Free Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2) by Rebecca Ethington Page A

warned me about Ilyan’s temper, but I had never seen it. Maybe it had something to do with this protector nonsense he was throwing around, which was the other thing I wanted to ask Ovailia about. My stomach tightened as I began to second guess myself. Ovailia on the phone. What was I thinking?
    “Alright , but it’s your funeral.”
    I heard a knock on a heavy door and then Talon said something, his voice muffled. Ovailia snapped something back. I instantly regretted this decision, and she wasn’t even on the phone yet.
    “Hello , Joclyn, what a pleasant surprise.” Ovailia’s voice was as sweet as acid, as usual. It didn’t sound like she was pleasantly surprised, it sounded like I was asking her to pluck all her hair out strand by strand.
    “Hello Ovailia .” I tried to sound chipper.
    “ What can I do for you?” I almost lost my nerve, but decided to plow through. If for nothing more than to be off the phone with her. Trying to explain why I wanted to talk to her without asking my questions would have been worse.
    “Wyn tells me there is a spy in Prague, and I know Ilyan doesn’t know.” It wasn’t a q uestion, it was a statement. I hoped my bluntness would prompt her to tell me what I needed.
    “How could you possibly know if I have told Ilyan or not?” I could almost see her eyebrows arch and rise delicately on her perfect face.
    “Because, if he knew, he wouldn’t be taking me out to dinner tonight.” There was a pause, but it wasn’t the pause of someone who is contemplating how much information to tell you. This was Ovailia, and her pauses ended with her decision of how much to scold you.
    “He’s taking you out? Out of the apartment?” I was surprised by the alarm in her voice, she obviously hadn’t told him.
    “Yes, and I am concerned that as ‘My Protector’ he doesn’t know that Edmund might already know where I am hiding.” I placed it well, hoping the words were heavy enough that she would either give away what Ilyan had meant or verify that the words meant nothing.
    There was a pause, and I waited. I didn’t dare say anything, worried I wouldn’t get any of the answers I needed. But instead of answers, Ovailia began to laugh.
    “Your protector?” she said through her wicked laugh.
    “ Your protector . Oh you stupid little girl, don’t make me laugh. If he had told you, you wouldn’t be saying the words with such pride. You would be terrified.” She laughed harder and my stomach dropped. “I will tell Ilyan when I am ready. Don’t you ever come prying for information from me again, or I can assure you, you will get more then you bargained for.”
    The phone went dead, and I dropped it to the floor like it was poison.
    That didn’t go at all as I had planned. Not only did Wyn dash my joy at getting to leave the apartment, but my impromptu espionage for answers blew up in my face. It was obvious that the news of the spy was being kept from Ilyan, and that Ilyan was in fact ‘my protector’ – whatever that meant. But worst of all, my chat with Ovailia left me feeling dirty and even more stressed.
    Secrets, lies, spies. I didn’t like it at all.
    I stood and stumbled around the apartment for a minute, waiting for my brain to tell me what I should do next. Ilyan wouldn’t be home for an hour at least, and who knows how much trouble I just got Talon and Wyn into – I cringed at the thought.
    I needed to talk to someone. And there was only ever one person I could really talk to.
    Without thinking , I grabbed my necklace and pushed my magic into it. This Ryland wouldn’t hold my hand and talk me through my problems like he used to, but I could at least talk without him judging me.
    I opened my eyes to the Tȍuha and gasped. Everything had been destroyed in the few short hours since I had left him. Every single drawing, every one of Ryland’s masterpieces, were smudged and smeared, some erased completely. I looked around me in shock, my mouth hanging wide open in horror.