The bell above the door chimed as we walked in. Corrie was behind the counter, wiping a cloth over the floury counter. With her thick black hair tied up on top of her head and her apron covered in sticky jam and flour, she looked just as I remembered. She beamed when she saw us.
“Ashley, what a surprise. I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“She was craving your donuts,” Remy grinned.
“I’m all out, I’m afraid. If you want to wait, I can make some?”
“No, it’s okay,” I said before she could rush off into the back. I scanned the selection under the glass counter. Most of it had sold for the day but there were a few left. “I’ll have a fireberry muffin.”
“Someone’s feeling spicy,” Remy grinned. “Go on, we’ll have three.”
I pulled my purse out of the top of my boot and poured out a few coins. We didn’t have cards in Avaria or even notes. Coins were the only money we dealt in. I handed Corrie two silver coins.
“Keep the change,” I told her. She smiled and popped the coins into her register and placed three fireberry muffins on the counter. We each took one and exchanged nervous looks.
“You first,” Remy told me. “You’re the one who chose the only muffins in the realm that burn you.”
I smirked and took a bite. At first it was sweet and soft with a chewy centre. After a few chews, the fireberries began to burn and I pulled a face and coughed, covering my mouth so I wouldn’t spit muffin all over them.
“Oh, god,” Rita muttered as she lifted her muffin to her lips. They both took a bite and mimicked my reaction, laughing as they tried to swallow.
“It tastes so good but it’s so hot,” Remy laughed, running her finger under her eye to catch a tear. Corrie chuckled and continued cleaning while we munched away.
“That’s cute,” Rita said in between bites, pointing at a cake with pretty, colourful flowers on. Remy choked again.
“You should look at wedding cakes!” she declared. I winced.
“No, thanks.”
“You totally should! Just because you don’t know what’s going to happen doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan it anyway. You never know.”
“She has a point,” Rita offered with a shrug as she dusted her fingers off on her dress. “It wouldn’t hurt to have a look.”
“Corrie,” Remy called despite my expression. “Ashley’s in the market for a wedding cake. Think you’re up to the challenge?”
“Of course,” Corrie smiled, dropping her cloth. “What theme were you thinking?”
“I haven’t decided,” I replied weakly.
“That’s okay,” Corrie said airily, reaching up to the shelf above her counter. She pulled a book down. “I have lots of different designs. Take a look.”
She handed us the book. Remy immediately opened it and began flicking through.
“That’s adorable,” she declared, pointing at a three-tier heart shaped cake with pink berries and frosting. I wrinkled my nose.
“Cheesy.”
“What about this one?”
“I feel like I need to have a theme before I choose the cake.”
“But this might give you ideas for a theme,” Rita offered. She took the book from Remy. “Look… you’ve got classic white… Ooh, this is nice.” She pointed to a pale blue cake with silver accents.
They kept throwing ideas at me as they went through the book. The more ideas they threw at me, the more I thought of my actual wedding. Who was I even going to marry? Even though things were changing between Blaine and I, it wasn’t set in stone. He might still walk away. My future husband was probably a stranger to me. It felt like I was planning for an unknown future.
“That’s enough,” I said sharply when they showed me a red cake with roses on. “I need to figure out other stuff before I can think of this.”
They seemed to get the message and handed Corrie her book back.
“Thanks for the muffins,” I told her.
“I’ll make extra blusberry donuts in the morning,” she said with a wink.
Chapter 24
I leaned back in the chair, staring at the book in front of me. Since I’d returned home from my outing with Remy and Rita, I’d been sulking in the castle. I’d slept fitfully and after picking at my breakfast, I’d decided to try and do some research in the castle library. I’d read many books here but there were still hundreds I’d not even picked up. The room was circular with a huge skylight that lit up the room. The bookshelves reached the ceiling, covering every available wall.
Blaine hadn’t returned to the castle last night and his absence was making me doubt a lot of things. Even though we had kissed in the hospital and shared another moment that meant more than either of us wanted to admit, the conversation we’d had after our first kiss kept resurfacing. I didn’t believe whatever feelings he had for me would change his mind about this arrangement and it was hard to think of anything else.
The words blurred together despite my best efforts to stay focused. How was I supposed to ignore the fact that I was in a fake engagement to someone I had complicated feelings for? Or how once this engagement ended, I’d be shoved into another engagement to someone I didn’t know? It hadn’t bothered me before I’d met Blaine. I’d known all along I’d have an arranged marriage and I might not know the person the Council chose for me. I hadn’t known Blaine and I’d still been willing to go ahead with it.
Maybe getting to know him had made me realise how naïve I’d been. It did matter who I married. It did matter that I loved or cared for them. What if the next guy was a real asshole? What if he was cruel or didn’t actually care about me? What if he just wanted the title?
