Rise of the Faire-Amanti (The Ascendant Series Book 3) by Raine Thomas Page B
Authors: Raine Thomas
Ads: Link
pass, Ma. She was killed by the Dem-Shyr .”
“ Dem-Shyr ! Dem-Shyr !” Rose called out, bouncing in her seat beside Ty and waving her soup spoon. Much to Ty’s bewilderment, she hadn’t wanted to leave his side, so her tall chair had been placed beside his to keep the peace. Kyr exchanged an uneasy glance with him over the commotion.
“The reports have been a might sketchy on that point,” Xander said, his gaze moving thoughtfully from Rose to Ty and then back to Kyr. “Don’t suppose ya know more than the reports have let on?”
“Well, now,” Lore interrupted, “I’m quite sure Kaya and Tavin haven’t been roamin’ the countryside without good reason, but this isn’t appropriate talk for the dinner table.”
Xander reached over and covered her hand on the table. “You’re right as ever, my love.” Looking back at Kyr, he asked, “Have ya had many adventures on your travels? I’m sure that would keep Ivyn here satisfied for a bit.”
Smiling, Kyr thought of some of the things she’d experienced in the last few lunar cycles alone. “Oh, I can think of a few.”
* * *
Between the hearty meal and the warmth generated by the glowing embers of the cooking fire, Kyr was lulled into a sleepy stupor as she and Ty waited on a couch after helping to clean up. Xander and Lore wanted to get the children ready for bed, so Kyr curled against Ty’s side and fought to keep her eyelids open. Ty idly ran his fingers through her hair, contributing to her lethargy.
She didn’t feel herself drop into sleep, but a noise had her jerking back awake. She nearly clipped Ty’s chin as she looked around, disoriented. Xander and Lore had entered the room and were taking their seats on the second couch across from Kyr and Ty. Kyr gave her eyes a quick rub and sat up to look more alert.
“Sorry,” Xander apologized, reaching beside him and taking Lore’s hand in his. “It’s never a quick process to settle ‘em all down.”
“I can imagine,” Kyr said with a smile, clearing her throat when it sounded a little creaky. “Thanks for goin’ through all this trouble.”
“‘Tis no trouble, and ya sound like ya’ve got news to share.”
“We do.” Kyr glanced at Ty, unsure where to begin.
“We’ve wondered about the reports from the palace,” Lore prompted in a quiet voice. Her gaze moved to the hallway, an indication that she didn’t want to be overheard.
“They’re false,” Ty said before Kyr could speak.
“I knew it!” Xander cried, hunching his shoulders when Lore shushed him. “Sorry, love. But haven’t I said since we heard the news that there was no way ‘twas true? The Dem-Shyr was a good man with an unblemished reputation.”
Lore looked troubled. She obviously understood the significance of this news more quickly than her husband did. “I…well, I admit to wonderin’. The tales ‘round here lent themselves to a secret romance ‘tween the Ascendant and the Dem-Shyr . The way they said the Advisor caught him…well. It all sounded unlike all the reports we’d heard about Dem-Shyr TaeDane.”
“Ya like romanticizin’ things, love,” Xander said with a squeeze of her hand. “But whether or not there was love ‘tween the Dem-Shyr and the Ascendant, I can’t believe he’d do such a dreadful thing.”
“You’re right,” Kyr confirmed, taking a deep breath to keep from blurting out just how right they were. “The Dem-Shyr was influenced to do what he did. And he wasn’t the only one. Many people have been influenced to commit crimes, and were then sent to the Dark Lands as Outcasts.”
Xander now shared his wife’s concerned expression. Kyr read from their thoughts that although they had suspected the news about the Dem-Shyr , they never considered that there were even more problems at the palace. Both of them were wondering how Kyr and Ty had come by such information, whether they were even speaking the truth, and if they had been foolish to trust them so blindly.
“ Dem-Shyr ! Dem-Shyr !” Rose called out, bouncing in her seat beside Ty and waving her soup spoon. Much to Ty’s bewilderment, she hadn’t wanted to leave his side, so her tall chair had been placed beside his to keep the peace. Kyr exchanged an uneasy glance with him over the commotion.
“The reports have been a might sketchy on that point,” Xander said, his gaze moving thoughtfully from Rose to Ty and then back to Kyr. “Don’t suppose ya know more than the reports have let on?”
“Well, now,” Lore interrupted, “I’m quite sure Kaya and Tavin haven’t been roamin’ the countryside without good reason, but this isn’t appropriate talk for the dinner table.”
Xander reached over and covered her hand on the table. “You’re right as ever, my love.” Looking back at Kyr, he asked, “Have ya had many adventures on your travels? I’m sure that would keep Ivyn here satisfied for a bit.”
Smiling, Kyr thought of some of the things she’d experienced in the last few lunar cycles alone. “Oh, I can think of a few.”
* * *
Between the hearty meal and the warmth generated by the glowing embers of the cooking fire, Kyr was lulled into a sleepy stupor as she and Ty waited on a couch after helping to clean up. Xander and Lore wanted to get the children ready for bed, so Kyr curled against Ty’s side and fought to keep her eyelids open. Ty idly ran his fingers through her hair, contributing to her lethargy.
She didn’t feel herself drop into sleep, but a noise had her jerking back awake. She nearly clipped Ty’s chin as she looked around, disoriented. Xander and Lore had entered the room and were taking their seats on the second couch across from Kyr and Ty. Kyr gave her eyes a quick rub and sat up to look more alert.
“Sorry,” Xander apologized, reaching beside him and taking Lore’s hand in his. “It’s never a quick process to settle ‘em all down.”
“I can imagine,” Kyr said with a smile, clearing her throat when it sounded a little creaky. “Thanks for goin’ through all this trouble.”
“‘Tis no trouble, and ya sound like ya’ve got news to share.”
“We do.” Kyr glanced at Ty, unsure where to begin.
“We’ve wondered about the reports from the palace,” Lore prompted in a quiet voice. Her gaze moved to the hallway, an indication that she didn’t want to be overheard.
“They’re false,” Ty said before Kyr could speak.
“I knew it!” Xander cried, hunching his shoulders when Lore shushed him. “Sorry, love. But haven’t I said since we heard the news that there was no way ‘twas true? The Dem-Shyr was a good man with an unblemished reputation.”
Lore looked troubled. She obviously understood the significance of this news more quickly than her husband did. “I…well, I admit to wonderin’. The tales ‘round here lent themselves to a secret romance ‘tween the Ascendant and the Dem-Shyr . The way they said the Advisor caught him…well. It all sounded unlike all the reports we’d heard about Dem-Shyr TaeDane.”
“Ya like romanticizin’ things, love,” Xander said with a squeeze of her hand. “But whether or not there was love ‘tween the Dem-Shyr and the Ascendant, I can’t believe he’d do such a dreadful thing.”
“You’re right,” Kyr confirmed, taking a deep breath to keep from blurting out just how right they were. “The Dem-Shyr was influenced to do what he did. And he wasn’t the only one. Many people have been influenced to commit crimes, and were then sent to the Dark Lands as Outcasts.”
Xander now shared his wife’s concerned expression. Kyr read from their thoughts that although they had suspected the news about the Dem-Shyr , they never considered that there were even more problems at the palace. Both of them were wondering how Kyr and Ty had come by such information, whether they were even speaking the truth, and if they had been foolish to trust them so blindly.
Similar Books
