Chapter 43
Welcome to Nveri
Raven
I’m too hungry to be patient. Just as I’m about to venture out, the door swings open, nearly smacking me in the face.
A woman stands on the other side, all golden hair and porcelain features. Her smile is so effortless it makes you wonder if she's ever had a bad day in her life. “Oh, hello,” she chirps, catching me off guard. “I was coming to see if you wanted something to eat. You must be starving. I’m Elle.”
I like her already. “Hi!” I mirror her energy with a grin of my own, but I'm still going to be cautious. “I was actually about to go looking for food. I’m Raven, and yes, I’m absolutely starving!”
“Perfect! We can have food brought up here if you’d like or I can take you down to the kitchens?”
“As gorgeous as this room is, I’d love to see anything else,” I admit, maybe a little too eagerly. It's hard to be suspicious when she hasn't stopped smiling.
“I thought you might.” She laughs, motioning for me to follow. “Come on, then. Let’s get you fed.”
I step into the hall and it takes a second for my eyes to adjust to the lighting.
It’s all understated elegance, with vaulted ceilings and dark-toned stone.
It makes me wonder who they hired as a decorator.
It's like someone actually wanted this place to intimidate you.
A man waits at the far end of the hall, and his posture is so rigid, I wonder if he's even breathing.
He nods as we pass, then resumes his statue impersonation. But I don't miss the way he looks at Elle.
It takes me a second, but then I realize I've seen him before. He’s the man I saw with Cam in the woods. The one that left with the horses.
“Uh… why is he just standing there?” I nod back toward him, a little uneasy, but he doesn't look our way again.
“He’s guarding your room,” she says matter-of-factly, like it's the most normal thing in the world. “Someone’s been outside your door since you got here. Usually there's more than one.” She chuckles, shaking her head. “But now that you’re awake, maybe they think you can handle yourself.”
I narrow my eyes, “Handle myself with what?” And who’s they? I keep that part to myself for now, because I'm trying to pay attention to where we're going.
She ignores my question and gives me that same warm smile, like I asked if the sky was blue. Okay…so she won't answer every question. “Come on, you’ll feel better once you’ve eaten.”
Fine, I'll play along. For now. I’m too hungry to push, and clearly, we're both testing the waters.
She's really easy to talk to, so it distracts me from the simmering unease that's creeping in.
“So, what’s your favorite food? Do you have a favorite color? What do you like to do for fun? And Gods, am I glad you're here.”
Her curiosity is so genuine it’s almost disarming. “Uh, favorite food? Right now, it's pizza. My favorite color is black, but I guess it depends on my mood and how colorful I'm feeling. And as for fun, I guess I like being outside or reading?” Boy do I sound like a good time. 10/10.
Her eyes light up as she bounces ahead. “You’d love the woods here, then. They’re incredible. You’d also really love the library, maybe I’ll have to show it to you.”
I arch an eyebrow, remembering just how fun those woods were the last time I was in there. I'll have to pass on that. For now. The library on the other hand… “The library does sound fun. I’d love to see that.”
We talk the whole way there. The place is enormous, so by the time we reach the kitchen, I'm starving.
The kitchen is warm and full of life. Literally. There's at least thirteen people in here, all busy doing something. The smell of fresh bread hits me first, followed by something sweet that has my mouth watering.
Elle throws her arms out dramatically the second we walk in. “Lynn, take pity on us. We’re starving over here!”
A short woman, who looks like she’d beat you with a spatula and the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen, looks over her shoulder from the stove. Her laugh fills the room. “Help yourselves, ladies. But I don’t want to see a single dish left on the counter, Miss Elle.”
I can’t help but grin as Elle bounces toward the food with a smile on her face. The chaos of the last few weeks slips away, replaced by this weird, fragile sense of normalcy.
“Thank you.” My voice slips out before I can overthink it. “Everything smells amazing. I wish I knew how to cook like this.”
Lynn’s laughter is softer this time. “Stick around long enough, and you’ll learn a thing or two, that I can promise you.
” Her eyes linger on me for a second too long.
Then she shakes her head, and gets back to whatever she was doing.
They must get a lot of visitors if she doesn’t even bat an eyelash that we’re in here.
Elle leans in, and whispers. “She doesn’t like to get attached to anyone who might leave. She’s a bit of a softy.” She winks, handing me a plate. “But, once you’re in her good graces? It’s free butter cakes, and cinnamon rolls for life.”
