And What I Found There - Book Two

45. I'll Spend Forever Wondering If You Knew

"Gods, you are a bloody freak." Adisonia's voice is the first thing I hear as I blink my eyes slowly open. There is a gray sheen to everything which tells me that the storm has finally passed and it's finally morning.

"Adisonia...what happened?" I ask groggily and glance around our surroundings, seeing Bishop sleeping on my lap. We're still in our tent but I'm in a new bed.

She snorts. "You had a bloody freak attack. That's what klupping happened. Oh and your demented, demon lover returned. Hooray." She rolls her eyes. "It popped in and Healed you."

"Vyndren?" I sit bolt upright, nearly throwing Bishop off. "Sorry!" I quickly readjust the drowsy puppy before turning back to the princess. "Where is he?"

"Lady!" Bishop happily sits up. "Ya live! I was bloody worried 'bout ya, lady!"

"I'm...really sorry about last night, guys," I swallow hard as I glance between him and Adisonia and the Knave of Hearts. The White Rabbit timidly steps closer and offers me a cup of hot tea. "Thank you," I smile gratefully as I take the teacup. "But I swear, nothing like that will ever happen again."

"How do you know?" Adisonia furrows her brow as she looks me over. "And what...was that episode last night? Where those... bitemarks from a Vampire?"

I hesitate, the last thing I want is to confirm anything and then have her run back to her mother and try to sabotage my standings with the Court. But I cautiously nod. I mean, she's seen what she seen and she's too smart to lie to. "But it's not what you think," I anxiously insist. "He didn't like, attack me or anything." She doesn't look so convinced. "He didn't," I repeat softly, my heart churning with restless emotion. "I have to go." I jump out of bed.

"Whoa, lady! Don't go!" Bishop woofs.

"Yeah," Adisonia hops up too. "I mean, I hate to agree with the furball but," Bishop growls at her. "Shouldn't you be resting? I mean you did kinda just survive a venom exorcism." She looks me over pointedly.

"Just tell me where Vyndren is."

"How the hell would I know?" She huffs and crosses her arms. "After Quill found it and it Healed you, it slithered away again. But this time Cornelius took off after it. I've never seen Gryphon so furious before. I think he's wanted to kill the damn thing but he made Quill and I stay behind so I don't know how that all played out..."

"No," I whisper with horror. I feel tears spring to my eyes. Kill him? No! Cornelius thinks that killing a Vampire is the only way to cure a blood curse! But I'm not cursed anymore! I know I'm not! "OMG, I gotta find them!"

"Whoa!" Adisonia jumps in front of me before I can take off. "Not looking like an asylum patient you're not," she huffs as she looks me over. "You need to change."

I groan impatiently but nevertheless swiftly summon magic in a burning flourish of white sparkles. I really don't care what I'm wearing, I just throw on the first thing from the Palace that pops into my head. And it just so happens to be gorgeous.

This dress is rose gold with begemmed spaghetti straps and a subtle V-neck that looks like its laced up with gold strands. My bust is covered in crusted topaz gems and my long, swishing nearly sheer skirt has various sections over it bedazzled by crushed gems too.

"Whew...there." I open my eyes to look myself over, actually smiling a bit with relief to look so nice again. I kinda looked like a dead body reanimated two seconds ago.

"Well," Adisonia grunts. "Look at you using magic like a pro or something."

"Thanks." I quickly duck outside into the chilly air.