Veils of Storm

3. Magic and Idiots

Cage hated having the lie to Kat, but Cecile was a subject he'd much rather avoid, and not just because of their short-lived courtship. If he were completely honest, he'd much rather he forgot she existed all together.

But as eager as he was to go searching for his brother, he wasn't insane. When she'd brought him back to life and tied him to Kat, Cecile had clearly mentioned that they needed to talk. And going off to his possible death without seeking her out felt like suicide.

So after hearing the latest reports regarding the refugees from Endir, set off towards the cabin in the woods on foot.

Snow crunched under his boots as his mind worked to process the latest information. Unrest had taken over Endir as more and more of its people crossed the border into Iride despite the death toll for trespassing. They hoped to find the real heir and put an end to the madness of the Steward.

This real heir business was getting a little troublesome. Cage hadn't dwelled on it much because, cursed as he'd been, it didn't affect him in any way. It felt like the sort of problem that Fherras would have to deal with long before Fer would take the throne, and as far as Cage was concerned, Fherras could choke on it.

But the rumors were becoming even more persistent, and as much as he was all for protecting the innocent, having so many Endirians on their side of the border made his skin crawl. It was only a matter of time until one of the border guard patrols would come across one of their camps. And he most certainly didn't want his entire operation to be blown apart by squeamish foreign refugees.

They're people, too. Scared people in search for peace. But that was already the reason they hadn't been driven back across the border to their own lands. The only issue Cage had with this was what those people were actually expecting.

Iride was never going to start searching for the heir of Endir. Even he, who didn't care about the king's wishes and would do it just to spite him, knew that this was a matter they shouldn't get involved in. After all, the heir, whoever they were, was related to the witch king who had been a power-hungry lunatic. There were high chances they'd be worst than the Steward.

Even if Endir's politics were somewhat fascinating, Cage knew he had more pressing things that demanded his attention at the moment. Like Cecile. He'd reached the hut in the woods.

Unlike the last time he'd been here when the construction had looked abandoned and forlorn, the thing looked much sturdier, the windows clean and smoke trickling from the chimney.

Great. Cecile was in the mood for theatrics. With a heavy sigh, he knocked on the door.

"Come in," came the answer from inside.

Cage shuddered, but pushed the door open. He'd never get over how musical the fairy's voice had always sounded. And as he made his way inside to the smell of apple pie, he realized that her looks would never stop sending his stomach to his throat either. Of course she was surreal, since she wasn't human, but her dark beauty and flowing hair almost hypnotized him. Which wasn't fair, especially since he was happily in love with what had to be the most beautiful woman in the world.

"You're late," Cecile said, glancing over her shoulder at him.

Her stormy eyes held amusement, though, so Cage assumed it was safe to smirk at her and sit at the table uninvited.

"I'm sorry. Still trying to get used to the fact that I'm alive."

"Yes, you're welcome, by the way."

"Didn't I already thank you?"

Cecile turned to him fully, holding the pie in one hand and putting the index finger of her other hand to her chin. She wore a white apron with red and green apples embroidered into the material.