Page 63 of Unraveled
“Mind your own business, Finley.”
“You made it my business when you went to Penumbra, even though I begged you not to.”
“Tell me what?” I stand, shaking. Why is everyone keeping me in the dark?
Frustration grows within me like a sickness I can’t stop. The burning sensation in my stomach returns with a vengeance.
A thread of magic pours from my fingers, shimmering white, and adrenaline moves through my body as I notice it escaping me. It’s an uncontrolled spell that has no name, no meaning other than frustration. I can’t pull it back inside me, fear takes over from anger, and the spell turns from white to blue. My skin glows on and off.
“Mia,” Ash whispers, and it feels sweet and haunting. Like he’s trying to calm a raging beast. Then in the fae tongue, he says, “Naheli, help her.”
The spirit leaps toward me. Her body enlarges, sending starlight around the room, blinding me, and all I can hear is the whooshing of my heart.
Her aura expands and wraps around me like a hug, soothing the burning inside me. Cool mist that shortly shifts to the smell of pine, leather, and frankincense. And when I open my eyes, I meet Ash’s gaze as he embraces me, preventing me from collapsing to the ground.
Breathe. I read his lips and take a deep breath that eases the burning in my lungs.
Slowly, the room stops spinning, and I find myself relaxing in his grasp. Ash studies my face with pinched brows, and I think he’s making sure I won’t lose consciousness like in Eponde.
I nod, hoping he understands I’m fine, even though I’m too exhausted to speak.
“You should rest,” he says, dropping his hands from around my waist, and I immediately miss the warmth they provided. Hetakes one long step away and shoves his hand into his trousers pocket. “Finley’s right. We need to get you a new amulet until we figure out what’s happening to you.”
Chapter 22
When I wake up,there’s a small mountain of flaky rolls on the side table, a dish with butter, and a jar of honey. I’m smiling before I can stop myself. I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping. A day?
A week?
I shift out of Ash’s bed, and the silk of his sheets slides away from my crumpled dress. I’m feeling more rested than I have in a long time. A small win in a moment such as this.
I glance around the room to find that I’m alone. The fire is still going in that beautiful fireplace. The balcony’s doors are wide open, letting in the gentle breeze of the evening.
The polished floor is cool under my bare feet, and I absently wonder who removed my boots and socks. I guess feeling embarrassed about any of them doing something so intimate, like caring for me, should be the least of my concerns. But I can’t seem to make my heart listen.
“Hello?”
“We’re outside, Monster.” Ash’s voice travels in, and my stomach flutters in response.
I step out to the balcony, and the air of the night envelops me, carrying the notes of mint and rose petals.
Ash sits on the smooth stone floor, petting Naheli’s head. Neither of them looks at me as I join them. It’s beautiful here. Rounded balusters keep us from the drop of at least a hundred feet to the gardens below. A light layer of moisture covers every surface, but the night spans over us. Indigo and violet, peppered with shimmering white dots, framed by the forest in the distance.
Ash looks at peace, unlike I’ve ever seen him before. Slightly hunched with his wolf resting her massive head on his lap. She is as breathtaking as the night sky above.
“I know Naheli and I are quite a sight to behold, but are you going to just stare at us or actually sit like a civilized creature?”
I glower at him. “You think a lot of yourself, don’t you?”
He cocks his head in my direction. So completely at ease in himself and the way he looks—even with the remnants of feathers going down his ankles. I can’t help but feel flustered and annoyed.
“I wasn’t looking at you.” Why am I still talking? “I was merely noticing that it isn’t raining anymore. Ever since I arrived here, it’s been one rainstorm after another.”
Ash’s eyes shimmer with delight at seeing me so awkward. At least he doesn’t comment on it. “The curse’s magic makes a perfect environment for dark creatures, and many of those who live in shadows bring storms.”
I open my lips to ask about these creatures, and remember the shadow I saw in that reflection.
“The farther we get from the blood moon, the more it clears out.”
