Page 69 of Eternal Captive

Just as she was about to leave, I cleared my throat. She looked back at me with a questioning gaze.

I held up the lone feather for her.

“Given yourimmense powers,I think you can help me with this.”

A true smile spread across her face at my sarcasm-laced words.

“Oooh, now you’re just trying to butter me up,” she teased with a light laugh. “But it’ll work. I’m a sucker for compliments. Give me a little more, and I may just spill more about your girlfriend’s future.”

“So youarea seer,” I said as I dropped the feather carefully into her hands.

“You and I both know that I don’t need to be a seer to know the future.”

Her knowing look caused a shiver to run through me.

Aurelia was still where I left her.

I had almost expected her to vanish. Maybe have another tantrum in the fountain.

I would have much preferred that instead of the way she was crouched on the floor. Her hair fell from all sides. The all-black dress she wore earlier that day blended in with the darkness of the room.

It reminded me too much of a child trying to hide from the monsters in the dark. It was pitiful and made me feel things I shouldn’t.

I shouldn’t have wanted to comfort the princess. I shouldn’t have gone out of my way to throw away something that was causing her pain.

I want to save her.

I shouldn’t have come to see her in the first place.

“How did you know?” she asked from her crouched position.

“Know what?” I asked and stalked closer, scared that one wrong move might flip another switch in her. She seemed very much like a wounded animal at that moment. Scared, unable to move, and just waiting for her perfect chance to attack.

“You weren’t sent to give blood,” she said. “I never asked for you.”

She turned her head to the side, her bloodred eyes glowing in the darkness. Her face was stoic, but there was such a heaviness to the aura around her that no matter what mask she put on, the emotions she was feeling began to suffocate the room.

“Would you believe me if I told you I just had a feeling?” I asked. Her eyes narrowed.

I didn’t really understand it either, nor did I believe it was fate drawing me up those stairs. I’d like to believe it was some pattern my conscious mind didn’t fully recognize that had told my subconscious to get my ass upstairs before something bad happened.

But, in truth, I had no idea.

One moment I was sitting on my bed, decompressing after my shift, and the next I just felt the need to check up on the princess.

“If this is your way of telling me you’re in love with me, I’m not interested.”

Her bluntness caused a shocked laughter to spill from my lips.

“You’re going through a hard time,” I said, digging into my pocket for the magical item Cedar gave me. “The least you could do is tone down the attitude for, I dunno, a few minutes?”

I lifted it and showed it to her. The one bloodied feather clean and glowing slightly in the darkness. Cedar had fastened a vine-like silver chain with her magic and some spare scraps in the garbage room.

Not a good gift for a spoiled princess who was used to the biggest and shiniest jewels on this planet, but hopefully it would stop her from making that pained expression she was staring at me with.

I closed the few steps between us and placed it in her outstretched hand.

“I thought I smelled magic on you,” she said, her eyes cutting to mine. “Are you harboring a witch in my palace?”

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