Nereyda

Chapter 11 || White Canvas

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Chapter 11 - White Canvas

Nereyda

The translucent green leaves shimmered and swayed above me. Sparkling flashes of sunlight pierced the leafy foliage at random intervals, glimmering as they seized their rare chance to take the spotlight. The teasing powder blue of the sky floated behind the glow.

I lay on a bed of crisp autumn leaves, staring up at the sky. Braeden lay less than a metre to my left, but he lay on his side facing me instead of the sky. His fingers carefully brushed through my white hair as he studied my face.

It had been several long days since Braeden had first taught me how to phase. We had seen each other every day afterwards and the stolen hours we spent together were by far the sweetest hours of my life thus far. We talked a bit, mostly we just sat together. Occasionally I would phase and he would chase me around the forest in his human form. I hadn't asked him why he seemed so reluctant to phase, I figured that if he had been so insistently avoiding it then it must be a sensitive topic. I was sure he would bring it up when he was ready.

The sparkling green leaves continued to shimmer above us.

"Do you believe in magic?" My words were always slightly louder than they should be when I was with him. I was nearing fifty five decibels, the law said that you could not make noise louder than sixty decibels.

Braeden smirked sideways at me, his full pink lips pulling up lopsidedly and his crystal eyes glinting. "I most definitely do not."

I said nothing for a moment, processing the implications of his words. All my life I had been taught that magic was a hoax. As a child, I had been utterly fascinated by the prospect of being able to do supernatural things. Things that no one else could do. It would make you special. Different.

Unfortunately, there was a significant lack of magic books in the palace library. I knew that many of the books had been burnt after my father had taken control of the city. Anything to do with wolves, be it good or bad. All of it went on the bonfire.

"Not even a little bit?" I turned on my side now, facing Braeden just as he faced me.

His hand stilled in my hair. "Not at all. What people call magic is just science mixed with some ill informed, fanatic ideas about religion and life."

He looked up at the sky. "Those who call themselves witches are basically just religious chemists, able to mix up a concoction that cures or improves health but not much else."

I took a moment to process his cynical view of the supernatural. "And is that your opinion or is it proven fact?" Having believed in the wonders of magic for my whole life, I found it very difficult to take what he was saying as gospel.

He snorted loudly without looking at me. "Well that depends on who you're asking," there was laughter in his voice as he spoke.

I found myself smiling at his cryptic yet humorous response. "I'm sure," I responded sarcastically, shaking my head slightly at the silly turn the conversation had taken.

"It's going to storm tonight," he said thoughtfully whilst examining the partitions of sky above us. "So there'll be a heatwave tomorrow." He spoke slowly and leisurely, as if he had all the time in the world. His fingers had started to tangle absently with my hair.

I waited for him to get to the point.

"I have a surprise for you. Do you think you can get out of the palace around noon tomorrow?" He averted his attention from the sky back to my face. His blue eyes shone as he stared at me, betraying his excitement about whatever he had in store.