Page 31

Chapter

Thirty

T he smell of meat woke her, bile making its way up her throat, forcing her eyes open.

Steam trailed beside her, and for a moment, she thought she’d imagined the scent—that she still lay in the bathing chambers.

But the cool sheets caressing her body and the soft mattress she lay upon made her realize she was in a bed.

The steam came from a cup of broth on her nightstand.

A big glass of water accompanied it, and some type of grainy bread lay on a small plate beside the soup.

Wincing, she made herself sit up, shifting the pillows to support her.

With shaking hands, she drank from the water glass before lifting the cup of broth and taking a small sip.

Lessia had to set it down when a wave of nausea rolled through her, but after breathing deeply, she tried again.

Slowly, she was able to swallow down half the cup, and her vision became clearer with each sip .

After taking a few bites of the bread, she could think clearly again, the fog of hunger and exhaustion lifting.

She sucked in a breath.

Someone must have helped her into bed.

With a pounding heart, she peeked under the blankets, then blew out a sigh of release when she saw the towel was wrapped tightly around her body.

But as the silver snake winding its way around her arm glinted in the dim light when she lowered the sheet, her pulse picked up again.

A knock had her snap her head to the door, and she shook her head when the motion made the fog in her mind return.

Before she had time to speak, Merrick opened the door between their rooms and stalked inside.

Lessia dragged the covers to her chin.

“Can you stop barging in here? I’m not decent.” Her voice was raspy, and her tongue wouldn’t fully cooperate, a lisp sneaking its way into her words.

Merrick softly closed the door and leaned his back against it, his head tilted so that his silvery hair fell forward.

He was dressed in human clothing: black leather breeches, a deep green tunic that offset his moon-colored hair, and an even darker green cloak with a delicate golden clasp resting over his chest.

When he didn’t say anything, she raised her brows. “What time is it? And since when do you knock?”

His sharp canines glinted in the light of the lanterns when his lips curled back.

“It’s midnight. I won’t force you to train tomorrow; you need to regain some strength first, but Frayson informed us that the council is due to arrive the day after tomorrow.

There will be a debate and some kind of social gathering. You need to be prepared. ”

Her stomach dropped.

“I thought he said we would have time to recover?”

Two days were nothing.

By that time, she’d probably not even be able to eat a normal portion of food.

Merrick shrugged. “Apparently, they decided to come early. I have something to attend to tomorrow, so stay out of trouble, as I won’t be around. You should rest. Make sure you can play the part convincingly.”

With that, he opened the door again, but Lessia called out before it closed. “Wait! Did… did you help me to bed?”

His back stiffened, but his head tilted ever so slightly before he slammed the door shut behind him.

Lessia stared at the closed door for a moment, her hands gripping the sheets.

Then she forced herself out of bed, grateful that her legs kept her standing.

If she was to meet the council, she needed to see some friendly faces first.

After getting dressed in her usual black tunic, leathers, and black cloak, albeit painstakingly slowly, she opened the creaking door to her room and walked into the corridor.

As before the weeks in the cabin, guards stood every few feet of it, and she nodded to them as she walked by.

Lessia had to grip the railing tightly when she made her way down the stairs, one excruciatingly slow step at a time.

No one stopped her as she grabbed a small lantern and walked out of the double doors, and she drew a deep breath of the chill winter night as she made her way out of the courtyard.

It took her twice as long as it had last time to make her way to the warehouse, as she had to stop several times, leaning against the sides of buildings to catch her breath and make sure the black spots dancing before her eyes didn’t take over.

The door was locked when she reached it, and when no one answered her soft knock, she cursed her decision not to bring a key.

Knocking harder, she held her breath until steps sounded. From the staircase, if her hearing hadn’t gone with her energy.

Amalise’s eyes were wild when she opened the door a fraction, her blues slamming into Lessia’s before they rounded, and the door flew wide.

“Lia! I’ve been so worried!”

