Shalador's Lady

“Of course.” He stood up and held out a hand.



She didn’t want to touch him. Wasn’t sure she could stand to touch him.



She’d known the males here could be brutal. After all,every Warlord Prince was brutal. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to see that Theran wasn’t any different from the rest of them.



She looked into his eyes and saw grief for the boy, who was still alive, and no regret—none at all—for Correne’s death. Did she really want to live among these people? Could she survive among these people?



She stood up, avoiding his hand. Somehow, that didn’t surprise him.



He opened the door for her. She walked out of the study.



Theran’s dismissal of Correne’s death troubled her, even scared her—but it didn’t scare her half as much as seeing the dark pleasure in Julien’s eyes and knowing that pleasure was there because he’d heard the news.



CHAPTER 31



TERREILLE



Cassidy hurried into the meeting room. Gray was finally home, and she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or angry. A hasty message saying he’d been delayed but would be home before Winsol hadn’t soothed her, not when he’d been so vague about these required meetings with the High Lord—and not when Jaenelle’s response to her inquiries was a gently worded message that still translated to “It’s none of your business, Cassie.”



“Gray, are you all right—”



He grabbed her, twirled her, hugged her breathless—then kissed her in a way that made her dizzy and more than a little self-conscious since her whole First Circle was watching them.



“Sorry I’ve been gone so long.” Gray’s green eyes blazed with happy excitement, and he didn’t look sorry at all. “I asked Daemon for a favor, and then he wanted me to wait and bring along a special delivery for you. I couldn’t say no.”



“Gray, stop bouncing,” Ranon said.



“Sorry.” Gray grinned. “I’m just glad to be home. The SaDiablos are wonderful people, but they’re exhausting to be around for any length of time.”



“Try spending four months with them,” Cassidy muttered.



Gray hooted.



“When my boys get like this, I take them to the park and make them run around until they’re almost too tired to walk home,” Shaddo said. “Think that would work with him?”



“No.” Gray looked around the room—and then looked under the table. “Where are Vae and Khollie?”



“Outside,” Shira said.



He shrugged out of his coat. “Good. Ranon, would you put an Opal shield around the room and a lock on the door?”



Cassidy felt tension ripple through the room. “Is there a reason for this, Gray?”



“I don’t want Vae and Khollie joining us right now,” he replied.



At least he was starting to settle down, Cassidy thought as everyone gathered around the table.



“I did some shopping while I was in Kaeleer,” Gray said.



Cassidy frowned. “I thought we agreed that we would buy our gifts from local shops, and anything we bought that came from Kaeleer we would purchase at Merchants.”



“We did agree, but there were some things we wouldn’t be able to make in time. Not this year, anyway.” Gray ran a hand down her arm, silently asking her to understand. “I asked Daemon to take me to Scelt. We spent a day in Maghre. I met Lady Fiona and Shadow, the Sceltie Warlord who is her inspiration for the Tracker and Shadow books. I know he’s the inspiration because he told me. Several times. We also spent some of the afternoon with Lord Khardeen. And I bought some things.”



An odd assortment of toys and other things appeared on the table.



“I got these brushes for Lizzie, Wynne, and Keely. See? Their names are etched into the wood. And these,” Gray brushed a finger over the top of several small containers, “have nail paint that can be used safely on Sceltie nails as well as girl nails.”



“Why would dogs want painted nails?” Archerr asked.



“They don’t,” Gray replied. “But apparently Scelties who live with young girls end up with painted nails, and this is the only nail paint that should be used.”



Shira muffled a snort and said on a distaff thread, *I guess that means Wynne and Keely will have pretty toenails.*



Cassidy pressed her lips together and didn’t answer.



“These braided ropes are good for playing tug or toss or chase—with or without humans,” Gray continued. “And these rawhide strips are for chewing. We’ll be able to figure out how to make these here, but for now I bought plenty for everyone.”



Archerr tapped one of the bright-colored balls on the table. “These things are as big as the dogs.”



“But lightweight,” Gray said. “These are the kinds of toys folks in Scelt buy for the Scelties.”



“And this?” Shaddo picked up a stuffed baby bunny.



“I thought you might like to give that to Darcy for Winsol,” Gray said. “That way he’ll have a pet Soli will let him keep.”



