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“You’ll see. There are plenty of reasons I’d want to hang about this room.”
Was I in for a surprise? A library was a library after all. What could be special about it? Exceptionally comfortable chairs? Free tasty drinks? It was a place where books and people who needed to study went.
“I’ll take your word for it. Anyway, I think what’s next on Kai’s plan is for us to find a specific magic user he knows who can put up a protective counter-spell and try to diminish the effects of my curse, at least temporarily. So, until that happens, you should probably still keep your distance. You know, better safe than sorry.”
“My first instinct is to argue with you, but considering the situation, I suppose that’d be pretty shitty of me.” With a swingof her legs, she got back down onto the floor and straightened her uniform. “I’ll give you your spacefor now, but don’t think I’m gonna let you sequester yourself the entire time we’re here.”
“I didn’t think you would.”
“At least we’re on the same page. Well, I’m gonna head to my own guest room I’m sharing with the other two ladies, eat my weight in rich people food the staff will apparently just bring at a moment’s notice, then crash in one of their fancy beds.”
“That does sound like a good plan,” I said. “I might have to copy you.”
“Imitation is the finest form of flattery. I’ll see you later, Healin’ Hermit.”
“See you later.”
I opened the door for her, then shut it once she was out in the hall.
I may have essentially kicked her out of my room, but I was pretty touched by how Darla was handling everything. I’d gone from only one person knowing about my curse to three, and none of them hated me for it.
It was so different from how my coven acted, and I was beginning to think maybe, just maybe, they weren’t as magnanimous as I’d always thought. Kai was my mate andhadto deal with my malignant shadow, but Oren and Darla would be well within their rights to swear me off.
And they didn’t. In fact, they’d spent time comfortingmewhen I’d finally confessed. Absolutely wild.
I went to sort out my bags before realizing they weren’t in my room yet, meaning I truly had nothing to do. I sighed, wishing I was with Kai at that moment, despite all my protestations about needing to keep our distance.
I was a hypocrite.
Still, I wondered how his reunion with his parents was going. Was his mother chewing him out for leaving? Already spoilinghim rotten to try to convince him not to go? Fat chance. I’d only regularly started interacting with Kai for a short while, yet I knew once he set his mind to something, it was nearly impossible to convince him otherwise.
At least he had conviction.
I did my best to examine the rest of my quarters, and luckily the food arrived in front of my door a bit later. I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d been expecting, but it wasn’t three full carts encircling my entrance while servants rattled off a delirious amount of food. Granted, shifters were occupying the palace, so they had a much better handle on what a bunch of hungry, military members of their kind ate.
I was alone as I chowed down, so that was okay with me, but as soon as I finished my food, there was another knock at my door. Figuring it was Darla again, or even Mad Dog asking if we were serious about Kai being the prince, I set my empty plate aside and hurried over.
Except it wasn’t either of my companions. There were two women standing there, both smelling of wolf shifters—one in a staff uniform, while the other wore more gorgeous, designer clothes. Her dark hair was piled atop her head, and little jewels adorned it like flowers, but her eyes were a deep, dark chocolate, and surprisingly doe-like for a wolf.
“Hello there,” the dressed up one said. “I am Princess Seraphina DeLune. Might I come in?”
Wait, the youngest princess of the DeLune family wanted to meet withme? Why?!
“O-of course,” I said, stepping to the side to let her enter. I had a fleeting, panicked thought about my curse latching onto her, but hopefully just a few minutes of interaction wouldn’t put her at risk. “It is nice to meet you, Your Highness.”
“Well, we’re haven’t fully met yet, have we?” she said with a laugh. “That’s why I’m here.”
“You are?”
“Yes, I’ve been quite eager to introduce myself to the folks my brother would trust and speak of so highly. It’s been a long time since he’s brought anyone to the palace under his name.”
I didn’t point out it was a long time since he broughthimselfto the palace.
“Not to be too forward, but I heard you’re the witch of the ground, yes? A Healer Every... Everest…”
“Everton,” I said quickly, a bit unnerved she already knew about me. Although we’d been thoroughly scanned at the entrance, but I hadn’t thought the information would spread so rapidly. Palace life worked at a pace I wasn’t used to.
“Ah, yes, Healer Everton, was it? A pretty name.”
