Chapter 26 - Willow
Willow
My hands were practically shaking as I rushed to write the big climax of the story.
Leo and Thorne had revealed the King’s dark secrets to the world by freeing every demon prisoner in the dungeons, letting them rush into the town so everyone could see their fear.
These weren’t monsters to be killed, but people just like them.
When the King saw his subjects turning on him, he used all the magic he’d collected to cast Thorne down, blaming it all on him and his demonic ways.
But Thorne wasn’t alone, the hero was by his side wielding Dawnbreaker, fighting magic with magic.
The two of them took down the King, showing everyone the power of both sides joined together.
In a last ditch move, the King almost killed Leo, so Thorne cut him down with no remorse.
Thorne, blood-soaked and terrifying, declared peace from this moment on and every person in the city cheered, demon and human alike. The Demon Lord had saved the hero by taking out the true villain: the evil King.
A shiver ran through me as I flopped onto my bed, sinking into its cozy mattress with a grin. Everyone loved a good hidden villain revenge story, so I knew the readers would enjoy this ending.
I’d finally gotten past the hardest part of the book!
I hugged the pages to my chest as relief washed over me.
This ending was all Thorne had ever wanted since I’d met him.
He’d wanted an impressive ending, one where he wasn’t just a foil to the hero, but a real character.
I’d managed to give him that and made him a savior to boot!
Nobody would ever overlook him again or act like he was just some cookie-cutter bad guy.
He had depth, so much more than I could even show in the book. I turned to my side, glancing at the vase of sunflowers and daisies he’d picked from Gran’s garden for me. The more sucked into my writing I got, the more he’d visited her, and he’d always bring me back something so I wasn’t homesick.
It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me and this ending was my way of saying thank you. Maybe I should let him read the book now.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes which felt far heavier than they should. The book wasn’t completely done, but he’d been so patient with me the past few weeks, and we hadn’t really gotten to talk much lately. I missed that.
If I brought him the book now, it would give us a reason to have a conversation. Maybe dinner too...
I hopped out of bed before I could change my mind and burst into the hallway.
The sconces were even brighter than usual, lighting my way to Thorne’s bedroom right next to mine.
He’d said it was so he could protect me better, but I noticed he put Leo and Dain in rooms on the opposite side of the castle.
Having my bodyguard that far away felt like the opposite of protection, but I couldn’t help but smile remembering his blush when he’d shown me which room was mine.
He wanted me next door for more than just protection. And I had to admit, I kind of liked it.
Knowing he was right next door had sent my mind buzzing more than once when I was trying to fall asleep, so it was about time I made use of these side-by-side rooms. I raised my hand to knock on his door but stopped before my knuckles touched the wood.
Was this really a good idea?
Once he read it, I’d know how he really felt about the story.
No more wild dreams of everyone loving it, no more fantasy about him thinking it’s the best story ever.
After how much time he’d spent dissecting my last book, I knew he’d take notes on every aspect of this one too.
He wouldn’t leave anything out, no matter how tough it would be to hear.
I paced from his room, to mine, and back to his over and over as my mind raced.
I really thought he’d like the ending I chose, but what if I was wrong?
What if he hated the entire book? There wasn’t enough time to start over, not if I was going to submit it for the competition.
He needed this book to be perfect. Every character I’d met since coming in here did.
This wasn’t just a story to them, it was their lives, and somehow I’d let Thorne convince me to make sweeping decisions that would affect all of them.
“This is way too much pressure.” I clutched the manuscript, pacing even faster and muttering to myself. “Way, way too much. Why did I think I could do this?”
I froze at the sound of Thorne’s door creaking open. I slowly turned around, plastering a smile on my face. “Oh, hello. How are you doing tonight?”
“Better than you, it seems.” A bemused smile graced his lips as he leaned against the doorframe. “You talk to yourself a lot, you know. Usually when you’re stuck on a scene or you’re worried about something.”
He was far too observant, which meant there was no chickening out now.
I sighed and pushed the thick stack of pages at him. “I was hoping you’d read my book.”
