Heir

Chapter 4, Scene 7

Leitha sat with Odette, reading to her from a collection of folk stories. The particular one she was just finishing up told the tale of a young Aldman boy who could speak with beasts and birds and helped them outsmart a particularly fierce bear. When she had reached the end of the story, she slipped a ribbon between the pages to mark their spot, and then laid the book on the stand beside Odette’s bed.

“Do you think a person can really speak with animals?” Odette asked.

“No, Dear, I think it’s just a metaphor. Like, for how we should cooperate with nature.”

“I see.” Odette nodded her understanding. “It would be neat if we could speak with animals, though. I wonder what they would tell us.”

“I don’t know.” Leitha smiled at such a whimsical thought. Meanwhile, she opened a small wooden case next to where she had put the book and removed a small, dried leaf.

“Here, chew this.” She handed it to Odette, who accepted it with her undamaged hand.

“I don’t like these.” The girl said, wrinkling her nose. “They taste bitter.”

“It’ll dull the pain and help you sleep.” Leitha explained.

Reluctantly, Odette slipped the leaf into her mouth and began chewing. Her face twisted into a grimace as she did so. When she had finally swallowed it, she stuck out her tongue with a “Bleh!” Leitha smiled and gave her a cup of water to wash down the taste with.

“Last night, I dreamt that the book burned me again.” Odette suddenly announced.

“The book burned you? Again? What do you mean?” Leitha was perplexed.

“That strange book you found.” Odette explained. “The one Prince Seimon said was dangerous. I found you reading it the other night and it burned me.”

“No, Dear, the book didn’t burn you. That’s impossible.” Leitha tried to assure her. “You just got your sleeve to close to my candle.”

“No.” Odette said matter-of-factly, her eyes fixed on some distant spot as if she were replaying the event in her mind. “I’ve thought about it over and over. Your candle was on the other side of you. I know better than to lean over a lit candle.”

“Odette, I don’t know exactly what happened,” Leitha confessed, “but I was sitting with that book for some time – hours, probably – and nothing happened to me.”

“Well, maybe the book didn’t mind you reading it, but it didn’t want me there.”

“Odette,” Leitha placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder to comfort her, “what happened was very frightening. I can understand why you would be scared of that book. But you don’t need to be afraid. I got rid of it.”

“You did?”

“Yes.” Leitha assured her. “It’s gone.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” Leitha kissed Odette on the forehead. “So, please, don’t worry about it anymore.”

“Alright.” Odette finally conceded.

“Goodnight, Dear.” Leitha said as she blew out the candle on the stand next to Odette’s bed.

“Goodnight.”

Odette watched as Leitha left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She wondered if it were true. Had Leitha really gotten rid of that awful book? It had to be so. Leitha would never lie to her. But then, why was it that, now that she was alone in the dark, and the castle was quiet, she could still hear that deep sinister chuckle echoing through her bedchamber?

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