Chapter 31 Something Bad
Something Bad
Raven
Iadded a few last-minute things when I found out…
When he found out? So he knew I was coming?
So you went out of your way for me knowing I was coming to your house? Your castle! For a ball you conveniently forgot to mention?
I blink hard, trying to fight the sting in my eyes, but it’s pointless. The first tear slips free, hot and unwelcome, quickly followed by another. Before I know it, I’m full-on sobbing. Tears are streaming down my cheeks, and no matter how hard I try to pull myself together, they just keep coming.
And it’s not just about Kane. It’s not just the lies or the ball or the fact that his ridiculous castle somehow makes me feel even more out of place than I already do.
It’s everything.
The months of uncertainty, the weight of trying to figure out who I even am. It’s like every frustration, every bottled-up emotion I’ve been avoiding, picked tonight to break free.
I replay the night in my head, and even through the mess of my emotions, I can’t ignore the magic of it all.
The dress, the music, the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the room.
Well, aside from that beautiful blonde woman.
And that kiss… God, that kiss. It was more than I ever expected.
More than I’ve allowed myself to want in a long time.
But now? Now it just feels like everything I’ve been trying so hard to do just unraveled at my feet.
I thought Kane was different. I thought…well, I don’t even know what I thought. And maybe that’s the problem. Maybe I shouldn’t have let myself think anything at all.
I swipe at my cheeks, the tears coming faster than I can wipe them away. The driver’s probably watching me in the rearview mirror, thinking I've completely lost it. And honestly? Maybe I have. I feel like I have.
A small, bitter laugh escapes me, surprising even myself.
I probably don’t have the right to even be upset. I’ve known him for what, five minutes? And it’s not like I’ve been completely honest with him either.
Hell, I didn’t tell him the truth about my fat lip. I didn’t tell him about the creep that was running around in the garden. At his castle!
The smell of rain drifts through the car vents, cutting through the frustration knotting in my chest. The steady hum of the rain against the windows, and the thunder rolling in this distance, should be pulling me out of this tangled mess of emotions.
But it doesn’t.
Lightning slices through the sky, flooding the dark countryside in a white-hot glow before disappearing just as quickly. The storm doesn’t hesitate, it moves exactly the way it was meant to. Wild and refusing to apologize for its destruction.
Must be nice.
I hate that I'm hurt when I know I shouldn't be. We were having a great time, more than great, if I’m being honest. And if we hadn’t stopped when we did… God. I’d be spending the rest of my life replaying every second of it.
Maybe it’s for the best we didn’t cross that line.
But no matter how hard I try to stop thinking about him, he’s right there.
The way he just knelt down, how his hands felt sliding up my thighs like they were his to claim.
My skin heats just thinking about it.
It was pure insanity. And so fucking hot.
Before we walked into his office, my mind was running wild with a thousand dirty things I wanted to let him do to me. And now I’m glad I didn't act on any of them, considering how pissed I am. Because if I had, I’d be even angrier at myself right now.
This is exactly why I swore off men in the first place. So I wouldn't end up here. Angry. Frustrated. And second-guessing every single decision that led to me letting him anywhere near my self-control. And I wouldn’t still be horny as fuck.
The driver keeps glancing at me in the rearview mirror, probably trying to gauge if I’m about to lose it. Poor guy looks like he’d rather launch himself out of the car than deal with that. I almost laugh but swallow it back.
Then out of nowhere, a strange wave of wrongness crashes over me.
My stomach flips, and queasiness rolls through me like a sudden drop in altitude. My heart starts hammering like I just ran a mile and all I can hear is a sharp ringing in my ears as my head pounds. I press my fingers to my temple, squeezing my eyes shut.
Inhale. Exhale.
I try to shut it down, but a memory pushes through instead. The soft click of my grandmother’s knitting needles breaking the silence.
I can see her now, curled up in her chair, lost in her stories the way she always was.
I’d stretch out by the fire, soaking in the warmth while her voice filled the room.
Sometimes she got so carried away, she’d forget I was even there.
More than once, I’d startle her when I got up for bed.
Or when she tripped over me, realizing I’d fallen asleep on the rug.
And as I sit here, drenched in my own thoughts, that familiar ache settles deep in my chest.
