Beneath the Starlit Sea by Nicole Bea

Author:Nicole Bea [Bea, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sword and Silk Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

eleven

I don't see Garit for a few passings of the moon, an absence that pains me to the core of my being. I spend the days and nights reading over the tomes that are scattered on my library floor, stirring the solution of juniper poison repeatedly, mostly for my own amusement. The snow continues to fall outside, so much so that it's barely worth leaving the turret. Warmth encapsulates the stone walls throughout the double room in a magical fire that spits rainbow sparks on the floor and through the air. In my boredom without Garit, I pace the floor and practice spells, making stocks of mixtures and serums for the sake of doing so.

The third eve, I call for the water girl, the one who betrayed me, and I think about what would happen if she were to ingest a bit of the poison that's not quite ready. I shake my head at the thought as she delivers bucket upon bucket of hot, clear water for a bath that I'm long overdue to take. The look on her face, however, speaks volumes. It's almost as if she expects me to put a spell on her for divulging my secret, because the moment the last bucket crosses the threshold of my room, she's gone running back down the stairs and doesn't reappear.

This amuses me, just a little.

Lowering the flame in the fireplace to a mere whisper, I unwrap the candles from their parchment and set them on stands around the bedroom. A casual wave of my hand lights them all, the orange glow bright in the otherwise gray space, and then I dump the steaming buckets into the wooden washing tub for my evening bath. Because I have extra magnolias and roses from when I collected them before the winter weather fell, I drop a handful of the petals in. Might as well make a night of this bath, since I've nothing else to do but wait for poison to brew and Garit to appear.

I slip out of my clothes, folding them on the bed that's still missing one fur blanket, and slide into the scalding water. My skin turns red at the touch of the liquid, burning me gently until my body gets used to the temperature. Little bits of flowers float around in the bath, scenting the room delicately, removing the stench of cold and juniper death and myriad oils. I'm just dunking my head under the surface when there's a knock at the door, and I curse aloud, my wet, red hair sticking to my face.

"Illyse?" It's Garit, of course, the exact moment that I'm not ready for him.

"I'm washing."

"I'm coming in."

"Well, be quick about it. Before the water girl comes back and sees you." I'm only half joking. It's possible that the girl is a spy now for King Whys, keeping tabs on us like the sentry did the night of Marzk's murder.

The door opens and shuts, Garit’s broad body silhouetted against the flame and the dark and the candlelight.

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