Chapter 26
I takedinner from my desk, more determined than ever to scour through the queens’ books. Specifically, I look for information on the heartroot. Harrow’s recovery has, in both instances, exceeded my expectations. Since all the other herbs are ones I’m familiar with and have used many times over before, I can only assume that the variable is in the heartroot.
To my delight, Willow joins me for dinner and we spend late into the evening discussing heartroot and its magical properties. He helps me skim through journals in search of the first queen to work with the rare herb. The only thing we find is a single mention in the journal of the queen who brought that heartroot from the northern marshes—the same queen who spoke of ending the cycle. I search to see if the two are connected in some way, but when the hunt yields nothing I know I’m just seeing what I want to see.
Willow sits in a chair across from me, occupying one half of my desk. I sit at the other end, food forgotten as we scour. Hook is curled up between our feet, gladly accepting scratches with our toes.
The clock I ordered chimes nine and I’m broken from a trance. I look up for the first time in hours and rub my bleary eyes. Hazy, pale shadows dance outside the windows of my room.
“Oh…”
Willow looks up as well, turning from me to the windows behind him. He pauses, lips pursed, studying the falling snow with as much intensity as he was the journal moments ago.
“Snow in spring, warn the king. Snow in summer, the queen yet slumbers.”
“What?”
Willow repeats himself at my question.
“No, I heard you…what’s that?”
“Oh, it’s an old rhyme.” He turns away from the window. “Snow in spring, warn the king—I think it implies that there may be something wrong with the queen. Because we shouldn’t have snow once spring comes. Snow in summer—”
“The queen yet slumbers,” I finish. “Meaning, she hasn’t come back yet. The last queen is dead and it’s winter when it should be summer.” Willow nods. I stare at the fat, falling snow, apprehension filling my gut. It mocks the bright spring weather here mere hours ago. “I think you should go.”
“Are you sure?”
“I need to see Eldas.” The words hurt to say and the pain of them will only be the beginning of tonight’s agony.
Willow sighs and closes the journal he was thumbing through. The notes he was taking are tucked inside. He stands and Hook stands with him. Willow gives the wolf a scratch between the ears.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Hook. And you too, Luella.”
I wish he didn’t sound slightly worried and doubtful saying that. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” I hope.
“If you need me, summon me no matter the time.” Willow departs and I pace my room several times in front of the large windows.
I’m not surprised when there’s a knock on my door.
“Come in, Eldas.”
The door opens and I don’t even bother looking. But, sure enough, his voice cuts through my rampant thoughts. “How did you know it was me?”
“Lucky guess.” I glance over my shoulder with a shrug.
“I haven’t made it a habit to come to your room in the evenings.”
“Well, given that it’s snowing…”
His gaze shifts, as though he saw only me from the first moment he opened the door. A frown pulls on his lips. His eyes are hard and severe. “So it is.”
“You weren’t coming here because of that?”
“I was coming for a new journal. But you are correct in that this is a more pressing matter.”
“I will have to sit on the throne again, won’t I?” I worry the labradorite ring on my right hand nervously.
“You will.” He sounds apologetic, the words rife with worry.