Forty-Five
ChApter
Asoft sound stirs me from sleep.
I blink against the darkness, my body sluggish with exhaustion. The room is still, save for the faint flicker of moonlight coming in through the window.
A whisper of movement makes my ears perk.
My pulse kicks up as I push up onto my elbows. My eyes scan the room, searching, and then I spot something on the floor. A slip of parchment, just beneath my door.
Frowning, I throw off the covers and move toward it, the cool air raising goosebumps on my skin. I pick up the note, my breath catching as I unfold it.
Meet me at the stables.
I blink at the familiar slant of Dante’s handwriting, and a rush of warmth floods my chest.
I chew my lip, glancing toward the window. It’s still dark outside, not an ideal time to head to the stables. But perhaps Dante can’t wait until tomorrow for my answer. Maybe he is desperate to know what I’m going to say, just as desperately as I want to say it.
Technically, it is tomorrow already—past midnight, at least.
Excitement flutters in my stomach as I pull on my clothes, my hands clumsy in my haste. I know my answer. I want to tell him. I want to say it aloud. I don’t want anything more to stand in the way of us being together. It’s taken months just to get to this point.
I reach for my boots, but I’m still a little groggy and end up dropping one. As I slip one on, the adjoining door creaks open, and I look up to find Nadya watching me sleepily.
“Celeste,” she mumbles, rubbing her eyes. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly, stuffing the note into my pocket. “Sorry I was loud. Go back to bed.”
Her gaze sharpens slightly as she looks me over. “Did you take Ezra’s powder? To make sure you won’t wander?”
I sigh. “I’m not wandering, Nadya.” I shove my foot into the last boot, lacing it quickly. “I’m meeting Dante.”
Nadya’s brow furrows, her sleepiness fading. “At this hour?”
I shrug. “He asked me something last night, and I guess he’s too impatient to wait for my answer.”
Before I can move past her, the note falls from my pocket.
She bends down and picks it up, but as her fingers grasp the paper, she freezes.
“Nadya—”
“Celeste, don’t go.” Her fingers twitch against the parchment, her lips parting slightly.
I frown. “What? What’s wrong?”
She doesn’t answer right away. Her grip tightens around the note, like it’s suddenly something dangerous. “I don’t know,” she mutters, a crease forming between her brows. “I just—” She shakes her head. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“It doesn’t feel right?”
“I’m getting a bad feeling from it. I’ve been reading about malevolent energy and how it can flow from sources—”
“Nadya!” I exhale sharply, snatching it back. “You’re taking this witch thing too seriously.”
She doesn’t laugh.
I shake my head, tucking the note into my blouse. “I’ll be fine. I’m allowed to be seen with Dante now. It’s okay. Go back to bed.”
She looks stunned but doesn’t stop me as I slip out the door.
The courtyard is empty, silent save for the distant rustle of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl. I move quickly, keeping to the shadows as I cross the stone path toward the stables, my heart pounding—not with fear, but with anticipation.
I know what I’m going to say. Dante is the only person in this world I would choose. And I want him to know it. I don’t know how he doesn’t already know it. I can’t believe he would doubt it. He must feel it. But maybe he just wants to hear the words.
The stables come into view, dimly lit, the scent of hay and damp earth filling my senses as I step inside. It’s empty. I frown, my breath misting in the cool air. Maybe I got here first.
A rustling noise echoes from deeper inside.
I smile. “Dante?”
But when I step forward, Nadya emerges from the shadows behind me. I frown.
I open my mouth, but she beats me to it. “Celeste,” she hisses. “Something is wrong.”
Frustration flares in me. “Why did you follow me?”
She glares at me, folding her arms. “Because I don’t trust—” Then her expression changes. Her breath hitches, her lips parting slightly.
“Nadya?” I whisper, but she doesn’t answer.
She’s staring at something just behind me.
A wolf howls in the distance. Dread slithers down my spine.
Slowly, I turn.
A figure steps forward from the shadows, his mouth curling into a sneer.
“Hello, Princess.”
The last thing I hear is Nadya screaming my name, just as a sharp scent fills my nose.
Then everything goes dark.