I mean, he was absolutely impressive. And I wouldn’t have minded another peek… But judging by that arrogant smile, his ego didn’t need the encouragement.
“Isn’t Alastor waiting for us?” I said. “We should probably find you some new clothes so you don’t scandalize anyone.”
Radven shrugged, his eyes laughing at me. “If you insist.”
A few minutes later, he’d acquired a fresh shirt and pants from one of the other rooms. I didn’t bother asking him if they belonged to him or some poor unsuspecting member of Talon’s crew.
I was still a little shaken by what had happened. Shocked that somehow I’d managed to unleash enough essence to throw Radven across the room despite the pearls around my wrist—and without even realizing what I was doing. Sure, I’d been distracted in the moment, but I hadn’t realized I was this…volatile.I could have killed him.All because of an orgasm.
I was definitely going to need therapy after this.
Another good reason for you to go home, I told myself. This world wasn’t just dangerousforme—Iwas dangerous here. And I couldn’t risk hurting anyone else. Not when so many had already been hurt because of me.
It killed me to leave, though. For every deadly beast or mad sorcerer in this world, there was also magic, and wonder, and so many strange and beautiful things that I’d never get to experience. For all my insistence that I didn’t belong here, I had to admit a part of me had woken up the moment I set foot in Therador. A part of me had comealivehere.
You feel that way because a part of youdoesbelong here, I reminded myself, looking down at my hands. I had this power because I was a descendant of someone from Therador who’d traveled to my world a long, long time ago. I was ofbothworlds, and I shouldn’t let myself forget it.
But that didn’t mean it was right to stay here, either.
Alastor was waiting for us, as planned, with three horses.
“Oak is over there,” Alastor said, gesturing with his chin as he handed Radven a set of reins.
Radven and I both glanced over.
About half a block away, Octavian held court in front of a growing group of townsfolk. He looked…
Magnificent.Just like he had in those moments right before he and Radven and Alastor had gone racing after Mordren—like a legend come to life. It was impossible to tear my eyes from him—he was magnetic, the sort of person who captured and held the attention of everyone in the vicinity. And while he didn’t exactly look cheerful—how could he, given what had happened tonight?—he was clearly in his element. He almost looked like he was…enjoying himself.
Beside me, Radven gave a low chuckle. “Oak could never resist an opportunity to preen a little. Glad some things haven’t changed.” There was no judgment in his voice, just…something that sounded curiously likerelief.
And I wondered if, perhaps, I was finally getting a glimpse of thetrueOctavian.
Even from here, I could see the way people looked at him—with open admiration and even worship. He wasn’t just a celebrity in this world—he was a symbol of hope after a night of tragedy. A bright light in the middle of the dark.
“Was it always like this?” I asked softly. “Before the curse, I mean?”
“Often,” Radven said, and there was both amusement and wistfulness in his voice.
“If he’s such a big deal here, why didn’t more people recognize him earlier?” I asked. “Why weren’t they flocking around him all night?”
“We’ve been gone for too long.” It was Alastor who answered me this time. “Most people have either forgotten or given up on us.”
Not Talon and his crew, I wanted to say, but Radven spoke first.
“He has a quality about him,” Radven said. “A natural quality, nothing to do with his other power. In your world, it’s the thing people refer to as the ‘it’ factor.” He smirked a little at that term. “He’ll always attract some attention, even when he’s trying to lay low—he can’t help it. But when he truly lets himself shine, it’s something else completely. Something impossible to ignore.”
I completely understood. He was talking about thatpresenceI’d noticed the very first night I’d met them all, thatthingthat even now made everything around Octavian seem…faded, somehow. Less important than the man at the center of it all. The people around Octavian hung on his every word, and some reached their hands up towards him like he was some sort of messiah.
“We should go,” Alastor said suddenly.
Radven nodded, and another look passed between them. I could guess at the questions in that look—did we interrupt this scene to tell Octavian where we were going? That I was leaving?
“Don’t interrupt him,” I said before the brothers could speak. “Let the people have this.” Because I knew what would happen if we told Octavian I was going. I didn’t think he would try to stop me, but—at the very least, he would insist on coming. And after overhearing what had happened between the brothers in the woods… I didn’t want to cause another argument. Not now.
It was also possible that I was a coward, and that I couldn’t bring myself to face him one last time. It was easier, less complicated this way. But I told myself it was an act of selflessness—that I was giving up my goodbye so the people of Ring-Around-the-Hill could be blessed with a few more moments of Octavian’s warm, uplifting presence. It was the least I could do, considering that tonight’s tragedy had happened because Mordren was trying to get tome.
Thankfully, the brothers didn’t try to change my mind.
