IARA

People came and went from my room all night. Everyone said similar things while giving me their gifts. Stay in bed. Thank you for your sacrifice. It was almost ritualistic. The gifts kept coming. Just about everyone I had met who lived in the palace brought me one. Jewels, pins, dresses. Some of the staff with Elisif had made me one of my favorite foods. Rey used to make bread knots for me, sprinkled with green onions and salt. They had added butter on top as well, but it made them all the more delicious. The best gift so far was from Jeremiah. He had a pen enchanted so it would never run out of ink. It was long, a dark silver with a crow's feather. I have already written in my notebook with it. It was tucked away in my bag, between the notebook’s pages.

Once I was sure no one else would be coming to visit me again, I snuck out. I knew Malachi would be twice as busy as he normally was with the festival planning. It gave me a lot of time to be alone. I had already read through the book he had given me about deals with gods. It focused mostly on Leda’s habits in oath making. She wasn’t one for rigid rules, but if you angered her too many times she could be just as wrathful as her twin brother. It made me worry about my mother. If she hadn’t fulfilled her end of his deal she made, her end was probably horrific. I needed to know more about the Night Goddess. I had never been particularly close with Leda and I only knew the basics of worshipping her. The library had to have more about her. If I learned more about her, then I would understand more about the types of curses she would blight people with.

I walked through the shelves of the library, my fingers running along the spines of countless books. There weren’t as many books on the subject I wanted. I wish I knew the way to the place of worship here. I knew that was where my husband got the purple book. I needed more like that one. I cursed myself for keeping so secluded while I was here. If only I had actually taken any of the tours offered me.

“Princess,” I heard a voice behind me. I was tired of being called to like that. I turned to see a man walk up and lean on the shelf I was next to. It was such a casual gesture it made me all the more annoyed.

“Your name was Ban, wasn’t it?” I asked, turning back to the shelf. I pushed down my irritation as best as I could.

“No one expected you to be out so soon after. . .” I could see his eyes flick down to my neck. I pressed my lips together and adjusted the loose fitting coat I had draped over my shoulders. I knew the bite mark was plain to see on my skin. It didn’t mean I wanted everyone to see it. The way he looked at me made me feel like a piece of meat.

“I am very tired,” I admitted. “And conversation is leaving me ever more so.” I gave him a pointed look.

His cocky grin never left. “But I haven’t even given you my gift!” He pulled a book from inside his vest. It was bound in red leather, black clasps holding it shut. “As a deepest thank you,” he added, the tone of his voice dripping with sweetness.

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I took the book from him after a long moment of pause. “What is it?”

“A little bird told me you were looking into curses. Serious ones. A way to enter a realm where the darkest cursed beings thrive.”

I furrowed my brows and looked back down at the book. An entire realm for the damned? Did he mean the Underworld? That was impossible. When I looked back at him, he had pushed himself away from the bookshelf and already turned his back. He had nothing more to tell me. I turned to walk to one of the tables that dotted the library. I would read it regardless of if I liked that man or not. Knowledge wasn’t negative. It was all in what you did with it. And as a witch, knowledge was my greatest weapon.

I settled into a chair and pulled the clasps open. The cover was easy to fold open, suggesting years of wear. The ink upon the pages was brown, not quite black. When I ran my fingers over the words, I could feel hints of emotion. Fear, longing, ambition. It was alarming. But the words scrawled out on the pages were hard to cut off. It began with talking about the Underworld and how deep it was. It detailed what sort of beings were trapped there and why. Then it started to give detailed instructions on how to open a gate to it. I couldn’t tell if this book was fiction or not. The diagrams were so precise and intricate that it would be outlandish for them to be faked, but the subject was even more outlandish. No living person could enter the Underworld. No man would ever be foolish enough to try.

Yet, the book gave me specific instructions on how to go there. Even on how to find a cursed being if you had their blood. I did have my mother’s blood. It ran through my own body. I could do this spell. But the question was, would it actually work?

My mind was pulled from the book when I felt the tingle in my arm. I thought someone had touched me but when I looked, I remembered my bracelet. Malachi was worried. I frowned, looking at the window just behind me. I sighed when I saw the sun had risen. Soft, blue-tinted light spilled in. I pulled myself up from the chair, feeling my head spin. Maybe I shouldn’t stand so fast. I sent him back what apology I could through the bracelet. I wanted to let him know I was okay while I made my way back to our room.

He was standing at our door. When he saw me round the corner, he gave me a stern look. His black hair looked frizzed at the ends and his coat was unbuttoned. “You can’t wander off,” he warned me.

I walked past him and through the door he opened for me. “And why not? Afraid you’ll miss a snack?” I teased.

He shut the door firmly behind him and frowned at me. “There are a lot of things going on right now. We’re not entirely sure if it’s safe,” he said in a low voice. He stepped closer to me. “It may just be anxiety but the thought of losing you. . .” The words dried up on his tongue. He let the feelings play on his face. It was still forgein to see him drop the muted mask he always wore. It filled me with guilt.

I closed the distance between us and pulled his head down to my shoulder. I pet his hair as I spoke. “I’m not going anywhere,” I assured.

He pulled me tight against him. I could feel his shoulders relax and he let out a sigh. “I love you,” he muttered into my neck.

“I love you,” I replied. Moments like this are what made me feel safe. I didn’t care what Malachi thought was going on. Nothing could take me away from this.