Page 7

CHAPTER 7

Korven

“It’s alright, you know,” Seraphine started when we arrived back in my room. “I can stay downstairs if you…if you and her?—”

“You said you don’t want to be alone, remember?” I looked up at her floating near the stack of books I’d been reading in my week of waiting for her wedding night. I unlaced one of my boots, tossing it to the side of the bed before beginning with the other.

She heaved a heavy sigh, tilting her head to read the spines in the pile. “I meant I didn’t want to be alone right then. I–I’m used to this form now.”

I gave her a doubting look and rested my arms across my legs.

“Well,” she continued with a little laugh, “I’m at least more used to it.”

“I’ve tangled myself into Myria’s web before. Almost didn’t make it out last time. Fool me twice, right?”

“Oh,” she mumbled, twirling around to face away from me as I unbuttoned my shirt.

I continued to undress, keeping my pants on for her sake and slipped into my bed, the old wood groaning through the room. I folded my arms at the back of my head, adding, “Nothing serious.”

“It’s fine,” she assured quickly. “I don’t have to be privy to details of your love life.”

“Speaking of, let’s talk about what kind of man you want to fall for you in the next few days.”

She moved to rub her eyes, giving up and sitting on a small chair at the rickety table instead. “Well, I guess someone kind.”

“Done. What else?”

“Someone quiet, but…clever. Someone I’d want to read books with by the fireplace, but we wouldn’t need to talk…we’d just…be silently happy together.”

“A cleverly quiet, kind reader,” I mused. “Might be difficult to come by in this town, Princess, but we’re sure as Goddessdamned gonna try.”

“I don’t want you to do that,” she huffed.

“Do what?”

“Call me ‘Princess’. I’d rather not be, and I don’t want to be reminded I am…that.”

“Done,” I sighed, shutting my eyes and settling into the quiet.

But the stillness irked me. Even through the typical ruckus humming from below, I couldn’t help but wonder what she would be thinking through the night. She wouldn’t need to sleep—probably couldn’t in this state. I peeked an eye open to watch her. She had her legs pulled up so that her ghostly chin looked as if it rested on her knees. Goddess, her dress was ugly. It splayed around her legs and trailed to the floor in gobs of fabric, drowning her, letting her fall away to obscurity.

Irritated, I recognized that I’d get no sleep like this. I rose from the bed, lighting the few candles in the room.

Her eyes, an iridescent violet in this form, locked onto my torso. I chuckled to myself, sure to flex a little for her benefit...and mine.

Silently, I pulled the books from the table into my arms, opening each one to the first page. I dug into my pocket for rocks, weighing down the cover of each as I placed them open on the floor. Then, still in that easy silence, I pulled a book of Revelry maps from my satchel, spreading its edges across the floor and settling a heavy stone on each corner.

“There. Something for you to read and study while I catch some sleep. It won’t be long. I can’t sleep more than a few hours at a time.”

She looked on in disbelief. “You…you keep rocks in your pockets?”

I gave a chuckle, nodding. “Raven, remember?”

A visible shiver racked through her body as she stood, eying everything displayed on the wooden floor. “Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Now study up tonight.” I pointed to the unfolded map. “I’ll have some follow-up questions to ask you about Revelry in the morning.”

I fell back into the bed, this time facing the window away from her. Phinie needed something to distract her from what the curse had done. And I needed to know I hadn’t royally fucked up her entire existence.