After Dark: A Fairy Tale Anthology by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Equinox Romance
Published: 2019-04-20T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

Him

She stops crying.

Did I imagine her speech?

Her mouth moves soundlessly, now. She looks at me, her eyes widen with surprise, tears are still caught in her lovely lashes.

“Oh. I-I’m … Oh.” Then she falls silent. But she did speak, if I can even call it speech, because it sounded like a delicate bell. A beautiful sound.

Her hand goes to her mouth, touching her lips as if to make sure they are really there.

“Speak again.” I need to hear more.

Before she can say anything, there’s a commotion outside.

“Wait.” I put a finger to my lips, and look at the main doors.

Since the message came of rebels planning an assassination, the palace security has been frantic. Threats like this come all the time, most are false. Every time, the king expects me to take the local garrison in a search of the area. It’s an empty show of power, but I’m expected to do it.

I curse under my breath, then bundle Atrivita in my arms and carry her behind the giant desk and sink down to the floor. If anyone opens the door the library will seem dark and empty. We wait until the commotion passes out of earshot. “Can you still talk?”

An odd expression, like fear, comes into her lovely face, as she opens her mouth to try. “I… I,” she says on a soft breath. “I hope so,” she says like a soft silver bell.

A smile like sunrise breaks on her face. “I thought I’d given it up. I misunderstood Ishtar’s words.”

She glances up into my eyes. “She said my voice would come back when I lie with – er” she shakes her head and her brows knit for a moment.

I have no idea what she’s talking about, but I drink in the sound.

“I thought she said Clarence, that’s why I went with him… er … because I wanted my voice, my songs. But she never said Clarence by name, she said, ‘your love’ and if I accept you with all my heart…”

Bells, bells, sweet silver bells. The soothing melody of spring water on mossy rocks, or the harmony of sweet shepherd pipes high in the mountains at dawn. How can any voice be so beautiful?

My legs wide on the floor rugs, I pull her into my lap and cup her soft face between my big rough hands. “How is it you can now speak?”

“The gods.”

“What gods?” I don’t really care, I just want her to keep talking.

She shakes her head, silent for moment. “Yamm, the lord of the Eastern Seas and Poseidon, they gave it to my fiancé. But Ishtar told me how to find it.”

Words and names that belong in another world.

“I’ve been such a fool.” she says. “The answer was clear from the start. Because losing my voice for Clarence shouldn’t have hurt so much if I really loved him. But it tore at my heart, every minute of every day … I wanted to die. Yet for you …” She takes my hand and puts it to her heart.

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