Page 6 of Stitches
“Then allow yourself to unwind instead of staying taut like a spring trap. No one will hurt you. Perhaps with words, but no one harms another in the Shadow Lands. I’ve told you.”
“I know.” But words, however temporary, still carried the weight of actions.
“Did you take your draught this morning?”
Levi couldn’t help the scrunch of his nose. “I… forgot.”
“Levi, the purpose of that draught is to help ease your mind and acclimate you to life here.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Master, it just… tastes awful.”
Another wry smile touched Braxton’s lips. “Things that are good for you often do.” He wheeled around Levi toward the kitchen, where the kettle was on simmer, keeping the brewed draught warm where Levi was intended to take it with breakfast. There was an inherent bitterness to it, but Levi could admit that after drinking it, he always felt a sense of contentment far stronger than if it was merely herbal tea.
Braxton poured some of the brew into a ready teacup and handed it to Levi. Trying not to scrunch his nose quite so obviously this time, Levi swallowed a large, acrid gulp.
“There you are. Honestly, sometimes I regret you have a soul. So much more effort than my other constructs.”
Levi’s stomach dipped far deeper than could be caused by Braxton’s anger or a nauseating drink. Braxton was all he had; he wanted to please him. “I’m sorry, Master.”
“You can make it up to me by going to the city council meeting later.” Braxton wheeled away without waiting for Levi’s response. “I’m far too busy.”
“T-truly?” Levi nearly dropped his cup. “B-b-but I—”
“You can handle that, can’t you?” Braxton interrupted without looking back. “I’ll need a full account in case Ash needs anything of me. Ah, and I have some previous requests you can deliver to him afterward.” Braxton tapped a waiting list on the kitchen table as he passed it.
Requests for theking?
“B-b-but—”
“But what?” Braxton finally pivoted to fix Levi with a steady stare.
Levi clutched his teacup in both hands and lowered his eyes at the quiet reprimand. “N-nothing, Master.”
Braxton sighed. “When I have time, I’ll have to do something about that stutter. Go on now. Put the supplies away, and then you can do as you please until the meeting.”
Levi had almost forgotten the pack slung over his body, filled with supplies for Braxton—and a tunic and belt for Levi.
Any concern over Braxton discovering there were extra items in the bag washed away as Braxton returned to his workshop, closing the door behind him. Even so, Levi gulped down his remaining draught with a grimace and set to work unloading the pack and putting everything in its place.
Then he grabbed the list from the table, all basic enough requests, such as additional warding crystals. Those were likely for the upcoming hunt, since they could warn people should they venture too close to the barrier’s edge. A perimeter of the crystals lined the barrier, but theycould be disturbed by animals and didn’t stay lit forever, often needing to be replaced. The barrier was invisible otherwise and very difficult to detect.
Anyone who unwittingly crossed it disintegrated, like being erased from existence.
Levi left the task of gathering items for the king until later, bypassing the first upstairs level upon his ascent and continuing for his room. Braxton slept in his workroom and was a man of simple needs, so the top floor was all Levi’s. He didn’t have much—a bed, a wardrobe, an extra washbasin. The rest of the room was lined with bookshelves and filled with nearly every tome Braxton owned. He’d gifted Levi with much natural knowledge upon his creation but told him that expansion of it was up to him, and that every new thing learned made him more useful, which was Levi’s only goal in life.
That and to perhaps manage a conversation with the king without stammering.
Levi’s wardrobe was meager, but then, he didn’t require much. He still managed to hide the new tunic between a few other sets of garments and hung the belt with it.
He couldn’t truly say why he felt the need to hide new clothing. He hadn’t stolen it. He hadn’t paid for it with goods he wasn’t allowed to trade. It was a bonus, a gift. Yet still, it felt like something precious that he needed to keep for himself.
Braxton gave Levi everything he needed—morethan he needed—but Levi’s favorite was the room itself, with a window that looked out of the tower upon the entirety of the Shadow Lands, all the way from the tower’s great hill to the hill of the Shadow King’s castle, and every expanse within the valley between.
The Black Lake was to the west, the wood to the east, and the castle straight ahead, as if Levi could look directly into the king’s own bedchambers if their hills were closer.
The thought made Levi’s cheeks grow warm again.
He had a chair pulled up beside the window where he often read. He sat there now, leaning his arms upon the windowsill and his head on his hands, thinking of the king. He’d run from him today without so much as a bow. Later, he had to talk to him. There would be no hiding or running then.
