Read Online Thorne (Random Romance) by Charlotte McConaghy - Free Book Online
Authors: Charlotte McConaghy
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the others, for that matter.
‘Seven.’
‘Four more then.’
Penn finished and fell silent.
‘How many pictures are there on this table?’ I asked him.
The boy’s eyes lit up. ‘Thirty-four,’ he answered proudly. He started counting them for me, pointing out each one with relish. I listened carefully and didn’t interrupt him.
When Penn was done, I asked, ‘Do you live in the cliff?’
He nodded, less excited.
‘How many steps away?’
And just like that, he was bouncing in his chair with uncontained delight. ‘Four hundred and twenty-two. That’s if I follow the path, but when I go over the roofs it’s only two hundred and twelve.’
‘Do you count birds as well?’
Penn shook his head, looking thoughtful at the idea. ‘Crabs,’ he explained with a grin. ‘But birds is a good one. There are plenty around here.’
‘Finn and I saw a pelican on the way. I reckon you could have fun counting those. How many types of crabs are there?’
As Penn launched into an explanation about all the different kinds he’d read about and then spotted, I realised Alexi was standing in the kitchen,listening. Finn and Jonah were both watching us. I knew about counting: I fell asleep each night to the soft sound of it coming from the next room.
When the meal was served, Alexi said a prayer. ‘We give thanks to Agathon and we honour all those lost in his name.’
It surprised me – Agathon was the first warder of Kaya, the man who’d forged the bond back when the world was young. It seemed very strange to me that a family would worship him like a God, when he had brought them insurmountable pain. Then again, it wasn’t my place to understand Kayan ways. And I had witnessed first hand how much love existed between bondmates. After all, I was on a mission to preserve what Agathon himself had created.
On my plate was a whole fish, its black eye gazing sightlessly up at me. It had been stuffed with something, and the smell of it was delicious – it had been way too long since I last ate.
‘What’s wrong?’ Finn asked me.
‘Nothing at all. I apologise, I was just … I’ve never eaten fish whole.’
She laughed as though this was hilarious. ‘Pick the flesh off with your fork, like this.’ Reaching across the table, she deftly dissected the fish for me. I caught the scent of her and it made something inside me far hungrier.
I put a piece in my mouth and was instantly stunned by the flavour. It was full and spicy and creamy. Everyone at the table laughed at my expression.
‘It’s amazing,’ I told Alexi, who nodded as though this was obvious.
‘It’s Da’s famous spiced cod,’ Finn explained.
‘Famous spiced cod,’ Penn agreed around a mouthful.
I grew quiet, enjoying my food and listening to their easy chatter. Alexi wore a wedding ring, but no one mentioned a wife. He wasn’t eating his own food, nor did he smile once, and I saw Finn watching her da at regular intervals, her expression unreadable.
Penn was mostly quiet, focused on his food. A few times he said ‘famous spiced cod’ under his breath, and I watched him out of the corner of my eye.
‘So, Your Majesty,’ Jonah said.
‘Please, call me Thorne.’
I watched his face. I could see in this boy a kind of bristling protectiveness. This was his house, his family, and it was his sister who had brought me here to threaten all of that. I understood. It was natural to protect what was yours.
‘Why are you here, Your Majesty?’ he said pointedly.
I glanced at Finn. There would be no help there; she seemed to enjoy my unease.
‘I’m here for the treaty, Jonah.’
‘So you say. But do you know what they’re whispering about you in the city?’
Not again. I cracked my knuckles under the table.
‘They say you’re a spy, come to take all our secrets home to your berserkers.’
I wished they’d come up with something a bit more imaginative. My eyes grazed each of their faces and it occurred to me suddenly that this had
‘Seven.’
‘Four more then.’
Penn finished and fell silent.
‘How many pictures are there on this table?’ I asked him.
The boy’s eyes lit up. ‘Thirty-four,’ he answered proudly. He started counting them for me, pointing out each one with relish. I listened carefully and didn’t interrupt him.
When Penn was done, I asked, ‘Do you live in the cliff?’
He nodded, less excited.
‘How many steps away?’
And just like that, he was bouncing in his chair with uncontained delight. ‘Four hundred and twenty-two. That’s if I follow the path, but when I go over the roofs it’s only two hundred and twelve.’
‘Do you count birds as well?’
Penn shook his head, looking thoughtful at the idea. ‘Crabs,’ he explained with a grin. ‘But birds is a good one. There are plenty around here.’
‘Finn and I saw a pelican on the way. I reckon you could have fun counting those. How many types of crabs are there?’
As Penn launched into an explanation about all the different kinds he’d read about and then spotted, I realised Alexi was standing in the kitchen,listening. Finn and Jonah were both watching us. I knew about counting: I fell asleep each night to the soft sound of it coming from the next room.
When the meal was served, Alexi said a prayer. ‘We give thanks to Agathon and we honour all those lost in his name.’
It surprised me – Agathon was the first warder of Kaya, the man who’d forged the bond back when the world was young. It seemed very strange to me that a family would worship him like a God, when he had brought them insurmountable pain. Then again, it wasn’t my place to understand Kayan ways. And I had witnessed first hand how much love existed between bondmates. After all, I was on a mission to preserve what Agathon himself had created.
On my plate was a whole fish, its black eye gazing sightlessly up at me. It had been stuffed with something, and the smell of it was delicious – it had been way too long since I last ate.
‘What’s wrong?’ Finn asked me.
‘Nothing at all. I apologise, I was just … I’ve never eaten fish whole.’
She laughed as though this was hilarious. ‘Pick the flesh off with your fork, like this.’ Reaching across the table, she deftly dissected the fish for me. I caught the scent of her and it made something inside me far hungrier.
I put a piece in my mouth and was instantly stunned by the flavour. It was full and spicy and creamy. Everyone at the table laughed at my expression.
‘It’s amazing,’ I told Alexi, who nodded as though this was obvious.
‘It’s Da’s famous spiced cod,’ Finn explained.
‘Famous spiced cod,’ Penn agreed around a mouthful.
I grew quiet, enjoying my food and listening to their easy chatter. Alexi wore a wedding ring, but no one mentioned a wife. He wasn’t eating his own food, nor did he smile once, and I saw Finn watching her da at regular intervals, her expression unreadable.
Penn was mostly quiet, focused on his food. A few times he said ‘famous spiced cod’ under his breath, and I watched him out of the corner of my eye.
‘So, Your Majesty,’ Jonah said.
‘Please, call me Thorne.’
I watched his face. I could see in this boy a kind of bristling protectiveness. This was his house, his family, and it was his sister who had brought me here to threaten all of that. I understood. It was natural to protect what was yours.
‘Why are you here, Your Majesty?’ he said pointedly.
I glanced at Finn. There would be no help there; she seemed to enjoy my unease.
‘I’m here for the treaty, Jonah.’
‘So you say. But do you know what they’re whispering about you in the city?’
Not again. I cracked my knuckles under the table.
‘They say you’re a spy, come to take all our secrets home to your berserkers.’
I wished they’d come up with something a bit more imaginative. My eyes grazed each of their faces and it occurred to me suddenly that this had
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