All That Soars (*On Hold*)

5 A Roaring Rain

Every step of my hard-bottomed flats echoed along the cavernous walls of the enormous dining hall as I strode forward, making my way to the seat I normally occupied on one end of the table between my parents. I avoided Lord Koa's gaze as I pulled out my chair, letting its legs scrape noisily against the marble as I did. I did not miss the irritated quirk of my mother's jaw and delighted in the momentary satisfaction her annoyance gave me. But then I felt hard, bright, wise eyes upon me from across the table and couldn't help but allow my gaze to flick upward to him.

He was resplendent as always in a deep emerald velvet waistcoat and matching breeches. The Court of Friends, apparently, preferred something along the lines of the colonial style for their more formal engagements. I wasn't sure if it was a warning or a sign of respect that he had chosen to don such attire for this evening's meal. Either way, I didn't give him the satisfaction of too long of an observation as I reached forward for my napkin and busied myself with draping it delicately over my lap, the portrait of royal grace that my mother so desperately wanted to paint. I felt a wisp of her approval in the air around me and refrained from curling my lip in disgust.

"It is nice to see you've made your way home, princess," Lord Koa spoke boldly.

I did not remove that cruel, icy venom from my tone when I replied, "How disappointing for you that it wasn't your attempted kidnapping that did it."

He bristled, that friendly smile snapping instantly from his lips.

"Lord Koa is an old friend," my mother interjected before I could deal any more damage to her relationship with this man, whatever it may be. Her eyes flicked between us, warily, as she chose her words. "When I received word from Persues that he held you captive at the Bone Court, I couldn't go myself. He never would have granted me an audience."

"Whyever could that be, mother?" I muttered under my breath.

"So Lord Koa went in my stead," she spoke over me as though she hadn't heard but I noticed the way her fingers curled tighter around her goblet all the same. "I would have trusted no one else with such an important job, the bartering for my daughter's life."

"Is that what you did?" I asked, turning my gaze blandly to him, affecting that cold disinterest I'd learned from Ariadne Dawnpaw herself. I might have even inspected her nails if utilizing her signature move wasn't a task that made me ill to even consider doing. "From what I remember, it was less bartering and more posturing."

"That's all it ever is with the Bone Court," Lord Koa waved away my remark with a sigh, ignoring me completely as he turned to my mother. "It's always so dreadful dealing with them. Their souls are as black as their court."

"They aren't," I snapped, loosing my temper, forgetting my mask momentarily. My mother's gaze shot to me and I retreated, withdrawing within myself and sitting back against my seat, crossing my arms with a clenched jaw.

Patience. Pure, cool patience seeped into me. A gift from Lark in response to the anger I'd unleashed. I gripped it tightly and held on.

"At any rate, it's done," Lord Koa said, smoothly ignoring my outburst as he leaned forward casually and dug into his meal. "As long as Sophierial holds up her end of the deal, that is."

I could tell my mother was holding his mind before either of them even said a word. Lord Koa's eyes widened. His mouth opened and then closed again as he turned to her in surprise. There was a beat of silence in which they simply looked at one another, my mother's gaze narrowing as if she were communicating with him in the quiet. I wondered if she could speak to someone, in their mind, and shivered.

But I filed away the information that Lord Koa had already let slip. Sophierial was involved. In whatever they were planning, the Queen of the Court of Light and Life had a hand in it, an important one if Lord Koa's comment were any indication. I needed to get that to Lark too. Perhaps I would amend my note when I returned to my room, try yet again to send it careening through space and time to find him. Try and fail likely.