Page 47 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

Chapter 15

Meera

“Where are we going?” I side-eyed Vareck as we stepped onto the first floor of the palace. If he tried to take me to a set of stairs that led down to the dungeons, I would take my chances and run. I didn’t care that I hadn’t fully recovered from burnout or from my tumble out of the window.

“You’ll see,” he answered evasively.

I cocked an eyebrow. “You know that’s not very encouraging given I’m a wanted woman, right?”

Vareck snorted. “If I wanted you locked up, you would be.”

“And they say romance is dead.”

He chuckled, the lines of his face softening. I wondered if he noticed the strange looks his court were throwing at us when they caught sight of me.

“Is that what’s going on here?” he murmured, a twinkle lighting up his ice-blue eyes. “Am I romancing you?”

“You—I—shut up.” I swatted his bicep when I saw a smirk crawling up his stupidly handsome face. My chest flushed with heat, creeping up my neck and onto mycheeks. “I’m a captive,” I said, reminding us both of our reality.

His smirk dimmed, and part of me wanted to kick myself for saying something, but it was true. This wasn’t a vacation. I wasn’t here to get to know him or for him to court me. I was here because I kidnapped his nephew and then had the audacity to get caught.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, and not the comfortable kind. It was awkward, filled with unspoken truths and feelings that didn’t belong. I barely noticed when we stopped outside a pair of double doors.

“This”—he opened the doors—”Is the royal library.”

My lips parted.

The cylindrical room rose to a good four floors, every inch covered in white stone bookshelves. As cool as that was, it wasn’t what stole my attention.

In the center of the library was a huge tree with white bark. The trunk had to be ten feet in diameter and the thick, heavy branches were easily wider than a person. They contorted with large, gnarled arms that swooped and stretched, reaching every side of the room with ease.

I stepped inside, my head tipping backward to take it all in.

“Is this . . .” I hesitated.

“The tree of life,” Vareck answered. “When I was a boy it used to bloom with these long, hanging strings. The leaves on them each formed the infinity knot. Every strand was a different shade of yellow, orange, and red.” There was no mistaking the sadness in his voice. “At night they would light up. Fae from all over the realm would travel to see it.”

“What happened?” I was almost afraid to voice the question.

Vareck gave a bitter laugh. “My father. The curse. Eternal winter. Take your pick.”

I pressed my lips together in understanding. With soft, shuffling steps I approached the great tree. The stone floors stopped a foot or so from it, giving way to a rich, dark soil.

I lifted my hand. “Can I…?”

Vareck nodded. “Go ahead.”

My fingers brushed the white bark, half expecting it to crumble. Obviously that didn’t happen, but given its fragile state, I exercised great care in how I touched it.

“Thank you for bringing me,” I murmured as he stepped up to my side.

“This actually wasn’t why.”

I turned to face him, letting my hand drop. “What was then?”

Vareck swallowed, a nervous tell if I ever saw one. “You mentioned you liked reading. We have the most extensive collection in the realm right here.”

I stared for too long. Vareck misread my silence and started to backtrack until I dissolved into an embarrassed chuckle.

---