AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A light rapping at the door jolted me. Glancing up, I sighed. “Viktor.”
“Naomi sent Edmund a magic quill thing. She said she will be coming by in the morning. Thought I’d tell you.”
“Maddox sent you up, did he?”
He stepped inside. “No. I made the choice myself, believe it or not.”
“I don’t need a babysitter. I’ll be fine.”
“I figured you’d need a friend.” He sighed. “I once found a body too. More than one.”
I arched an eyebrow. I chewed the inside of my lip, then relented. “Come in,” I said, although he was already standing a few steps in.
He closed the door behind him and sat on the chair in front of my dresser and mirror. He looked down at where I sat on my shaggy rug on the floor, in front of the large stone fireplace. “You shouldn’t have had that.” He pointed at my empty mug of cocoa. “I bet it made you feel worse.”
I pressed my hand against my stomach. “A little.”
“I suggested alcohol because you’re full of adrenaline. You’re in shock, and a drink would have helped settle your nerves. Take it from an expert.” He winked, then pulled out a small bottle of whiskey from his pants pocket. “Take a sip. It’ll burn but help.”
“I’ve drunk whiskey before.”
“With the way Edmund reacted, I assumed you weren’t allowed to drink.”
“I make my own choices. I’m an adult. The legal drinking age is nineteen. I’m twenty.”
He leaned back in the chair. “You should tell Edmund that. I believe he still sees you as if you are a little girl.”
I rolled my eyes and drank back a swig of whiskey. It did burn, but I didn’t react. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I exhaled what felt like fire, then placed the bottle in front of me. “How old were you when you found a body?”
“It was a long time ago.” He glanced down at his hands, which were clasped together. “It was my sister. She had been… decapitated.”
A shiver snaked up my spine, forcing me to shudder my shoulders.
“She was my favorite.” He half smiled, then sighed.
“Why? How did that happen?” I assumed she was murdered.
“I placed my trust in the wrong person.” His jaw clenched, and his nails dug into the skin on his hand. “It’s my fault.”
“I’m sure that isn’t true.”
“It is.” His tone sharpened. “Regardless, it was a long time ago.”
I pictured Viktor as a little boy, finding the remains of his sister without a head. I wanted to know more, but his expression told me not to ask. “How…” I paused, not sure how to word my next question. “Was the smell bad? Did it linger?”
He nodded, looking back at me. “Yes. Is it still in your nose?”
I breathed relief. “Yes. Was it for you too?”
“Yes. Every so often over the following weeks, I swear I could still smell her. Perhaps it was psychosomatic.”
“Maybe.” I swallowed thickly. “I’m sorry for snapping at you this morning. I’m glad you’re doing well with your spells. I was jealous.”
“That’s big of you to admit.”
“I’m not used to competition; that’s all.”
Smoke tinted the air. I breathed it in, glad for the strong smell. Rain pattered down against the window, heavying by the minute. “Did the caster come today to do the spell?”
