Serpent in Shackles

Chapter Nineteen

I was chilled to the core and shaking despite the warm blankets wrapped around me. My eyes ached from the pounding rattling through my skull. The heaviness in my chest, in my lungs, made it hard to breathe.

The air scraped against my dry throat like glass. Dampness trickled down from my nose as I sneezed over and over again, leaving a mound of tissues on my bedside table. I groaned, rubbing my face in my hands, trying to relieve some of the tension building.

A common cold.

I wondered if monsters ever had to live through such trivial nuisances.

I didn't even bother to change my clothes before I left to meet with the team.

It took me ages to get myself to the dining room as I walked down the halls at a turtle pace. But when I finally arrived, the team sat around the table eating their breakfast with the exception of the Shadow Knight, whose seat was still empty.

Yawning, I plopped down into my usual seat and reached forward, pulling the plate of croissants toward me before devouring three of them. Vincent poured me a cup of hot tea and slid it over.

Moments later, the Shadow Knight entered the room and took his usual seat. He opened his mouth to speak but was quickly cut off as I sneezed into my napkin.

"I've always wondered what a human cold feels like," Naia mused.

Tears formed in my eyes as I sneezed again. The bottom of my nose stung from the rawness of wiping it so many times. I closed my eyes, despite the pressure building behind them and rested my head on the table, trying to drown out the noise around me.

The Shadow Knight told them all their assignments for the day and once I was sure he was done talking, I lifted my head. "What about me?"

"You stay here for today."

I rubbed circles on my temples. "If I wanted to be a princess locked in a tower, I would have stayed at the palace. Give me something to do."

"Fine," he said, flatly. "You can organize the books in my office."

Shit. I should have kept my mouth shut.

He rose from his chair to leave. "Yes, you should have."

I rolled my eyes and sneezed again.

...

I made the trek to his office, traipsing my heavy body down the hallway.

Cursing myself, I swung the doors open and surveyed the thousands of books lining the walls. I certainly had my work cut out for me.

Hours passed as I worked through the bookcases one by one. Pulling books from the shelves, organizing them, cleaning the shelves, and putting them back.

The endless cycle continued until I heard a knock on the door.

Elianna stood in the doorway holding a tray of food. Her long waves hung down past her shoulders. The deep red colouring was a stark contrast to the light blue sundress she wore. The dress wrapped around the front of her body, tying off to the side just above her hip. "Caeden told me to bring your lunch here."

"Thank you," I replied, watching her set the tray down on the table. "Why don't you join me?"

She smiled and waited as I took my seat. I stared at the tray of food as she slipped into the chair across from me. A cup of tea. A plate with chicken and fried vegetables. A box of tissues.

I grabbed the tea first. The hot mug soothed the cold ache in my hands as I lifted it to my face, letting the steam dance across my nose.

"He told me you came down with a cold so I prepared this tea for you with medicinal herbs. They're obviously not intended for humans so the effects will be very strong. Your cold should be gone within a couple of hours," she explained, magically summoning her own plate of food.