Chapter 45 #3
Conrad touches the bandage, not nearly as gently as he did for me, and I see the air around it go hazy with the faintest hint of blue. Varrik’s gritted teeth slowly relax, and then Conrad pulls the bandage away. “There. Now you should be less cranky.”
Varrik presses his thick fingers into the healed puncture marks where small scars now mark his skin. “Thanks,” he grumbles.
“Your magic is incredible,” I say.
Conrad looks immensely pleased. “Yes, I’m very good, aren’t I?”
“Not at humility,” Varrik drawls.
I turn just in time to see Conrad’s nose wrinkle. “What’s the point in that?” he says with a dismissive shrug before looking me over as he rolls up his bandage and slips it into his pocket. “You look ravishing. Sure you don’t want to come to my territory?”
“Conrad,” Varrik says, his voice deceptively calm.
“Hmm?”
“Stop talking.”
He chuckles and gives me a wink. “This is why I agreed to be his ally. He’s outrageously entertaining.”
I press my lips together to keep from laughing.
When we return to the other room, I find that Lacera, Garren, and Frid have come to visit with Conrad’s group of Core fae. There’s a drink in everyone’s hand, and they look at ease with each other, like longtime friends.
“Everyone, this is Estinya. Estinya, this is everyone,” Conrad says with a simple flourish as someone hands him a drink.
There’s a collective greeting and a lift of their cups, and I give a smile and a quick once-over without meeting anyone’s eye. When their attention flicks to my exposed horns, I reach up and fiddle with them, picking up some hair around the silver rings to cover them a bit.
“You don’t need to hide yourself,” Varrik says at my ear. “Conrad and his group have no hate for fiends. And he’s the only Govern I’ve told about our testing.”
My brows lift in surprise. He must trust Conrad very much.
Varrik takes me over to the corner table and pours me a drink. I sniff at it before taking a tentative sip. Then I grimace and hand it right back. “Yuck. It’s not sweet at all.”
He smiles and takes it for himself. “You’re right. You taste far, far sweeter.”
I blush, darting a look around to ensure no one heard, but the hungry gaze he casts over me makes me tingle all over.
“I didn’t feel anything when you met everyone,” he says, his tone questioning.
“When there are multiple people looking at me at once, I try to avoid their eyes. It can be overwhelming if I get too many stars bursting to life.”
His expression turns concerned. “Are you okay? This was probably a lot today.”
“I am a bit tired,” I admit.
“I have some things to discuss with Conrad tonight. Will it be alright if I have a guard escort you upstairs?”
“Of course.”
He nods. “One moment.” He then strides out across the room, pausing at the open door. I watch him talk to someone and then he gestures me over.
When I reach him, he takes my hand, and my breath severs as he leans down and places the barest kiss over my knuckles. “Good night, blight.”
I swallow hard, my heart wobbly. “Good night.”
He bows his head slightly before I walk out of the room, and I let out a shaky breath as I follow the guard upstairs. My mind is so full with everything that happened that by the time we stop, I look around in confusion at the unfamiliar corridor.
“What’s this?”
“Your room, miss,” the guard says, gesturing to the door. “Shall I light a fire?”
“My . . . room?”
He nods and goes inside while I gape at him, my thoughts spinning.
I’m still standing in the corridor when he comes back out a few moments later. “There you go, miss.”
He turns and leaves, and I tentatively go inside and shut the door behind me.
Then I lean against it, a small smile spreading over my face as I take in the pretty space.
There’s a wardrobe to my left, and a bed to my right, basking in dark purple blankets and pillows.
There’s also a small round table and two chairs, with a window just behind it.
And it’s not even boarded up.
Everything glows with the soft warmth of the newly lit fire, and I let out a warbling breath.
Varrik gave me my own room.
I place my hand over my heart, fingers grazing over the beat within that somehow feels so much fuller than before. I can’t even express how much this means to me. All of it.
In one single day, everything mottled and clouded, everything bleak and terrifying, has been basked in goodness. Cast in light.
I have a message going to my family. I have a completely healed back. I have this room all to myself. I’ve even been able to talk about my star-reading with Varrik, and he treated it like something exciting. Interesting.
Desirable.
Every time I peel back another layer to you, I find something even more enticing.
His words echo in my head, treating me to the softest shiver.
For several seconds, all I can do is stand in awe of it all.
I smooth a finger over the back of my hand where his lips pressed, and it’s strange, but I swear I can still feel him lingering there.
But the strangest part is that it doesn’t feel strange at all.
Somehow, it feels just right.