13. Chapter 13
13
Chapter 13
Violet
I spent the next day in my chambers. Most of the day, I stayed on the small balcony that was connected to my room. The cool breeze seemed to help clear my mind which had been running wild since the moment I arrived here. Yara had brought me breakfast that morning, and I asked her if she could get me the second volume of the healer book. I would’ve gone and gotten it myself, but I didn’t want to chance running into Sebastian again.
I skimmed through the pages, but again, nothing about faeries with any type of health problem.
The next morning, I was still lying in bed when my door flung open and Bronwen came walking in. “Alright. I let you hide in your room all day yesterday, but that’s enough.”
“Did you forget how to knock?” I said to Bronwen as I sat up on my bed.
“I know you’re used to being locked in a tower, but while you’re here, you’re experiencing life. You’re going out with me,” Bronwen said as she jumped on my bed and lay next to me.
“ Out?”
“Yes, out. And I’m not taking no for an answer. So you can either be a willing participant and pick out your outfit, or I will force you, and I promise the outfit I pick will leave little to the imagination,” she said as she looked at her nails that seemed to be freshly painted a blood red to match her hair.
Even though I was so used to being stuck in a castle, that little taste of the outside world I got when we went to the city only made me want to see more. And I knew Bronwen wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Will Adar come with us?” I asked as I got up from my bed. Even if his mere presence made me uncomfortable, I felt a little safer with a male with us.
She scrunched her nose at my question. “No, we are having a girls day. It will be fun, I promise.”
Her response didn’t ease my worry, but I had to trust that Bronwen wouldn’t put me in danger.
“Fine,” I mumbled before following her out of my room.
Thank the gods I didn’t fight her on going out. She showed me the outfit she wanted me to wear, and it, in fact, did not cover anything except what was necessary.
I wore something similar to what I wore the last time she took me to the city except the top was low-cut and the pants had a little shine to them. Not leather, but close enough that Bronwen giggled when I chose them. Even though I wore her clothes to not draw attention, I liked dressing in Night Realm clothing. They made me feel beautiful even if they were simple, casual clothes.
She dragged me all through the city, in and out of various shops. She had no problem buying anything that caught her eye. It was the same routine in every store. The owner would greet Bronwen as soon as she walked in the door, they would show her the newest additions after which Bronwen would have them send someone to put them in the carriage, and Bronwen would beg me to pick something out.
The last store we visited was the small bookstore that I had noticed the last time we were in the city. I began perusing the books while Bronwen followed me. She never looked at the books herself, so I knew she brought me here just so I could shop.
I looked through a few books before I realized what Bronwen was doing. Every time I touched a new book, she would nod and the store owner would write something on a piece of paper. She was making a list of books to pack up and take to the carriage.
For me.
I knew better than to object to Bronwen about anything so I just stopped touching books and turned to her. “How do you pay for all of this?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Every store we’ve been in, they never told you an amount, and you never gave them any money.”
“Oh, they send a bill, and Sebastian pays it,” she said as if it was the most normal thing possible.
“Sebastian? He just pays for your shopping sprees?” With all that he was, I would’ve never imagined he would be willing to just pay the bill of a manic shopper.
She shrugged. “With everything I have to put up with in the castle, it’s the least he can do.”
I laughed at her response. Knowing Sebastian was footing the bill made me worry less about Bronwen buying me things. Sovereigns have more money than they know what do to with.
A few books wouldn’t hurt him.
“Will we be heading back soon?” I asked as we walked down the street. I’m pretty sure we visited every store in the city today.
Her eyes narrowed. “You act like you have somewhere to be,” she said.
“No, it’s just getting dark,” I said as I looked up at the sky. The dusty blue was growing darker by the minute, and I was worried about being out in the city after dark. Bad things came out at night here.
“Violet, nothing is going to happen to you,” Bronwen said as if she could read my thoughts. My father taught me from a young age how to build walls around my mind or I’d be worried that she really was in my head.
“Are you saying that evil things don’t come out at night here?” I asked even though I knew the answer.
“They most definitely do, but I am perfectly capable of protecting us if it came down to it.”
“Really?” I asked. Adar came with us the last time we left the castle, so I never thought about Bronwen’s capabilities.
“There is a lot you don’t know about me,” she said, still walking down the street like we had somewhere to be.
“I don’t know much of anything about you actually,” I mumbled.
“Well, you know I am the Advisor of the Night Realm.”
“And that Adar is your brother,” I said, trying to keep up with her pace.
She let out a small sigh before she said, “I thought you may have forgotten Adar’s little comment.”
“No. I’ve thought about it quite often. I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up.” Even though they seemed to be opposites, the idea of them as siblings was so fascinating. I had no siblings, and neither did Calum, so this was something that was completely new to me.
“He’s my twin actually.”
I stopped walking. It took her a moment, but Bronwen stopped a few paces ahead of me and turned around smiling.
I shook my head. “That’s impossible. You two look nothing alike.”
“Maybe we look exactly alike,” she took a step closer and whispered, “but you’re only seeing one version of us.”
I looked at her confused before it clicked. The reason they were able to speak through their minds without being mates. “You’re not fae, are you?”
Bronwen looked at the ground and then looked back up at me, slightly opening her mouth before looking away again. It’s like she wanted to tell me something but was afraid to. I’m not sure if she was afraid of how I would react or if she was afraid that she would say something she wasn’t supposed to. “I will tell you everything I can one day, but not yet. Some of it isn’t for me to tell.”
I wanted to know. I wanted to know everything that she was holding back, but I didn’t want to overstep. I thought about Calum’s warning about the fae of the Night Realm. I liked Bronwen, and I didn’t want her to change on me.
“One day, but I will be gone in a few months,” I said as I thought about returning home. I wanted my life with Calumback, but I knew I would miss my freedom here. And more importantly, I’d miss my friendship with Bronwen.
She studied me for a moment. “Do you think we can’t be friends once you return home?” she asked.
“I’d like to.”
Bronwen smiled before she looped her arm in mine as we continued walking down the street.
“So where are we going now?” I asked as I looked around trying to figure out what store we may have missed earlier.
“Do you remember that bar Adar went to while we went dress shopping?”
“Yes . . .” I said reluctantly.
“Get ready, Violet. I’m taking you to your first bar.”