“I must go,” Devil said, taking my hand, “but I’ll check on you this evening, I promise.”
“Oh, have you been given permission to lurk about now?”
“Lurkingismy speciality, but I think his Lordship has finally realized that any attempt to keep me away from you would be entirely futile. After all, I am hismost persistent and lovesick creature.” He pressed his lips to the back of my hand, then turned it over and did the same to my palm and wrist. I slipped my hand out of his grasp and around the back of his neck, pulling him into a soft kiss. Just as his hand snaked around my waist, however, pulling me against him, I wriggled free.
“Persistent, indeed,” I hummed quietly against his mouth. With a playful smile and only a brief glance back over my shoulder, I led Sir Toby out of the library. Devil watched us go, leaning on a table and grinning, but only once I was back in my room did I realize that he had somehow tucked a folded piece of paper into the long sleeve of my shirt. I fished it out, feeling a little scandalized when I realized it had been torn from a book. Nevertheless, I unfolded it and sat on my bed to read the poem printed beneath the image of a rowan tree.
Come to me with every fear,
twist my arm & bend my ear.
Wrap me up inside your mind,
tangled in the ties that bind.
For you, I’d forfeit food & sleep.
For you, I’d sow, but never reap.
To burn your kiss beneath my skin,
I’d mire myself in earthly sin.
Cast upon me all your doubt,
so I may put each one to rout.
I swear it here, before your throne,
this love for you lives in my bones.
– Cicero Cade
A foolish smile overtook my face, and I fell backwards onto the bed, but allowed myself only a moment of girlish swooning before going to my desk. On a scrap of parchment, I scribbled a brief, rude note, then folded the entire thing into the shape of a bird—a silly little trick Sister Jazmina had taught me once, but the perfect way to send Devil a message. Out on the balcony, with the paper bird sitting on my flat palm, I called up my shadows and blew gently, letting them carry it away on its maiden voyage through the Arden.
“Stayoutof my library, you menace,” I whispered in its wake, knowing that he was somewhere nearby, listening.
“If you don’t eat, you won’t make it home at all,” I grumbled at the sight of yet another untouched plate on Antenor’s nightstand. “One might almost question your commitment to sacrificing yourself in the name of honor.”
He turned his head just enough to glare at me, then faced the wall in silence again. I raised my eyebrow at Sir Toby, who had taken up a post at the foot of the bed and refused to move, save for meals and walks. Carefully, I unwrapped the bandages from his wing stumps, but Antenor flinched when I touched them with my magyk.
“They’re healed over,” he snapped. “You needn’t do that.”
“I am just checking for infections,” I replied curtly, then cleared my throat and tried to soften my tone. “Have you…been able to remember anything else?”
“No,” he murmured. “Just the…claws.” I swept my gaze over the dozens of brutal slash marks on his upper arms and face. I’d done my best to heal them over, especially the one marring his eye, but he would be permanently and severely scarred.
“You can stay here,” I murmured, sitting beside him on the bed. “You don’t have to do this.Pleasedon’t do this…”
“You should have killed me.”
“Antenor…” Whatever I’d been about to say was drowned out by a sharp knock. The door opened and Oberon stepped into the room, followed by Simeon.
“They’ve found something,” said the faerie king. If I expected Antenor to react, I was disappointed. He remained still as ever, his good eye closed.
“Do you need me?” I asked, and Oberon nodded, then stepped aside to allow one of his guards into the room—a watchman to ensure Antenor did not throw himself off the balcony while we were gone. I washed my hands over the stove quickly and removed the apron I’d been wearing while Oberon and Simeon waited for me on the landing. One more time, I peeked over Antenor’s shoulder, but his eye was still shut tight.
“Take care of him,” I told Sir Toby, scratching the hound behind one ear before closing the door behind me. After a quick stop to retrieve my moth cloak, I met Oberon and Simeon at the base of the tower. Since I did not know where we were going, I had to hold onto Oberon as we traveled by magyk through the Arden.I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to the unbalanced feeling it gave me, but at least Devil’s face was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes again. He gave me a faint smile, but I could tell something was wrong. Hippolyta and her soldiers were there too, looking far more serious than usual, which was truly a feat.
