Fourteen
"I think you're part cat. You sleep like one."
I groaned against the exhaustion in my body, recognizing the voice immediately. How many times had he woken me up on the weekend like this? Why did he always wake me up like this after long nights of studying or a late shift? "Let me sleep, Damien."
His tone was soothing as he spoke. The mattress sunk as he sat on the bed I lay on. "It's a beautiful day, Em, you're wasting it in bed."
"No," I sighed against the comfortable silk sheets, refusing to open my eyes. "I'm spending it doing my favorite thing."
I felt a brief, gentle touch against my temple. "Sleeping?"
"Yes," I mumbled.
He laughed softly and I could hear the longing in his voice. "It's a shame I can't join you, love."
Then it hit me. I wasn't home. I hadn't had a late shift at the bookstore. I wasn't sleeping in because it was the weekend.
I shot up in bed, grasping at the sheets around me where I knew he sat previously.
Except it was empty, undisturbed.
Was I so tired I had I imagined him? Did I dream him? Was I reliving a memory?
But what he said ... He never said anything like that to me before.
My heart ached. Damien.
I looked around the empty room, disoriented, unable to focus on anything.
He was here, I heard him, I felt him.
I groaned as I moved, my head pounding mercilessly.
I wasn't in my room.
Then I remembered. It was Julian's room.
And he was nowhere in sight.
Panic set in. The last time I used my magic like that ... I lost Damien.
And if I lost someone else ...
Fear made me jump from the bed. I pushed past the slightly ajar door that led to the hallway and raced through the halls following the chorus of voices through the house.
Please be okay, I begged. Please. Please.
I pushed through the door that led to the kitchen and was met by both Naida and Julian.
Naida was swatting at Julian with a spatula as Julian drank juice straight from the carton.
"You're such an animal, Julian." Naida was still trying to reach the carton. "That was for Emmy! Do you know what it took to get that?!"
They both turned to me as Naida finally was able to get it in her hand.
Naida sighed. "Good Morning, Emmy - I tried to have orange juice for you but this cur decided to be an animal and drink it straight from the carton. We have water instead, I hope you don't mind."
I shook my head. "No, don't be silly."
A new orange juice carton appeared on the kitchen island and Naida turned to Julian. "Gods, I hate you so much sometimes!"
I didn't pay attention as Naida continued to screech. I watched Julian as he took the first carton back, finished it and chucked it into a nearby trash bin as Naida continued to swat him with the spatula.
"It's that easy for you to conjure it? That easy?! Do you know what I had to do to get it?! I didn't even know where to find it!"
He seemed all right as he shrugged, closed the refrigerator and walked around the island away from Naida. There was no scar on his face. The wound had been so bad ... I was so sure he would have had some sort of scar. His face was flawless.
"Emmy," Naida gasped, I turned to her and realized she was standing next to me. "What happened to your nightgown?"
I looked at the violet flowing nightgown I had on from the night before.
The airy light purple fabric was filthy, sticky with the green salve from the night before.
It stuck to the layer of silk of darker purple beneath it.
The bottom of the fabric was dirty from the walk in the garden the night before.
"Sorry." I looked at her then at Julian. He only raised an eyebrow. I remembered he didn't want her to know. I cleared my throat as I turned to her. "I went out for a walk last night and I guess I didn't realize it got dirty. I'll clean it."
Naida shook her head. "No, that's all right, I just wanted to make sure you were all right."
I nodded absently. "I'm fine." I cleared my throat. "I'm just going to go get changed. I'll be right back."
I went upstairs and as soon as I rounded the corner, I found Julian leaning against my door. His arms were crossed in front of him, his recently washed black hair over his grey eyes.
He looked at me as I approached. "Thank you for not telling her."
I nodded. "It was nothing." I cleared my throat. "How are you feeling?"
He flexed his hand in front of me gracefully, everything he did was graceful. "Better. No pain. No scars."
I approached him and looked at his neck and face in the sunlight as it poured through the open windows. "I see that. Are you feeling yourself?"
He gave a quirky smile. "I can take off my shirt and show you my chest again if you like. No scar there either."
I let out a sigh of relief I didn't know I was holding and rolled my eyes as I laughed. "You're fine."
He bowed his head slightly. "Yes, I'm much better. Thanks to you." He cleared his throat as he met my gaze again. "How did you sleep?"
I swallowed, instantly remembering Damien from my dream. I couldn't tell Julian. "Better than I have in a long time, actually." At least there was some truth to it. "No nightmares."
He nodded, placing his fingers on his chin as he always would tend to do. "What you did was no small feat - you were knocked out almost immediately. It's why you stayed with me. I had to watch you to make sure you were all right."
I could feel the heat fill my cheeks. If he noticed, he said nothing, he only continued, "We have to build your stamina. The power that you would use against Robyn would be much bigger than that - and I'd hate for you to pass out in the middle of your fight."
"Can we start today?"
