The Pillars Of The World

apologies,” Aiden said. “I’m disturbing you.”
    Ari relented. She didn’t know why Aiden had come with Dianna last evening, but he’d done nothing except provide enjoyable music.
    “The kettle is still hot. Would you like a cup of tea?”
    “Thank you.” When he dismounted, he noticed the buckets by the garden wall. “Can I carry those somewhere for you?”
    Ari smiled. “I thank you for the offer, but they’re right where they’re supposed to be.” Then she paused, and added, “Perhaps you should bring one to the back of the cottage. Your horse may want some water, and I’ve only the two buckets.”
    Aiden picked up one bucket and followed her around the cottage. While he set the bucket in a bit of shade and slipped off the horse’s bridle so the animal could graze, Ari made tea and put some of the small cakes that were left over from the feast on a plate. She felt a prick of amusement when Aiden looked at the plate and quickly hid his disappointment—and she wondered if she should have offered slices of her bread instead. She’d noticed that her guests had all helped themselves to more of her food than all the dishes they had provided. She couldn’t blame them. The beef roast had tasted wonderful while the chicken, like the rest of their food, had been like eating solid air—the teeth found something to chew, but the tongue found no flavor.
    “I came this morning for a selfish reason,” Aiden said, sitting on the bench with her, the plate of cakes between them.
    Naturally, Ari thought. Would one of them have come for any other reason? “And what is that?”
    “The song. It pricked my pride.” He smiled. “I have an excellent memory, and I’d been sure I’d learned most of the songs that are sung. ”But I’d never heard those verses of The Lover’s Lament‘ before.“
    “As I said, it may be a variation of the song that’s only known around here.”
    “No,” Aiden said thoughtfully. “I don’t think that’s true. I have the feeling it’s sung that way more often than anyone realized.”
    “Perhaps. Here, it’s known as ‘Love’s Jewels,’ so the different name may have caused confusion.”
    “I’ve never heard it by that name, either.”
    Ari didn’t know what to say to him, so she said nothing.
    Eventually, Aiden said, “It occurred to me that you may know some songs that have been forgotten elsewhere. There’s one I’ve been trying to find for a while now.”
    “I’ll answer your question if you’ll answer mine.”
    “All right.”
    Ari turned on the bench so that she faced him. “Which one are you?”
    “I’m Aiden,” he said slowly. “The minstrel.”
    Ari turned away and huffed. “If you’re nothing more than a minstrel, then I’m the finest gentry lady in Sylvalan. You’re a Fae Lord. I want to know which one.”
    “What makes you think I’m Fae?” He didn’t drop the glamour magic, but the grim expression made the human mask look more like his real face.
    “Magic shines, Lord Aiden,” Ari said. “Especially during the dance. It’s something you should keep in mind the next time you want to deceive a witch.”
    “It wasn’t meant to be a deceit,” Aiden protested.
    “It isn’t what I call honesty,” Ari said sharply. “Friendships that are founded on lies aren’t friendships.”
    “The feelings can be true even if the surface isn’t what you would call honest,” Aiden replied, his voice equally sharp.
    “Are there any feelings, Aiden?” Ari asked, her anger suddenly changing to sadness.
    “I can’t answer for someone else.” He looked out at the meadow for a long time. Then he sighed. “I’m the Bard.”
    Ari almost asked about the others, then decided against it, knowing instinctively that he would answer questions about himself but would become protective about the others.
    “What did you want to know?” she asked.
    He hesitated, and she wondered what he thought would happen now if he asked the question.
    “Do you know any song about the Pillars of the World?”
    She thought for a moment, then shook her head.
    Aiden sighed.
    Pillars of the World. Why was that familiar?
    “I remember,” Ari said before she could bite back the words.

    The air around Aiden filled with his intensity, and that intensity made her cautious. She had to tell him something—but not everything. Not until she figured out why the Fae had become so interested in Brightwood. It wasn’t just because Lucian had been her lover for a little