Cardan & Jude oneshots

The woods

Hey everyone!

I know it's been more than a month, but now with university, I'll be posting less often, but I'll do it whenever I can! My schedule is really bad, and every time I get home, I have to study.

Anyway. Also, I was supposed to finish the chapter last week, but with the news about Liam, I just felt really bad and couldn't do it. I loved him too much.

But anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

It hasn't been edited, and I apologize if it feels messy or boring. I always write a bit every night, so since it's not continuous, it might not make much sense.

This chapter is a request that basically consists of Locke smelling Jude on Cardan. Basically that, hehehe.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Jude's POV

The next day at school, Taryn walks beside me, swinging her lunch basket.

I keep my head high and my jaw set. I have my little knife with me, cold iron, tucked into one of the pockets of my skirt, and more salt than I reasonably need.

I even have a new necklace of rowan berries, sewn by Tatterfell and worn because there was no way she could know I didn't need it.

I dally in the palace garden to gather a few more things.

"Are you allowed to pick those?" Taryn asks, but I do not answer her.

In the afternoon, we attend a lecture in a high tower, where we are taught about birdsongs. Every time I feel as though my courage will falter, I let my fingers brush the cool metal of the blade.

Locke looks over, and when he catches my eye, he winks.

From the other side of the room, Cardan scowls at the lecturer but does not speak. When he moves to take an inkpot from a satchel, I see him wince. I think about how sore his back must be, how it must hurt to move. But if he holds himself a little more stiffly as he sneers, that seems to be the only difference in his manner.

He looks well practiced in hiding pain.

I think of the note I found, of the press of his nibbed pen hard enough to send flecks of ink spattering as he wrote my name. Hard enough to dig through the page, maybe to scar the desk beneath.

If that's what he did to the paper, I shudder to think what he wants to do to me.

After class, I tell Taryn to go ahead without me, that I have some things to take care of.

She gives me a confused look, but through her long lashes, I can see the understanding in her eyes—she knows I need a moment alone. What I can't tell her is that I'm heading to the forest near the tower to gather poisons.

A few deathsweet petals, some blusher mushrooms, wraithberry leaves—nothing too suspicious, I could always lie and say it was for Madoc, but definitely not something I want anyone knowing about.

She drifts gracefully down the path, every step light and effortless, while I watch her until she's out of sight. The second she disappears, I slip off to the right, careful to keep my steps quiet, the trees swallowing me up.

My senses sharpen as I move deeper into the woods, my eyes scanning, ears listening, trying to be useful to the Court of Shadows for once and train my skills.