“Yeah, I’ll send word we’re back tomorrow, and I’m sure they’ll come to restock the kitchen at the very least,” Colton replies, though his tone suggests his mind is still on the recent troubles.
“Are you tired?” I ask after finishing the last of my food, noticing the slight furrow in his brow.
“I am. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a full night’s rest, and I’m sure you’re feeling the same. Tonight, with you in my arms, back in our home, I plan to sleep deeply,” he declares, a warm smile replacing his earlier concern.
I chuckle. “Let’s go to bed then.” The idea of curling up beside him and shutting out the rest of the world, even for a few hours, feels like exactly what we need.
We clear the table together and then head upstairs. I pause to give Chepi a quick pet. He’s already curled up in his favorite spot by the fireplace, deep in sleep. As we enter the bedroom, Colton turns to me with a questioning look. “Interested in taking a shower before bed?” he asks.
“Only if you’re the one washing me,” I reply with a mischievous smile, teasing him.
He laughs, a deep, genuine sound that fills the room. “Deal, but only if you return the favor,” he says, winking.
Chapter 13
Lyra
Colton woke early this morning,bustling with tasks he wanted to accomplish today. He offered for me to join him, but I was more content with the idea of sleeping in and having the day to myself. Besides, I doubted his conversation with Nyx would go smoothly with me there. The thought of seeing Nyx again so soon still twists my heart. I hope he finds happiness…without me.
Eventually, Chepi’s persistent yips coax me out of bed, clearly eager for breakfast. I throw on some tights and a shirt then head downstairs to feed him and grab a slice of toast with jam for myself. While Colton didn’t ask about my plans for the day, I’m sure he trusts that I can handle myself. The freedom to do what I want, when I want, without having to answer to anyone, still feels strange—unfamiliar but thrilling.
Now that I’m engaged, there’s only one person in all of Nighthold who I think will genuinely be happy for me. After finishing my breakfast, I slip on a pair of boots and scoop up Chepi. “Come on, boy. Let’s go find Flora,” I say, eager to seemy friend.
It’s been too long since our last meeting, which had ended awkwardly at Colton’s parents’ house when I had asked her to lie to Nyx about running into me.
I channel us to Bim’s house, knowing Flora often stays there, but when no one answers my knocks, I let us inside and send Chepi to scout upstairs. “No one’s here?” I query as Chepi returns alone, jumping into my arms with a lick on my cheek.
The only other place I can think to look is Colton’s parents’ library in the Elders’ Palace. I certainly don’t want to venture into Nyx’s castle, and I’m not keen on running into Elspeth or Granger either, especially after the council meeting. But I believe I’m now powerful enough to channel directly into the library without being noticed.
Once there, I spot Emmalina, the librarian, on the top floor of the library and immediately channel us down to the next level. I’d rather avoid alerting Colton’s parents of my presence here and am not sure if Emmalina would tell them, but better safe than sorry.
“Is Flora here, boy?” I ask as I let Chepi down, and he darts off. I hurry after him, weaving through rows of towering bookshelves, the rich smell of old parchment filling the air. We descend two more levels before I spot her—Flora’s unmistakable dark-red wings and curly red hair visible from behind. Chepi reaches her first, and she turns around, her face lighting up with excitement.
“Chepi!” she exclaims, lifting him into her arms to lavish him with affection as he licks her face happily. “Oh gosh, you have horns now,” she muses, petting his head carefully around his new additions. When her chocolate eyes meet mine, they soften, and she pulls me into a warm, tight hug.
Flora pulls me over to a cozy corner scattered with plush, oversized pillows in a secluded reading nook. We sink into thesoftness as I begin to unpack the recent whirlwind of events in my life. She listens intently, nodding along without much surprise—likely Nyx had already briefed her. After I finish, she leans forward, concerned.
“How are you really handling all this?” she probes gently.
I pause, weighing the tumult of emotions that have become my constant companions—stress and anxiety from the looming threats and the political unrest and malevolent attacks, yet a deep-seated contentment from my decision to marry Colton.
“I think I’m managing okay,” I respond, feeling more reassuring than I expect.
Flora purses her lips, her gaze piercing as if she’s trying to read the deeper currents of my turmoil, but she doesn’t press further. Instead, she shifts the topic to something that makes my heart skip a beat.
“And you’re certain about Colton? You truly believe he’s the light of the prophecy?”
My smile widens as I think of Colton, of us together, united not only by fate but by choice. “Yes, I believe he is. But even if he weren’t, I know in my heart, in every bone in my body, that choosing him is right.”
The memory of our intimate moments last night warms me.
Flora’s face lights up with a mischievous gleam. “Well, I must do what any good friend would do,” she declares, pulling me to my feet with a surprising strength.
“What’s that?” I ask, curiosity piqued.
“Dress shopping,” she announces with a flourish. “We must find you something spectacular for the ceremony day. Given Colton’s status and his parents’ prominence, your wedding will be a major event. Everyone who’s anyone will be there.”
Her excitement is infectious, but a flutter of nervousness tickles my stomach at the thought of the intense scrutiny such a high-profile ceremony will invite. Nevertheless,the prospect of celebrating our commitment with an exquisite dress sends a thrill through me, and I can’t help but return her smile, swept up in the joy of the moment.
