Page 21 of The Curse of Golden Blood
I tilted my head and looked more closely at her. If I didn't know any better, I might think that Lady Narietta had the ability to peer directly into my thoughts. But I'd learned long ago that most were unable to do so. They had to be exceptionally powerful or gifted to read a mortal's mind.
"If this is him being kind, I don't think I want to see his idea of punishment."
A small smile crept onto her face, accompanied by a gleeful chuckle.
"Oh, he's just teasing you." Narietta said, placing a hand on my arm. "He can be quite intimidating, but he truly does mean well." I stared at her hand on my arm. None of the fae had been so familiar with us in this way. If anything, they looked at us as if we were insects. But looking at Pelbie’s relaxed posture and easy smile around Narietta, I decided to give her the benefit of doubt.
"The next time he visits, why don't you try talking to him? You may find that you two have a lot more in common than you first realized."
"Thenexttime he visits?, " I was stunned. Had he been visiting me?
She smiled at me again, her eyes sparkling with an almost ethereal light.
"Are you able to stand?" she asked.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what came next. When I was ready, I nodded.
"Come on then, up you go!"
Narietta carefully wrapped her arm around my waist and eased me up off the bed. Her grip was surprisingly strong, and she moved as if I weighed nothing at all.
"Thank you, Lady Narietta," I replied, trying not to stare at her crown.
"Please, call me Narie. " She looked up at me, and our eyes met. For a moment, I lost myself in the breathtaking depths of her irises, staring back at me with an unreadable expression.
Then she blinked, and the spell was broken.
"Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?" She asked, her voice sweet and hopeful.
I froze, my mouth suddenly going dry. I looked down at my bandaged body, and then back up at her, not entirely sure how to respond.
"Dinner?" I asked blankly, keeping the suspicion from my voice.
"Yes, dinner. It's an evening meal, usually taken at the end of the day. Maybe you've heard of it?" Narietta teased.
"I know what dinner is. I'm just not sure why you're asking me."
Narietta threw her head back and laughed. "This one is absolutely delightful! We need more lighthearted humans like her to round out these dreary halls."
I wasn't sure if she was talking to me, or to Pelbie, and, when she winked, I decided that I didn't care. Still, a quiet thought lingered at the edge of my mind:Why only me?
"So, dinner?" She asked, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Uh, thank you, my lady, but,uh—"
"Good!" She squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "I'll have Karys bring you a dress. We'll see you in a few hours."
Before I could open my mouth to respond, she grabbed Pelbie's arm and the two of them vanished in a rush of wind.
I stared blankly at the empty space where they had just been standing, wondering what in the blighted heavens I had just gotten myself into.
I looked out the window, trying to take deep, calming breaths. The sun had set, and the stars were beginning to appear in the night sky. Far below, the lights from the other courts flickered and pulsed like winking eyes.
The distant roar of the storm tugged at my awareness.
What was happening to me?
I ran my fingers through my hair, sighing softly. I could feel my blood boiling in my veins. I wasn't even sure what I was angry about anymore, but every fiber of my being ached with emotion.