“You want me to read it?” He almost dropped the pages and had to use his shadows to catch a few of them. “Does that mean you’re done?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling weird now that the pages were gone. “I’m almost done. I think you’re going to love it, so I wanted to share it with you, that’s all.”
“Oh, well come in then.”
He turned, allowing me to step inside, but I caught the smile on his face before he did.
He looked happier than a mossmew in lavender pot and it made all my worries wash away.
Thorne believed in my writing more than I did.
It’s why he picked me to be his writer, so I should have nothing to worry about.
I hadn’t been in his room since we’d brought the mattress in, which felt like a week or so ago, but I couldn’t be sure. I’d completely lost track of time once I really dug into the second half of the book. His room looked different though, cozier.
The bed had thick pillows and the end table looked like it was part of a set with mine. There was even a plush rug on the floor and a fireplace!
“Stop gawking,” he said with a laugh. “I just got a few things that seemed interesting. The woman at the store helped me when we went back for Leo’s mattress. And then again with Dain’s.”
I grinned. “You are such a softie. Honestly, you’re going to have half the town living with you soon.”
“It was practical.” He set my manuscript on the table and motioned for me to sit on the bed. “Are you hungry? I can make us something to eat.”
His bed was just as comfortable as mine, pillowing my body like it was made for me. A yawn escaped before I could stop it.
“Sorry.” I stretched my arms out as exhaustion hit me like a brick. “Dinner sounds nice, but I’m afraid I’d fall asleep before I ate it. Maybe we could make breakfast together in the morning?”
“Deal.” He joined me on the bed, his weight shifting the mattress just enough for my shoulder to brush against his. “I bet your muscles are stiff from being hunched over your manuscript all day, right?”
“You have no idea,” I groaned. “We should have gotten a desk and a comfortable chair while we were shopping.”
“You’re absolutely right.” He moved further back on the mattress, resting his strong hands on my shoulders. “Let me make it up to you.”
His whispered promise sent tingles through me as he carefully swept my hair to the side so he could massage my shoulders.
Each press of his hands hit one of my tense spots perfectly, releasing every pent-up bit of stress I’d accumulated over the past few weeks.
I let out a soft moan as his hands expertly dug into my back and his shadows gently drifted over my skin like velvet.
“How are you so good at this?” I asked softly as his hands swept down my back. “Nevermind, just don’t stop.”
His quiet laugh danced across my skin, his breath warm as he encircled me in shadowy comfort. Everything about him was so kind. I leaned back against him as my eyes grew heavier and heavier.
“You’re falling asleep, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Mmmm...”
His arms wrapped around me, making me even more comfortable as he kissed my temple softly. We sat there for a little while enjoying the moment until he shifted, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. “Let’s get you back to your room.”
But his bed was so comfortable and the walk all the way back to my room felt like it would take forever.
“Or I could just stay here?” I covered another yawn and laid down, but when he didn’t respond, I cracked an eye open. He was hovering between getting up and sitting back down, like he couldn’t decide what to do.
“I don’t bite,” I said with a laugh. “You can read the book while I get some rest.”
“Okay, if you think you can sleep like that.” The bed shifted again as he reached over me to grab the manuscript, but there was a devious smile on his lips as he looked down at me. “I know I’d have other things on my mind if I was the one trying to sleep with you here.”
Heat washed over me. I suddenly felt far more awake than I had a few moments ago. My heartbeat raced as I propped myself up on my elbows, my lips so close to his that I could practically taste him.
He leaned down, trailing kisses across my cheek until he whispered in my ear. “Sorry, but I’ve got a really good book to read.”
“You’re horrible.” I fell back onto the bed with a sigh. “Maybe you really are a villain.”
“Only for you.” He laughed, settling down next to me and pulling me close to him. “Sleep now. We can pick that back up in the morning if you want.”
Mmmm...I definitely wanted, but he was right.
Every bone in my body felt tired now that I’d let myself close my eyes for that long.
If I was going to be intimate with Thorne, I wanted to be fully awake for it.
I snuggled up against his side and closed my eyes, listening to his deep, even breathing and the soft turning of pages.