Soul of Smoke by Caitlyn McFarland

Author:Caitlyn McFarland [McFarland, Caitlyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781459290020
Google: 4jk6CQAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 25273071
Publisher: Carina Press
Published: 2015-07-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

A Beetle in Her Head

Rhys came out of the sleeping room to hear voices echoing through the main cavern. Surprised, he saw Deryn lurking outside the door to the kitchen, out of sight of whoever was inside. The voices got louder. It sounded like Ffion and Griffith.

He ducked close to Deryn’s ear. “What are you doing?”

“Quiet!” she hissed, making shushing motions. “These two haven’t had a row like this in a century!”

Rhys frowned walked into the kitchen despite Deryn’s protests. Griffith was standing with his back to them, his arms crossed over his chest. Beyond him, Ffion was pacing, shouting, and waving her arms, her hair even wilder than usual, wavy bronze tendrils escaping from her braids. “We swore! I swore. We’re staying.”

“Things have changed,” Griffith rumbled.

“No, they have not!” Ffion shot back.

“I’ve worried enough, Ffion. I could barely focus on my duty before. Now—”

Ffion whipped around, her mouth open to say something. She saw Rhys, and her lips snapped together. Griffith cut off at the same time, turning to face Rhys. Deryn made an exasperated noise from the door.

“What’s going on?” Rhys kept his voice casual.

“Nothing.” Ffion glared. “A disagreement.”

“About leaving.” Deryn said. “Why would you leave?”

Griffith looked at Ffion. She shook her head.

Rhys considered them. “Deryn, will you give us a minute?”

“No.” She settled on the table. Rhys locked eyes with her and waited.

“Fine!” Deryn gave an overly nonchalant shrug and headed out of the kitchen. “I’ll find out sooner or later.”

Rhys waited, listening to her footsteps. They paused just out of sight. “Keep going!”

He heard a sigh, then she crossed into view and walked out onto the ledge.

Griffith and Ffion stood side by side, their unified front not at all diminished by their difference in size. “Listen,” Rhys said uncomfortably, “whatever is between you is personal, but if you’re thinking of leaving, especially after Cadoc...”

“Ffion is—” Griffith began.

“Fine,” she cut him off. “I’m fine.” She grabbed a bowl of food from the counter and marched out of the kitchen.

Griffith’s gaze followed her, his head turning to track her through the solid rock wall. For three hundred years Rhys had wondered what it would be like to live half-inside someone else like that. He couldn’t imagine having that with Kai.

“Ffion says if I tell you what’s going on, she’ll strangle me in my sleep,” Griffith said, his voice flat. “Give me time. You’ll know eventually.”

“If she’s sick...”

Griffith’s dark green eyes were inscrutable. “She isn’t.” He took his own food and left.

“That was odd.”

Rhys rolled his eyes skyward and sighed before turning to Deryn. She leaned in the doorway, pulling her long, straight hair into a ponytail.

Rhys ran a hand through his hair. “Did you hear anything else while you were eavesdropping?”

Deryn shrugged. “No. Ffion’s got a beetle in her head over something. You’re the one who interrupted them before it got good.”

Rhys shook his head. It was hard to keep problems personal in a vee. Griffith and Ffion deserved whatever privacy they could find. He put his hands on either side of Deryn’s head and rubbed hard, mussing her smooth hair.

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