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“Ah, here it is, the real reason you came.” She rolled her eyes, still grinning at me.
Easing myself onto one of the available beds, I leaned back onto my arms. Shavarra sat across from me on another bed, pulling her legs up and crossing them in front of her.
“I, uh, I had a dream that I found a burgundy witch on the front steps of the Twinity Court.”
A cough rattled her chest like the wind had just been knocked out of her. Shavarra patted her heart and shook her head. “You did what, now?”
“I dreamt I was coming home and I found dead guards everywhere, but the witch had killed them quietly. No alarms had been rung and the castle doors had not been breached, but she lay on the steps, barely alive.”
“What did you do?”
“In the dream, I slit her throat,” I answered.
“This doesn’t make sense. They’re extinct.” Her hands scrubbed at her face. “Ryker was literally just in here telling me about Daethian. The only symptoms he has reminded me of the stories of burgundy witch magic. You don’t think a witch is running around cursing us, do you?”
“Daethian? What’s wrong with him?”
Shavarra patted my knee. “Something about odd behavior, black eyes, and magic that oozes off his skin.”
“Okay, don’t say anything about the witch, yet. I mean I haven’t found her, so it could not come to pass for days or weeks or years. It might mean nothing, and I don’t want to freak Ryker out about it.”
“We hardly even see each other around here, so I don’t think that will be very hard,” she said slowly.
“Thank you.” I sat forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek as I stood. “I’m going to see where Ryker is. It doesn’t sound like she is having a very good time here since she has returned.”
“Go woo her.” Shavarra waved. “Come back and say goodbye before you go though.”
I nodded as I backed out of the room. Carefully, I pulled an apple out of my navy jacket and tossed it back and forth between my hands as I strolled the halls to Ryker’s room.
Her door was closed, as it usually was, so I knocked on it gently. There wasn’t a call to come in from the other side or any shuffling of activity. Maybe she wasn’t there or maybe she was taking an evening nap.
I knocked louder. “Ryker?”
A door down the hall cracked open. Ryker’s green eyes peered toward me. As she saw me, she opened the door wider.
“Dace? What are you doing here?”
“I came to visit. I told you I would. What are you doing down here?” I left her door behind and made my way over to her. She leaned against the doorframe with a slight crimson blush.
“I wanted to make sure I was left alone. I came to hide.” She laughed quietly, stepping away and allowing me inside.
The room remained as others had. Mostly clean, with the few items of the previous occupant still sitting as they were left. Inside the room, I turned on my heels tossing the apple at Ryker.
“Want a snack?” I asked.
She caught the fruit with one hand. “You sure do have a thing for apples.” She spun it gently in her hand. “I don’t really feel like eating right now.” Ryker closed the door, pressing her back against the wood, the apple held between her hands. Soft curls tumbled down her shoulders, just asking for me to run my fingers through them.
“Do you want to talk about it or be distracted from it?”
She thought for a moment, debating it as she chewed on her lip. An uneven breath filled her lungs. Her attention finally settled back on me.
If she keeps biting her lip like that there might be an issue. A pang of desire shot straight through me.
“Distract me,” her hushed voice trailed to my ears and rose goosebumps over my arms.
With a sly smile, I answered, “I was hoping you would say that.”
“Oh no, maybe I should have picked the other option.” Ryker pushed off the door and drifted over to me. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the apple does it?”
