Raithe’s room was like mine on a smaller scale, with its high, vaulted ceilings, exposed stonework, and arched window. The space was complemented by rich, textured furnishings, including ornate rugs, layered black bedding, and an entire wall of stacked bookshelves. The wall opposite was lined with all sorts of beautiful blades, swords, and weapons I couldn’t identify.
His chamber smelled like him, soft and spicy. Sandalwood, from the incense I gathered he burned. A well-used pillow lay beneath his windowsill. “Do you meditate?”
“Every day,” he answered.
“Why?”
“Because it helps keep me centered.”
“Hm. Basil once suggested I try it.”
“Let me guess, you didn’t have the patience for it.”
“Maybe.” I tracked his frame as he went to the bookshelf and scanned the titles. Beside the bookshelf was a carved wooden desk and a well-used upholstered armchair. Not a single item seemed out of place. It was a peek into Raithe’s mind, and I couldn’t help but feel privileged. “These are not just alphabetized,” I noticed with amusement at his side. “They’re color-coordinated as well.”
“Your point?”
I bit back a grin, admiring his handsome profile. “You’re meticulous in everything you do. My grandfather would have liked you. You would even get along with Basil. You three love burying your heads in books.” I blinked. “Loved.”
“I enjoy reading about history.”
“Why?”
Raithe shrugged. “It’s fascinating. Sometimes I can’t stomach the idea of never knowing all there is to learn,” he said into the bookshelf. “Most of these were either purchased or gifted to me from scholars across the queendom. I’ve accumulated a lot of texts in search of a way to break the curse.”
“And these figures?” I pointed to the wooden scorpions adorning the shelves. I didn’t want to touch them, not when it was clear he preferred everything a certain way to his liking.
“From woodcarvers in the city. I collect them,” he said with his brows scrunched. As if such a thing was surprising for him to admit. “And giving back to the queendom.”
“Ah, so youdohave interests and hobbies. Besides aggravating everyone around you, that is.”
“Just you, actually.”
I hid my grin into my shoulder, glancing at his perfectly made bed. I tried not to imagine him lying there, sprawled and vulnerable with sleep, but the image was entirely too tempting. Especially as I wondered if he slept shirtless, or naked even.
I fanned myself with my hand as warmth crept up my neck. Above his bed hung a map of Scorpio sewn beautifully into a textured quilt. I neared it, leaning against the mattress to admire the tapestry. “Oh, this is beautiful.”
“What is?”
I turned and pointed behind me. “This. The details of all the cities, towns and villages are immaculate.”
As he craned his neck over his shoulder, his gaze snagged first on my knee propped atop his bed. Then it dragged slowly up my thigh to where my gown and robe parted.
My skin pebbled beneath his stare. I didn’t retract my leg, exposed as it was, savoring the way it flustered him. Raithe cleared his throat, lifting his eyes. “I haven’t been able to figure out how old it is. Hector gifted it to me after my Chosen ceremony.”
I smiled. “I also had a map in my room. Mine was of the entire realm marked with places I wanted to see. My grandfather and I drew it together.”
“I saw it when I was there.”
“Ah, so you snooped.”
“I did notsnoop. I sought your pocket watch.”
“You’re a snooper, Raithe, admit it.”
His sigh was exasperating, though I could have sworn traces of mirth crinkled around his eyes. “On your map,” he said, “what did you want to see the most?”
I pictured the small space I’d shared with Basil for as far back as my memory would allow. “Cancer’s infinite waterfalls, Pisces’s glacial palace, Virgo’s lush jungles. Basil and I promised to see the realm together. But it was the music that I wanted to experience. Dancing is a language my body knows best. Sometimes, I think it’s all I’m good for.”
