Page 58 of Reaper’s Curse

But how should I ask her to give the shadowed window an investigative look from her vantage point without openly stating the request? I could wait, ask in the next message, but I didn’t want to allow more time to slip past us. I scratched my temple and decided to reaping hell with it.

Allow me to leave you with this before I go: A moving shadow upon the highest point of the jeweled peak draws the interest and the eye. What would you make of it?

Your servant,

Curse Chaser

I glanced over my written words and grimaced. Was the servant bit too much? No, I decided with a shake. The closing would make her laugh.

I rolled the message and extracted the crow clicker.

One push and the sky began bleeding black feathers.

17

The sky became a whirlpool of flapping wings. Likely crows, but they still pushed Winter’s thoughts toward Raven.

He enjoyed waking to the morning light with her limbs slung over his body. Time spent with her was the most delightfully spent time he’d had in ages. She came with a thousand and ten mysteries awaiting to be unlocked…and his delicious magic coiled inside of her.

Maybe…hopefully…she could help him forget. Get past the hurdle he struggled to clear. The aged and bitter ache.

His gaze drifted upward to the birds. Groups started to settle upon various rooftops, yet many continued to fly. The large collection of birds was a curiosity that held his interest, and he would not hold an ounce of surprise if he were to discover the birds were somehow connected to Raven and/or her coworker, Ace.

He didn’t care much for Chace. He was an ass of a male, but he didn’t wish him harm. And he most certainly didn’t want to witness Raven in further pain, emotional or otherwise. So, for those reasons, he was glad Chace was free from whatever confinement had held him. Although Winter probably should have told Raven about her coworker’s odd incident.

Or not.

Winter wasn’t sure what he should do when it came to Chace. The guy was clearly overbearing, and that kind of attitude not only put a damper on his flirtatious attempts with Raven but downright got in the way.

Still…should he have told Raven Chace had passed out?

He’s probably fine now.

But for Raven’s sake, he would pop in on Aoes for an update…after he checked in with Camilla. If Chace was fine, then he didn’t need to report anything. If not fine, well…

Tearing his gaze from the feathery creatures above, and returning his attention to the path ahead, Winter continued his trek to Camilla’s. A full twenty-four hours had yet to pass since Camilla had gathered Raven’s measurements, not much time in the scheme of things, but he hoped an item or two might be ready so that he could surprise the dark-haired beauty after dinner.

He turned onto Camilla’s street and caught sight of Kira racing from the house and into the roadway. She raced up the street and disappeared down an alley settled between a couple of closed shops.

He called after her, shouted her name, even darted in her wake, but the girl moved quickly and was out of sight before Winter could grab her attention. Shoving any frustration aside, he returned to his original course. Camilla’s home was mere minutes away, and there he could ask the girl’s mother about Kira’s errand.

He rapped lightly on the wood and pushed the door open. “Knock. Knock. Hide your feminine goods. The winter prince is in the building.”

Camilla rounded the corner from the back sitting room, a delighted grin stretched across her lips. “Look at you, all frisky this morning. I haven’t seen you in this good of a mood in a long time.”

“Indeed.” He shut the door and stepped deeper into the room.

An unusually strong aroma of rosemary, mint, and sage hung in the air. Myla sat at the table with her usual pastime spread out before her, paper and color pencils for artful creations.

He tossed the young girl a wink. “Been sleeping well and waking up rested. Makes all the difference.”

Camilla smoothed her hand down Myla’s hair and glanced over her drawings. Patted her cheek. “And here I thought your good mood might have something to do with Raven. Especially now that you have her trapped up there at the palace.”

Winter’s chest rose with a strong burst of laughter. “She may have something to do with my uplifted mood.” He raised his hand, squaring two fingers an inch apart. “Just a tiny bit.”

He pressed a chaste kiss to Camilla’s temple and bopped his finger against the tip of her nose, then, with a jerk, he curled his hand tightly at his side. As of late, he’d become too lax with his physical contact where Camilla was concerned. He shouldn’t… He couldn’t…

Think of August. Her love for your brother.