Chapter 21

Farley:

It honestly surprised me that Hollow didn’t try harder to get me to sleep in his bed the night before. I might have stayed, because leaving had been hard for me. I didn’t want to keep saying no to him, but what choice did I have? He was mad if he thought we could be a normal couple. Because of his status, everything would have been turned up to a level that made me twitchy to think about.

I had been informed by a random guard that I had a show tonight, so I sat in my tiny room, getting ready. No one told me who I would be performing for, but I tried not to think about it, lest I get nervous enough to throw up. That wouldn’t have gotten me any new fans, and it might have even gotten my head cut off.

I had on my dress, and nothing else yet. I had started digging through my bag for my stockings. I should have had more than one pair, but the seamstress had to hand make them, so I waited. When I finally found them, I made a gleeful declaration.

“Adorable.”

“Ah!” I shouted, and then turned to see Hollow in my room. “Don’t you knock?”

He closed the door, shaking his head. “No, we don’t have to knock when we enter each other’s rooms. That would be silly and too formal for my taste. We’re a couple, sweetheart.”

“We aren’t, actually.” I stood, and sat back on my bed so I could dress. “Why are you here? I’m getting ready to entertain you and your father.”

Hollow knelt onto the floor, stealing the stockings from my hands. “Yes, you should remember that you’re still paid to entertain me, so… lay down.”

I swatted his shoulder. “No one pays me, ass.”

“You get food. Doesn’t that count?”

“You can’t buy a horse with food.”

“Do you want a horse? I can do that. I can get you all the horses in the world. Or a unicorn. You want a unicorn?” He waggled his eyebrows at me, and I giggled.

“You’re a little weird,” I told him.

“You’re in love with me, so that says more about you than me.”

My skin tingled, and then went cold in a moment. I didn’t tell him I loved him, partially because I didn’t know if I did, and partially because it would have been a cruel thing to do. I couldn’t deny him and then declare love the next moment.

Hollow let me off easy, smiling, and getting on his knees as he pulled my leg forward. “Allow me to see if the slipper fits.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can dress myself.”

“What?! What do you mean?”

I laughed again, then groaned into my hands. “Do other people know that you’re a giant goof?”

“Of course not. They wouldn’t fear me nearly as much, and then I wouldn’t get the best piece of chicken at dinner. Now let me clothe you.”

“You’re just gonna feel me up.”

“And?”

He picked up my leg again, and then started pulling the first stocking up. I felt ridiculous, but Hollow looked like he enjoyed it. Smoothing out the fabric, he ran his hand up my leg, letting it drift up my thigh as he fastened the little straps. I pretended to be annoyed, but I didn’t think Hollow believed it. Not with the smirks he kept shooting me.

Then he moved on to the other stocking, going slower than the first. Why the hell was he trying to be sexy about socks? Did that make sense to him?

Hollow’s fingers brushed the inside of my thigh. He pulled the strap up, and hooked it. Hollow didn’t remove his hands from my leg, and he looked up at me. Then I felt his fingers moving up again, gliding along my skin. I stopped breathing when he grazed me between my legs. Then he looked at me again. I guess I should have either told him to stop, or given him permission. I didn’t say anything, so he started testing the waters.

Hollow pulled my skirt up a few inches, keeping his eyes locked on mine. He kept that eye contact until he pressed his lips to my thigh. I realized the moment my brain stopped working, when I parted my legs a little further. Hollow took advantage, just like I hoped he would, while also hoping he wouldn’t.

Hollow kissed me again, making me gasp back into breathing. I did not appreciate when I heard him laughing at me. Before I could scold him, he silenced me again when I felt his mouth between my legs. I cursed the fabric between us, while some part of me was grateful for it. This felt like it really walked that whole affair line…

When he started pulling that fabric aside, I rasped his name. “Hollow. We can’t do this.”

“We actually can,” he said, pulling his head out from under my dress. “We have time.”

I smiled. “Not the problem, and someone could catch us.”

“You can spell the door closed. This can relax you before your show. I’m trying to help you here.”

“Yeah right.” I pushed him back, and he sighed as he fixed my skirt. It wasn’t like I wanted to say no to any of this.

Hollow sat by my side, and he took my hand. “We can figure this out. I spoke to my father about it.”

My mouth dropped open. “What the hell is wrong with you? He could kill me.”

“Only if he wanted a whole lot of other people to die.”

“What did he say?”

He hesitated, which told me everything I needed to know, even before he spoke. “He didn’t approve, but I don’t actually care. I made it very clear that you’re the one I choose, and I’ll follow you anywhere.”

