Page 60 of Myths and Manuscripts
Maybe once she was done writing the book we could come back here and have a good conversation. Maybe it could even be our first official date.
Chapter 25
Willow
Inkheart and I had been holed up in the castle’s library for the past week, writing non-stop and only sleeping when we had to. I’d had idea after idea since realizing the hero was a demon, and I refused to miss a single moment of inspiration. It was too rare of a feeling to waste, like a gift from the gods telling me that I was on the right track finally.
I was really glad Thorne and Leo had come to an agreement too, which meant I could finally use both of their real names without Thorne glaring at me like I’d said something offensive. Between their new partnership and my ideas, I was already on my way to the midpoint, which I was basing off what had happened with Leo in the garden.
After entering the demons’ land, the magic would overwhelm Leo and reveal who he truly was: half demon, half human. He was going to spend a while coming to grips with that and his party would probably shun him, but he’d realize that his unique perspective was exactly why he’d been chosen as the hero in the first place.
Only a man who was both human and demon could end the war and unite the people as one. Which was why the King had hidden it from him, to ensure the war continued.
“Inkheart! You’re missing all the good stuff!” I nudged thepen awake as a thrill of excitement shot through me. “This story is going to be epic!”
The pen teetered left and right like it was drunk, its feather frazzled.
What’s in those drinks that demon’s been bringing you, straight caffeine? How are you still this fired up?
“Funny. It’s just some of Gran’s tea that Thorne brought back for me.” I glanced at the empty mug and plate on the table, realizing I hadn’t seen him in a while. “I wonder if he’ll be bringing more soon.”
He’d been stopping by a few times a day to bring me food and drinks, often before I even realized I was hungry. He never stayed long, but it felt like he was checking in on me to make sure I took care of myself. It was extremely sweet, and I found myself looking forward to our little food breaks more and more.
Inkheart scribbled something but hesitated to show me it. I frowned, leaning over to get a better look.
So, when are you going to let him read what you’ve written? I can tell he’s curious.
I flopped backwards onto the floor, listening to the crackling fireplace instead of answering. I could tell he wanted to read it too, but I just wasn’t ready. Not yet. The story was still in its infancy and if he told me he hated it now, I’d lose all my excitement for the story. I’d probably never write another word if it felt anything like how horrible reading that note from the story gods had felt. That kind of rejection was hard to get over and it stung even now.
I curled onto my side as Cinder hopped over, her little bunny nose wiggling.
“Hey there,” I whispered, reaching out to pet her soft fur. “Sorry I’ve been ignoring you lately.” She tilted her head and nosed my fingers like she was looking for food. “Okay, okay, I’ll go get you something tasty in a minute.”
Oh sure, you feed the bunny but not yourself.Inkheart fluffed up before writing another note.Just remember that no first draft is ever perfect, okay? No matter what you write, you can always edit it later, so you shouldn’t be afraid to show it to him.
That’s what people always said, but it didn’t make the disappointment sting any less when your first draft ended up being terrible. Until somebody read it, I could stay blissfully ignorant and believe that this story was the best thing I’d ever written. It really did feel that way too, which was probably because I knew the characters and their stories so well.
Now I just had to nail their ending and this whole adventure into Thorne’s book would be worth it.
But first, carrots.
I stood up to go grab some food for Cinder, but paused as noises drifted over from down the hall. It sounded like Thorne and Leo were struggling with something, cursing and breathing heavy. It almost sounded like they were...
“Stop fighting!” I shouted as I ran down the hall, freezing in place when I saw the mattress they were carrying. My face burned. “Oh, you’re bringing a mattress in. Ignore me, I’m sleep deprived.”
“It’s good to see you out and about.” Thorne smiled and rested the mattress against the corner wall they were trying to maneuver around. “How’s the book going?”
“Hey!” Leo’s shout was muffled behind the mattress where he was presumably pinned. “You can’t just pretend like I’m not here! That’s not how teams work!”
Thorne raised an eyebrow, leaning close to whisper to me. “He keeps telling me that teamwork makes the dream work and I just had to do something.”
I barely covered up my laugh as I moved to free the hapless hero from his cushioned prison. His face was rosy and his hairwas mussed up, but he was grinning like he was having a pretty good time.
“Thank you, my lady.” He squeezed out from behind the mattress and bowed to me before turning to Thorne. “You need to work on your manners. Being a demon doesn’t mean you can go around squashing people with extremely cozy mattresses.” He pushed his hand deep into the cushion, his eyes wide. “Honestly though, where did you get this? It’s the most comfortable thing I’ve ever been pinned behind. I’d sleep like a baby on this.”
I grinned. “Demons love being cozy, so there are multiple mattress stores in town. We’ll have to show you sometime. Maybe you can even purchase some for yourself and share the news about how wonderful everyone here is.”
Thorne rubbed his chin. “Now there’s an idea, spreading peace through comfortable bedding. I wonder if anyone’s ever tried that.”
