Page 27 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

Glancing at the tea in my hands, I pursed my lips and went to turn. I was intruding like I did when Sashau and Killie talked, and I didn’t want to get in trouble. I’d visit them early in the morning instead.

“Miska. What brings you up here so late?” Cedaar asked, and I stopped, half turned from the doorway.

Concern furrowed his brow, and judging by the books and texts before him, it seemed they were up late with another lesson. I knew from the others he had been teaching her how to speak our language and a few others when he wasn’t sitting in a herbal bath, or they weren’t making those grunting noises upstairs.

“I made tea,” I said, my voice fluttery. I was nervous and had every right to be. He may be beautiful, but they were a part of The Eye, trained killers and rebels who didn’t fear the one true king. The other girls whispered stories of how they could probably kill us with a spoon if they so wished. Years and years of training had made it so they didn’t fear anything. It must have been brutal, and even though our queen was helping, she did not trust them.

“I made tea,” I said again, trying to make my voice steady and more confident. It wasn’t him I feared. No, it was the dark-haired one that never left his side, the same one currently staring at me. They called her a shadow, for that was what she was. Every move he made, she countered as if they were in a constant dance. She let nothing show in her expression, but it felt as if she was afraid of something. I swallowed and squared my shoulders. Our queen said we weren’t allowed to visit them alone, but I was tired of them not listening to me. Nothing they did seemed to help, and I could tell he was getting worse.

“It is from my mother’s texts, one I remember her using on another who had twisted his leg nearly off. It worked as if by magic.”

I swallowed and took a step inside. Quicker than any living thing had the right to be, Xio was in front of me. I froze, the tea clattering on the small tray I held as I gripped it hard, trying not to spill it.

She leaned forward, watching me as she inhaled, her nostrils flaring. She made a face. “It smells bitter.”

My throat went dry. “It’s the gravanl seed.”

She cocked her head to the side as if that word was unfamiliar to her. Cedaar translated, and she glanced toward me, the tea, and then shrugged.

“Okay.”

Xio stepped aside, allowing me to pass. I didn’t hesitate, afraid she would change her mind or, worse, kill me with a spoon. My footsteps echoed against the stone floor. Cedaar gave me a small smile as I placed the tray on the table.

He picked up the cup and raised it to his lips. “Miska, why are you awake so late? No matter how kind the gesture, it cannot be just to make me tea.”

I nodded, too afraid that if I lied, she would smell the truth. “It’s the only time the other healers are all asleep. I needed to borrow a few ingredients from the cupboards they keep sealed.”

Xio whistled softly, and I felt that overwhelming power behind me. “Oh, naughty, naughty. We have a little thief.”

I half turned, shocked by how well and quickly she had learned our language. Nausea gripped me, and I realized she was right. I was a thief. “Please don’t tell.” I turned back to Cedaar, knowing I would not find mercy with Xio. He took a sip of tea before lowering it. “If the queen finds out, she’ll have me blistered with the thorny vines she keeps.”

A look passed across his face, one I didn’t know how to decipher. He glanced behind me at Xio, and his smile returned like morning sunlight on the hills. “We will not speak of it. Promise.”

I nodded quickly. “I am sorry to disturb you both. Please let me know if the tea helps.” I turned and darted across the room, the long fabric of my gown wrapping around one leg. My hand reached for the door, but a delicate hand slapped against the wood before I could open it. I gasped at Xio standing there, blocking my exit. She stared down at me, and I gulped.

“You brought me those soaps, didn’t you?”

“Y-yes. Cedaar asked. I knew a recipe my mom showed me because we used to travel a lot, and I hated the water we used, so she made bubbles to distract me . . . Now, I’m rambling.”

“I liked them. Thank you.” Xio pushed off the door and folded her arms, grinning slowly.

“Please, Miska, have a seat,” Cedaar said.

My skin prickled with warning, unsure of what I may have walked into. My eyes shifted toward Xio, and I could not stop the words that fell out of my mouth next.

“They say you are a terrifying beast,” I whispered, and an edge of red ringed her deep brown irises. “That you can shape to any form and feed on the very lifeblood that keeps us all breathing.”

“Do they?” A corner of her full lips tipped up, and she leaned in closer. “Flattery will get you everywhere, princess.”

“Xio,” Cedaar said, his tone filled with warning.

Her name made her smile widen, and she flicked her gaze from Cedaar back to me. “Don’t worry. I promise not to bite and be on my best behavior. Besides, I’d hate to cause his pretty face to grow a stress wrinkle.”

She nodded toward Cedaar, and I gulped. There was no way I was leaving here without sitting with them, and a part of me was terrified. I said nothing as I wrung my hands, turning from her and heading back toward the table. Cedaar stood and grabbed a chair for me.

“You’re so kind,” I whispered as I curled my dress under me to sit. “Most aren’t like that. Not anymore.”

Cedaar pushed my seat in before pulling out Xio’s chair. She sat and asked, “Are the other healers mean to you?”

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