Bonds that Burn and Bind

Chapter 10 Part 3

"Give me some warning before you do that!" I said, smacking him in the center of his chest as he released my hands.

I looked towards the table. Ash and Rhodwin were nowhere in sight. It looked like Ash may have given in to her request to leave, but his notes still lay in a neat stack on the table. Only Rosa and Ceno remained in the room, both now standing. Ceno's gauntlets sat on the stump table while he and Rosa were taking turns weaving shapes in the air between them.

I took advantage of the fact that Rosa and Ceno weren't looking in my direction to do a closer evaluation of the weapons that they wore. Ceno had a broadsword secured in a holster at his side, while Rosa had an intricate crossbow with a mesh of gears and wire strapped to her back. She also sported a baldric belt with three shiny daggers across her chest.

What kind of danger did they expect to face armed to the teeth like that? I wondered.
It made me glad I at least still carried my weapon.

The Fae Prince stood silently while he watched them finish their exchange. Then they both turned to face him.

"I was just filling in Rosa on what she didn't catch," Ceno said, placing his hand on Rosa's shoulder.

Rosa made several intricate hand movements at the prince and gestured to my dagger.

"I agree with Rosa, my prince," Ceno said, his eyes going to me, and I tensed. "I don't think it is wise for her to be walking around with an iron dagger."

"Well, you don't have a choice. It's part of the bargain we made. But it appears your sixth sense was right again, Ceno. She isn't Inanna, and she's not working for her."

Ceno looked back down at me and gave me a quick nod.

His emerald gaze found my dark eyes. "Rosa and Ceno will take you to your room where you'll be staying. Welcome to Nimbus Castle," he said, reaching the portrait of Alma and Inanna that laid in the middle of the table. He tucked it under his arm then turned and disappeared in a rush of swirling wind that made my eyes water.

"Please forgive him, Valentina," Ceno said, moving from Rosa's side to mine while I blinked away the droplets that had gathered in my eyes. "He is still grieving Winnie. She was the curse's latest victim."

The mention of  Winnie's name came with a twinge of guilt.  But a far uglier emotion festered under it—jealousy that he had loved her, and I was revolted with myself for feeling it. I reached for my necklace still around my neck and twisted it.

Ceno's eyes went to my bare feet then to the  puddle that had pooled around them.

"She needs shoes!" he shouted but made no move to help me obtain any footwear. Instead we stood there in silence.

A faint scuffling noise came the walls  like a small animal was scurrying around inside them. Movement caught my attention, and my eyes flew to the square paneling lining the bottom of the curved walls in time to see one of them slide to the side.  A mall, leathery hand attached to an equally small arm draped in a brown cloth reached out and dropped a pair of slippers onto the floor before receding into the wall and replacing the panel.

"For you," Ceno said, nodding towards the slippers, then studying my facial expression when I made no move to retrieve them, he added. "Brownies do most of the work around the castle, such as cleaning and running errands. Some even help in the kitchen. They a shy but harmless."
I kept my dagger poised as I crept forward, my eyes glued to the section of paneling the Brownie had disappeared behind. I retrieved the slippers, before making a hasty retreat. Once beside Ceno and Rosa again, I slipped them onto my feet, finding they fit perfectly.

"So, Brownies do exist," I said, looking at Ceno and Rosa. When the Mortals had liberated themselves from the Fae, most of the Fae had retreated into their ancestral lands.