And I wasn’t ready to tell him yet. Maybe she had died thirteen years ago but—to me—it felt like it happened a week ago, the moment I’d found out. It felt abrupt and harsh to say, “I just learned my mother died,” when he was trying to be sympathetic about monsters.
Koan kept talking. “So there’s a concert tonight, and the king said we could have his box if you came with us.”
I folded my arms. “I am not going to sit with the king at a concert.”
Koan linked arms with his brother. “Nah, you’d be sitting with us. I don’t think the king will even go. He’s been hiding in his room as long as you have.”
Jolter elbowed Koan’s gut, and he let his deliberately careless grin fall. “You two really need to figure something out. It’s weird having him avoid you while going out of his way to make sure other people keep you safe and happy.”
He was avoiding me?
I clenched my jaw. As he should. I’d hide from him too if I’d killed his mother.
“Will you come with us?” Jolter asked.
Koan shot him a sideways eye-roll. “Or tell us what’s really going on?” His gaze traveled to the wall I shared with the king. “Has he done anything… untoward?”
I focused on the feel of my blanket. It was soft, but I didn’t really want to hide in it forever. Motab would not have wanted me to stop living just because she did. Maybe I could go enjoy this concert with my friends and not thinkabout all of the horrible things that had happened during the last few weeks.
I fisted my hand in the blanket. “Nothing like that.” My eyes shifted from the king’s door to Koan. “I’ll come. When do I need to be ready?”
Koan nodded slowly. “We’ll come get you an hour after sunset. I can send your dinner up earlier than normal. And I’ll send a maid to help you get ready.”
I didn’t need a maid. I opened my mouth to protest, but Koan cut me off before I spoke.
“Callista, please, let me send someone. I’ll send her at sunset, and she’ll just help with your hair or any other last minute things. Jemina used to complain more about her hair than anything else.”
I raised a brow. “Jemina?”
Jolter grinned. “Our sister. Other girls would never complain to him—they just wanted to make friends with his money or position.”
We hadn’t talked much about their family. “Does she live very far?”
Jolter’s grin faded as he nodded. “Outside the curse boundary. We haven’t seen her for thirteen years.”
Koan patted my shoulder. “We’ll be back. Take your time.”
A new knock hit my door precisely as the sun disappeared below the mountainous horizon. I had managed to clean and dress myself with time to spare. I replaced the blanket with ashawl and opened the door.
A maid dropped into a curtsy as if I were some kind of royalty. I almost corrected her and told her I was a prisoner, but I decided to hold my tongue. If I said too many words, I might start crying again for no apparent reason.
“Master Koan said you might like a lady’s maid to help with your hair and accessories. I’m Malinda.”
I pushed a smile onto my face and nearly grimaced at the way my cheeks resisted the change in position. Had it really been that long since I smiled?
“Thank you, Malinda. I’m not really in a mood to talk much, but I do need help with my hair.”
Honestly, I had no idea what to do with it. Dresses were obvious enough, even though Mylo’s dress-maker had filled my wardrobe with more designs than I would need in a lifetime. Still, it didn’t take a princess to figure out how to put them on.
My hair, though… Once I really thought about how I was going to a royal event with nobles in an elven castle, my education—from a lifetime of living in a cabin on the edge of the woods—felt woefully insufficient to prepare for any event here.
Malinda hummed softly as she twisted and braided my hair into elegant loops. Once half of it was tied up, she twirled the lower tresses around her fingers. Heat emanated from her hands and, when she unwrapped my hair, it stayed curled.
She used magic heat to curl my hair. That reminded me of the king. “Can you make fire in your hands too?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Like the king?” I clarified.
