Chapter 36: Notes Of Negotiation

                                    

                                          
While some celebration was at hand at the Domus Eius, it couldn’t be further from the Tempest Turris. 
Once - while Liam and Levi had been bringing Isla to the Domus - the last remaining Scaths that had survived Liam and Levi’s attack had reached the top of the Tempest Turris to Henry with the news, King Henry was outraged. His troops had been drastically thinned. He was in no position to begin war or even conquer. He never should’ve believed he had enough Scaths, and made the Scaths stop infecting. He now had to wait a few months time for the Scathian infection to set in Silvestria and any of the human kingdoms. He’d have to wait, because they couldn’t have killed their starting problem, soon enough.
He’d figured.. well, assumed that with the amount of Scaths he had, he hadn’t the need to infect anymore, to preserve the remaining people for his reign. 
He lashed out as soon as he heard of it. It seemed he’d underestimated his step-son’s care for the elven lady. However it made clear one thing; Liam, Isla, and Jonathan were not kidnapped. It was all a plan to escape with the help of Levi. He’d always hated that man. And now, he despised him even more. He must’ve pieced together Henry’s “fool-proof” plan, and told them. 
But what he didn’t understand was how they were still aware of the goings on in Petra. If they were hiding out in Silvestria, how could they know about his raid? His march on Silvestria? They had to have had a spy, but no Scath would waste such an opportunity to wreak havoc. 
This must’ve been a human or other-elven spy. 
He consulted one of the few Scaths that remained with him at the Turris, more specifically Everett. But Everett wasn’t aware of this mole in the Human Castle, however he did help devise a plan for moving forward.
In execution of the new plan, Henry wrote a negotiation letter, and used a Sun Dove to aid in the delivery. Everett told him that if he sent some of his last troops to follow the bird they could gain the location of their whereabouts. But that plan sank when the bird flew higher than could be seen. So the troops returned with no verdict.

By sundown the sunbird reached Domus Eius, it had attempted to find Liam as instructed, but Isla found it and let it perch on her arm, feeding it some seeds. She grabbed the letter from around the Sun Dove’s neck, and read it. She instantly knew who this was meant for. 
She quickly ran to hers and Liam’s hut, and burst in to tell him, then almost got a “show” she didn’t need. Liam was changing his shirt. 
He must’ve just taken a bath, because his hair was wet and messy - well, messier. Isla nearly squeaked, “God! Liam, seriously? Lock the door or somethin’. I don’t need to keep seeing you like this!” She reprimanded him, using the letter as a cover for her eyes.
Liam lightly blushed, and smiled in slight amusement. “Come on, Isl, I’m not ‘blinding’ you. I’m mostly dressed, anyway. You’ve seen me like this before.” He chuckled. Pleased with the memory it brought back. “Besides, you could’ve knocked, at least you’d have known.”
Isla rolled her eyes, “Okay, Green eyes, I get it. I should’ve knocked, but seriously? I know you’re not ‘blindin’ me or so to speak, but like I said I don’t need to keep seein’ you like this per se.'' She braved to look past the letter and walked to their bed.
Once again, Isla had to pry her eyes from his bare chest, and her cheeks and ears grew redder by the second. He served so big a distraction that she completely forgot what she’d come in here to do in the first place.
“Hey, Isl, can you help me find a shirt? I finally found where they’d been hiding, but I had ended up packing all of them and a few of them were just kind of uncomfortable. Like itchy or tight or whatever.” Liam requested.