His words took me aback. “You said that?”

“I did.”

“Is it… is it true?”

Hollow formed lines on his forehead. “Of course it was. What do you think you mean to me?”

I didn’t know how to answer, because I honestly didn’t know. Our relationship started with him poking at me for fun, and then in no time, it jumped to him killing for me. But he made it clear that killing hadn’t been a big deal for him, so what should I have thought about it?

I shrugged. “You tell me.”

He did, by cupping my cheek, and pressing his mouth to mine. Though I should have, I didn’t hesitate to deepening the kiss. I felt better when he kissed me, because I could push away the thoughts that reminded me of why we really couldn’t make it work.

“I want to be with you,” Hollow said, pressing his forehead to mine. “Forgive me for not knowing how the hell to do any of this, I’m still getting used to a lot of things. As clearly as I can state it, I want you. For the rest of my life, I want us to be together. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me.”

I took a deep breath, trying to think. “Your people would revolt. I know that you don’t care, but I do. I don’t want you in danger, and as much as you seem to believe in me, I’m not sure I can do what you think I can.”

“We could leave,” Hollow offered. “I don’t need this place, and neither do you. We can make a little home somewhere, and watch the world change together.”

I smiled, and squeezed his hand. “That sounds wonderful, Hollow. But I can’t make you leave your home, and give up everything you are for me.”

“You’re not making me do anything I don’t want to. You know that this doesn’t matter to me. Why would I pick a kingdom over someone I…” He stopped.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised. “We can stay in each other’s lives.”

He stared at me like I was the unrealistic one. “You think we can be nothing more than this?”

“If we try.”

“What if I don’t want to try? I don’t know how to not want this, and I won’t force myself back into the darkness. I can’t do that to myself.”

I didn’t know how to defend this choice I made, and I didn’t want to hurt him anymore. Hollow shouldn’t have been forced into anything, and it felt wrong to take away his choice in this matter. But what could we have done? We weren’t two random people in some village. I was a witch, and he was the only heir to the throne.

Hollow stood up, and he tucked my hair behind my ear. “You’re going to do great tonight. I’ll see you later.”

He kissed my forehead before leaving me alone.

***

With my costume on, my makeup applied, and my stockings on, I marched into the throne room. More people occupied the room than last time. That included two kings, ten guards, the two advisors, a princess, and the prince that she spoke at. I smiled to myself as Hollow stared at the floor like he wanted to kill it. Then he saw me, and everything shifted. His eyes brightened, and it made me feel like I glowed.

I did not introduce myself, because I had to stay in character. I wouldn’t talk, and I would focus on the magic alone. King Kakero glared at me already, probably thinking I shouldn’t have even been alive right now. Yet he felt fine being in the room with me, and the prince he fought with. Very diplomatic, I thought. He could play nice if it meant marrying off his daughter.

I started with a bow, and a little smirk to Hollow that made him grin. King Morec looked over at him, but said nothing. I had to believe part of him was happy that his son could feel alive.

When I stood up again, I flicked my wrist to start music playing. The harp began, and I took a deep breath. I clapped my hands together, and above me, sparks flew. Golden fire flew all around me in swirls, and I changed their shapes. They flew so quickly that they appeared as lines that I bent and altered. They sparkled as I made them into people, trying to get as much details as I could. I made men and women dancing as if in a ballroom. They spun to the music, and I cast them around the room. I didn’t dare get close to the royals, for fear of them thinking I threatened them.

The princess reached out to touch the sparks, and her father slapped her hand away. He got a glare for that one, but I decided to be kind. I made something softer, that wouldn’t have burned her hand. I took one of the fire couples, and I turned them into snow that fell in front of her. She ignored her father this time, wanting to touch the snow. I turned them into flakes that didn’t melt on her skin.

I focused on Hollow next, because I knew he would have appreciated some attention. I started with snap of my fingers, making a feather boa appear in the air. I kept it classy, making it dark blue as it floated over to him. He smiled when I tickled his face with the end of it. His father looked nervous when I wrapped it around Hollow’s neck, pulling it around him.

“Watch yourself,” Kakero warned.

Hollow turned his head to give him a death stare. “It’s rude to interrupt while my harlequin is putting on a show.”

“She’s threatening you with those feathers. She could kill you.”

Hollow rolled his eyes, plucking the thing from the air. He put it back around his neck and said, “If this is how I die, then clearly I deserve it.”

“Bartholomew,” Morec said.

