“It doesn’t talk back.”
“Exactly.”
He snorted. “I walked into that one.” He stalked across the room, eyeing the cake she still didn’t touch. “Are you really … talking to the House?”
“Don’t you talk to it?”
“No.”
“It listens to me,” she insisted.
“Of course it does. It’s enchanted.”
“It even brought food down to the library unasked.”
His brows rose. “Why?”
“I don’t know how your faerie magic works.”
“Did you … do anything to make it act that way?”
“If you’re taking a page from Devlon’s book and asking if I did any witchcraft, the answer is no.”
Cassian chuckled. “That’s not what I meant, but fine. The House likes you. Congratulations.” She growled, and he leaned over her to pick up the fork. She went stiff at his closeness, but he said nothing as he took a bite of the cake. He let out a hum of pleasure that traveled along her bones. And then took another bite.
“That’s supposed to be mine,” she groused, peering up at him as he continued to eat.
“Then take it from me,” he said. “A simple disarming maneuver would do, considering my center of gravity is off balance and I’m distracted by this delicious cake.”
She glowered at him.
He took a third bite. “These are the things, Nes, that you’d learn in lessons with me. Your threats would be a hell of a lot more impressive if you could back them up.”
She drummed her fingers on the desk. Eyed the fork in his hands and pictured stabbing him in the thigh with it.
“You could do that, too,” he said, reading the direction of her stare. “I could teach you how to turn anything into a weapon. Even a fork.”
She bared her teeth, but Cassian only set down the fork with grating precision and walked out, leaving her the half-eaten cake.
Nesta read the deliciously erotic romance she’d found on a shelf of the private library until her eyelids grew so heavy only iron will could hold them open. It was then that she trudged down the hall to her bedroom and collapsed into bed, not bothering to change out of her clothes before she sprawled on the mattress.
She woke freezing in the dark of night, roused herself enough to strip off the leathers, and climbed under the sheets, teeth clattering.
A moment later, a fire blazed in the hearth.
“No fire,” she ordered, and it vanished again.
She could have sworn a tentative curiosity curled around her. Shivering, she waited for the sheets to warm to her body temperature.
Long minutes passed, and then the bed heated. Not from her own naked body, but some manner of spell. The very air warmed, too, as if someone had blown a great breath into the space.
Her shaking stopped, and she nestled into the warmth. “Thank you,” she murmured.
The House’s only answer was to slide the still-open drapes shut. By the time they’d finished swaying, she was again asleep.
Elain had been stolen. By Hybern. By the Cauldron, which had seen Nesta watching it and watched her in turn. Had noted her scrying with bones and stones and made her regret it.
She had done this. Brought this upon them. Touching her power, wielding it, had done this, and she would never forgive herself, never—
Elain would surely be tormented, ripped apart body and soul.
A crack cleaved the world.
Her father stood before her, neck twisted. Her father, with his soft brown eyes, the love for her still shining in them as their light faded—
Nesta jolted awake, nausea rippling through her as she grasped at the sheets.
Deep in her gut, her soul, something writhed and twined around itself, seeking a way out, seeking a way into the world—
Nesta shoved it down. Stomped on her power. Slammed every mental door she could on it.
Dream, she told it. Dream and memory. Go away.
Her power grumbled in her veins, but obeyed.
The bed had become hot enough that Nesta kicked off the sheets before rubbing her hands over her sweat-soaked face.
She needed a drink. Needed anything to wash this away.
She dressed swiftly, not quite feeling her body. Not quite caring what time it was or where she was, thinking only of the obstacle between her and that pleasure hall.
The door to the ten thousand steps was already open, the faelights in the hall dimmed to near darkness. Her boots scuffed on the stones as she approached, glancing behind her to make sure no one followed.
Hands shaking, she began the descent.
Around and around and around.