Page 33 of Courting Envy
"This curse. Do you know how to break it?" I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, hoping to catch a glimpse of something. Anything that might help.
"No," he admitted. "But I'm just a guardian here, not a prince or a scholar."
"Don't speak like that about yourself," I reprimanded him.
He chuckled, not unkindly. "I speak only the truth, Rava. I know what I am."
"That's not all you are to me, though," I said softly, glancing over at him. His brown eyes met mine, warmth filling them.
"You are my queen, in all ways." His hand twitched, the back of it meeting mine briefly before pulling away, though I had the feeling that if we were alone in my rooms, he'd have grabbed it with his and held on.
I nodded at the two guardians stationed outside the door when we finally made it there, then waited for Reon to confer with them in a sibilant tongue that I couldn't understand. When he was satisfied with the report, he opened the door, waited for me to enter, and then closed it behind us.
I spun to face him.
"Could you please get some kind of tea or tincture for my headache? I wasn't lying to Ragnar about that." I rubbed my head. "I think I'll take something and then have a long bath and maybe a nap. This whole transition has been...taxing."
"Of course." He dipped his head and then turned back to the door.
"Thanks!" I called out after him, heaving a sigh of relief as the door closed. He was so good, for a demon, heck, even for a human. Part of me wished that I hadn’t just lied to him, but it was the only way to keep him safe from Lucien’s wrath – Reon was already in the firing line after my prince had found us in bed together.
I hustled to my bedchamber and opened the wardrobe, rummaging through for some appropriate clothing. There was almost nothing just plain and boring, so I was going to have to adapt something if I could. I went back into the main chamber and found a sharp knife left over from my morning meal, secreting it in the bathroom. That said, my claws had grown back and could probably tear through any fabric with them quite easily.
I paced the room, waiting for the knock on the door, and when it came, I rushed to open it, taking the small tray from Reon.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice quiet, eyes downturned.
I could feel him eyeing me suspiciously.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“I will be,” I replied, forcing myself to look him in the eyes. My hands wobbled and the tea spilled onto the tray. He took it from me, pushing the door open with his tail and forcing me back into the room.
“You’re not.” His voice was laden with concern and he dipped his head to kiss my brow, perhaps checking for a fever. “You don’t look very good.”
I choked out a laugh. “You sure know the way to a girl’s heart,” I quipped. “I’ll be okay. I just… I just need to rest.” I lifted my hands and gestured to my room. “All of this is a lot for a human. You have no idea.”
Reon slid over to a table and placed the tray down, using a napkin to blot up the mess I’d made. “You’re right. I have no idea, but you can speak to me about it if you want. I’m here for you.” He turned to face me and I could see concern etched into the lines of his brow. I crossed to him then, wrapping my arms around his torso.
“You are the best of them, Reon, and when I want to talk, I’ll come to you. Right now, though, I just need to rest.”
He kissed me on the forehead again and I let him go, watching with a surprising wave of grief as he headed to the door. Part of me wanted to tell him what I was really going to do, have him save me from myself, but Marie needed me. I was sure. Even if she only needed me to tell her that I wasn’t gone entirely.
I locked the door and let out a sigh of relief. The temptation was gone.
For now, I was alone, and I could figure out a way to get to the portal. I knew I could.
I crossed to the tray and took it into my bedchamber, then tipped the tea down the sink, as well as a few drops of the tincture. I wanted to make it look like I'd tried them, if anyone came to check on me. Lumps of pillow and clothing under the blankets weren't going to fool any demon though.
Was there a point in trying to pretend?
Ug, I was so flustered! I just needed to get this over with. Grabbing a long cloak, I swung it over my shoulders and looked in the mirror, wondering whether this would be enough to get me through the circle to the portal. It wasn't enough though. I needed more. I needed to be invisible.
Well, damn. Maybe I could make that happen. I was the queen here, and everyone kept saying how the magic was running through my blood. I'd changed the tint of the light in this whole circle, surely, I could do something as simple as making this cloak invisible.
Gripping the fabric, I pushed all my thoughts and want into it.Make no one see me, make me move with ease, with no disruptions.I could feel it working, feel the tingle across my skin and the fire inside me. The gem in my chest warmed and glowed, the magic flooded through my body like a drug and seeped into the fabric. It was hard to draw back, to stop using the power that was so readily at my touch. I glanced in the mirror to see nothing at all.
It had worked.
