Chapter 48

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

MAEVYTH

H aving snuck back into my room with the dress, I hung the garment in the armoire. Thankfully, the drake’s efforts hadn’t torn the actual dress, but only the bag. I held the scorpion on the chain up to my neck and stared at myself in the mirror on the inside of the armoire.

“It goes on the back.” At the sound of Allura’s voice, I nearly dropped the jewelry, as I scrambled to hide it away. “I missed you for afternoon study.” She sauntered into the room, her hands behind her back.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I …. Well, Rykaia had something to show me. I should’ve informed you of my absence, and for that, I apologize.”

“I don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to these sessions, Maevyth, but I want to help you while I’m here. I have put my research, my studies, on pause. Willingly,” she said, lifting her hand in assurance. “I do want to be here, I promise you. This is an extraordinary discovery. You are extraordinary. And you have a duty, to the generations before you, who gifted you these incredible powers.”

A horrible guilt trampled me. “I promise I will not miss another session.”

“I appreciate that.” She nodded toward the armoire. “The jewelry. Is it for a special occasion?”

I didn’t want to lie, but I also didn’t want to get Rykaia in trouble for having taken me out of the castle. “Just something I found.”

She smiled and gave a nod. “This place is brimming with treasures. My goodness, the library has so many books and scrolls. I could get lost in them.”

“I was never allowed to read anything outside of our Bible.” I made my way toward the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. “Grandfather Bronwick would tell us stories sometimes, but we’d have to sneak books.”

Her brows tightened with a frown. “How awful. I couldn’t imagine a world so … small.”

“That’s the perfect description for my world. And this one feels so big, it’s overwhelming at times.”

“I understand. It can be overwhelming for me, as well. It’s best to take it in little doses.” Wearing a troubled expression, she clasped her hands together. “And Maevyth, forgive me if I sounded like I was chiding you. Sometimes, I can be so caught up in the joy and excitement of new discoveries that I lose sight.”

“Of what?”

“Of the fact that everything I take for granted is completely new to you. You have so much to discover here. Enjoy it.”

I smiled again. “Thank you, Allura.”

As she turned to leave, I stepped toward her. “Oh! Allura … I wanted to ask you about the Corvugon. What is known about them?”

“Very little, I’m afraid.” She crossed the room and took a seat beside me on the bed. “Years ago, I accompanied my uncle on an archeology expedition in the Veritian Mountains.” She sighed. “We found bones in a cave that I identified as bird-like. A very large bird. Unfortunately, the entire expedition was discredited and dismissed.” Her lips pulled to a sullen expression. “But Dolion tells me you hatched the egg.”

My mind puzzled over when I would’ve told him that, or how he might’ve known. In all our interactions, I couldn’t recall having mentioned the Corvugon egg. “I did.” The hesitation in my voice echoed the confusion still muddling my head. “Do you know if their growth rate tends to be rapid?”

“From what I have studied of the metaphysis of these bones, yes. Unlike the dragon, whose collagenous matrix shows a number of LAG’s, or lines of arrested growth, the bone that I recovered, which I believed to be that of the Corvugon, indicated almost continuous growth.”

I stared off, struggling to grasp what she’d just said. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what any of that means.”

“It just means that they are very much different from their dragon cousins. Yes, they grow very fast from, what I have gleaned.”

“Interesting. Would you happen to know if they’re capable of … well, if they have some sort of bond to those who hatch them?”

“It wouldn’t be unusual. I read of a woman who found a dragon egg while hiking in the Veritian Mountains. She hatched it herself and raised a dragon that, to this day, as I understand, visits her and allows her to hand feed it. And, of course, the drakes seem very bonded to Lord Rydainn. They’re very intelligent creatures. Some believe they’re even capable of communication.” With a raised brow, she shrugged. “The Corvugon is a bit of a mystery, but it would stand to reason. And in that case, you’d be very lucky. From what I’ve read, the Corvugon was fiercely protective of the Corvikae people.” Her comment brought to mind the stories Grandfather Bronwick had told me as a child about warriors who rode astride the beasts.

“Has anyone attempted to mount a dragon?”

