See. Evil, vile creature. Luring me with food.
“You look beautiful.” Kestra sighs, dropping her grip on my arms and stepping back.
“You can see my nipples,” I tell her bluntly, hoping she might flinch. Anything. No dice. Nothing ever phases this woman.
“Nipples are the most seductive part of a woman,” she says, luckily keeping eye contact.
“You’re my sister-in-law.” Or whatever Fae equivalent there is. “This is a weird conversation.”
“It’s only weird if you say it’s weird.” She pauses. “What isweird?”
“Let’s go to breakfast,” my stomach grumbles at the thought. It’s the perfect segue to not have to answer that question.
“Good choice.”
I step into the room, catching my reflection in the coal black shift dress. Beautiful and scandalous. Dark black—yes, there is a difference—coiled roses around the edge of the dress that creep up. Settling right at my thigh in a handkerchief cut. The sleeves are more of a suggestion and drape off the shoulder. The only thing keeping the dress on are the straps.
You can still see my nipples. Barely but they’re there.
It counts.
I’m halfway down this stupid tower, or at least I think I am, when Kestra catches up.
“Wait for me next time.”
“Why?” Gods, it feels good to be free.
“Because without me you would get stuck in an endless staircase.” She says it like she knows from experience.
I pause and give her a wide-eyed look, “Is that why there are no windows?”
“Endless spiral,” she reiterates.
“Noted.” I turn back around, hiding a smile.
Kestra is the only thing keeping me from losing my mind. And she surprises me daily with her little quips and personality that grows. She’s so incredibly different from Kieran and yet so similar in so many, many ways.
A deep sadness tugs at my chest. Same as before. Just thinking about him.
Where is he?
Sometimes at night I swear I feel Finnian’s warmth at my back. Orion’s hand heavy on my hip. Kieran’s breath cool against my neck.
Then I wake up and the bed is empty and cold and I remember.
I always remember.
At least I have my powers.
But I won’t use them. Not again.
The last time I reached for that wild thing inside me, I nearly lost myself in it. Detached from the soil, it’s fractured, broken. As though just existing here in this tower is slowly killing me.
I shoved the magic down so hard my nose bled for an hour.
So. Not again.
As we round the bottom I gesture for Kestra to go first, you know, just in case I can’t actually go through the door and end up back at the top of the staircase.
