Iron Knight - Clan of the Rim Chronicles #2

23

FOR THREE DAYS WE looked through every book in the library. None were providing any results. Neither of us had barely slept, eating and practically sleeping there surrounded by books and dust and the smell of old leather. I was frustrated to the point that I wanted to give up, Thorne as well, but Calder wouldn't let it go.

It seemed he was now the most determined above me, flipping through books like our lives depended upon it. And it did. But I think his greatest motivation was to get the voices out of his head, and he thought that killing Sylvi would ultimately take care of that.

I hadn't given Thorne the full story Calder had told me regarding the voices. At least for the most part, Thorne trusted Calder, even though that was partly because of my word and the fact that Calder had saved my life on more than one occasion. If I told him that Calder's trauma was causing him to hear Sylvi's voice ordering him to kill me, that would be the end of any trust now and in the future.

These were the two men who protected me with their life and whom I cared about most. I needed them to be on each other's side or at the very least share common ground.

It was mid-day, and the three of us had already pulled a twenty four hour shift as we had the first night. Thorne was sitting at one of the tables, his top half spread out onto it with his face mushed into a book. He groaned, raising his head up to reveal a smudge of old ink on his cheekbone.

"I could seriously go for a pizza right now."

I looked up from my reading next to him, glancing at Calder who gave him a tired, puzzled look from the level above us.

"Well, the palace dining menu doesn't exactly have a very big selection of human fast food, Thorne," I said. "It's either meat or fruit or bread."

"I'd eat a live deer right now, honestly," he spoke with a stretch, "I'll go get us some refreshments. Any requests?"

"I'll go," I offered, standing from my seat and adjusting to my sleeping legs. "I need to check on duties, anyway, make sure everyone is following directives. I also need to speak to your little play-maid about what I witnessed the other day."

Thorne sighed, running a hand over his face. "Eerika--"

"Don't even try to defend yourself on this, Thorne," I retorted back. "What were you thinking? When I met you, you berated the other knights for doing exactly what I caught you doing. Was that the first time or have you been hiding it from me because you knew what I'd say?"

Thorne scoffed a little, "I don't think there's a royal law that says I have to tell you if I'm sleeping with one of your ladies. Half the staff have relationships and their nights spent in such a way, Eerika. You've just been so focused on yours I think you fail to notice."

I could hear the bite in his tone, his sleepless eyes piercing mine with a look that in ephemeral terms told me I'd just pissed him off. I snuck a look up at Calder who glanced my way, clenching his jaw before returning to his reading.

Thorne stood, his chair screeching against the marble and nearly falling over. He steadied it, running a hand through his dirty hair and refusing to look up at me.

"I think I need a wash," he grumbled, walking past me and to the door.

"Thorne," I called back, making him halt with his back to me.