I shook my head and forced myself to stare at the book again, reading every word carefully. Still, my brain refused to take any of it in.
“Hey,” a voice said, making me jump. I looked up and gave Sash a weak smile. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t come last night.”
“It’s okay. How’s your sister?”
“She’s okay. She’s got a lot going on – boys – and she just needed her big sister around for the night.” She sat down in the chair opposite me and gave me an unsure smile. “You look troubled.”
“I guess your sister and I have stuff in common,” I said with a small shrug. She gave me a sympathetic smile.
Sash had been around for most of my life. She was in her late twenties and though she worked in the castle, she had been a good friend to me over the years. When my uncle had attacked the castle, she’d been with me. She’d stayed by my side despite the fact I made stupid mistakes that night. I’d wanted to find my parents instead of getting somewhere safe and when I found out my mother had died, she’d comforted me.
“Want to talk about it?”
“I just…” I sighed. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“He’s handsome,” she offered.
“His looks are definitely not the problem.”
“Is he treating you okay?” Her brow creased with concern.
“It’s not that. It’s… I don’t know if it’s right.”
“How so?”
“I never thought I’d be so lucky to have a marriage like my parents but… I think we might have a chance.”
“You love him?”
“I don’t know. That’s a big word.”
“I suppose it is. So what’s the issue?”
“He doesn’t want to marry me.”
“I highly doubt that, Ash. You’re beautiful and smart. He should consider himself lucky.”
“It’s not about me. It’s about who I am.”
Her face softened.
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “Maybe I’m overreacting.”
“Have you talked to him about this?”
“Not for a while. The last time it didn’t go so well.”
“Well you’re not going to be able to find the answers you’re looking for if you don’t talk to him.”
“It’s not like I can just go up to him and ask what hi
s deal is,” I pointed out. “What if I make it worse?”
“What if you make it better?” she shot back with a smirk. I rolled my eyes. “I can’t tell you what to do. But I think you should talk to him. You both have a lot to figure out.”
“I don’t even know where he is. He never came back last night.”
“Well, lucky for you I keep my ear to the ground. He’s here.”
“He is?” I frowned.
“Yes. He’s in the East Wing, training.”
“He’s training?”
“From what I’ve gathered. Why don’t you go and see him?”
After Sash left, I sat there for a while, trying to convince myself to leave Blaine to it. He had a lot to figure out too after all. But the longer I sat there, the harder it became to stay away.
Eventually, I gave in and made my way to the East Wing. There were several training rooms in the lower levels but only one was occupied.
The room was big and dull. There were mirrors across one wall, though smudges marred many of them. There was a small stand of weapons in the corner, holding a variety of training weapons. On the other side there were wooden mannequins, varying in state. Some looked new but a couple were barely in one piece.
And Blaine was in the middle of the room, doing swings with a sword.
Instead of announcing myself, I stood there and watched as he practised. Even though he was fighting air, his strength and talent was clear. He had taken his shirt off so I could see his muscles move as he did. His bandages were still on his stomach and though I didn’t want to, my mind went back to seeing him in that hospital bed.
When he stopped moving, I realised he had seen me.
“Ashley,” he said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“I…” All words fled my mind. “I can come back later.”
He grabbed a towel off the floor and wiped it over his face.
“It’s okay,” he said before I could slip away with my tail between my legs. “I figured you’d come looking for me.”
“You were gone all night,” I said, moving into the room and leaning against the wall.
“My mother insisted I stay the night.”
I nodded, guessing as much. I forced my eyes to stare at the swords on the rack instead of at him. I knew they would stray to his body otherwise.
“You look tired,” he observed as he tossed the towel back onto the floor. “Rough night?”
“Something like that,” I mumbled. I could feel his eyes on me. Despite all the questions in my mind, I couldn’t bring myself to ask any of them. What if the answers he gave me weren’t the ones I wanted?
I finally looked at him. Something in his expression made me think he knew what was going on in my mind. That only made it harder to speak. I swallowed hard then pulled away from the wall.
He watched as I crossed the room and picked up the smallest sword in the rack.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m pretty sure you said you’d train me,” I replied, turning to face him.
“I didn’t think you were serious.”
“Are you afraid I’ll beat you?”
He smirked.
“Have you ever used a sword before?”
“I’ve held one. Does that count?”
He studied me for a moment, as if trying to work out what I was doing. Even though there were more pressing things on my mind, learning to protect myself was still something I wanted to do. He finally dropped his sword and walked over to me.
“Face the mirror.”
I did as he instructed and looked at my reflection. I was wearing a pair of brown leggings and a pink jumper, choosing comfort over style that morning. My hair was pulled back into a plait down one shoulder. All in all, it wasn’t the worst outfit to learn to fight in. Aside from my heels. Blaine approached me from behind.
“Why do you want to learn?”
“You know why.”
