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That was peculiar. An odd magic that Suzetta couldn’t identify, symptoms of darkness that we were going to have to search through books for. I mean, I’d listen to a children’s story if it meant we had a chance to figure out what this thing was.
“What’s the tale? I’m sure it’s worth a listen.”
“It’s silly, actually. Parents would just tell their children that if they got out of bed at night that a burgundy witch might find them. Burgundy witches were not fond of the Fae, even though we often made deals with them, or so it’s said. I’ve never met one, they were gone before my time. If you made a deal with them and crossed them, they would come back to eat the meat off your bones. Or as my parents told the story, if you got out of bed and they found you, they would put a powerful curse over you.” She raised her eyebrows. “The curse would change your eyes black, and dark magic would seep from your soul and your mind.”
I snorted, “You think Daethian has been cursed for getting out of his bed at night, by a species that doesn’t exist any longer?”
“No, I’m just saying that all stories come from somewhere. It's very interesting to me that his symptoms match that of a burgundy witch curse.”
I laughed like I was going to shrug off the idea, but I knew I wouldn’t. I’d look into it, even if it was a dead end. “So how does my neck look, doctor?”
“Your neck is fine. I suspect Suzetta wanted you to come back because sometimes the wounds remain under the surface.” She tapped her head. “Anytime you need to talk, you’ll have a friend in me.”
“Dace seems to think you’re pretty special, so if he trusts you, I suppose I could too,” I mumbled, as I returned to standing.
“He is...something special,” her voice was riddled with a harmony of love and sorrow, a feeling that I also recognized. “Dace has loved you forsolong. We may have had something at one time, but it was never love. I have resigned myself to be happy as long as he is happy.”
“You use the word love so freely.” Maybe it was something wrong with me. Was there some sort of fear that seized me deep down that kept me from being so open to it like everyone else was?
“That’s the funny thing, though.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “I don’t.”
A surge of emotions welled within me. My life was turning into a series of emotional whiplashes. Between my pain for Daethian, and my growing feelings for Dace, I was at war with more than the evil Fae rulers.
I was at war with myself.
Ihad arrived in the late evening after pardoning myself from dinner early to retire to my bedroom. My parents didn’t need to know that I really was excusing myself to visit my friends in the Heathern Court. Silverware scraped against plates, squealing in a way that made my teeth ache. The smell of ham was prominent in the dining room. Chewing mouths froze, and content gazes shifted to me and melted into confusion by my sudden appearance.
Their looks didn’t bother me so much though. If I wasn’t used to my family materializing in front of me like that, I’d probably stare too. A Nymph girl with flowers blooming over her cheeks smiled at me as I leaned against her table. The curling petals stained red the closer I came. The few around her watched me with awe. Missing these looks had finally begun to fade into a memory with my title back. Their longing gazes filled with the idea that I could give them something; money, power, romance with someone who had both. It felt like I was in control once again. People who wanted something from you could be bargained with. They could be governed.
“Where would I be able to find Shavarra?”
She opened her mouth to speak, her eager lips spreading into a small smile, only for the girl next to her to lean forward and blurt, “She’s in the infirmary. Suzetta is teaching her the art of healing with tonics and medicine.”
I hummed, righted myself, and patted the poor girl's shoulder as I passed. “That will do. Thank you.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised that their answers had led me back to the infirmary. Even if she didn’t have the magical gift, there was plenty she could learn without it. It didn’t surprise me that she busied herself with learning something new that would help her help others. It was very Shavarra of her.
“Hello, my dear friend,” I sang as I sauntered into the room.
“Dace?” Shavarra’s face lit up as she poked her head out from behind a curtain. “Just a minute, let me wash my hands and I’ll be right there.”
“I would say take your time, but I only have the evening to visit before I have to return home, and I was hoping to visit my future bride while I was here, too.”
She nearly squealed. “Oh, I had heard rumors like that, and I didn’t know if they were true. She was here earlier today, but I didn’t want to ask her directly yet. She’s still a little hesitant.”
“It’s not set in stone yet, so let’s not get too excited.” But I couldn’t keep the goofy grin from my cheeks. “I made a deal with my parents. Ryker gets time to fully commit, and if she decides she doesn’t want to, my mother gets to pick my bride. I’ll be stuck with LaBelle likely, so let’s pray Ryker will take the offer.”
“We both know she will.” Shavarra shook the water from her hands and crossed the room with her arms stretched out for a hug.
Breathing her in, I pulled her close. My eyes closed at the comfort of my friend. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too. It gets quite boring without you coming around to complain about your life of luxury every five minutes.”
“Oh, shut up.” I playfully pushed her away.
Shavarra adjusted her green shirt that she had probably dug out of some closet in the castle. The color clashed with her frosted skin tone but brought out her vibrant purple eyes.
“So I had a weird dream last night,” I began, with a tentative smile.
