Abaddon's Mark

Chapter Nine

By the time Graydon arrived at Theon's study, he was both embarrassed about how long it took him to find her and annoyed that Theon's wasn't the first place he looked. He had been to her dorm, the library, various nooks and crannies that she liked to hide in when she thought no one watched. He even checked the bathing room, startling several students in the middle of an intimate affair.

Theon did not immediately answer, but the door pushed in gently at his knock. His uncle often visited the Pan estate, whether the entire family was aware of his presence or not. Even while on the run, declared an outlaw by mages, Theon had visited. Graydon would sneak out in the middle of the night and push on Theon's door gently. If it moved inward, he was granted entrance and an incredible bedtime story.

If it did not, he found his way back to bed.

Graydon pushed the door open and slipped in, closing the door behind him.

Naena sat on the floor by Theon's bedroom. Her back was pressed against the wall, a book caught up in her hands, pressed against her chest, eyes closed, head laying back and to the side a little. Her hands and arms were bound in linen bandages. The hands were carefully done; each finger wrapped individually. The bandages would stifle movement but not so much as wrapping the whole hand.

About her knees, a blanket was draped, legs tucked to the side.

"Naena," Theon purred from behind his desk. "Naena, darling."

She sucked in a little breath as if woken from a sudden dream. Her eyes flew open, and she jolted away from Graydon. He glimpsed her little feet, bound like her arms.

"Naena, darling, why don't you head to bed," Theon murmured.

"Oh, yes," she said.

It took her several moments to bring herself to her feet, blinking the fog from her eyes. The book was still pressed tight against her chest as she rose. When she moved to close the book, she dropped it instead. The sound of the book hitting the floor made Graydon wince. She fumbled as she picked it up, creasing several of the vellum pages before she managed to get it turned over. When she closed the book, several pages were folded over, but she seemed not to notice as she set it on the desk and gave it a little pat like it had survived without a scratch.

"Leave the blanket, I'll pick it up later," Theon said soothingly as Naena reached for it.

She let out a little sound before she straightened and yawned. She was still yawning as she left the study.

Graydon glanced over and saw the door stood open just an inch or so. He turned to close it.

"Not," Theon snapped. "You. You sit."

A cold washed over Graydon as he turned back to Theon. His training prepared him for a great deal, but not for that tone of voice coming from his father's shield. He had heard that tone before. Every child surely had at one point or another from their parents or an adult they crossed.

Which was to say he did not flinch at Theon's command, but only barely.

He turned woodenly and took the seat across from Theon. The same seat, he was aware, that Naena sat in only months before while Theon inked her band. He was aware at first as a recognition of the armed seat, usually sitting to one side of the desk. Then he felt something riding along his nerves, and he knew her pain was caught up in the wood just as he always knew when it was about to rain.

The magic floating off the chair, its release caused by his sitting in it and being uniquely untouched by magic, clung eagerly to his skin. That feeling made him highly uncomfortable, even though he recognized it as not of his own making or desires.