He didn’t look convinced.
“Hold the sword out.”
I lifted my arm and held the sword out to the side. It was heavier than I expected and after a few seconds, I could feel the strain in my arm.
“If you really want to do this, you need to train daily,” he told me as he fiddled with my grip on the handle, readjusting my fingers. “This isn’t just something you do on a whim. You can’t do it half-arsed.”
“What good am I if I can’t protect myself?” I asked him. He met my gaze in the mirror. “Or the ones I care about?”
He studied my face for a few moments.
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Once he’d coached me through the basics of using a sword, he picked his own back up and told me to try and hit him.
Not even ten seconds later, he disarmed me.
“I suck,” I stated. He chuckled.
“I’ve been training since I could stand. Give yourself a break.”
“How long did it take you to be any good?”
His face fell a little.
“Years.”
I picked up my sword and turned it over in my hands, frowning a little.
“Have you thought of training in something else?” he asked.
“Like what?”
“Something you’re already good at.”
“I’m not good at anything. At least, nothing that will protect me.”
“Magic. You’re good at magic.”
I considered him.
“I can help you with it,” he said, taking a step closer.
“I suppose.”
“Don’t sound too excited, Princess. I happen to be quite good with magic myself.”
“You’re good with fire,” I recalled.
“I am. But I had something else in mind.”
He sat down on the floor and gestured for me to do the same. I sat opposite him and crossed my legs.
“Can you make a shield?”
“I’ve never tried.”
“That’s what we’re going to start with. I’m not good at shields but I know how to make one. Then we’re going to work on weaponizing fire.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“That sounds dangerous.”
“It is. But that’s why I’m the best person to teach you.”
He held his hand out to me. I hesitated before reaching out and taking it. There was a pause where he stared at our hands before he cleared his throat.
“I’m going to channel your magic. You’ll feel the way I use it so you can make your own.”
Being channelled was a strange sensation. I could feel my magic being drawn out of me by an outside force. Blaine lifted his free hand and pointed his palm to the ceiling. The air shimmered as a magical barrier formed around us. I could feel it through my magic. As it took its shape, it started to look like we were sat in a glittery glass dome. It was solid but not strong. A heavy blow would be able to break through it.
He let the shield drop and released my hand.
“Now it’s your turn to make one.”
Chapter 25
I collapsed back on the floor, exhausted. Even though it was only magic, it still took a toll on the physical body. As it turned out, making shields was something I could do. And it wouldn’t take me years to master, just a few weeks.
Blaine lowered his sword as my shield vanished. He’d been making me create one and hold it as he attempted to break through the magic with his sword. It had taken a while for me to find the best way to use my magic to hold the shield but now I had gotten the hang of it, I was successfully keeping Blaine and his sword at bay.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, just tired,” I replied, running my sleeve over my forehead.
“I think we’ll call it a day.”
“But we haven’t even started on fire magic.”
“We’ve got all week,” he reminded me as he put his sword away. “And you need to let your magic replenish before we tackle fire.”
He offered me his hand and pulled me to my feet. My b
ody ached, like I’d just finished a marathon. Blaine’s eyes ran over my face.
“You should go and get some rest.”
“I’m fine,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “I just need a coffee.”
He didn’t look convinced but stepped back. Something out the corner of my eye caught my attention.
“Oh, you’re bleeding,” I gasped, reaching out to his bandages. There was a thin layer of blood in the middle of the white material Blaine didn’t speak. “Should you even be training?”
“No,” he said stiffly. My fingers traced the bandage gently.
“You need to go to the infirmary and get it looked at.”
“It’s fine. It’ll seal up again within the hour.”
The urge to move my hands away from the bandage and up his body was tempting. His skin was shining with sweat from trying to break through my shield and every muscle seemed more defined now. Or maybe it was just my imagination. I must’ve been still for a few seconds because Blaine cleared his throat, pulling me from my thoughts.
“I should… go and have a bath,” I said, heat filling my cheeks as I backed away from him. His eyes followed me intently, as if my thoughts had rubbed off on him.
“Yeah,” he said, swallowing visibly. “And get that coffee.”
I smiled weakly. I’d been here for nearly two hours and hadn’t asked him a single question that had been on my mind. They were still there but I’d forgotten about all of them amidst my training.
Deciding to leave the questions for another time, I turned and started towards the door.
“Are you going to the festival tonight?”
I paused in the doorway.
“The festival?”
“It’s the Autumn Equinox.”
I hadn’t even noticed the date. Humans weren’t particularly interested in the seasonal changes but Fae liked to celebrate them. As creatures of nature, the solstices and equinoxes were our traditional holidays, like Christmas or Easter.
“Oh,” I said, turning back to face him. “Yeah, maybe. Why?”
The Avarian Chronicles: A Tear In The Veil Page 15