I nod. “Yeah. Sounds good.”
Upstairs in the loft, I drop my shower bag beside my bed,weave my damp hair into a quick braid, and massage a drop of oil into my face before descending the stairs back to the sitting room. Poppy is in her usual spot on the couch, blanket draped across her legs, teacup in hand. She hasn’t resumed reading yet, which I know means she wants to spend some time together.
I grab my teacup from the table where Poppy left it, then join her on the couch. “Where are Alina and Lyra?” I ask.
“They went to the astronomy tower with Raelan. There’s supposed to be a meteor shower tonight.”
Severin mentioned that earlier, but the idea of dragging myself up all those stairs to the astronomy tower to watch the sky sounds exhausting. My muscles definitely aren’t up for that tonight.
Poppy gives me a small sad smile. “Aric and I did a lot of stargazing in Faunwood this past summer. Now, looking at the sky reminds me of him.” She glances down into her teacup, and her shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. “I miss him. I can’t wait to see him for Yule.”
Right. I remember she told me that her mom is going to join her, and they’re both going to Faunwood for the holiday.
“It’ll be here before you know it,” I say, reaching out to put a hand on her knee. Leaning back, I take a small sip of my tea—lavender and chamomile—then ask, “Do you think you’re going to want to move there? To Faunwood?”
Poppy meets my eyes, and hers look equal parts hopeful and unsure. “I don’t know yet. He hasn’t even been there a year, but...” She lets out a wistful sigh. “I love it there. It’s a slower pace, and everyone is so kind, and it’s quiet.Reallyquiet.”
“Like, you could read all day and no one would disturb you quiet?” I ask with a sideways smile.
Finally, Poppy smiles back. “Exactly. But I don’t know what I’d do there. They already have a baker, and I’m not sure I have any other skills to offer.”
With a thoughtful hum, I take another sip of my tea, burrowing deeper into the plush couch cushions. Then an idea hits me. “Do they have a schoolteacher?”
Poppy jolts up. “What?”
“A schoolteacher. For all the kids.”
“I-I...” She reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m not really a teacher.”
I roll my eyes. “I tried to tutor Aric, remember? And he was a gigantic pain in the ass. But you were able to do it. He passed because ofyou.” I prod her in the leg with my bare foot. “You’re an amazing teacher. And kids would love you.”
Her cheeks go a little pink, and she averts her gaze in that way that I know means she doesn’t want to keep talking about this. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Something to think about.”
We lapse into silence, each sipping our cups of tea as the fire in the hearth crackles, keeping the room nice and warm as the night grows colder outside.
And without meaning to, I start to think of Severin.
This is what it’s like now: The moment I’m not distracted by something else, he’s there in my mind, looking at me with those midnight eyes, challenging me in ways I’ve never been challenged before.
Our conversation from last week comes back to me, when I asked if he’d feed from me.
And he told me he’d consider it. Since then, I haven’t asked again. I know him well enough to know that if I push too hard, he’ll shut down, trying to hold fast to his control.
But has he considered it?
I certainly have.
And I’m tiptoeing closer and closer to making a decision for myself.
After taking another sip of tea, I stare down into my cup, watching the lavender leaves swirling at the bottom. I must lose myself in thought, because Poppy eventually says, “Maeve? Are you okay?”
I glance up at her. She has her head tipped to one side, that gently focused look on her face that says she’s giving me her complete attention. And I’ve always loved that about Poppy. As long as you don’t interrupt her when she’s reading, she’s the most attentive person I know.
Maybe she’d be a good one to talk to about this. Alina would tell me I’m out of my mind, and Lyra would just encourage me to be reckless. But Poppy would take it seriously, the same way I need to.
“Can I ask you something?” I say.
