“I don’t needyouto tell me aboutmyposition,” I shot back at him. “I can do this all on my own.”
His expression grew serious. “You’ve mastered all the powers of your predecessors then? You can bend moonlight to your will? Enter dreams? Use a moonstone’s power to portend the future? Summon wings of moonlight and journey wherever you want, unhindered, throughout the realm?”
I fell speechless. He seemed to know more about my potential powers than I even did. I rubbed the back of my neck; somehow it felt easier to admit my substantial shortcomings to a stranger than to myself, especially one who spent the day fighting a swamp monster alongside me.
I threw my hands up. “You’re right. I can do none of those things. I’m not even certain this island recognizes me as the next Midnight Sovereign. There’s an entire gated area near the cemetery that I can’t figure out how to access. I found a key, but I have no idea what it opens. I don’t know what the lampposts even need in order to successfully light. My mentor Kaylin had no interest in this position, and she has left me withnothing.I don’t have nearly enough training. So where, exactly, do you recommend I start?”
Corvin’s eyes were sympathetic, seemingly unfazed by my passionate response. His voice was calm when he replied, “I don’t know. I promise I’ll ask my father more about it though, next time he wakes up. He might know. And I could come back tomorrow if you’d like, to brainstorm more about the lampposts with you. I want to help you any way I can.”
I hesitated, debating the wisdom of inviting a stranger back to my island, but there was no denying I’d learned valuable information from him. Besides, if I were truly to fulfill my position, I would have to get used to strangers showing up on my doorstep. Perhaps this would be good practice. Perhaps he was exactly what I needed.
During our short conversation, he’d shared more with me about my position than I’d ever been able to glean from thepages of my books. And if allowing him to repay the debt would benefit his sick father, could I really justify refusing him? Besides, if I were being honest with myself, I could use the assistance.And the company,a small part of me confessed.
“Alright,” I said softly. “I accept. Until your debt is repaid. You can come back.”
Corvin gave me another small bow. “See you tomorrow then, Elvira.”
“Wait! One more question before you go—how did I get back to the boat? I can’t figure that part out.”
His eyes met mine. “I carried you back.”
Without waiting for a reply, he shifted into his raven form—a sudden, instantaneous blur of motion—and flew gracefully away. I pictured the strong lines of his arms wrapped around me.How long had he carried me?Alone once more in the study, I realized I still didn’t know who he was or where he came from, only that I owed him my life.
CHAPTER FIVE
Images of the Bunyip’s sharp, sharp teeth floated menacingly through my dreams.
Tossing and turning, I woke up late, feeling less than rested. Reluctant to leave the warmth of my sheets, I stayed in bed awhile longer, processing the previous day’s events. An accidental detour into the Spring Court—complete with swamp monsters, pixies, and the Green Man. A brush with death. And a raven, who was not really a raven at all, but a man.
We’d spent the entire day together without me even realizing. At every turn, he’d chosen to help me. Still, how much did I really know about him? Had I been naive to take his story about a debt at face value? To invite him to return? Would he even come back? It was out of my control for now. Either he would visit again, or he would not.
I wished I could ask Kaylin for her advice. It was a desire that stopped me short. Wringing my bedsheets into a twisted knot in my hands, I exhaled a shuddering breath. Because I would never be able to ask Kaylin for her advice ever again—would I? And even though, on some level, I understood that, in this moment, when I desperately wanted to ask her what to do but couldn’t, the reality of her death washed over me anew, forcing me to confront the magnitude of my loss. I would never be able to ask her advice again.
It took me another long moment to rise for the day.
Swinging out of bed, I got dressed and grabbed my gardening tools from the shed outside. There was one development frommy adventure that I could immediately act upon—the Green Man’s seeds. I had no idea what kind of seeds they were, but I was grateful to have been given them nonetheless, if only because they had been a gift, something I so rarely received. My other acquisition, the bog oil, would be best saved for evening.
Everything in my garden was carefully tended, almost every inch of available space dedicated to the growth of some food crop or medicinal herb. I also tended a wide variety of flowers—planted mostly for their aesthetic value. The island was pleasant to walk around, and I wanted to keep it that way. The garden, the cemetery, and the mysterious gated area were the most notable sights on the island, and I ensured each area stayed well maintained.
Seeds from the Green Man, however, deserved a special place of honor.
Thinking they might prefer partial shade, I buried them near the entryway of the cottage, figuring they would at least be covered by its shadow for part of the day if they were sensitive to sunlight. Another consideration was their growth, since I had no idea what plant they would become. Would they shoot up and grow as tall as some of the trees on the island? Or would they develop into a vine, low and sprawling? I sprinkled the seeds on both sides of the house for symmetry’s sake, hoping it was the right place for them to thrive.
As I watered the seeds, I half expected them to sprout instantaneously, but nothing happened. Unlike the Green Man, I didn’t possess a magical watering can.I suppose they will require proper care and nourishment to grow.Just like all the other plants on the island.
Once I finished with my outdoor chores, I retreated back inside, intent on tidying the study in case Corvin visited me again. I glanced around the room, trying to identify any clutter that might stand out to someone who didn’t live here.
There was some rhyme or reason to its organization at least, despite definite room for improvement. Most of the weapons were racked in the stand by the door; all the artifacts that resembled jewelry were on the same velvet display case; the books were all neatly shelved in the library section at the back of the room. The disorganization mostly stemmed from the number of artifacts, like the mirror, haphazardly scattered around, and the mess of parchment currently covering the desk.
I started by dusting the five golden tomes. They were displayed on their own wooden altar, separate from the rest of the books. Each tome was massive, containing a thorough historical record of its respective kingdom. You could always find what you needed by checking the index. Reading one of the tomes without any idea of what you sought, on the other hand, was a lesson in frustration—they were much too dense.
And yet, despite the detailed record they contained, the history books were also hopelessly outdated, lacking any recent information about the realm. I dusted them all the same. Satisfied with my efforts, I turned my attention elsewhere, stacking and sorting all the loose sheets of parchment Kaylin had left behind on the study desk.
Afternoon came and went without any sign of Corvin’s return. The sharp sting of disappointment was all too familiar, like when Kaylin would leave the island without a clear timeline for when she would return. I squelched the feeling down, preoccupying myself with my remaining chores.
As soon as dusk descended, I took the bog oil back outside. My moment of truth. Would the lampposts finally consent to light for me? It made more sense to wait until it was completely dark to test it out, but I was far too giddy for that, and patienceabandoned me. I wanted to know whether it would work. And I wanted to know now.
I found my ladder leaning against the corner of the garden shed. It was heavy, but I managed to haul it from the shed to the cottage path. Cautiously, I climbed up to reach the lamppost’s glass panels. I placed a small portion of bog oil into each one, such that it was evenly sectioned across all of the lampposts.
