Extol of Agnatic Dreams (The Extol Series Book 1)

by Jennifer R. Kenny

  Regardless of what Thomas had told her about Kyleigh, Evangeline was still not at ease. It could not be possible to be so close to the curse and leave with no side effects. Wick was the obvious example of this. Kyleigh was subtle, and in Evangeline’s mind the more dangerous consequences that could befall her. The fact no one questioned the Queen’s simple interactions was a larger cause for concern.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Evangeline returned to her own rooms to find that Wick had made tea for them both. Freshly brewed, the pot was gently steaming on the table in her sitting room and there was a lingering spiced scent that wafted from the rising steam. All of this, Evangeline barely noticed. She felt thrown by being here with Glais instead of staying with her friends. She needed to trust Thomas that he would ensure their safety, but she felt like she abandoned them. If Glais had not filled the doorway, Evangeline would have returned to their rooms.

  Wick herself was gone, although Evangeline did not believe she was far. Wick was never one to shy away from Evangeline when she was needed, but their interactions were limited to the necessary requirements. Evangeline did not feel offended that Wick had moved on to work, rather than stay behind although it did mean she would need to pour her own tea. Perhaps Wick could be found with the bath or her bedroom to clean up after the mess. The dress had been left as a sad reminder in the fireplace, the smell of vomit clung to the space which was thinner here but still obvious to Evangeline. She had left quite a problem for Wick to tend with.

  They stood in silence facing each other as the room began to fill up with tension. Evangeline pressed her lips together, one hand toying with the ring on her hand. Glais watched her until suddenly she became aware of the focus of his gaze and abruptly stopped her actions. She did not want Glais to think the ring meant more to her then it should. “Do you drink tea?” Evangeline finally asked and Glais nodded, hands behind his back as he wandered in slow circles around the room. She could be forgiven for not knowing these things. Their courtship had been far removed from the usual course since Evangeline arrived at Braykith. “I never seem to pay that much attention to what you do at meals.”

  “I notice you barely seem to eat.” Glais paused in his pacing, and their eyes met again briefly before his feet started moving and Evangeline busied herself with cups. He wanted to explain to Evangeline that he was surprised after feasting on her blood on how healthy she tasted. It was common these days to see Evangeline eat nothing at a meal. Evidently, although she did seem to neglect her nourishment on a regular basis, she was indeed very in good physical shape tasting. Glais doubted that she would appreciate that knowledge, even if it was supposed to ease her. “Do you not like the food here?” was the question he forced himself to ask instead.

  Evangeline shrugged, taking her time with pouring the tea into the two cups that were set and waiting for them before setting the pot aside. “It is not the food I am repulsed by.” She saw his reaction, how harshly he heard those words that she careless released. Bowing her head under the disguise of adding sugar to their tea she continued. “I find it hard to eat when I feel anxious.” Evangeline gathered her own cup to one side of the table. “The side effects are not good and I often avoid eating all together until that feeling passes. It can be minutes, or days.” She sighed. Her little problem seemed far less intrusive now that she could guess at the issues that Glais dealt with. “Please sit.” She gestured to the chair opposite her own.

  “I prefer to stand.” He answered automatically without much thought.

  “And I prefer for you to sit.” Glais did so and Evangeline just gave him a curt nod. “You are quite intimidating Glais and that was before I knew what you were capable of.”

  Glais looked over himself and had to agree with her declaration. He supposed that he was indeed quite intimidating to look at. His body was strong from years of weapons training. He stood taller than Evangeline and most other women. Continuing to stand while she sat down seemed almost vulgar now that she had commented on it. After all, they were within her own chambers and if she was reminded of that he had done to her here she had a right to question just how safe she was with him present.

  Glais tried the tea, but the cup was returned quickly and Glais was struggling on where to start. Evangeline had struggles of her own. Not only was the tea turning her stomach, she could not help but look at Glais now and blame him for her friends’ deaths. Teagan and Viviana would still be alive if only he had trusted her with honesty. Instead she had been treated with chill and lies. Those thoughts prompted her to speak.

  “Do you know why my friends died instead of me?” If he weren't going to offer her answers, then Evangeline would need to ask the ones she felt most connected to. She would never forget her friends, and while she was glad to be alive, Evangeline never would have wished them dead as an exchange for her life.

  “I have a theory but I am afraid it is all just speculation.” Glais said smoothing down the fabric of his pants. Evangeline rose an eyebrow and encouraged him to continue. Thomas had told her to get all the information she could from him now, and so she was determined to heed his advice.

  Glais nodded grimly, understanding her silent protest. “As you wish.” He pressed his palms together as he bowed his head and tried hard to consider his words before saying them. “I believe it has something to do with your Dryad heritage.”

  Evangeline could not hide her surprise at his guess. She supposed that it was understandable since he did spy upon her with the Dryad Alisma. Evangeline did not think he had been there long enough to overhear the finer details of that conversation. As quickly as her shock had appeared, Evangeline forced her face into a false calm so she could speak. “You knew about that?” Evangeline asked, feeling annoyed that her secrets had been so easily shared and yet she suffered ultimately for not being given the information that she needed.