“Good to know. That’s enough motivation to stick around.”
I say that, but I don't even know where here is, and as much as I'd like to stick around, I really just want answers.
Elle grins and nudges me toward the table, snapping me out of my thoughts. “See? You’re catching on fast.”
I hesitate for half a second before giving in to my overflowing curiosity. “Okay, but where exactly is here?” Finally letting the question slip. Maybe she’ll actually tell me something useful instead of just tossing me into another round of cryptic bullshit.
“Oh. You’re in Nveri.” Her voice is bright with enthusiasm, and her smile is still too easy. It's the kind of welcome that makes me wonder what she's hiding. “Welcome!” She flashes me another warm smile.
“Maybe while you're here, I can show you around.” She keeps scooping food onto her plate like we’re just two normal people having breakfast. “It’s gorgeous here and the people are even better. I swear you’d love it once you get to snoop around.”
I nod slowly, because what else am I supposed to do?
Freak out? Throw a plate? Demand an immediate return ticket to Scotland?
Not exactly productive. I mean it does sound like a good idea to at least know my way around.
Besides, Elle’s smile is doing this weird thing where it makes me feel like everything's okay.
And less like I should be sprinting the opposite direction.
We eat in silence for a few minutes while the kitchen buzzes around us. It’s mesmerizing, honestly. Everyone moves like they’re part of some well-oiled machine, seamlessly dodging each other, passing ingredients, and handling dishes with ease. It’s a weird kind of relaxing, watching them work.
CRASH.
The sharp shatter of glass slams through the kitchen, breaking the easy rhythm, and I’m embarrassed by the noise that comes out of my mouth.
A man stands frozen over the mess while his hand hovers mid-air, and sweat runs down his face. Then he snaps his fingers and the broken shards lift from the floor, catching the light as they fly back together, fusing seamlessly into the cup he now holds.
I gasp as my fork slips from my fingers. Of course it doesn't just fall—it hits the plate and takes half my breakfast down with it. The crash echoes in the now-dead-silent kitchen. You have got to be fucking kidding.
I look up, drenched in sweat, and everyone in the kitchen is staring like I'm the most fascinating thing they’ve seen all morning. Great. Love that for me.
Elle, bless her soul, breaks the moment with a perfectly timed distraction. “Lynn, this breakfast is divine.” She grabs a cinnamon roll off the platter and takes a dramatic bite, moaning like it’s the best thing she’s ever eaten.
And just like that, the kitchen exhales. The noise picks back up, people shuffle around, and the moment slips away like it never happened.
I let out a quiet breath and bend down to clean up the disaster I just caused—except there's nothing there. Like I didn't just freak out over a little magic. No big deal. I'm not sure I'll be able to get used to this.
I look over at Elle, who leans in slightly, handing me a clean plate. “You’ll get used to it.”
I give her a look that screams, yeah right, while my pulse still hammers in my throat. “Will I?”
“You’re doing great.” Her grin is bright as she pats my arm, but there's a quiet steadiness under it. “This place is chaos at first, but you’ll find your rhythm.”
I don’t get the chance to respond, because Cam bursts into the kitchen like a damn wrecking ball.
“Lynn! Cinnamon rolls? And no one thought to tell me? Do you even love me anymore?” He moves straight to the counter, snatching one like it already belongs to him. Then he sees the two of us, and rolls his eyes.
“Raven, I was actually just coming to see if you wanted to eat, but it looks like you’ve already made a friend.” He nods at Elle with a raised brow. “Don’t trust a word she says.”
I meet Elle's eyes. She gasps, clutching her chest like she's wounded, and a beat later we're giggling like idiots.
“The real person you shouldn't be listening to is this assface.” Elle rips off a piece of her cinnamon roll and launches it at Cam. He catches it mid-air, and pops it into his mouth without missing a beat, and grins.
“Jealousy doesn’t look good on you Ell. But it’s okay, most people are.”
Lynn—who I’ve just decided is my favorite person—waves her spoon without even looking up from the stove. “Don’t you make me yell at you in front of this nice girl and scare her off, she doesn’t even know how to cook.”
Elle and Cam exchange a look before mumbling, “Sorry, Lynn.”
She levels me with a look, nodding toward Cam like it's a tragedy. “He doesn’t know how to cook either, don’t worry.”
Cam presses a hand to his chest, gasping like she just accused him of kicking her puppy. “Lynn, that was one time—”