She shook her head before rolling up her robe sleeve to reveal a brand that matched my own. I gasped.
“I did come here on my own,” she explained, shaking her head, “to find Otho . . . but when Adis heard about my healing abilities . . .”
“He made you stay.”
She nodded. Then, as if remembering where we were, she stepped toward the door. “Hurry back to your room.”
I tucked the bundle under my armpit, hoping no one would ask. “But how will I get these back to you?”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll have Otho buy me another.”
And just like that, I was outside her door, the hallway now bright with the post-dawn sun. The door snicked shut behind me, and I took off at a jog, desperate to make it back to my room before the guard noticed I had been missing. My head burned, both with the exhaustion of having barely slept, and the fact that I hadn’t been eating enough to warrant this type of energy loss.
One of the gods must have taken pity on my plight though, for as I arrived back at my own door, the guard was still blissfully asleep. I was able to step over him, change, and climb back into my bedroll before Collum awoke.
Later that day, when I returned from reading, my mind swimming in exhaustion, I found my underthings laundered and folded, on top of the blanket on the floor.
My heart twisted, but I said nothing as I shoved them back into my pack.
Some secrets were meant to be kept.
CHAPTER 14
The days blurred together again, as I fought to eat enough to keep myself from passing out during the reading sessions with Adis. We had almost finished another book, and I was beginning to grow nervous at what power Adis would have next.
Collum brushed all my concerns aside, not seeming to care that I was barely surviving, falling asleep instantly on the floor every night (or at least the nights I didn’t have the cot) yet still struggling to make it to the reading room the next morning.
She was already planning the third reading to the servants the moment Adis finished with this book. I still hadn’t told her about the black book hidden in the walls, and I was beginning to feel less guilty about it with the more time that passed, especially because Collum didn’t seem to notice my apparent pain.
Or she did and thought I should remain in it for a couple more years.
As the planned night approached, I grew nervous. I wasn’t sure why, as we had successfully read to the servants twice already. But something whispered in my ears that I should stay in my room, rather than attend—even if it meant not getting to see Leif, whose company I was starting to enjoy. While Iknew there could never be anything more between us, I still enjoyed talking with him—something I hadn’t been able to do all week.
As the sleeping potion was added to plates and passed among the guards, I lay on the cot, fighting sleep.
“Stay awake.” Collum nudged me in the side. It didn’t hurt as it once had, though the ribs there were still sensitive to my cousin’s sharp elbow
“Can’t I stay here?” I whispered. “I’m just so tired.”
“No,” Collum snapped. “You need to read this time; I’m tired too.”
It wasn’t a lie—her voice was almost as hoarse as my own. Though I had been told magic didn’t require anything from the person reading, other than the ability to read, something was definitely wearing us down. Likely the lack of rations, but I was still skeptical.
Reluctantly, I rose from the bed, ensuring my wrap was in place before Collum and I repeated the process we had been perfecting for a fortnight now, stepping over the sleeping guard and sneaking down the hall to the large estate kitchen.
When we arrived, there were only a few servants milling about, most looking just as tired as I felt.
We waited a few moments, but no more came, something which put me on edge. I told myself it was just because Leif was one of those absent, but that didn’t calm my nerves. There were far fewer servants present than there had been at the other readings.
“Where is everyone?” Collum asked Astrid, whose eyes were drooping as she sat with her back against the wall, off to the side.
“It’s been a long week, preparing for the coming holiday. I think many thought their sleep more important.”
Collum frowned, and I could tell by the way her jaw shifted, that she was hiding her anger. “And they don’t think gaining magic is important?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“We do.” Another servant I had never spokento before piped up. “It’s just that it is dangerous, and it’s hard to be on your best behavior when you are tired. One mistake could get us all killed.”
“Hmph.” Collum pursed her lips and I could tell she was unhappy with their valid point. “Well, the next power is the power of attracting metal, so I hope you will all stay for that.”