"Actually, we have other plans today. Get dressed, come downstairs and I will explain everything to you after."
I narrowed my eyes. "A 'please' wouldn't hurt you every once in a while."
He laughed as he pulled away from the door. "Please?"
I gave a small smile as he passed by me back to the stairs. Just as I was about to open the door, he called out, "I don't know if you realize it but you saved my life."
I turned as I pulled down on the doorknob. "I guess that makes us even then."
He smiled as he turned away and raced down the stairs.
I took a quick hot shower washing my hair in the process.
As I walked past the vanity mirror that I sat in front of the night before with Naida, I stopped.
I hadn't covered it up after we got back.
And I came face to face with the mirror I'd been avoiding for weeks.
Like the night before I noticed the fuller cheeks, the filled out collarbone, the fact that my wrists weren't small and bony.
My eyes no longer had shadows beneath them, my brown eyes were the same as before.
I looked more like myself ...
I smile slightly, taking a hairpin from the dresser and placing it in my hair rather than putting all of it in the ponytail I always had it in.
I made my way downstairs and pushed the door open to the kitchen. As I entered, the conversation between Naida and Julian suddenly stopped.
The light mood of the morning was gone, replaced by absolute gloom.
I looked between the two of them as they sat at the breakfast table close to the back doors of the kitchen. Naida's face was full of worry even as she tried to casually lounge in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. She had a finger to her lips as she looked away to the window.
Julian said nothing as I entered, he only crossed his strong arms in front of him, sitting back in his own chair.
I approached them. "What's going on?"
Julian looked at me then back at Naida. He gestured to a golden envelope in the middle of the table. "Royal Summons."
I froze. "You're being asked to go to the Keep?"
He nodded. "To meet the King immediately. Alone. Directly from him, if you believe the letterhead and signature."
I looked at the rich, heavy gold envelope with the torn red wax seal in the center of the table.
The cardstock looked heavy and it seemed to shine in the sunlight as it bathed the room.
There was magic in the paper making the letters seem to dance on the page.
And with a sinking feeling, I said out loud what was obvious to me from the moment my eyes scanned the paper. "That's not Damien's handwriting."
Julian nodded solemnly. "No, it's not. It's Robyn's."
"How do you know?" I whispered.
He stood from the table. "I was a Lord when Robyn was King. I recognize his writing." He sighed. "I'll check on the Hounds then go to the Keep. I should be back before the end of the day."
I swallowed my anxiousness, trying not to let it get the better of me as I stood in the room with them. I knew what this meant.
It was different from before. He had been with others, he said. He received an invitation before but never a personal one, as far as I knew.
Julian was being called to see Robyn.
Alone.
And Robyn knew that Julian had betrayed him when he told Damien where I was being kept. Julian was the reason his plan crumbled in the first place.
Would he take his revenge then?
Did someone see me the night before? Did they report back?
Naida shifted in her chair, placing her elbows on the table, her hands steepled in front of her. I could sense her somber, anxious mood.
He stopped next to her as he made his way to the door. "Naida, kindly stay out of trouble today." He looked at me. "You, too."
I barely nodded, numb. "Right."
Naida didn't answer even as Julian placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine. It's probably nothing."
She turned to him, tears shining in her eyes. "Be careful. Don't do anything stupid."
He gave a smile. "Me? Do something stupid?"
I turned to him, my gaze unwavering. "You've already made a powerful enemy."
He smiled. "For an even more powerful ally."
I shook my head. I was not powerful. And yet .. I had to help him. Somehow. It was my fault that he was in the mess and somehow I would help him out.
He said no more as he left and before I could stop myself, I followed him through the dining room. "Take me with you."
He laughed but didn't turn. "No."
"Please, Julian, let me help."
He still wouldn't turn. "Emylin, this is probably related to the Hounds last night. Nothing to worry about."
As he turned to go up the stairs, I grabbed the hand he had on the banister making him stop. This time, he did turn.
I looked at him as he towered over me on the stairs. "There has to be something I can do."
He smiled. "Actually, yes there is." He took a step down towards me. "Do you swear to do exactly as I say?"
I felt my breath hitch. I nodded. "Yes. I swear."
He raised an eyebrow. "Faerie agreements are not to be trifled with, Emylin. Are you sure?"
I swallowed but nodded. "I understand."
He extended his hand. "Swear on the Styx, there is nothing more binding than swearing on the Styx in the Underworld."
Without hesitating I took his hand. "I swear on the Styx I will follow everything exactly as you say it."
He gave a crooked smile and leaned closer to me until he was barely a breath away. His voice was low as he whispered in my ear. "Stay here and stay out of trouble."
I let out a long breath of anger and ripped my hand away from his. "Come on, that's not what I meant and you know it."
He turned around and went back up the stairs. "It doesn't matter at this point, you swore on the Styx. I'll be back later."
[A/N]: major thanks to laorangerose you've been my rock, honestly.
And I'm back to this anxiety.