Ezo rubbed at his tired eyes and realized the fire had burned low while he was reading. He hadn’t seen Kammon in hours. His lover had come in earlier to drop off food and drink, but he left Ezo alone after that. The dark circles had disappeared from under Kammon’s eyes. Ezo suspected he’d gone back to sleep.

Ezo would complain that he didn’t ask him to join, but he was too wrapped up in the journal to do so.

He tapped the book with his fingers before he grabbed it and left the room. The halls of Riverkeep were never entirely quiet because of the waterfall it was built behind, but there was no sound of movement beyond that. He opened the door of the larger bedroom where they were sleeping. It had been cleaned up a bit, but the blankets were askew.

As much as the bed called to him, he’d prefer company when he went. He walked down to the library and found Kammon at the first table.

“Light reading?” he asked with a smile.

Kammon continued reading for a moment before he marked his spot with a piece of paper and closed the book gently. “I didn’t think I’d see you for a while longer.”

“You slept today?”

“I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“I’m aware.”

Kammon frowned. “I’m sorry. Did I keep you up?”

Ezo shook his head. “You moved a lot, that’s all.” He held up the journal to stop Kammon from worrying about that. “I finished the last book. It would take much longer to read his story, but I managed to get through this one. It’s not a good ending.”

“I wouldn’t imagine it is,” Kammon said, looking up at the ceiling.

“The last keeper was Eques Maron. His family lived on this land for generations, but he gained the title of eques and was granted this castle when he was in his thirties. He was the keeper of Riverkeep before that, though.”

“People like Lestan in Pramas inherit the title now, but the original eques were promoted in the field. If Maron earned the title, he must have been formidable.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“He was War-Sworn,” Ezo said. “You’ve heard of the rising and the razing?”

Kammon nodded.

“I don’t think it happened.”

“Everyone knows the story.”

“Yes, they do. But listen. The old peddler who found the book here told me there were rumors back then that some people were unhappy with the new eques. Not only was he a strong elementalist, but he was popular with the people as well.”

“Those are just rumors,” Kammon said. As he listened, though, Ezo could almost see him making connections. Kammon was so overpowered in the elements that sometimes Ezo forgot that his most formidable weapon was his mind.

“According to his journal, Maron wasn’t going to accept the title. He was afraid of the reaction from the nobles. He changed his mind when they offered him the land and castle. He hoped to make Wind Haven a strong foundation for his heirs to continue protecting Riverkeep. He spent the next twenty years rebuilding Wind Haven until it was a powerful fortress.

“In the last five years he became increasingly convinced that they were going to come for him. In fact, he was meeting with truthkeepers from Nara and Galif at the Sanguine River. The old man’s rumors were true.”

“And after the meeting?”

“Someone else’s writing takes up the story. It doesn’t make much sense unless my fears are correct.”

“What is it, Ezo?”

“The final words were written in ash.” He opened it and showed the last entry to Kammon.

The boy is gone, lost to fire and death. He is ash, like his father.

“Who would have written that?” Kammon asked.

“The old man said the eques had a wife and son who were never seen again. I think whatever happened in the castle, their son was lost to it, and his wife survived to scribble the words.”

“She would have known about Riverkeep, too, then.”

Ezo nodded. “Kaiya.”

“The woman who found you here?”

“I think it was her. I haven’t seen her since the day she led me here.”

“I could ask Ember to search the surrounding area for her. From what you said, she might still be watching this place. If she is, Ember may be able to find her without scaring her away.”

Ezo nodded. “I would like to see that she’s safe.”

“I’ll send her out tomorrow.” Kammon walked away from the table, took the book from Ezo’s hand, and placed it next to his stack of books. “For now, it’s time to sleep.”

Ezo didn’t even argue. He followed Kammon out and dropped onto the bed without stopping to undress. Kammon laughed at him, but Ezo felt a gentle tug at his foot as Kammon slid his boot off. He sat up and undressed properly and crawled under the covers with Kammon.

“It’s a shame to sleep in such a nice bed,” he said, but he couldn’t stop the yawn that cracked his jaw open.

Kammon kissed his temple as he pulled him closer. “Sleep now. Play later.”

Ezo wanted to argue with that, but he realized Kammon must have been exhausted to have taken a nap earlier and to go to sleep this early. He decided it was the better part of wisdom to shut up and sleep.