Lips pressed together, she shook her head. “I don’t know why anyone would attempt such a thing. Unless they’d lost their senses. Dragons are exceptionally wild and unpredictable. And stubborn, as I understand.”

Rykaia strode into the room, coming to a stop just past the doorway as if catching sight of Allura. “Oh. I didn’t know you were busy. Again . Pardon.”

“No, it’s all right. I was just chatting with Maevyth. I should actually retire to my chambers.” Allura stood from the bed. “She’s all yours.”

Rykaia gave what I determined to be an insincere smile as the woman passed her. It was when she turned to close the door that I noticed she was carrying a dark bottle and two goblets at her back. One-handedly. An observation I’d have told her I found impressive, except that she swung around, eyes narrowed.

“The woman smells like jasmine all the time. What woman goes around smelling like jasmine all day long.”

“You do have jasmine oil in the bathing suites.”

“Yes. We do. But you know, at some point, women stink. It’s perfectly natural. Body odor, you know.” She padded toward the dresser, placing the goblets and bottle down there.

“What is your fascination with smells?”

“It’s what happens when you’re forced back into reality after years of blissful unawareness. Everything smells different. Everything sounds different.” She tugged on the bottle’s cork, failing to loosen it. “Everything feels different. I’m losing my mind over it, to be honest.”

I watched her struggle with the bottle, distracted by her comment. “What made you so unaware before?”

“I happened to be quite fond of tonics. Sleep elixirs, in particular.”

“Fond? As in, consuming them at bedtime every night?”

“Fond as in consuming them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” Her face scrunched as she held the bottle between her legs and tugged harder.

“God … you must’ve been asleep all day long?”

“Well, see that’s the … unfortunate thing … about taking them all day.” Voice strained and muscles trembling, she held the bottle in a way that would surely send it crashing to the floor, the moment the cork loosened. “The body … yearns for waking hours … so they become less effective over time.”

“You must’ve been pretty unhappy to want to sleep all the time.”

She paused in her struggling and frowned back at me, as if I’d said something strange. “Well, that’s new.”

“I’m sorry if I said something wrong, I’m not the best with words.”

“You didn’t. Most people assume that I enjoy sleeping all the time. They never consider that I don’t enjoy being sad.” She took hold of the cork once again, and the wrangling ensued. “So, going back to all the things that I’m now flagrantly aware of … yes … I am bothered by her smell in particular. I think she does it on purpose.”

It was almost humorous listening to her attempt to deny her attraction toward Allura. “To bother you?”

“Why else would she meander around the castle smelling so fucking … delicious. It’s unnerving.” She threw her head back, groaning. “My gods! I want to strangle whoever corked this thing.”

“You like her.”

“What?” She scoffed and shook her head. “I just said the woman is unnerving. Have you been listening, or are your ears still clogged from all the noise your dragon made. You know, Kazhimyr asked if I’d heard something strange earlier. I had to lie to his face. Granted, I’m a beautiful liar, but … he’s so good at making me feel like I’ve done something wrong.”

“May I ask what you’re struggling with?”

“This damned cork! Remember I said I wanted a drink? What I meant to say is we need a drink. Because two is better than one.” She put the cork between her teeth, and I winced, watching her tug at it. “Who in the gods … I’ll bet it was Zevander. He enchanted the damned thing so I wouldn’t open it. You know what, though? I’ve learned to corrupt his silly spells.” She lifted her hand with the bottle outstretched, her eyes focused on the cork. “ What binding on this cork was placed, shall be removed and now erased.” A squealing sound followed, and in the next second, the cork popped off the bottle, plinking against the ceiling. “Haha! Success!”

“So, you have spells, too?”

“Yes. It’s considered archaic magic. Powerless. The Nilivir, or those not born with blood magic, tend to use it most. They have rituals with candles and herbs. It’s very involved.”

“Where I come from, that’s called witchcraft.” I stared off, thinking how strange that it’d become such a normal part of my life since crossing. How ignorant Governor Grimsby had been for trying to banish witchcraft when it’d proven to be useful in Aethyria. “Women and men were burned and banished to The Eating Woods for casting spells.”

As she filled the goblets with the crystal blue liquid from the bottle, Rykaia shot me a frown over her shoulder. “Banished? What in the gods is The Eating Woods ?”

