CHAPTER TWELVE
Nix stretched awake at the end of my bed, his small body comically overextended—bottom raised up high in the air and front legs leisurely pushed forward.
Actually, he wasn’t looking quite as small now.
He definitely looked less emaciated. Maybe I imagined the outline of his ribs when I first spotted him in the garden.
Either way, a few hearty meals appeared to have done him well.
I yawned widely, raising my arms above my head in an equally exaggerated stretch as I contemplated his assistance the night before. “Nix, how did you know about the basin last night? Have you lived here before? With a recent Midnight Sovereign? Before Kaylin?”
Abruptly, Nix stopped stretching. “Yes. But it’s been a long time since anyone on this island wanted me around or didn’t banish me from the cottage out of fear or ignorance.”
“How long?” I asked.
“Three centuries,” he replied.
My eyes bulged. A long time. That was an understatement. “Why didn’t they want you around?”
“No sense for magic. No sense for duty. Dying young. Many reasons…none pleasant.”
“Can you tell me more about the island?” I leaned forward eagerly.
Nix’s expression was serious. “That depends. Do you plan on surviving? Or did you already forget what Edwin said? That someone is trying to kill you too.” He jumped off the bed, heading for the door.
“Nix! Wait!” I called after him. “I just wanted to say I’m glad I found you.
Even if no one else has welcomed you for a long time.
I’m happy that you’re here with me.” He paused in the doorway for a moment longer but didn’t speak again, his long black tail disappearing out of sight.
Groaning, I rubbed my temples—it was early in the day to feel a headache coming on, but Nix’s words pushed Edwin’s betrayal back to the forefront of my mind.
Since lighting the lampposts, I had already taken in a talking cat, been visited by Kaylin’s family, and agreed to rescue an imprisoned phoenix.
Is this how it would be from now on? Maybe there was such a thing as too many visitors.
Three weeks. Just three weeks to prepare for the dinner party in Kothia. My headache deepened at the thought. Deciding a run would help me sort things out, I dressed, pulled my hair into a long braid, and headed outside.
After running a full loop around the island, I found myself approaching the stone pathway back up to the cottage, relishing the fresh air and my newly cleared head.
I decided to forgo any extra strength training, even though I’d tied a rope to the largest oak tree on the property for that purpose, after failing to complete the obstacle course in Sivell.
It had taken about an hour for me to jog around the entire perimeter of the island, and I was spent.
As I slowed my pace to a walk, returning home from my run, Nix streaked down the path toward me.
Was he that excited to greet me?
Before reaching me, however, he launched himself straight into the air, batting at a bird overhead, claws extended. Maybe I should have fed him before my run. He missed the bird at first jump. I took a closer look at Nix’s intended prey.
Wait…it wasn’t just any bird. It was a raven.
Nix crouched down low and wriggled his rear end, preparing to jump again.
I took off down the path, yelling as I ran. “STOP!”
He timed his second jump flawlessly. Cat and bird tangled in a mess of fur and feathers.
The next moment, the bird shifted into a man, now lying prone on the pathway, Nix sitting on his chest. I caught up to them as Corvin adjusted his pose, flexing his arms behind his head and using them as a cushion, staring up at the small black cat who attacked him.
“Corvin! I am so, so sorry! I don’t know what to say!”
Nix turned to look at me. “Is Bird Boy with you?”
“Are you going to be rude toward all of my guests?” I asked irritably, voice full of rebuke.
I looked down at Corvin. “Are you hurt?”
“Just my pride.” He smiled up at me from the ground. “You have a new…guard cat?”
“That’s Nix,” I said apologetically. “And don’t worry—he won’t attack you again.”
Nix flashed his teeth at Corvin as if to say, don’t count on it.
“Hello, Nix,” he greeted good-naturedly. “Do you mind letting me up?”
Nix took his time to comply, lazily jumping off his chest when he was good and ready, tail high.
My heart caught in my throat as Corvin sat up and then rose to a standing position.
He didn’t lift himself up the rest of the way—he flew.
Great wings, covered in raven feathers, materialized at his back.
Wings I had dreamed about. They were a beautiful midnight black, but with a glossy, iridescent sheen to them, which added a touch of blue, purple, and green to their coloration when the light caught them just right.
