Amira swallowed, seemingly trying to come up with a reply. “I…I suppose so.”
Walking a few steps closer, Elyssa leaned next to the shelf as she caught Amira’s sharp inhale. “Maybe I’ll show you sometime.”
For a second, Amira didn’t move one muscle. Then she cleared her throat. “I’m not sure we’re having the same conversation.”
“We’re not?” Elyssa kneeled down next to her. Her face was only inches from the princess. The smell of lavender drifted towards her. In the past weeks, Amira’s skin had turned to a glowing olive again, her eyes no longer bloodshot.
The first two weeks had been hell. Withdrawal had made Amira bedridden for most of it. Often, Amira could hardly talk, too consumed by her cravings, a fever weakening her as she clawed at her own skin until Elyssa had to cover her hands to keep the damage to a minimum. Tarnan checked on Amira daily, and Elyssa could tell he was thankful for her help.
So far, they hadn’t discussed the fact that she was human, but she was curious about what Tarnan’s stance on her kind was. Elyssa had tried to find out more about the king, but she didn’t want to leave Amira’s side for too long.
She was glad to see Amira better now. Good enough to tease her, to rile up her.
“I’m talking about weapons. Aren’t you?” Elyssa replied, her tone innocent, her eyes mischievous. Elyssa could swear Amira’s eyes drifted to her lips for a split second.
“Yes, weapons. Good—I mean dangerous,” Amira stuttered. She closed the book in her lap and stood up, putting distance between them.
Elyssa sighed internally. Truth be told, she still couldn’t tell Amira everything, and the princess hadn’t asked her a lot of questions since that night, too consumed by her withdrawal symptoms. But that didn’t mean Elyssa couldn’t fantasise about brushing Amira’s dark locks from her face, running her finger over her red lips, and kissing her. Elyssa had spent too much time imagining what the princess tasted like.
If only she could kiss her once—just once—to get it out of her fucking system. It had worked with Iris.
Elyssa’s thoughts darkened, remembering that she would never see her friend again. She’d lost her life too soon.No one else,she swore to herself. That included Amira. She wasn’t her enemy or a means to an end. She was another victim of Karwyn, sucked into his toxic void.
Surveying the pile of books littering the floor and oak table, Elyssa asked, “We’ve been here for hours, why don’t we take a break and explore the palace?”
Fingers halting on the spine of a book, Amira stopped browsing the shelf. “I found no spells on how to get rid of my…powers. I should keep trying.”
Elyssa’s heart twisted in her chest.Getting rid of them.As if her powers weren’t part of her. Didn’t make herher.
In some way, Amira reminded her of Lora. Both had kept parts of themselves hidden. Elyssa wasn’t sure if they’d ever be able to truly accept themselves. She hoped Lora was doing okay in the palace, but she knew Eyden would keep an eye on her.
“I’m not talking about giving up,” Elyssa replied. “It’s a break. Come on, you’ve spent all your time in your room or here in the library.”
She chewed her lip. “Okay. Just for a little while.”
Grinning, Elyssa tilted her head to the door, and Amira followed after her. Taking a turn she hadn’t made yet, Elyssa took note of a servant with a tray of food in her hands. She must be coming from the kitchen, but where was she going? Amira and Tarnan were having dinner together later. Who had the privilege of having food brought to them?
Intrigued, Elyssa put her finger to her lips. Amira kept quiet as they followed the servant on silent feet. Amira’s eyes darted around as if confused. The fae walked deeper into the palace to the wing furthest from Amira’s quarters.
Leaving some distance between them, Elyssa watched the servant take a left into a corridor Elyssa hadn’t explored yet. Elyssa crept forward, peeking out into the corridor only to find it empty. It was a small corridor decorated with giant paintings of the royal Ellevarn family. There was no door. Where had the servant gone? Had Elyssa imagined the servant going left when she had gone right instead?
She wanted to investigate further, but a tap on her shoulder made her whirl around.
“What is this about?” Amira asked, the light in her eyes dim, suspicious.
Stepping back, Elyssa kept her head held high. “Aren’t you curious about the ongoings here?”
Amira pushed her sleeve up, her nails scratching her skin faintly. “Are you spying on Tarnan?”
“Not exactly, but I like to be informed. Anything could help.”
“Help with what?”
Could she tell her? Her heart told her Amira was trustworthy, yet Eyden’s voice warned her not to trust anyone. Elyssa’s gaze moved over Amira’s shoulder to an open door revealing a room decked in golden hues. “That’s a story for another day.” Walking ahead, Elyssa waved at Amira to follow. “Come on, princess.”
With uncertain steps, Amira followed after her. They stepped through the wide door. The shining golden walls reflected on the polished wooden floor of the giant ballroom, streams of light building a remarkable pattern on the ground. Gaze set on the ceiling, Amira’s amethyst eyes held a joyous wonder. Surrounded by vines hanging from the high ceiling, beautiful murals of the gods and goddesses of Liraen watched over them.
“I wish I could paint like that,” Elyssa said, her thoughts stuck on Eyden, his hand drawing another face lost to the world.
