Page 103 of Cruelest Kiss and Fairest Blood
Ditching my burgundy gown, I slip into the tub. After several steam-filled breaths I realize I’m no longer coughing. My lungs don’t even hurt.
True love’s kiss broke the spell but did it heal my lungs too? Were my lungs ever really injured? I try to think back to when the spell took hold. I was sitting with Catreena. She gave me the apple and the guards chased me. Then I escaped out the servants’ quarters and ran into the dark forest.
You never left the castle.
Harrow’s words ring in my thoughts. If I never left the castle, then the effects of the spell started before I went outside. Was it while I was being chased? Maybe even before Winnie helped me into that panel in the wall. My headache intensifies.
Did I never even leave the table? There was a moment after I spit the apple out. My head slammed against the wood and everything went dark. Was that when I entered the in-between?
What if Cassius is right? Maybe I never got out of bed that morning. If some random witch really is the one who cast the curse, then I never even had that conversation with Catreena. Which means the poison apple was a figment of my imagination too.
Thinking back on the spider, the goblins, even the kraken. Each monster had its own territory to haunt. Maybe Catreena with her poison apple was the monster ruling the castle territory of the in-between. Did I turn her into one of my nightmares because of my inability to accept my mother’s death and her presence here? Cassius said the spell fed on my mistrust.
I woke up so confident. Now, everything feels muddled.
Sinking deeper, I let my face disappear beneath the water. Even in the quiet of this room, my thoughts are too loud.
Closing my eyes, I hold my breath. Under the water, my heartbeat overtakes all other sounds. Maybe I can stay here. It’s the first peaceful moment I’ve had in days.
What will happen if I drown? I’ll magically spit up the water when I come back to life. What a burdensome blessing.
My contemplations cease as I’m jerked upward. “What the hell?” I sputter, choking on water I sucked in when I was grabbed.
Cassius’s fearful gaze finds mine. “I, I’m sorry. I knocked and when you didn’t answer I was worried maybe we hadn’t broken the spell. That my kiss wasn’t enough. I feared you may have fallen back asleep. I saw you under the water and panicked.”
Wiping the water from my face, I sigh. “It’s alright. I was just thinking. You did break the spell. I’m no longer asleep.” A tight smile is all I can manage.
“Maybe we should be sure. Another true love’s kiss couldn’t hurt.” Cassius gives me a small smirk as he leans in to kiss me. I flinch. He notices my reaction and instantly backs up.
“I’m sorry. It’s not that I’m not grateful for your help. It’s just, today has been a lot,” I mumble.
There’s a stagnant silence before Cassius clears his throat.
“There’s no need to apologize. I’ll leave you to finish up.” His movements are stiff as he closes the door behind him.
“Why are you such a bitch, Lenore? He saved you. Stop acting like an ungrateful brat.” I pause. “And stop talking to yourself or they really will think you’re crazy.”
Chapter 32
Lenore
Melly still hasn’t come to see me. It isn’t right. She’s my handmaiden. Why would she leave my side? It’s possible she went to find medicines or healers. Our healers here aren’t accustomed to breaking magic spells. The whole thing still sounds crazy. My father hasn’t come either. Is he so wrapped up in Catreena that he can’t make time to visit his only daughter after her brush with death?
I’ve had hours to sit and think. The more I do, the more certain I am that Catreena is the witch. When I think back on it, all of my memories that began after I ingested the poison have a fuzzy quality to them. The conversation with Catreena where she offered me the apple is perfectly clear.
A soft knock has me jumping. I guess I’m still not over the hours of the in-between. Cassius peeks his head in.
“You’re up. I thought you may want some tea.”
I shake my head. “No tea, but if you could manage a bottle of wine, I’d be all too grateful.”
He steps around the corner with a bottle in hand. “I thought you might say that.”
We split the bottle. I’m able to relax for the first time since I woke up. I don’t feel like talking. Cassius respects that. He remains by my side, silently supportive. My eyelids grow heavy but I’m too scared to sleep. The in-between has left scars on my mind. I fear I’ll have nightmares for years. On top of that, Harrow hasn’t visited me yet. I can’t sleep until I know he’s safe. The wine swims through my veins. My fireplace flames flicker and dance. I can’t let myself fall asleep.
“Lenore.” Cassius’s voice startles me awake. When did I drift off?
“What time is it?”
