Page 32 of A Curse of Breath and Blood

From the kitchen came a line of other mouse-faced hobs, each garnishing a silver platter. We all took our places at the table as, one by one, the platters revealed a myriad of foods. Roasted lamb, a cooked goose, fruits, and vegetables graced the heavy oak table. My stomach grumbled at the smell of herbs and spices wafting through the air.

Ernie poured each of us a glass of wine before returning to the kitchen.

I tore into a lamb chop, savoring each bite. Famished from five years of living on cigarettes and hate.

“Easy there, Springborn, save some for the rest of us,” Roderick said, tearing into a goose leg. As sylph, they consumed much more food than a human. Wielding magic made their metabolism fast.

As the night wore on, our companions headed to their respective chambers, until only Caiden and I remained.

“Not tired?” I took a sip of hot cocoa.

Caiden shook his head, slouching into a plush chair with a glass of brandy. “I rarely sleep these days.”

“I haven’t slept in a decade. Dealing with my father’s illness and then Gideon—I feel like a sponge that’s been squeezed out too many times—ragged and useless.”

“That would make anyone frazzled.” Caiden took a drink. “You’re going to have to turn on the charm when we go to the Court of Sorrows.”

“I am charming.”

Caiden barked out a laugh. “Sure, ten years ago.”

Little did Caiden know I had charmed royalty all over Moriana.

Breaking into someone’s mind required trust. You couldn’t just dive into it. The subconscious protected itself at all costs. You had to entice them to let you in.

Many nights, I laid on the laps of dignitaries, pouring honeyed words into their ears until they became putty in my hands. Then I went in. Sometimes, I did it right in front of entire courts. No one knew. They assumed I was whispering sweet nothings, when really, I was hard at work, rewriting their memories or erasing them entirely. I have yet to find a drug to match the high of crushing a king’s mind while his court looked on, oblivious. Simply delicious. Just thinking about it made my pulse quicken.

“You don’t think I know how to be charming anymore?” I gave Caiden an incredulous look.

“You’ve been out in the wild for years. Your emissary days are far behind you.”

I leaned into him. The smell of sweet liquor permeated his lips. “How do you think I made a living all these years?” I slid my thumb down his jaw.

His muscles tensed under my touch.

“I can see into the hearts of men. Their desires, their wants, their needs.” Closer now, my breath on his neck. Goosebumps speckled his skin.

“Your tricks won’t work on me, Aelia.” He swallowed hard before pushing me away.

Flicking my hair behind my back, I said, “That’s what you think.”

12AELIA

Caiden didn’t lookat me the next morning as we sat in the parlor for breakfast. A light winter sun streamed through the large, shuttered windows.

I flashed him a shit-eating grin as I munched on a piece of toast with butter.

“Either of you want to tell me what’s going on?” Amolie said, reading the tension between us.

“Caiden thought I had lost my charm. I proved him wrong.” I took a sip of my tea.

Amolie’s eyes darted between Caiden and me.

“You two didn’t…”

“No!” we both shouted. Caiden took a long drink of his coffee.

Roderick nudged Amolie, whispering something in her ear, turning her face red.

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