his plans, he'll reach out to form his own alliances. Shutting off Eslea from outside help would be catastrophic, especially after a rebellion."

Thatch scratched his head. "So, his endgame is being nice to us, so we'll be nice to him if or when he takes overtakes the Belisars."

"Think about it," Ori said, nodding to himself. Whatever flush in his cheeks Ki thought she'd seen was gone now. "Civil wars or rebellions are not to be meddled with from outside nations."

"But then why allow Isadaya to leave with us?"

Ki shrugged. "He's positive she'll renounce her titles if her family's lives are on the line."

"But she's still a Belisar," Thatch stated. Ki stared at him, and he stared back. Those amber eyes penetrated hers and all of the sudden it felt like she had no air in her lungs. Her mind went back to their kiss on the ship, and it felt like a lifetime ago. They hadn't talked about it, with obviously more pressing matters to think of, but now she wondered, with the long trip home soon, if they'd find the time to talk about it. Surely she shouldn't put so much thought into a kiss, but the memory of it echoed in her head, his warm lips pressed against hers, the feel of his tongue. But this was not the time to think of such frivolous things as kissing. She needed to get in the right headspace and Thatch was a distraction she could not afford right now.

"Kianna?"

Ki blinked and broke Thatch's stare and locked the kiss back up in her vault of memories. Thatch had also averted his eyes and she now focused on the other two people in the room.