The prince shrugged in response. “I would like to finish the show, if you don’t mind.”

Suzanna nodded along. “Come on, Papa. Make the witch keep going.”

The kings exchanged a look, and Kakero waved me on. I bowed to him, and threw my hands in the air. Wind blew, and I tried those sparks again. I brought more colors out, hoping that nothing exploded. People reacted badly last time, and I felt like most people in the room would have been upset with me.

A rainbow swirled overhead, and it worked. I smiled, because it looked stunning, and no one died. Everyone had their eyes on my magic, and no one looked afraid. Worried, maybe, but not afraid.

My smile was cut short when I coughed, and I put my hands on my chest. I would have moved past it, but I didn’t get sick. I thought that maybe I breathed in something in the air, but I coughed harder. I tasted something metallic in my mouth, and blood flew out of me.

Hollow shot out of his seat in a heartbeat, ripping the feathers away as he rushed to me. I dropped, feeling pain in my body, so intense I didn’t know if I could stay awake.

“Farley!” he said, getting on the floor with me. “What’s happening?”

I shook my head. “I don’t… I don’t…” I coughed one more time, and blood fell out of my mouth, and onto the floor. Hollow had his hand on my back, while I stayed on my knees. I wouldn’t be able to stay up like that for much longer.

King Morec stood, shouting to his son. “What is this?”

“She’s bleeding,” Hollow growled. “Are you blind?”

All eyes locked on me, so when we heard screaming, no one knew where it came from at first. Lwyn doubled over, spitting blood from his mouth. It got the attention of both kings, who drew their swords.

“Papa! Who’s doing this?” Suzanna shrieked, clutching at her chest as she looked around.

“I saw it!” Lwyn yelled, pointing his finger at a woman. “I saw her twist her hand, using magic against us.”

The woman denied it. “What are you talking about? I did nothing.”

Hollow held me against him, keeping me off of the floor. He kept my hair out of my face as I wheezed, feeling like someone stabbed me with ten daggers. I panted, unsure if I would survive. How could Lwyn even have been standing?

“Woman,” Kakero said. “What have you done?”

Morec stood between them. “She’s my advisor, and I trust this woman with my life. She isn’t doing this.”

“Well someone in the room us. Who do you suggest?”

“I saw it,” Lwyn said again. “I saw her working magic, I know it. Make her stop.” The man coughed again, losing more blood but still standing on his feet.

“Can you breathe?” Hollow asked me, ignoring the fight in front of us. “Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere,” I told him. “I don’t know how to make it stop. My magic isn’t working.”

He hushed me. “Try and breathe. You’ll be okay. I promise.”

“I think I saw it too,” another guard said to the kings. “She was watching the witch the whole time, and then the girl started coughing.”

“Everyone was watching her!” the advisor said. “It’s why we’re here. Why does no one believe me?”

Morec shook his head, watching the room. “I have no choice here. Guards! Take her to the dungeon. I have to look into this further.”

The woman looked at him with utter betrayal, and it might have hurt my heart. Someone in the room had done this to me, and I didn’t know who. They hid like a snake in the grass, unseen by all.

The advisor screamed about her innocence as four men dragged her out of the room, kicking and thrashing around. Hollow had me tightly, watching her leave. I felt him breathing hard, worried and with nowhere to put it.

The moment the woman left the room, the pain went away. I still tasted blood in my mouth, but my body didn’t revolt against me. I rubbed my eyes, sitting up on my own.

“Careful,” Hollow warned.

I nodded. “It’s over.”

When we looked up again, King Kakero put his sword away. “I don’t know what kind of house you hold, Morec. Witches running wild, advisors attacking people. Do you even try and keep your people safe? You expect me to leave my little girl here with you? How do I know she’ll be safe?”

“Take her with you then,” Hollow suggested.

His father narrowed his eyes at the boy, but focused on the king. “This is an attack on my home, and I will find out who is responsible. I won’t stop until the person who did this, is dead.”

The king didn’t look like he believed it, but he didn’t fight with the man. They needed to be civil in front of witnesses, or descent could happen. It might have already started among the staff, since one of them just got accused of using magic to harm us. I wondered if that woman would have still been living by the time morning came. If killing her would save face, then I knew the king would have done it.

They didn’t bring up my name, but I knew it would come. Someone would decide this was a grand trick played on the witch, and they would make up reasons for my actions. Hollow would be the only one who believed me, and I feared that wouldn’t have been enough. This was the second attempt on my life, and I could only assume it wouldn’t be the last.