The Sorrow of Shadows (Crimson & Shadows #1)

Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

OPHELIA

“ I thought I’d find you here.” Layne’s voice startles me out of the world I was in reading my latest romance novel. It’s about a female scholar living in a world so unlike our own, caught between two lifetimes; an ancient civilization drowned by the gods, and a love story that follows her through the lifetimes.

“You know me well, brother.” I smile and scoot over on the settee to make room for him.

“Whenever we played hide and seek as children, I found you in the library. You were incredibly predictable.” He laughs softly as he recounts the memory.

I close the book in my lap, noting what page I’m on. “Fictional worlds were always far better than our own reality.”

A saccharine smile crosses Layne’s face and he sighs. “I have something for you.”

“A gift?” I perk up in interest.

“Just a little something I found at a local market in my latest travels.” He winks at me and pulls a package from behind him. It’s wrapped in brown paper, twine tied into a bow on top.

I unwrap the paper carefully and grin. It’s a leatherbound book, with pages lined in gold. I examine the title and flip open the cover.

“No way,” I gasp. It’s my favorite book; one that I’ve read a dozen times over.

“Yes way.” He smiles at me. “Flip to the next page.”

I do as he suggests and squeal, “It’s signed by the author!”

“And it’s a first edition print. The edges were hand painted by a local artist. It’s one of a kind, for my one-of-a-kind sister.” He’s grinning widely at me now, his blue eyes sparkling.

The tears pool in the corners of my eyes, and I whisper, “Thank you, Layne. It means more than you know.”

He pulls me into his arm and hugs me tight, his apple and sage scent wrapping around me. Layne is all the family I’ve had for so long, the only one who truly cared about me until recently. I relax into the embrace that feels like home.

After a few more moments, Layne finally releases me and says, “So, tell me what I’ve missed out on during my time away from court.”

“I don’t know where to begin; you’ve missed a lot.” I contemplate what to tell him first.

“Let’s start at the beginning. Last we spoke, Father had commanded you to get close to Princess Breyla for his own gain. How is that going?”

“It should come as no surprise, but Breyla saw right through that. She knew from the start that he sent me. So we formed our own agreement instead, and I feed him false information, just close enough to the truth to not be obvious. In return I tell Breyla what I can about his movements. Breyla and I have come to form a friendship.”

Layne looks contemplative as he says, “I still don’t know that I trust her, Ophelia.” I open my mouth to defend her, but he holds his hand up to stop me. “But I trust Father even less. So, please just be careful. I don’t want to see anything happen to you. I can’t stand seeing you hurt.”

“Yeah, well, I’m used to the pain. I’ll be okay, Layne. I know you don’t trust Breyla, but I do. Neither she nor Elijah will let anything happen to me.” I do my best to reassure him.

“Lord Elijah? I wasn’t aware you were close with him.” Layne raises a brow at me.

I fight the blush claiming my cheeks, thinking about just how close Elijah and I have become. “He’s Breyla’s best friend, so we’ve spent considerable time together. They’re kind of a package deal most days.” I pray to the gods that the explanation is enough to let him drop it.

“Uh huh, I see,” he hums in disbelief. “So, you and Elijah haven’t spent any time together outside of when you’re both with the princess?”

“There’s been a few occasions I’ve enjoyed his company without Breyla present,” I say as evenly as possible.

He narrows his eyes at me. “But you’re just friends , right?”

“We’re friendly, yes.”

“That’s not what I asked, O.”

“Your question was unclear, then,” I say, shrugging.

“Ophelia, stop dodging my question.”

“Ask clearer questions, brother.”

“Is there something...romantic between you and Lord Elijah?”

“Something like that,” I mumble, my cheeks flushing.

Layne leans forward, gently taking my chin between his finger and thumb, forcing me to look him in the eyes. “Something like what,” he nearly growls, his jaw clenched.

“Ugh, you overprotective ass. I am an adult, fully capable of choosing with whom I share my time and body.” I roll my eyes.

His nostrils flare. “You’re sleeping with Elijah?” he nearly screams .

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. We haven’t slept together, yet. We haven’t exactly defined what we are, but he’s made his interest clear. I don’t believe he’s spending time with anyone else like he does with me. He’s actually interested in me. He’s sweet and kind; he gets me. He doesn’t even care that I have no power.” Something twists in my gut at the fact that I’m still keeping Layne in the dark about my Gifts.

Layne grumbles and mutters something unintelligible under his breath.

“What was that?” I challenge.

“I still kind of want to punch him in the face for touching my baby sister, but if you’re happy and he treats you right, then that’s what matters most.”

I chuckle at his overbearing older brother act. “I am happy. He makes me happy.”

“I still might punch him,” he mumbles.

“Not that I don’t have faith in you, brother, but I don’t think that’s a fight you want to pick.”

“Fine, I won’t punch him. But you can’t blame me for trying to protect my favorite sister,” he concedes.

“I’m your only sister, you ass.”

“Still my favorite,” he shrugs. “When did you get such a foul mouth?”

“You can thank Breyla and Elijah for that. I sometimes wonder if they received any lessons in manners at all.”

“I’m sure you’re not the only one wondering that,” he says, laughing.

“Tell me about your time away. Did you have any grand adventures?” I lean in closer to hear his stories.

“Grand adventures? No, not this time. Father sent me to Lennox on business. It was mostly stuffy meetings with even stuffier nobles and merchants. He’s been busy making deals and allies all over the continent.”

“Sounds absolutely dreadful,” I giggle .

“Oh, it most definitely is. The most dreadful,” he exaggerates and throws his head back.

“Well, when you’re done running all his awful errands, you must take me with you on a grand adventure.”

Layne pulls me into his chest, my back to his front, and lightly plays with my hair. My midnight strands wrap around his pointer finger, and he twirls them. It’s a soothing sensation for me, one he picked up from our mother; it’s one of the only things I remember about her. I think it soothes me as much as it does him. “And where would we go on this grand adventure?”

“What about Amara?” I suggest.

“In Lennox? Why would you want to go there?”

“I’ve read that Amara has white sand beaches that sparkle like diamonds in the sun and turquoise waters. This time of year, it’s the perfect level of warm and sunny all day. I’ve never seen the ocean, but I think I’d like it. It sounds peaceful.” I sigh at the daydream.

“It does sound peaceful, but do you even know how to swim?” he teases lightly.

I pinch him on the thigh. “Of course I know how to swim! I spent time in the river behind the palace grounds, just like every other child at court.”

“That is barely a river, Ophelia. The ocean is a different beast. It can be beautiful, but it can also be wild and unforgiving. Some let its beauty distract from its lethality.”

“Well, you certainly sound like an expert. I shall rely on you to teach me everything I need to know for this grand adventure.”

“Very well, dear sister. I shall be honored to teach you to swim in the ocean and all the other necessary skills for our grand adventure.” He smiles at me.

We continue our conversation, catching up long into the night. I tell him of all the weird happenings at court, Father’s questionable actions, the arrival of Prince Ayden, and everything else in between. I fall asleep listening to him talk, right there in the library, and it feels just like we’re children again.