Lessia let her friend drag her into the warmth, laughing softly when Amalise pulled her into a crushing embrace.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered into Amalise’s blonde hair, gripping her with all the strength she had left. “We were in the woods. I had no way of letting you know.”

Amalise pulled back, her eyes sweeping over her. “Ardow told me. You look like death, Lia. They truly didn’t give you any food?”

Shaking her head, Lessia forced a smile. “It was fine. Nothing I haven’t been through before.”

But Amalise’s sharp eyes homed in on her neck, the ocean blue shifting into midnight. “What is that?”

Before Lessia could stop her, Amalise dragged her tunic to the side, her teeth slamming together as she hissed, “Why do you have a wound here? Did someone hurt you?”

Shifting uncomfortably, Lessia shrugged. “You know people aren’t happy I’m participating. And can you blame them? Your family lost everything in the war, and while the Fae didn’t instigate it, they caused a lot of damage that hasn’t been forgotten.”

Amalise clenched her hands into fists. “ They can’t blame you for that. You weren’t even born! And they always seem to forget you’re half-human as well.”

Lessia took her hand, pulling Amalise up the stairs. “I know. But please, let’s talk about something else. I will be busy the next few days, and I just need…” She swallowed as her voice broke, thickness clogging her throat.

She waited for tears, almost hoped for them to relieve some of the pressure in her chest. But they never came. Instead, the lump in her throat faded until only emptiness remained.

She hadn’t cried since she was twelve.

Not since that awful day…

Swallowing again to drown the thoughts, she met Amalise’s eyes, grateful for the understanding shining in them.

Offering her a smile that didn’t meet her eyes, Amalise led the way into the kitchen upstairs, and Lessia quietly followed her, slumping down on one of the wooden chairs.

When Amalise began rummaging through the surprisingly empty cupboards, Lessia frowned. “Where is Ardow?”

Amalise turned around with some dried meat in her hands and placed it on the table between them as she sat down on the chair opposite her.

A real smile lit her face when she met Lessia’s eyes again. “I think he’s met someone.”

A grin spread across her own face. “Really?”

While Ardow’s bed rarely went cold, he’d never been serious about a man or a woman before—not for as long as Lessia had known him, and according to himself, it hadn’t happened in the years prior to them becoming friends either.

A wave of happiness washed through her.

Ardow deserved to meet someone. He was the most genuine, kind, and good-hearted person she’d ever met. It was the sole reason she allowed him in her bedroom once in a while—she trusted him completely and without reservation.

He was also the one of them whom she’d worried most about.

Lessia didn’t seek love, didn’t see the purpose, and Amalise had made it very clear she’d already met the love of her life and there was no one who could replace him.

But Ardow…

He loathed being alone, thrived on feeling needed, and was always seeking something else.

Something new.

Lessia grinned at her best friend. “How do you know?”

Popping a piece of meat into her mouth, Amalise winked. “He’s been more upbeat lately, and he keeps sneaking away day and night and refuses to tell me where he’s going. But every time he comes back, he has this energy about him, Lia. I’ve never seen him like this.”

Nibbling on her own piece of dried meat, Lessia smiled again. “I’m guessing he isn’t here tonight, then?”

Amalise shook her head. “He’s been gone since yesterday. But he’s on top of all the orders, and the taverns are doing well, so you don’t need to worry.”

Lessia rolled her eyes. “I trust you both with my life. You know that, Amalise. But how are the children doing? Anything I should be aware of?”

Leaning back in her chair, Lessia listened to the latest updates.

The warmth inside her spread when Amalise informed her everyone was doing well—that Ledger had joined the last trip to the forest and that he and Harver were now inseparable .

When her eyelids started fluttering, Amalise suggested they go to bed.

Nodding, she followed Amalise into her room, her smile remaining as Amalise slipped into the bed with her.

When she fell asleep, the sense of warmth, happiness, and safety followed her into her dreams.