“You know,” she begins, her voice thoughtful. “They really did find happiness. For a while, it seemed like they’d figured out how to make things work. No one could have guessed how it would all fall apart.”
I can’t look away. I’m hooked.
“One day, out of the blue, he just stopped talking to her. No explanation. Nothing. She didn’t understand why. The silence crushed her—devastated her. She didn’t even know if she wanted to reach out, she was too afraid of what he might say.”
The ache in her tone makes my chest go tight, and suddenly, I feel it like it’s my own.
“What she didn't know,” her voice drops to a whisper, “was that someone had discovered their secret. And whoever it was, they were terrified of what the two of them together could become.” Her eyes darken. “So, they cursed him.”
The words send an eerie chill through me, but I keep quiet.
“Her sorrow consumed her,” she continues, the edge in her voice slices through the warmth of the room.
“It twisted into bitterness and hate until she convinced herself that no one could ever truly love her like she needed. She believed that she would never have a soulmate. Storms chased her, but still her power grew, and yet…”
Her eyes find mine, pinning me in place.
“... the answer was always right there. If she just...”
I can’t move. My eyes are glued to the book in her lap. She catches me, tilts her head, and that slow, knowing smile spreads across her face.
“Wake up, child.”
I frown, shaking my head slightly. “Grandma—?”
“WAKE UP, RAVEN!” Her voice cracks like thunder, sending a shudder through my bones. “You’re running out of time.”
I jerk awake and my chest is heaving. My heart slams into my ribs like it’s trying to break free. The dream dissolves, leaving me disoriented, but even more nauseous.
What the hell was that?
Outside, the lights of passing buildings flicker against the car windows, ghostlike blurs that barely register. Another wave of nausea slams through me making my pulse spike. I swallow hard, gripping the seat, trying to steady my breathing. But every inhale feels like I’m pulling in more than air.
We’re almost there. I just need to get to the house.
Maybe I need to eat something. Or maybe I just need to lie down.
Just… anything to stop this awful spinning.
But the queasiness turns unbearable, and the air in the car suddenly feels suffocating.
The ringing in my ears only gets louder.
My skin prickles, and my chest tightens.
It feels like there’s not enough oxygen in here, and I need fresh air. Now.
“Excuse me,” I manage, catching the driver’s gaze in the mirror. “Could you pull over? I’d like to walk the rest of the way. I need some fresh air.”
His brow furrows slightly, his concern obvious as he glances at the rain streaking the windshield. “Are ye sure, lass?” His tone is hesitant as he pulls to the side of the road. “It’s chilly out there, and it's too late for wanderin’ about.”
I force a smile, though it feels about as steady as my stomach. “I promise, I’ll be fine. It’s not far.” Then, I add, “If your boss gets mad, tell him I said he can shove it.”
His eyes widen slightly as surprise flickers across his face. For a split second, the tension eases, and I catch the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth.
“Okay, fine, maybe don’t say that last part,” I relent with a small laugh. “But I wouldn’t hate it if you did.”
He shakes his head, but after a second, he sighs, defeated. He unlocks the doors and steps out, circling around to open mine, nodding.
“Thank you.” I smile, and climb out, meeting his gaze before he closes the door behind me. “Really, I’ll be fine. No need to wait.”
He looks worried, but his voice is sincere. “Be careful, lass.”
I can hear the thunder in the distance, and it sounds like a low warning as the wind picks up, slicing through my dress.
The driver gets back in the car and hesitates before pulling away, the taillights fading into the rain. I’m half-surprised he doesn’t circle back or watch from a distance to make sure I don’t get lost.
The road ahead stretches into shadows, and with every step, unease coils tighter in my chest. My head is still pounding, and I can barely hear over the ringing as a shiver runs down my spine.
The hair on the back of my neck rises like something is brushing against me.
I wrap my arms around myself, but the thin fabric of my dress does little to block the cold, or the sinking feeling that I’m not alone.
This was a mistake.
The fresh air, the walk, none of it is helping. My nerves are fried, my body’s spiraling lower by the second, and I still feel like I’m about to puke. Even my usual comfort thoughts aren’t enough to pull me out of my head right now.
I try to focus on anything else, and finding my mind circling back to the story. The king and his girlfriend. Or not girlfriend.