Page 56 of The Witch and His Crow

It was best when I didn’t dream. Those moments were easier. I just floated in a stasis of peace, without worries and concerns. Nothing mattered here. I grew comfortable with the empty quiet. So much so that when firm hands grasped my shoulders and coaxed me out of it, I did everything in my power to stay.

‘Hector, time to wake up, sleeping beauty.’

My face scrunched up as a tired moan erupted from my chest. Whatever came out of my mouth was half a refusal and half a yawn. ‘Sleeping… beauty?’

‘And the beast wakes. Finally.’

‘Good to have you back.Hiscompany was making me pull out feathers.’Caym’s voice was crystal clear. I couldn’tremember the last time he had sounded so bright and emotive.‘Another three days, and I’d have become bald.’

Another three days. Three days.

‘What?’ I practically shouted, sitting up, suddenly wide awake. There was a faint twinge of tension across my back, but nothing to take my breath away. I’d dealt with worse.

‘Good morning to you,’ Arwyn rocked back on his haunches because I’d almost head-butted him.

I blinked away the light, although it wasn’t strong thanks to the lack of windows. Mostly, the strands of daylight came in from missing patches in the straw roof above us.

‘Where—what am I—how long…’

Arwyn chuckled, the sound reverberating through me like the gong of church bells. ‘Slow down. One question at a time.’

‘You died,’ I accused, eyes dry as my throat. ‘I saw them get you.’

Arwyn lifted a single brow, his shoulders shrugging. ‘Sorry to disappoint.’

I blinked rapidly, trying to steady my vision. Then came the smell, the hot and heavy stench of shit. It was everywhere. Caym distracted me by flying down from the rafters and hopping at my side. He ruffled his blue-black feathers then rubbed his face against my thigh. The gesture was subtle, and yet it almost broke me.

‘Not disappointed, just confused.’

‘Understandably,’ Arwyn said. ‘You’ve missed a few days, although not much has happened beside waiting for you to get better.’

‘Then get answering,’ I managed finally, my throat dry as the straw I had been led on. What was this place, some kind of barn? It would explain the smell, the straw.

‘Not even a thank you?’ Arwyn mocked.

I rolled my tired eyes, suddenly aware that I was topless. Never had I been self-conscious in front of another man before, but then again, Arwyn wasn’t exactly like the men I’d bedded. ‘Are we going to waste more time talking about debts owed, or are you going to explain what is going on?’

‘It’s good to hear you are coming back to yourself. For a second I thought we’d lost you.’ Arwyn looked towards Caym, who snapped his beak in return. There was the sudden realisation that however much time I’d lost, Arwyn had discovered my greatest secret. He seemed nonplussed about it.

I simply stared at Arwyn, recognising the dark circles beneath his eyes, the pallor to his skin and the dishevelled look he wore. Yes, he was still handsome, but what concerned me more was how long I had spent, vulnerable beside him.

‘I would not have let him touch you if I believed you were endangered by him,’Caym added quickly, before retracting. ‘Turns out he touched you quite a bit. Your back was in a bad way. But harm you, I mean. I wouldn’t have given him the chance before gouging out his?—’

‘I get it,’ I spluttered, snapping my head to Caym. ‘His eyes.’

‘Get what?’ Arwyn said.

‘I wasn’t speaking to you, I was speaking with him,’

Arwyn’s gaze found Caym, and smirked. ‘This is going to get confusing.’

‘It would for a simpleton like you,’ Caym added, his sarcasm matched the witch who squatted beside me.

I smiled, keeping the jibe between me and my crow.

‘So, which one of you is going to get talking?’

It was clear we weren’t back at the castle, unless there were stables on the grounds that I’d missed. If my hunch was right, we were still partaking in the second trial.

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