Chapter 81: Ominous Tidings
"What?"
"I need you to escort me to the banquet," Ayla repeated.
"I heard you the first time. But why? Surely Ares and Cassian are more than happy to..."
"Yes, they both came to me." Ayla cut him off. "And I refused."
"You refused both of them."
"Yes, I did. "
"In all honesty," Ayla went on. "you do not have much of a choice. Because I already told Cassian and Ares that I was going with you."
"Why would you do that? They would have my head."
Ayla’s mouth twitched. "I believe they are looking for you as we speak."
Damon stared at her like she had sprouted a second head. And then, to his own surprise, he laughed in disbelief.
"Why did you reject them?" he asked.
"Surely you can see what they have... this rivalry. This thing that makes them think they are the better person for me and not the other." Ayla shook her head slowly. "And I am not about to fan that flame by choosing."
"So you picked the one option that would ensure they murder me in their sleep. Way to go getting rid of me and here I was thinking you no longer hated me." he smirked, folding his arm across his chest.
Ayla looked at him.
"About that" she took a deep breath. "I wanted also to apologize for how mean I was the last time we spoke."
Damon shook his head. "You were right, Ayla. Every word you said, you were right." He swallowed against the dryness in his throat. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
"It wasn’t a fair thing to say."
"It was and you know it. Let me own up to what I have done to you. Do not make excuses for me."
Ayla nodded, her eyes dropping to the ground.
"What is it?" Damon took a step closer.
She looked up at him, into his amber eyes, and she told him about the dream she had.
Damon listened to her, only speaking when she was done.
"It has something to do with your powers, doesn’t it?" Damon asked.
Ayla let out a breath that was almost a laugh. "Is that what we are calling it now? Powers?"
"That is what it is." He chuckled. "But where does Alistair come in?"
Ayla shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "I do not know" she whispered. "I am tired of everything and I just want it to be over."
"Hey hey..." Damon reached for her. "We figure out what the dream means. What it all means... together."
Okay," Ayla sighed. "Okay."
Damon released her.
"Fine, I will be your escort but let me ask you properly."
Ayla’s brows drew together. "Properly?"
He dropped to one knee and looked up at her.
"Ayla Evermere," he drawled. "Will you do me the honor of letting me escort you to the banquet?"
She stared down at him, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
"Yes," she smiled.
Damon grinned, catching her hand, and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. Her skin was warm, and he let his lips linger a beat longer than he should have before he rose to his feet, still holding her fingers.
"We should return to the archives room soon."
"Yes." Ayla nodded, and for a moment her gaze dropped to their joined hands before lifting back to his face. "We should."
"During the banquet, maybe?" He raised a brow. "We could slip away. No one would notice."
"That sounds perfect."
"Good." He released her hand, reluctantly, and nodded toward the compound. "I will walk you back."
They crossed the threshold together. Ayla walked close enough that her shoulder brushed his arm, and neither of them moved away.
"Thank you," Ayla said quietly as soon as they arrived at her door.
Damon smiled down at her. "Anytime."
She looked at him once more, a long look that made his pulse skip, and then she turned and walked into her room.
...
"I asked to meet because as you well know the banquet is tomorrow and as per our agreement." Soren reached into his table drawer and pulled out the keys, weighing them in his hands.
He felt the bite of cold metal against his palm. They were unremarkable things...two iron keys on a simple ring, worn smooth by decades of use and yet they felt very heavy.
"I have the keys."
Soren crossed the space between them in three strides and held the keys out. He watched as Alistair’s fingers closed around them, drawing them from his grasp then turned them over in his palm, letting them catch the light.
"You have three days to find what you want and to leave. Then our business is concluded."
"You know I wonder what you think you can do if I refuse to leave."
Soren went still.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, Soren. What would you do if I refuse to leave like you are asking me to? Would you run to Kieran? Would you tell him everything? Expose your secrets as well as mine to him just to flush me out?"
Soren stared at him, his jaw tight.
"Oh I was just kidding. Lighten up" he laughed. "Besides, I am not the one you need to worry about."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You really should be looking inward. Your house is on fire and you are standing here bothered about little ole me."
Soren frowned in confusion as he watched Alistair twirl the keys in his fingers.
"Three days and I will be out of your hair, Beta." he inclined his head in a mock bow before turning around and walking out of Soren’s study.
What the hell was that? Soren thought. What did he mean by my house being on fire? Was that just his way of trying to get me riled up?
Even as he thought it, Soren did not think this was just to rile him up. Alistair knew something... something that in his words would upend his life.
But what?