Page 47 of A Monarch's Fall

“Thanks,” I said as I took the glass.

How long had it been since I had drunk anything other than the cans of espresso with Arvid? I was asleep, most likelyenchanted to sleep, for five days by Arvid’s account. The water was surprisingly cool, perhaps the cabinet hid a fridge, the liquid was refreshing and rather embarrassingly, I drank the entire glass in one breathless go.

“More?” Jack asked.

“Yes,” I answered, my voice somehow sounding more parched. How was it possible to be unaware of my thirst until that moment?

He poured water into the glass as I held it.

Again, I drank the glass all too quickly and was left desperate for more.

“More,” I said, not even caring how desperate I sounded.

Jack smiled, and something about his smile snapped what felt like a string within my mind.

I stood, pushing him away and dropping the glass as I did.

“What was that?” I demanded to know.

His smile fell.

“I didn’t mean —” he began.

“Didn’t mean what?” I demanded, becoming angry. “What did you do to me?” I was raising my voice.

“It’s… I only wanted you to be comfortable, accepting,” he pleaded.

“What. Did. You. Do. To. Me?” I asked like a command, each word precise and punctuated.

“It’s my gift, my ability, I can make people desire things,” he told me.

“Stuff?”

“Anything really, though it doesn’t always work,” he said, bending down to pick up the dropped glass.

“I was curious, I’ve heard so much, and now you’re here, and it was stupid. Please just forget this happened,” he said as he stood up, pleading.

“What’s your coven?” I asked. I knew of no coven with the power of compulsion. That was enchantment magic, powerful enchantment magic. Illegal enchantment magic.

“Coactus,” he answered.

“Coactus can’t compel,” I replied.

“Yeah, well, I can,” he said, looking back towards the closed door and away from me like he was expecting someone.

I turned towards the door too.

“Why?” I asked, after a moment, when no one arrived.

“Why what?” he said, turning back to me.

“Are you serious? Why did you make me want to drink so much water?”

I clenched my fists at my side, trying to calm myself down.

“I know you’ve been unconscious for days, and while I know the healers gave you intravenous fluids — “

“They did?” I questioned. How? I had no marks on my arms that would have suggested an IV line. Did they heal that quickly? I couldn’t remember my childhood vaccines and whether the injections had left any marks to heal, but Father had assured me I had had them. Maria had demanded that all children of our village be vaccinated for common childhood diseases before we attended school.