Elyssa rubbed her finger over the cut on her throat. She had had a gut feeling that leaving Amira to deal with her brother alone would be the wrong decision, but Amira had told her to go.I shouldn’t have fucking listened.
Tarnan had been so focused on taking care of Amira that the revelation of Elyssa being human seemed to barely faze him. Elyssa was waiting for the other shoe to drop. But that was a worry for tomorrow.
Stirring on Elyssa’s bed, Amira flipped onto her back as her eyes slowly opened. The curtains let in the first rays of dawn. Even with dark circles and bloodshot eyes, Amira still looked beautiful, the light reflecting in her shiny hair. As the princess spotted her sitting on a chair across from the bed, she sat up quickly and raised a hand to her temple, letting out a curse that almost made Elyssa smile.
“How are you feeling?” Elyssa asked. She hoped by now fortae had left her system enough to clear Amira’s mind.
“Like death.” Her head whirled around, stopping at the mattress beneath her. “Did I pass out in your bed?” Her voice was quiet, embarrassed.
Elyssa rose from her chair and sat at the foot of her bed to hear her better. “I don’t mind. Anytime, sunshine.”
In the dim light, Elyssa was unsure if she was imagining the blush to Amira’s cheeks. But then her face turned serious again, plagued with something Elyssa couldn’t quite grasp. Her hands shook as she clutched the blanket Elyssa had thrown over her.
“I…” Amira started, her gaze fixed on her hands.
“I’m sorry. I thought you knew,” Elyssa blurted.
“You’resorry?” A sob seemed to have gotten caught in Amira’s throat. “You thought I knew that fortae required human blood?Yourblood?”
Elyssa moved closer, staring into Amira’s haunted eyes. “It’s common knowledge among the fae. That’s often why we are hunted. I really thought you knew,” Elyssa repeated. Amira’s eyes darted around, avoiding Elyssa’s gaze.
“You shouldn’t be apologising. I’m the one who is sorry,” Amira said, her voice thin, shaking. “About fortae, the relapse…I didn’t mean for it to get so out of hand.”
Elyssa reached out to take Amira’s hand. She tried to ignore the rush of electricity it ignited. For a second, Elyssa thought Amira would pull away, but then Amira squeezed her hand instead, sending a jolt through Elyssa’s body.
“I know it’s not my place to ask,” Elyssa started, “but why did you take fortae? I’m not judging, but you must have known it could…destroy you.” If Amira had never met her, would she have fallen prey to a real drug dealer? Would she have died inside the cold palace walls back in Turosian? Did no one look out for her there?
Amira swallowed, clearly conflicted about her answer. “I just…I can feel this darkness in me, threatening to pull me under. All I want is to stay in the light, but I’m doomed. I wish to begood.To befree.”
Darkness.Had Elyssa’s suspicion been correct? Was Amira a witch?
She inched closer to Amira. “Do you feel this way because of your powers?”
Eyes darkening, Amira pulled her hand from Elyssa’s. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m not stupid, princess. I saw you. They say you’re a low-level fae, yet you used fire and wind.”
Amira’s silence told her everything. Then she blurted, “I’ll give you all the silver you want if you never tell a soul what you saw.”
“You don’t have to buy my silence. I don’t give a fuck about you being a witch.” Amira flinched at the word. “I have a friend like you. I’d never betray him, or anyone else I care about.” Amira seemed completely thrown off by Elyssa’s reaction, her posture stiffening.
“Your friend, could they help me remove my…curse?” Amira asked quietly, just loud enough for Elyssa to hear.
Remove it? Amira was so convinced she was cursed that it had led her down a dangerous path. “That’s why you’re spending your days in the goddamn library? You’re searching for a freaking cure.”
“Maybe I am,” Amira said ambiguously, clasping her hands in her lap. “But there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information available on…your friend’s kind.” She couldn’t even call it herkind, could she? It must be so lonely, living in the shadows. Elyssa knew a thing or two about that, but she would never call herself cursed. It pained her to hear that Amira thought so lowly of herself.
“Youaregood,” Elyssa said, taking her hand again and squeezing it. “I see it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fae, a witch, or human. One day, you’ll see it too.”
Amira hung her head, her hand tense. “Will you help me find a way to block my powers without taking fortae? I don’t want to take it anymore. I don’t want to be...an addict.” Her eyes locked with Elyssa’s. “I don’t want to hurt you or myself.”
Elyssa’s heart warmed. It wouldn’t be easy for Amira to quit all at once, but she would help her through it. “You don’t need to remove your powers. They’re not bad.You’renot bad because of them. But if there is any way I can help you, I will.”
Amira removed her hand from Elyssa’s, much to her dismay. Amira clutched at the covers instead.
“Tarnan gave me a key to a secret door in the library,” Amira explained, her voice strained. “That’s where he keeps his most precious books.”
Elyssa’s mouth turned upwards, relieved that Amira trusted her. “I’m gonna read the crap out of those books if it means helping you.”
