The Frozen Prince (The Beast Charmer #2) - Maxym M. Martineau Page 0,53
moved to one of the shelves. “His horns allow him to transmit thoughts into text. By connecting to the tree, and therefore these tomes, he records information that is passed through Hireath.” With careful hands, Gaige selected a thick book with a dusty brown cover, and green vines pulsing with magic retreated from the binding, rushing back into the wall. Actarius shivered.
“For example, this is an accurate account of every Council meeting for the last…” He flipped open to the first page with a list of dates printed in perfectly legible text. “Fifty years. Though I haven’t done more than skim the dates at the beginning—dry stuff. He can’t possibly hear and transcribe everything, though he tries.”
“What does he have to do with the Azad?”
Gaige’s fingers danced over a few more books. “Here’s the thing: I don’t rightly know. I’ve never tamed an Azad. So if Yazmin says it’s what you need to cure Noc, then I believe her. But I swear I’ve seen these ingredients somewhere before. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
My shoulders tensed. “Is that a bad thing?”
Gaige’s already creased expression somehow caved in deeper. “No. More of a curious thing.”
Annoyance flared deep within me. “Look, I don’t have time for this. Every minute I spend pondering my next move is a minute lost in Noc’s battle against this oath. Can you help me or not?”
His steely gaze slanted to me. “Of course I can. The ruska fruit is rather simple to locate. In the middle of Oslo’s Ruins is a tree larger than Hireath’s keep. Its branches reach upward in the shape of a bowl, allowing the leaves to grow like dense hedges and form a platform. There’s a field of ruska fruit up there. They’re pear-shaped and glow a vibrant pink.
“As for the Azad…” He handed the parchment back to me before folding his arms across his chest. “Most Charmers don’t think to leave descriptions of their beasts for posterity, given their bestiaries automatically record details for them.”
“Which means you’ve got nothing.” I parked a hip on the arm of the couch and slumped forward.
“Not nothing. It’s been close to a century since a Charmer has tamed one, so all I’ve got is a rough notion of what one looks like. They’re tiny, mouselike, and their white hide blends perfectly with the icy landscape of Silvis’s Ruins. But since Yazmin figured out that the ruska fruit is the key to luring one out into the open, I’m betting you’ll have more luck than any previous Charmer.”
I straightened. “Thank you, Gaige.”
His knit brow returned as his fingers resumed their dance across book bindings. “If anything else turns up about those ingredients, I’ll find a way to get word to you. I swear I’ve read something somewhere…”
“Okay. I have another favor to ask of you.” I stood just as he turned, tilting his head to the side.
“Yes?”
“Promise me you’ll watch over Calem. I trust Kaori, but…”
“But there’s still the matter of our unknown assailant.”
My throat tightened. “Right.”
Gaige nodded once. “I promise. I’ve grown very fond of your assassins already. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care what happened to them.”
Really, now? I remembered how his red coat had found its way over Kost’s sleeping shoulders. I wasn’t sure if “them” meant all of those at Cruor or just one member in particular, but I’d take whatever assurances Gaige could give me.
Folding the instructions neatly into a square, I tucked the parchment away and offered him a parting wave. “I better get moving. Enjoy your research.”
He waved me off, turning back to his books. Part of me wanted to question him further, to understand his sudden interest in finding out where he’d seen those ingredients before. But I needed to get to Noc and cure his oath as quickly as possible. Everything else could wait.
Eleven
Noc
After stripping out of my tunic and sinking into bed, I dropped my head in my hands and pressed my fingers hard against my scalp. Gaige knew. Darrien knew. Kost and I had deciphered Gaige’s cramped notes, which carefully detailed my possible lineage. It’s not like either text actually stated that Aleksander Nocsis Feyreigner, the Frozen Prince who started a war with Rhyne by killing their princess, his lover, was Noc, current guild master of Cruor. But both names were there in their respective tomes. Clinging to family ties and bloodlines and damning my existence entirely. Gaige was smart—too smart—and already fascinated with my “doppelgänger.”