“A place where sinners die. Those who cast spells—heretics. They’re sent to the woods, and the creature that lives there eats them.”

“Gods, Maeve. Your world sounds positively awful.” After a quick swirl, she crossed the room, carrying one goblet while sipping the other. “Mmmmm. So good.”

“What is it?” I asked, as she handed one of the goblets to me.

“You are going to love this.”

With a small bit of hesitation, I accepted the proffered drink, giving it a quick sniff. A spicy fruity scent, like blueberries and cinnamon with a hint of nutmeg, hit the back of my throat and watered my tongue. A glimpse of Rykaia showed her polishing off her glass and pouring another.

I sipped my own, just a small taste, and the tart flavor hit my tastebuds with a slight fizz that tickled my tongue and warmed my throat. I’d tried Grandfather’s morumberry wine a number of times, the bitter bite and alcohol always limiting how much I could tolerate. This was so crisp and piquant, I wanted to gulp it down.

As I reached the bottom of my goblet, Rykaia filled it and while I was inclined to stop her, I couldn’t. I wanted more.

She topped off her goblet, and as she crossed the room, she moved with grace and poise, dancing her way to the dresser. “Do you know how to dance, Maevyth?”

“Not particularly well.”

With the goblet in one hand, she reached for me with the other. “Come. Let me show you.”

“I … try not to dance in front of anyone.”

“Oh, but you will! At The Becoming Ceremony.”

“There’s dancing? You never said–”

“What did you think we bought ball gowns for?” She chuckled, pulling me by my arm. “Come.”

Reluctantly, I stood, and the moment I did, a dizziness swept over me. Not in a nauseating sense. On the contrary, I felt warm and carefree.

She swallowed another gulp of her drink and placed both goblets down on the trunk at the foot of the bed. “Have you ever danced with a man before?”

“No.” Blush crept over my face with the admission, but it was true.

“He, whomever the lucky gentleman might be, will hold you here.” She rested one palm against my hip. “And he’ll take your hand, like this,” she said, lifting our clasped hands to the side. “Now, this is just a simple waltz. They may get fancy at the ceremony and perform The Virgin Hunt, but we’ll start with this.”

“The Virgin Hunt?” I grimaced at the implication in the words. “That’s a horrible name for a dance.”

“Agreed, though the dance itself is quite seductive. But that’s a whole other lesson for another time. The waltz … you’ll take three steps, and curtsy on four. Understand?” At my nod, she stepped into motion. “So, one, two, three, four.”

I curtsied late and awkwardly scrambled to catch up, smiling at my mistake. “One, two, three, four.”

That time, I did it right.

“Good. One, two, three, four.” That time, she bowed, instead of curtsying. “This is what the man will do, unless you choose a woman. Then she will curtsy.”

“There is no punishment for choosing women here?”

“What? No, of course not. Unless you’re royalty. But even royals are allowed their mistresses. Or gentlemen fucks.”

Again, I blushed. I blamed the drink, because in the time since we’d begun to dance, I could feel my body flush with a thrum of euphoria. “Where I come from, it’s a sin. Cause for banishment.”

“But, how? Some are simply born to love one or the other, or both.”

I shrugged and hiccupped. “They don’t believe that way.”

“We don’t choose our mates, so they could be a man, a woman …. Sometimes, if two are bonded and one dies, they might bond again with the opposite sex.”

“You have mates?” I finally fell into the rhythm of the dance, moving fluidly with her.

“Yes. It is a very strong bond.”

“How do you know who your mate is?”

“You don’t until you kiss them. Or so I’ve been told.” She bowed and stepped into the first count again.

“You’ve never had a mate before?”

“Nope.”

“And Zevander? Has he ever … had a mate?”

“Someone tried once. It was forced through enchantment. A horrible ordeal that was for him.” The troubled expression on her face pulled to a wily grin. “Perhaps he’s interested in the mortal variety.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, stifling the urge to smile. “Your brother is far too serious for that.”

“He definitely is. In fact, I’ve never seen him with another woman. Ever. Until you came here.”

