After Cornelius had informed me that he sensed a gift of the dead within me, he’d told me so much more.
He claimed that he could sense others who were like him. He sensed the gift inside my chest the moment I arrived at his front gates.
It was like a magnet, he said. Like he had been looking for me his entire life and he’d finally found the missing piece.
Was it creepy? Sure. But the wine had been flowing, and that kept my paranoia from taking over.
And unlike just about everyone who knew me well, he didn’t look at me like I was broken.
He looked at me like he needed me. Like hewantedme, even.
And not just for the bullshit persona I wore to earn that charming smile of his and any secrets I could get out of him.
I wasn’t a damn idiot. I knew Cornelius was… suspicious at best. But for the first time, I’d found someone that I didn’t haveto keep my secret from. When he told me he could sense my magic, a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. For the first time, I felt as though I could confide in someone.
Because unlike what even my closest friend believed, I wasn’t entirely magicless.
No, magic coursed through my veins, begging to be released day in and day out.
Darkness becomes the chain that binds.
A chill ran down my spine as the words echoed in my mind. The words the healer had mumbled. The words that had screamed in my brain since the Whispering Caves.
I didn’t want to go back there. Even thinking of that place made me uneasy. But Xavier had a point. If the caves were trying to help us by speaking those strange riddles, maybe another visit could help us piece together this puzzle.
I shook the thoughts away. That would be a problem for later.
For now, I had a ball to prepare for.
The ball was beyond excessive, and not even in a glamorous, money-showing way. And every damn person of status in the kingdom seemed to be in attendance.
I stepped through the massive, arched doorways and into a massive ballroom. Instantly, my lungs constricted.
Relax, Rummy. You belong here. Act the part.
Jessiah and Xavier loved to treat me like I was nothing more than a problem to be handled. But tonight? I would show them I was much more than that.
Cornelius would confide in me. I would make sure of it. They thought I was charmed by his white teeth and his striking eyes.They were wrong, and if that’s how poorly they thought of me, then they didn’t know me at all.
My chest twinged, and a strange pain made my breath catch. I shook it off quickly. I didn’t give a fuck about what they thought. It was just an annoyance, that was all.
And with any luck, I’d get to the bottom of things so I wouldn’t have to travel back to those damn Whispering Caves. I’d use my loose, blonde curls and my glittered silver dress to the full extent to get the work done.
The dress I’d chosen tonight was incredible, though it took a mental pep talk to find the confidence to actually walk outside wearing the thing.
The sloped neckline was adorned with crystals that were strung together like teardrops, and the silky fabric accentuated my curves effortlessly.
Jessiah was going to lose his mind when he saw it.
Not that I cared about what he thought.Goddess above, Rummy. Pull it together.
“There she is.” Cornelius approached from my right, wearing a fitted black suit. “And look at you.” He took me in from head to toe, his eyes stalling slightly on where the dress tightened over my chest. “You look like the most marvelous thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“You flatter me.” I smiled, my face heating. “You look quite impressive yourself. This entire place, really. It’s… it’s stunning.”
Cornelius nodded, like of course the place was stunning.
“It’s my duty to ease the minds of the citizens of Pericius, to give them something to look forward to when life gets mundane. The Autumn Victorial ball was one of my father’s favorite traditions. Food, drinking, dancing. And magic, of course.”
