Dusk has turned to night, moonlight bleeding in through my gauzy curtains.
I haven't been able to find sleep. My mind is clouded with the events of the day; of Tai and the Nobles and their lethal boredom. But Marek takes the top spot for why I can't sleep. His eyes, deep and threatening, bluer than the ocean, and colder than ice. He wouldn't have killed me today, even if Evolet held a knife to his throat herself.
A thought glides into my mind, persistent as ever.
I stare at my desk, laden with items.First, I eye Tai's attempt at an apology. A blank book, with a variety of pencils, coloured and not, accompanied with a few other bits of stationary. All of this is vaguely familiar, but not something I've dabbled deeply into. He knows I have no skills, so I'm assuming this is his way of giving me the option to experiment.I'm not going to pretend like it doesn't pique my interest. Later.&nb
Marek and I sit under a glistening beam of moonlight, enjoying the cool grasp of the night.Meeting out here, at the back of this manor, has been keeping me sane, and honestly, I believe Marek shares the sentiment. We come out here to practice my skills, to continue to develop my ability to fight, to defend myself. But tonight, we just sit, eating pastries I wrapped in a cloth and stole from the kitchen."I don't know whether it was brave or stupid for you do to that," I murmur, wiping crumbs from my lower lip.
The pencil shudders between my fingertips.The stark white of the page frames each uncontrolled line and faintly erased mark. I'm not sure what to think, what to feel. Instead of staring at the page, I eye my bare ring finger. I've been proposed to; I am a pawn in a dangerous game between two royals.I want to be angry at Tai, but I don't know what to think. I'm more confused than anything, considering I haven't spoken to him since about his intentions.He wants to kill his father. Is he crazy?Never mind the strang
My midnight snack run has become quite the common occurrence.Padding down the stairwell, I let the thick rug beneath my feet soak up any sound. No one is awake at this hour, giving me the perfect amount of time to slip into the kitchen and steal some sweet pastries. Tonight, it may be the only thing that gets me to sleep.Moving down the hallway, fingertips gliding along the walls as I guide myself toward the kitchen, I notice a buttery glow dousing the area right outside Taius's downstairs office. He's awake, or one of his men are working.
This is not how I expected my night to go.Only an hour ago, Vaia summoned me to her bedroom, for what I expected would be to do with her date with Marek tonight. I was right, but not exactly in the way I expected. As I walked in, Vaia had her duvet pulled up to her chin, surrounded by plush feather pillows and an extensive collection of tissues.For twenty minutes, I sat at the edge of her bed, listening to her cry dramatically, as if a date with Marek determines how the rest of her life will play out. I didn't have the heart to tell her Marek is doing this for my benefit.
The night's sweet wind dances wistfully through my curtains, my balcony doors wide open.I suspect Marek will follow through with his promise he made the other day, to come and tell me how the date went once it was over. I'm not sure why he offered to do so; maybe he didn't want me to feel jealous, or left out. Maybe he didn't want me to think it was serious.Too bad. Now I realise how serious he really is about Vaia.It shou
The tension mulling around in my stomach doesn't leave me, even as I wake.Marek haunted my dreams all last night, and apparently my first waking hours. It were his eyes, usually a warm, cornflower blue like the wildflowers that grow endlessly along the line of the forest, now like chunks of sharp ice, a dagger like glare chasing me through my nightmares. His intentions, etched permanently within my mind.He wanted to kiss me. Did I want to kiss him? It surely felt good, but only for the fleeting moment I al
I walk down the steps, wincing with every step.My skin feels stiff, pulling tight beneath my billowy clothing, protesting at my movement. It's been like that for weeks since the incident, most of the scarring having since faded, although still leaving behind irritating remnants.My physical therapy sessions with one of Tai's healers happens now only once a week. Pain medication is no longer necessary, and I can walk,