  “It isn’t common knowledge but I am aware of it.” Glais told her, but it did little to make her feel better. “My parents are hoping that your Dryad blood will bring the curse to an end.”

  “How can I do that?” She snapped at him. “Apparently you haven’t changed after drinking from my neck.”

  Glais swallowed hard. He hated being reminded of the exact notions of his curse and yet it seemed Evangeline was happy to bring it up casually. “We are getting ahead of ourselves. Which do you wish to know the answer to? My theory or the reason for the curse.”

  Evangeline paused. “Your theory. And then I want the full story.” She added.

  Glais nodded. “I can only speculate that your pull on nature kept you alive, regardless of the curse and its efforts to remain hidden. The grounds are proof enough for me that you are drawing on all the new foliage that came with your appearance to court.”

  Evangeline remembered the distinct pattern of the new death that was now part of the gardens. “How can you be sure it is not due to your attack?”

  Glais shook his head. “While that is a viable theory on its own, I feel it wouldn’t be this devastating. Under normal circumstances, speaking of the curse will kill you. When that could not happen, the curse demanded a life. The garden was not enough. Like my own desires, it needs a human. It took the ones you spoke to.”

  Evangeline as silent as she considered it and finally nodded. “I suppose that does make a kind of sense.” How would they ever know? She would not test it, and Glais didn’t ask her to. “Will the gardens grow back?”

  “I suspect they will but I cannot be sure.” Glais wished he had more absolutes for her but while she brought hope, Evangeline also brought with her so much unknown. “You are new to us. Just bringing life to the gardens was a miracle.” He evidently did believe that. Glais took up his cup again but still he couldn’t rest. It was taboo to speak of the curse and still knowing that she might not die from the knowledge, Glais had been trying to ensure this very discussion never happened.

  “Are you going to explain the attack?” Evangeline did not want to lose the momentum she had foun
d.

  “You forced my hand, Evangeline.” Glais sighed. “I had no other way to move forward. I know that it is my own fault you believed these women you have seen are for my bed. I never lead you to believe otherwise. It is a common assumption to make. I suppose you gave me something to consider after our discussion in the carriage.”

  Evangeline rose an eyebrow but she was doing her best to not give him an excuse to pause in his story.

  “Since you arrived I have been attempting to make you uncomfortable.” Glais admitted.

  “Well, you certainly did well. I felt very uncomfortable.” Evangeline told him. She continued to believe it now, but she hoped she was a slight bit better at hiding it these days. “What were you hoping to achieve?”

  “I wanted you to hate me Evangeline. It would be easier for us if you did. Neither of us asked for this marriage and it seemed that perhaps we could find some kind of agreement where neither of us would need the other.” Glais sighed heavily, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “I never wanted to do the things I did to you. I never wanted you to know any of it. You were safer before.”

  “You think I wouldn’t work out what you are? Even without sharing a bed, that I would be blind?” Glais shook his head and Evangeline was surprised but thankful that he did give her some acknowledgement.

  “I was hoping that I could stay hidden in plain sight. If you hated me, then you would never wish to know me any better.” Glais knew now it was childish but Evangeline had made him panicked. “I did not handle this the best way possible.” It was a hard thing for a proud man like Glais to admit. “I am well aware that I am rather impossible still.”

  Evangeline shook her head at him. “You are being stupid Glais. I never imagined I would think such a thing about you but it is entirely correct. Whatever you were thinking, making me hate you was never going to work.” Evangeline jumped slightly when Glais moved, the jump visible and the Prince was slower and more deliberate as he settled in his chair. “Sorry.” She apologised

  Glais shook his head and waved he concerns away. “No. I deserve it.”

  Evangeline sighed. “I doubt very much that you deserve this.”

  He supposed now was a good a time as any to explain exactly what he was dealing with and how terrible it could be beyond what she knew already. “The curse is old. Set against our family for something an ancestor did. The witch who did it is probably long dead and still we suffer for some imagined injustice made against her. It is believed that the witch was indeed a Princess and had been coming to visit the Prince with the prospect of marriage. However, she was set upon by hard times after the Prince had discovered she practised the dangerous black arts. Banished, she was labelled a pariah and she lost everything.

  “Her family was caught and hung by locals who now blamed them for a bad stock in the farming. As revenge, she cursed the bloodline. She ensured that the line was cursed with a demon thirst for blood. It only infects the first born, however, should the firstborn die the curse will be found in the next heir.” Evangeline shivered but Glais ignored it. This was barely the beginning of all he planned to tell her. He would be completely honest with her and attempt to fix the great wrong he had made against her.

  “The blood lust comes with puberty. Once the blood lust is seen within the son, it demands constant vigilance. As the curse continues, it claims more of the mind. If one should not produce an heir for the curse to be continued, the original host will go mad.”

  “Wait.” Evangeline interrupted him. “Our son will inherit this?” Glais nodded. “Not only will he inherit it but you will ensure I bear you a son?” She was sickened by the prospect of it.

