When the third day of me being sick came and went, my room was filled with flowers. Every member of the Circle had sent me flowers or “get well soon” cards and still I didn’t know how I could face them again. Knowing what they all thought of me wasn’t only a disappointment, it hurt like hell. We were supposed to go to the capital the next morning and I had to remind myself that I had to keep up the facade of being blissfully unaware of their mistrust.
I went to sleep early that night, well aware that sleep would be the last thing on my mind when in company of the promiscuous Gods and Goddesses. Not that I had any interest in joining their little parties, but the whole concept of magical sex parties freaked me out. Mainly because the state of my own sex life was a tragedy and after months ofnot getting any, I was getting damn tired of my own hand.
I must have fallen asleep quickly. When I woke hours later, it seemed as though morning should have come already. I cracked one eye open to check the light beyond the window, only to find the world still steeped in darkness.
I was just settling back into the pillows when movement in the chair opposite my bed caught my eye, and a startled shriek tore out of me.
Damn it. I had no weapon beside the bed, and I doubted that the intruder would be scared by my romance novel.
“I am sorry for waking you up.” Auretheos was lounging in the chair, his face an unreadable mask, his expression solemn and earnest.
“What are you doing here, Theo?” I whispered and sat up in my bed.
He rubbed his hand over his face. “I was worried about you and wanted to see for myself if you were well. You looked so peaceful and I… I haven’t been able to think of anything else but the conclave for the past few days. But when I was watching you sleep, it was like the weight on my chest had lifted.”
My pulse sped up at his quiet admission.
“That is very sweet, Theo, but also very creepy.”
He laughed softly. “Oh, I am the creepiest of them all, Mae.”
The smile on his face faded away again. Should I ask him about my conversation with the Abbot?
But before I could open my mouth, Theo spoke again. “I wanted to ask you a favor.”
“Sure, what do you need?” I asked.
He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands.
“When we get to the capital tomorrow, I am sure you willdraw a lot of attention. For one, you are the wordsmith that will fulfill the prophecy. But you are also incredibly beautiful and if there is one thing Gods worship, it’s beauty. I am under no illusion that the other Gods will notice how special you are and you might get… offers.”
He let out a long breath. “I don’t know where I am going with this, I am just being an idiot,” he said and got up abruptly. “Forget what I said. I am sorry for waking you, try and go back to sleep.” And with that, he disappeared into thin air.
Sleep eventually arrived, but it brought little of the peace I had wished for.
* * *
10 years ago
“What did you find out, Nightpetal?” Madame Celestine’s words coiled like smoke.
I straightened.
My second visit with the diplomat had been more productive than the last, although it had taken me way longer than usual to make him spill his secrets. My heka had been playing up, it was depleted after last night and wanted to be left alone.
But I eventually got the spell to settle, and the diplomat had spilled his guts to me.
I hesitated.
Madame Celestine raised an eyebrow.
“The Crown Prince of Elther is in love with a foreign merchant’s son, and is planning to elope with him under a false identity during an upcoming diplomatic visit.”
As soon as I had finished the sentence, Madame Celestine’s fist crashed down onto the table. I recoiled like I’d been struck myself, my chair scraping backwards as my hands flew up in defense.
“Stupid girl. That’s bedroom drama, not leverage. You know the kind of people I sell to, they don’t want pillow talk. They want power. If you can not or do not want to deliver, just say so. But don’t you dare to insult me like that again,” she said icily.
She was right, of course.