Shaddo laughed. “Yeah, they had this ‘discussion’ two or three times a week over the summer. He’d bring home a bunny or some other small thing, wanting to keep it as a cuddly, and she couldn’t find a way to explain that the bunny he wanted to keep as a pet would grow up into the rabbit he’d catch for dinner. This just might satisfy both of them. Thanks, Gray.”



“That’s why I bought a variety of things,” Gray said. “Everyone living with a Sceltie will have a gift that’s appropriate so they won’t feel left out of the celebrations. We choose what we want, and the rest goes to Merchants as stock for future gifts or treats.”



“Well done, Gray,” Powell said, looking bemused.



Gray called in a stuffed toy and held it out to Ranon. “I thought Khollie would like this.”



A lamb about half the size of the Sceltie. Big enough to cuddle with but small enough that Khollie could carry it around with him.



Khollie, who was still afraid to be alone. Who had been so terrified to go outside one day that he ended up peeing on the floor and then hid in a corner and whined all day until Ranon came home.



Gray shifted, still holding the toy that Ranon hadn’t taken. “Lambie is stuffed with rags, so he can have a bath whenever he needs one. Might need some Craft to help the insides dry, but . . .”



Cassidy saw Ranon’s throat work, saw his dark eyes fill with tears. A moment later, he was holding on to Gray, his eyes squeezed tight.



She glanced at Shira. A mistake. They both looked away, trying not to blubber. Didn’t help to see Powell knuckling away a tear.



“Thank you,” Ranon said hoarsely, finally stepping back. Gently holding the toy, he turned and offered it to Shira, who took it and vanished it.



“Why don’t you vanish those toys and things, Gray,” Talon said. “You and Shaddo should talk to the other folks so they can pick out what they’d like.”



“All right.” Gray vanished the Sceltie gifts, then rubbed his hands. “That was my shopping. I do have some crates to deliver to Merchants. But these are to be opened by Cassie, and she is to do with the contents as she pleases.”



He called in several crates and set them near the wall. He pointed to the crate on the right. “That one first.”



“Let me give you a hand with that, Cassie,” Archerr said. He opened the crate and set the lid aside.



Cassidy lifted the first item. They were individually wrapped in heavy brown paper but not sealed. She set it on the table and opened the brown paper.



A book with a fine leather cover. The kind of expensive book that was meant for a family library. The kind that was meant to be handled and read by generations.



She opened it to the title page and gasped. “It’s Jared’s account of the journey he made with Lia. I asked Prince Sadi to have a couple of copies made so the story could be shared without risking the original. I never expected him to dothis. ”



“It’s beautifully made,” Powell said.



Gray poked around in the crate. “Cassie, there must be a dozen of these leather-bound volumes in here. Maybe more.”



Enough for the Grayhaven family and her First Circle. And one for her. She was certain of it.



Ignoring their stunned protests, which lasted only until each man held a book, she passed out the leather-bound volumes. She put two in front of Talon. *Would you see that one of these is delivered to Prince Grayhaven?*



Talon studied her for a moment. *I will.*



After giving Ranon his copy, there were two left—one for her and one for Gray.



Wondering if there were more surprises, she watched Gray and Archerr open the next crate.



More copies of Jared’s account, but these had an ordinary binding.



Gray opened the wax-sealed note resting on the books in the last crate. “Daemon says these books are a gift to be distributed to whomever Cassie wishes or to be used in the loaning libraries. More copies of Jared’s account were printed, but those will be sold through Merchants, along with other copies of these books.” He frowned as he vanished the note and picked up two of the books. “He didn’t mention any of this.”



“What are those?” Cassidy asked, peering over Gray’s shoulder.



“More books, but . . .”



Powell yelped and grabbed a book. Then grabbed another. “How did he find these?”



“What?” several men asked.



“I’ve heard of these authors, but their work was destroyed when the tainted Queens first took control of Dena Nehele,” Powell said. “There might be a few copies of their books hidden in family libraries, but no one has read their stories in a couple of centuries at least.”



“Maybe someone sent copies of those books to the Keep so they wouldn’t be completely destroyed or forgotten,” Cassidy said.



A dozen copies of a dozen books—including two novels by Shalador authors Ranon had never heard of. Gray insisted that she have a full set of the books for the Residence’s library and that the loaning library in Eyota be given a full set. Everyone agreed that Gray and Powell could decide what to do with the rest of the copies later.