Page 37 of In the Blood

“You mean to tell me, if someonecut off your head, and I learned to use my healing powers… I could make you whole again? That is the mostabsurdthing I’ve heard so far.” Even as I tried to accept that I was one of them, my humanity shuddered. No wonder humans had wanted faeries out of Erador.

“Correct. We can regrow most of our organs as well, although it hurts like a bastard. The easiest way to kill us is to go for the heart. Fire can burn a heart to ash, shadow can turn a heart to dust, and ice can freeze a heart until it shatters. It’s the one thing we can’t regrow—well, that and our heads—but if the brain or heart are simply injured, we can heal them.”

He was so nonplussed about this. Meanwhile, I felt warning bells going off, telling me this world and its inhabitants were dangerous—telling me torun.

Finally, it was time for the physical side of training. Louis proceeded to kick my ass for the next hour. He made me run laps, lift weights, exercise different muscle groups, and practice my balance as he came at me from different offensive angles.

He taught me how to get out of several different holds using my size to my advantage and how to throw him off balance so I could escape his grasp. He showed me how to break a nose with a headbutt to the face and how to strike with a dagger in a downward thrust. There was also a spin maneuver that ended with a knee to the groin. There were a few noblemen in Aurelius I would’ve like to use that particular move on.

By the time we were finished, my mind, body, and spirit were mush. I was so sore and overwhelmed by all the new information that I requested dinner in my room that evening. Galen did not visit me.

fourteen

My days began to fall into a familiar pattern of training, reading, and dinner with the Ruhn family. Galen had been giving me the cold shoulder ever since the night we’d spent together. It left me confused and pathetically pining for him. When had I become someone whopinedfor a man?

Every evening, Isla sat next to him, laughing at everything he said, while I gritted my teeth until it was time to be excused. He usually looked a bit hollow and distant, barely looking my way.

Rafael rarely joined us for dinner, but when he did, his behavior towards me was aloof at best. He didn’tseemlike a revolutionary. Yes, he had motive, but according to Louis, Raf basically lived at the local brothel. That didn’t sound like someone who had the motivation to rise up against his Kingdom. Still, I waited for him to pull me aside.

When Galen assigned Robert to be my personal guard, I began to have more freedom around the castle; though, he was such painfullydullcompany, I sometimes wondered if Galen was trying to punish me. The guard still refused to answer any of my questions with more than a few mumbled words, but at least I was able to walk the gardens and use the library. Despite being a grubby human, I’d been granted access to all of the public libraries in the castle, but it was theGrand Librarythat I always found myself in.

The first time I’d entered through its gilded double doors, I’d been wonderstruck. Adorned in pastel tones, it glittered like a sunrise. It looked more like a temple than a library, which made perfect sense to me—there was nothing more sacred than a room full of books.

Massive arched windows illuminated the space in bright natural light, making the white marble floors shimmer. Lavender pillars, made of Kunzite, lined the wide aisle that stretched down the center of the room. The purple stone was translucent, refracting light like crystal when the sun touched it.

Diamond chandeliers, cloaked in baby pink cherry blossoms, floated above polished tables that sat near the entrance. The flowers created a sweet nutty scent that hung in the air and settled into the pages of the books—thousands upon thousands of books—sitting on Mahogany bookshelves in neat rows. The shelves extended to the back of the room, towards two sets of gilded spiral staircases that led to a second-story balcony, overlooking the rest of the space.

Murals, featuring all six gods and their stewards, covered the vaulted ceilings. They stared down at me, idling away on their thrones of painted clouds. I rolled my eyes at the beautiful, omniscient beings who probably looked at us as if we were ants.

Today I sat at one of the library’s tables, fidgeting. A pile of books on elemental magic sat beside me, while Robert stood nearby, arms crossed. I was propped on my elbows, flipping through a book on medicinal magic, when the beam of light spilling across my page, suddenly disappeared.

I turned towards the window for an explanation, expecting to see rain clouds. Instead, I saw a dark haze floating above me. My heart stopped as I watched a form materialize.Rafael. He… he’d just appeared beside me, out of thin air. I swallowed hard as I took in his black leather armor and his stone-faced expression.

Was I hallucinating or had he just arrived in the form of a black cloud?

I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of appearing awe-struck, so I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders as I acknowledged him. “What do you want?”

He arched a brow, giving away nothing. “I’m heading to the village. Want to come?”

My mouth bobbed open before snapping shut. I was finally going to get some answers, if he didn’t eat me first—he was staring at me as if he might.

I studied his broody pout before deciding I’d take my chances. If I died, at least it wouldn’t be from boredom. Glancing over at Robert, I emphatically said, “Yes, please.” Raf gestured for me to follow him, butI sat unmoving. “I’d like to visit an acquaintance at the apothecary while we’re there.”

I scowled at him, just waiting for him to say something that was going to set me off.If he refused me, I swear I’d—

“Sure, that’s fine.” Raf shrugged, crossing his arms and rocking back on his heels. I snapped my mouth shut again. He was being suspiciously nice. The silence of the library pressed into us as we glared at each other.

He turned to my bodyguard. “Robert, your services aren’t needed. Go find someone else to follow around. I’ll take good care of her.” Robert grumbled under his breath before stomping off.

The same white mare was saddled up for me when we arrived at the stables. “Hello, beautiful girl,” I cooed to Hibiscus.

“You seem to be a natural with animals,” Rafael observed. “That one doesn’t like me very much.” He gave a wide berth around her as he got on his elegant, black steed.

“It would seem that she has an excellent sense of character, then.” I praised her with a rub down her neck as she nickered at me.

“Why do you hate me?”

I turned to him, startled. I thought it was a mutual feeling. I couldn’t exactly say,“Your aura is as black as a starless night.” Even now, I could see shadows wafting off him. It was off-putting.

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