She was helping me win over Orin. That’s what this was all about. Because if I could convince him to form a heartbond with me, I would gain access to his powers. Maybe his brand of magic could bolster my own. Maybe that was why no one had managed to cure an Ever of blight, because it required a level of magic that no threadmender had possessed.
Or he could use you for your power.A shudder raced through my limbs. I had no reason to believe he would. He’d held true to every single one of his promises, including allocating extra funds for the town. This preconceived notion I’d formed about Evers—Orin never fit into the mold.
Seville chuckled quietly. “I think you’ve had enough lingerie. Time to find you a gown.”
Without adding anything else, Seville turned and took the lingerie with her as she sauntered toward Mrs.Marlow. Over the dull ringing in my ears, I vaguely heard her demand for a selection of dresses to determine what style suited me best, but all I could think about was the lengths Seville had gone to in order to orchestrate this disjointed conversation. Pieces of it were clicking into place slowly, but there was still something just beyond my grasp. A pivotal fragment of information just begging to be recognized.
Thirteen
The next day was the first time I made it around the manor once before being shocked by Ywena. It was two laps short of what Rorik demanded, but it was better than I’d ever done, and I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I sunk to the ground before him. He leaned against the ancestor tree—it didn’t have a name, so I decided upon one myself—with his ankles crossed and scowled.
“That wasn’t three laps.”
I wished one hand would dislodge itself from the trunk and smack that self-important look right off his face.
“Thank you for that astute observation.” I rolled my eyes as my breathing slipped, and Ywena didn’t hesitate to send a tiny jolt of electricity through to my fingertips. I’d grown used to her reminders, and while they didn’t exactly hurt, they certainly pulled my focus. “I hit my limit. If I’d kept going, Ywena would’ve shocked me before the next bend.”
“Then you should have run to the next bend,” he said.
“You’re insufferable, you know that?” I folded my arms over my knees and glared up at him. “I’ll try again in a minute.”
He dragged out a sigh as he tilted his head toward the branches. Leaves fluttered in the gentle breeze, and a butterfly with bright blue wings and sable markings lazily followed the current to land on a withering flower. Rorik’s expression softened as he spied the creature. Instinctively, my fingers trailed over the crest inked into my forearm.
“Why insects?” I asked.
He raised a brow. “What do you mean?”
“Well, they’re not exactly appealing. I mean, I don’t mind them, but most people shy away from them.”
“What makes you think we care about being appealing?” He raised his hand and extended a single finger to the butterfly. It considered him for a moment before floating to his knuckles.
I snorted. “Are you kidding me? If you didn’t care about that, you wouldn’t bother with glamours.”
Surprisingly, he chuckled. “Point taken. As for why insects...” His amber eyes softened. “They’re plenty appealing. All the colors and variations. But more importantly, they’re strong. And they adapt exceedingly well.”
“How do you mean?”
The butterfly took flight, and he tracked its path with his eyes. “Most of the insects around here are infected with blight, yet they live on. In fact, they thrive. Blight seems to have altered their biology, but instead of killing them, it allows them to feed on diseased plants. Life is wonderfully resilient.”
“It’s a shame there’s no magic for tapping into that adaptation,” I said as I watched the butterfly disappear into the tree line.
Rorik folded his arms across his chest. “Orin’s tried, of course. Nothing has worked.”
Images of Orin’s body, stripped of glamour and enhanced with otherworldly magic, filled my mind. “What do you look like beneath your glamour?”
“Your obsession with seeing beneath our veil is tiresome.” He straightened, and his scowl returned.
“You know, some insects shed their skin. You should try it.” I stood and brushed loose grass from my pants. “At least Orin trusted me enough to show me the beauty of his magic.”
“Beauty?” Rorik’s laugh was dark. “I see. Well, I’m sorry I’m unwilling to make myself attractive for your benefit. I’ll leave that to Orin.”
I clenched my fists. “Orin showed me his true self because he trusts me.”
“You’re a fool.” Rorik glowered as he inched closer. “It just means he doesn’t think you’re a threat.”
Irritation bloomed in my chest, and I took an indignant step forward. His breath skated against my skin, and I ignored the involuntary gooseflesh that traveled down my neck. “And what about you? Is that why you won’t reveal yourself? Do you think I’m a threat?”
Something like desire flashed through his eyes, and he faltered for a breath before masking it with a smirk. “I don’t find you threatening. I just don’t think it’s worth my time.”
