My eye starts twitching, and I realize I'm breathing heavily and retreating backward. If Engela notices, she doesn't care. She drops the letters on the floor and walks silently away, rounding the nearest corner.
I wait several seconds to see if some kind of trap springs forth, but when I hover my hand over the envelopes, I sense no malicious magic.
I pick up the envelopes and return to our apartment, frowning when I see one each for Maven, myself, Baelfire, and Everett.
"What is it?" Baelfire asks, approaching. Then he wrinkles his nose. "What's that smell coming from Maven's letter?"
That intrigues Maven, who walks over and leans up and inhales near her envelope at precisely the same time I lean down for a whiff.
"Calea ternifolia," we say at the same time.
It makes me blink, and then a smile threatens to tug the corners of my mouth. "I almost forgot. You're quite the botanist. Odd that you should have that hobby, though."
With our faces close like this, I have the luxury of studying the dark kaleidoscope of colors in her irises as she arches a brow.
"Why, because I come from a lifeless void?"
"Precisely."
She shrugs. "Everyone needs a hobby, even in hell."
She slips the envelope from my hand and opens it. Baelfire and I lean in to study the small object that falls into her palm. It's a circular glass talisman. At the center of it is a golden eye closed in asleep while the outer edges of the glass bracket a pattern of swirling dried leaves—thecalea ternifoliathat, when spelled, becomes so pungent.
Although it's simple, it's incredibly well-crafted and appears to be very old. If this is a gift from Crypt to her, it's impressive.
Maven reads the note that came with it, and as she does, Baelfire and I both read the letters addressed to us. It doesn't take me long to skim, and I must finish at the same time as the dragon because he lets out a harsh scoff and shakes his head.
"Fucking Nightmare Prince."
Maven glances over. "What did he say in yours?"
"Mostly a grotesquely detailed threat of extreme testicular torture if we let harm befall you while he's away," I reply. I don't mention the part where Crypt added that he would search for anything at the Divide that might ease Maven's ailment, asreveriumdoes for him.
"Same," Bael grunts, tearing up his letter. "How about yours, Boo?"
He tries to lean over to read over her shoulder, but she slips it into her pocket and glares at him. "No more Boo. Boo is dead. Put that nickname on a fucking gravestone and move on."
"My bad,Mayflower."
My attention moves back to the talisman in Maven's hand. "That must be a dream totem. An incredibly old one. I don't know where Crypt found it, but they're supposed to keep nightmares at bay, among other things."
Her lips curve into the slightest smile as she studies the talisman, and just like that, I'm fiercely jealous. I want to give her something she likes, too. Baelfire looks equally envious as he huffs and folds his arms over his chest.
"Doesn't change the fact that he fucking left. He should be here helping to protect our keeper."
Maven rolls her eyes and pockets the talisman before fixing us with a look. She no longer desperately clings to her poker face whenever we're alone, so right now, it's purely Maven, with that intoxicatingly dark, dangerous flare in her eye that makes my cock twitch in my pants.
"Let's get one more thing out of the way. You two have no idea what I'm capable of. I'm sure the last day or two of close calls has made you both think I'm fragile, but trust me. I can handle myself. Now come on, it's time to hunt a changeling."
15
MAVEN
I would never sayit out loud, but I'm starting to miss my unseen stalker.
As I redress and wait for Silas and Baelfire to clean up and get ready for changeling hunting, it feels odd not sensing Crypt's dark presence lingering at the outskirts of my senses.
Even though Baelfire grumbled about it, the plan is to skip dinner and use that time to find the changeling. But before we leave, I can't resist skimming my letter again.