  “I would destroy the world if I do not. It is not something I wish to do.” Glais tried to defend himself but it seemed to have little effect on Evangeline’s opinions on the matter. “It is as it is Evangeline. Any son I create will inherit this curse and he will need the care from his father and mother if he is supposed to live through it. I assure you this is no task that I am enjoying.” His voice had risen in his frustration, but it hardly warranted the expression Evangeline gave him. He took a deep breath. “Please, Evangeline I have no interest in hurting you.”

  “You are more beast than man Glais, and you tell me that you plan to infect my children. How else would you expect a woman to respond?” Evangeline was sure to meet his frustrations with a calming voice. She did not want to aggravate him further. “Please tell me more of this curse.”

  Glais did not feel encouraged to continue but he nodded and collected his thoughts. “For a long time, there has been an established way of making the process as simple as possible. Obviously, we need to keep the circle who knows about it small, but we need a reliable, and willing, offering every day.” Glais ignored Evangeline as she turned a light shade of green. “It means that often we are given a rotation of people to…” He wasn’t sure what he could say to try and explain the process of feeding without making Evangeline feel worse.

  “Do you sleep with them?” Evangeline asked.

  “Occasionally.” He wished he could lie but it seemed that for now he was incapable of it.

  “Have you slept with Luella?” Evangeline felt that she already knew the answer to this question but she wanted to hear him admit it. “How often?” She added before he could respond to the first question.

  “Almost every time.”

  Evangeline looked at the door and Glais feared that she would dismiss him. She seemed to be battling with herself, fighting against doing the very thing he feared and yet she bit back the command and nodded. “Do you love her?”

  “No,” He answered quickly which seemed to make Evangeline suspicious instead of feeling comforted. “I do not love her Evangeline. I appreciate her and I know that when I…” he struggled again with the right word. “When we are together she enjoys it. It seems almost cruel not to sleep with her.” Evangeline put her hand up and he stopped. “I am answering your questions as best I can.” He apologised.

  “I know I asked.” But the answer made her feel worse than not knowing.

  “The curse does come with some small perks.” He tried to move on and hoped that she would let him. He had no interest in mentioning the regular ladies he bedded. “We stop ageing once we reach optimum physical age. It seems to generally be around twenty-five years.” He explained.

  “That explains why your father appears closer to your age, and easily confusable as a brother rather than who he is.” Glais nodded as Evangeline struggled with all the information she was being given. It felt too overwhelming and yet she was compelled to know everything. The smallest of details was dire for her sanity. “So he will live forever?”

  “Unfortunately no. Once I produce an heir, the curse will leave my father. The missed years will quickly catch up with his now released spirit and he will age faster. Death is an ever hungry mistress and plagues this curse at every opportunity.” Evangeline agreed but she didn’t give her thoughts on the topic.

  “How is our son to help the curse?” She asked.

  “If we can produce a healthy male heir we hope to combat that curse by giving it a person with that much life. We are hoping that by giving the curse a Dryad, a child can be produced that has such life flowing through it, and a constant replenishing of humanity and power, that the curse will not be able to take effect.” Glais coughed I to his hand. “That was how my father explained it to me when I asked.” He honestly had not thought of the implications of a child with Evangeline before she mentioned it in the carriage.

  “I am not a Dryad.” She was quick to point out.

  “I have seen what you do with no purpose Evangeline. Please do not think you do not have power.” Evangeline looked down at her hands and Glais wanted to comfort her and yet she had shown enough that he doubted she would appreciate him touching her at all even if it came with the best of intentions. “I am sorry about this.” Glais tried to apologise to her again.

  Evangeline nodded and drew her l
egs up onto the chair. She knew it was not an appropriate way to sit but considering the conversation between them, she did not think the usual rules applied to them any longer. “Glais, we must still marry.” He nodded. “And as your wife, I am obligated to performing certain duties.” He opened his mouth to speak but she silenced him with a gesture of her hand. “And I shall perform them. But right now, I cannot look at you.”

  “I understand,” Glais said.

  “Do you?” Evangeline tilted her head as she regarded him with eyes that could no longer focus on his face. “Do you really know what I have been going through Glais as you played your games?”

  “Eva…” Glais tried to apologise, hoping to explain to her the reasons again but she again silenced him with a look.

  “I arrived at your Kingdom in the middle of the night and you walk me to my rooms. It was not the most romantic of nights, yet I wear your gift still. It is an honour to be marked with something so valuable. Only a small amount of time passed between us and I believed that perhaps we would find chemistry.”

  Glais ran his tongue over his top lip. “I didn’t think I would ever feel so drawn to someone as I was to you,” He spoke so softly he wasn’t sure if he had been heard by her. Clearing his throat, he spoke more. “I knew you were coming. I had studied your homeland and had spoken to Sigourney at length in a hope to find out more about you and the place you came from. I was not prepared for you, though.” He sounded pathetic to himself. Glais was embarrassed by his actions even though it was done with the best of intentions. “I only wanted to keep you safe.”

  “You said you wanted me to hate you.” Evangeline reprimanded him.

  Glais nodded. “I did.”

  “And now?” Evangeline asked.

  Glais paused. Evangeline seemed to have an eternal patience for him. He believed that she would wait for him until Glais was ready to speak. “Clearly we are a better team than we are apart. Avoiding you was a mistake.”