Chapter 24
I’d never slept in so much comfort in my entire life.
In Ralheim, I’d always shared a room with Milo, who snored with gusto even on the days when he had to remain in the house.
And when Collum had first come to live with us, she’d shared with us too.
I’d wished for a bigger home, asking my parents if they could buy one, but they had frowned and changed the subject.
I grimaced as the memory of the night my life changed rose in my mind. But instead of sadness this time, I felt something else rolling inside my chest.
Before I could follow that thought further, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in!” I called out, pulling the plush blanket to my chin.
Leif’s sandy blond hair flashed in the morning sun. “Good morning.”
The sensation in my gut was replaced with warmth and butterflies. Heat rose in my cheeks.
He stepped into the room. “I’ve come to see if you wanted to visit the library with me today.”
I raised my eyebrows. I’d heard stories of libraries but never visited one because Ralheim didn’t have one. The university I’d attended had put one together, but it was only for use by students who were assigned. Excitement rushed through my veins, but I was apprehensive. “Why?”
He shrugged. “I need to do a little research for work, and I figured you wouldn’t want to spend the whole day here.”
He was right, and I fought to contain my eagerness as I scooted off the bed.
When I glanced up, Leif’s eyes were on the nightgown I wore, and I was suddenly glad it wasn’t the frilly one Friar had sent.
“They said there would be some clothes in here for you.” He crossed the room to the wardrobe, pulling it open.
I liked the way his muscles bulged beneath the white shirt he wore. “Ah, yes, here they are.”
He pulled out several garments, all dresses, holding them out in my direction.
I appraised what he was wearing. “Can’t I wear breeches and a shirt like you?” The novelty of wearing dresses had already worn off.
He frowned. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
“Why?”
“Because . . .” He put one of the dresses back and ran a hand through his hair. “In Malheim, women always wear dresses.”
I tilted my head to the side, unsure why I was pressing this, but a picture was forming in my mind. “And I can’t stand out.”
He blew out a breath and I could feel his annoyance. “No. Unfortunately not, Runa.”
The way the words sounded had my shoulders slumping as I reached out to take the dress he still held in his fist. I said nothing as I headed into the bathing room to dress.
The bathing room was similar to the one we’d had in Ralheim, complete with a pump, built in chamber pot, and a large tub that could be filled with warm water. Unlike home, there was a looking glass hung to the side, one large enough to reflect my entire body, even as tall as I was.
I removed the nightgown, whispering a silent apology to Alaine, who would never get it back. Then my gaze caught on my tattoo, and I frowned at Leif’s words.
If Malheim was anything like Ralheim, women didn’t have tattoos either.
But I did.
I brushed my fingers over the ink. Though I’d been so mad at Milo the day the tattoo was ingrained in my skin, it now brought me comfort at the memory.
Something that would always connect me to my twin.
A knock at the door broke me from my thoughts. “Everything okay?”
“Fine!” I called as I pulled the dress over my head. It didn’t fit well, but it was better than the nightgown. It was a deep green like the citizens of Salheim wore, and fell nearly to the floor. Like the riding outfit, there was a belt, which I hastily tied.
I pushed open the door, nearly running into Leif who was leaning against the door jam. “Whoa there.” His hands gripped my arms to keep me from falling.
My skin heated beneath his hands, the warmth spreading. My neck moved of its own accord, our gazes connecting as his warm breath caressed my cheek.
Time paused as I stared into his blue eyes, something I didn’t recognize flickering in their depths.
“Should we . . . get going?” The words were hoarse, and I knew then I wasn’t the only one affected by our current proximity.
All I could do was nod, but as we made our way to the door, my stomach let out a rumble.
Leif paused, a smirk on his lips. “We’ll stop by the kitchen on the way.”
Three pastries and two cups of floral tea later, Leif was pulling me into one of the largest rooms I’d ever seen. It was bigger than the home I had grown up in—bigger than any home I had ever been in.
Well, other than Adis’s palace.
“This is the library.” Leif’s gaze was trained on my face.
All I could do was nod as I took in the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, which lined every wall. Colorful books lined each in an attractive array, and in the center of the library there was a large table, partially burned candles dotting the wooden surface.
“Can I—” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Can I see some books on history?”
Leif raised an eyebrow.
“My family only had one book growing up,” I confessed. “The school had books, of course, but I studied math and engineering, not history.”
If Leif was surprised that I had attended university, he didn’t show it. His silent steps crossed the room to a shelf filled with uniform books. “Here is a chronological history of Malhiem. Is that what you are looking for?”
I bit my lip, shifting my weight. “Anything on the Seid?”
Leif’s hand froze. “There was a Purge here too, you know.”
Well, that answered my question from the day before. “So, no books on them?”
His fingertips brushed a few of the uniform books, pausing to pull out two toward the end.
“Seid history is closely tied with Malheim history, especially the last few centuries. It may not go as deep as you want it, but . . .” His hands shook as he moved the books to the table and he struggled to find the words.
I stepped closer, resting my hand on his. I didn’t need Seid magic to know. “Your parents?” I whispered.
“My mother.” Leif struggled to swallow, and I found myself putting my arm around him. He pulled me to his chest.
We stood like that for an immeasurable amount of time, in the center of a library, part of a people with a history neither of us had come to terms with.
Leif stepped away first, breaking the spell. “I need to do a few things for work. Will you be okay reading these on your own?”
I nodded, sinking into the chair he pulled out for me. He waited until I was settled before heading back to the shelves and pulling a few books of his own.
My hand brushed down the faded green cover, my fingers digging into the grooves of the indentations.
Malheim, 699-799