As soon as he was vertical again, they disappeared.
“How are things going?” he asked.
“Actually, a lot has happened since I saw you last. I made my first midnight bargain.”
His eyes lit up. “I knew you could do it! You’re—” He cleared his throat. “That’s amazing.”
A shy smile tugged at my face. “Thank you. A phoenix warrior from Sivell visited me…” I told him, filling him in on the details of the bargain.
I quickly wrapped up my story, getting to the most relevant part.
“Anyway, I plan to attend this dinner party in a few weeks in order to rescue Eterna from captivity and fulfill my bargain.”
Corvin sobered, a quiet intensity seeping into his voice. “You’re planning to go there alone?” His face shifted, something that looked a lot like panic crossing his features. “I could accompany you instead. Think of it as another opportunity for me to fulfill my debt to you.”
An enticing image of the two of us dining side by side, shoulders pressed close, flashed through my mind.
I slowly shook my head, reality displacing the daydream.
“It’s going to be dangerous. I can’t accept your offer.
Not when it might endanger your life, even if it would be helpful to have someone watching my back.
You’ve already done enough for me. Can you really still feel the debt between us?
What exactly was Luciana to your father? ”
“A good friend. And yes, I still feel bound to you…”
“Well, I would ask for more help around the garden, but you’ve caught me at an awkward time. I am in desperate need of a bath after my morning run.”
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
“Not yet.”
“Then let me cook for us while you bathe.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Corvin gave me a broad smile. “It would be my pleasure.”
We walked into the cottage, Nix following behind us.
The kitchen was a relatively small space, but it had everything I needed to prepare a meal.
It also contained a food pantry stocked with fish, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
Corvin’s eyes swept over the pantry with interest. “Is there anything you don’t like to eat?
” Examining the cupboards, he selected several pots and pans, a cutting board, and a knife, placing them all upon the side table used to prepare food.
“I’m not too picky,” I answered, deciding I could trust him not to burn the place down.
He began to peel back the layers of an onion, shooing me away. “Leave it to me then. Enjoy your bath.”
I left him in the kitchen, grabbing a towel, some soap, and a change of clothes from my room on the way out the door, walking down to the lake to bathe.
The water was cold, and I shivered as I lowered my body into its clear depths.
But eventually, once I acclimated to the temperature, I enjoyed the feel of the water lapping at my skin.
Soon, it would be cold enough that I would be compelled to collect the water for my bath first so I could heat it over the fire instead.
My hair was still damp when I returned to the kitchen.
Corvin didn’t notice me right away. I stood watching him as he finished up cooking. Retrieving the pot above the fireplace, he emptied its contents, arranging a colorful array of roasted vegetables atop the fish fillet he’d already prepared, its surface nicely seasoned.
Nix lay on the kitchen floor, head resting on his paws.
Either because he was warming up to Corvin or because he was still distrustful of his presence—I couldn’t decide which one.
Corvin flicked his wrist, and I realized he was tossing Nix a small piece of fish every now and then as he cooked. Warmth slowly unfurled in my stomach.
I entered the room and took a seat on one of the kitchen chairs.
“Do you know any affordable clothing stores?” I asked Corvin, making conversation.
He continued cooking, his back turned toward me. “That’s a random question.”
“It’s for this dinner party. I don’t own any nice dresses.
Not that I have much of an idea what to buy anyway.
I mean, I know enough not to show up naked.
” Corvin half turned, eyes sliding over me.
“But I’ve never been to a dinner party before.
I don’t want to embarrass myself by getting the dress code wrong.
How mortifying would it be if they turned me away at the door because of my attire… ”
“I would choose something you can hide a dagger in,” Corvin quipped. Nix made an approving noise from the floor. “Actually, I might be able to bring you something. I have a friend about your size. I can ask to borrow one of her dresses if you’d like.”
“Really? That would save me a lot of trouble.”
“Then consider it done. I’ll return with the dress.”
A while later, Corvin walked over to the table.
He served me first, then returned to grab his own plate, containing an appetizing cut of grilled fish served over a bed of vegetables, a fragrant herb sauce drizzled over the top.
“You don’t have any dairy. But I think I was able to whip up something tasty for you.
” The food was certainly more gourmet than what I would have taken the time to prepare for myself.