The heat in my cheeks flared, and the dizziness had me breaking away from her to sit for a moment.

She carried the bottle over to the bedside table and filled our goblets again.

After a few long gulps, my drink was gone. “I have to admit, I’m feeling … very warm. And a little dizzy.”

“I have to admit something, too.”

“What?”

Lips flat, she cleared her throat. “You may want to lock your doors tonight. The liquor is a bit of an aphrodisiac.”

“What?” My voice was far less amused that time. “What does …. Why lock the door?”

“Because you are probably going to need to fuck something, and there are too many men in this castle who would happily oblige. You’ll probably have your fingers down your undergarments most of the night.”

“Rykaia …” Dear God, I wanted to cry. Everything she did arrived with some evil plot twist. “Why would you …. What were you thinking, giving …. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would you have tried it, if I’d told you that it’d make you horny as a spring rabbit?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Well, that’s why I didn’t tell you.” She shrugged, then polished off the last of her drink before setting the goblet down. “It’s delicious and it’s fun. The best fucking orgasm you’ll ever have by yourself.”

“I don’t feel fun right now. I feel very worried.”

“It’s only really a problem if you drink too much.”

“How much is too much?”

“One cup will give you a fairly good jolt. Two is a bit much.”

“I had three.”

Eyes wide, she scratched the back of her neck. “I gave you three? Balls of Castero, I must’ve lost count.”

“How long before it sets in?”

“Usually about an hour. Maybe less.”

“Oh, my god.”

“Relax. We just need to burn it off a bit.” The mattress dipped, as she climbed onto the bed and gave my elbow a tap. “Come on. On the bed.”

Frowning, I glanced back at her, the fast movement spinning in my periphery. “I’m not burning it off with you in the bed.”

Rykaia chuckled. “You’re not even close to being my type. Now, up with you. Quickly.”

Clutching my head, I clambered onto the mattress until standing beside her. “Now what?”

“Now, jump!”

“I’m not a toddler. I’m not jumping on the bed.”

“Okay, then, you can sit and be dizzy and be miserable.” She started in with her jumping, the commotion knocking me off balance.

“Will you stop? I can hardly stand upright.”

“You’re not supposed to stand upright, silly. You’re supposed to jump! Whoo! Whoo!”

I watched her for a moment, shaking my head at how utterly ridiculous she looked. A giggle escaped me. And another.

Choking back the urges, I cleared my throat. “You know, I always had to be the sensible one with Aleysia, too. It’s exhausting.”

“If it’s exhausting, then stop being sensible and have some fun!”

Crossing my arms only left me stumbling around on the mattress. I found myself slow bouncing, not quite a jump, but certainly better than trying to keep upright while standing still. “I can’t do this. I feel too …”

“Old? I’m over a century and a half older than you.” Higher and higher, she jumped, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her coming so close to the candelabra. “C’mon, old woman! Get those legs up off the mattress! It’s liberating!”

“You’re going to hit your head on the candelabra, you fool.”

“I’m not even close!” She took my hands, in spite of my attempt to keep them tight to my body, and it was a battle I quickly lost when I nearly toppled into her.

“Why are you doing this?”

She finally stopped, and the elation on her face sobered to something serious. “I have slept for a very long time. But since you arrived, I don’t want to sleep. I want to jump and dance and breathe again.”

I didn’t know why that brought tears to my eyes, and I turned away to keep her from seeing the strange emotion breaking over me. Perhaps because she reminded me so much of Aleysia right then. “Then, let’s jump.” Still clutching her hands, I hopped low and easy at first, and her smile returned as she urged me higher.

“Just promise me your fragile, mortal heart won’t give out on me.”

Chuckling harder, I jumped higher. Higher. My chuckles turned to laughter.

Rykaia grabbed a pillow and smacked me over the head, the uncontrollable weakness making me laugh even harder. Between jumps, I nabbed a pillow and swatted her back on an explosion of feathers.

She screamed and laughed and struck me again.

I screamed and laughed.

The fight intensified, while feathers flew around us to cover the burgundy, velvet blankets. They were in our hair, and the sight of it only made us laugh harder.

In that moment, I let go of everything, and I jumped like Aleysia and I used to do when we were children.