AS THE DOOR to her room closed shut behind her, Ravenna's scowl deepened. Her fingers lifted to her temples, rubbing small circles against her skin, and she forced herself to take some deep breaths. The anger that churned through her veins was dangerous and she knew that she needed it to simmer down.

She made her way toward the bed, sitting gingerly on the edge of the mattress. Her lips wrinkled into an angry line and she rested her hands in her lap. Her gaze focused on her fingertips, on the tendrils of ice that danced atop her skin.

If she were being honest with herself, she really wanted to start creating a massive army of her ice soldiers —an army big enough to help her utterly destroy Tylat. The sheer amount of disrespect that he had shown toward her, simply because she was a woman capable of using magic, was utterly ridiculous. His constant attitude and offensive words were completely unnecessary. His mindset was that of pure ignorance. She wasn't a helpless damsel in distress, nor was she a voiceless servant or piece of property.

It seemed as though he needed to be shown just how powerful a mere woman could be.

The only thing that made her hesitate was the forest that surrounded them. Even Vyses couldn't figure out how to get them through it. Tylat was the only one who knew how to navigate it, and he wouldn't be much help if he were dead.

A knock at the door startled her from her thoughts.

Her jaw clenched tightly as she stood and made her way toward the door. Her fingers curled around the doorknob and she cracked it open. "Can I help you?"

Vyses stood on the other side of the door, a spelled stone of light held tight within his right hand. His wine-colored eyes shimmered, an unnamable emotion swimming within them. "May I come in?" he asked.

She almost slammed the door shut in his face.

Forcing in a deep breath, she turned around and started back toward the bed. He pushed the door open and quietly shut it behind him. A small frown was present on his face. "I understand that you are angry at Tylat," he said, his voice soft.

Ravenna crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Vyses. "Oh, that's absurd. What on earth makes you think that?"

Vyses closed his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath, his fingers curling tighter around the stone in his hand. It glowed brighter, almost blindingly, for just a moment. Then it dimmed as his grip relaxed. "Lass, it's just one night. The moment the sun rises tomorrow morning, we can leave and you'll never have to see this man again. We don't even have to stay for breakfast."

"He was incredibly insulting," she snapped.

"I understand. But there is no use in instigating a fight that we cannot win," Vyses said. His lips parted around a yawn and he rubbed at his eyes. "I highly recommend that you just let it go for the night and get some rest. We all need some rest. We are all exhausted from our travels."

Ravenna scowled. "I'm not tired yet."

"That's only because you are angry," Vyses grumbled. He stared at her, his eyes half closed. "Simply calm down. It won't even be an issue by tomorrow night."

"Calming down is only simple because you aren't the one that's angry," she retorted. "You aren't the one who was insulted, or who has to deal with that kind of behavior."

Vyses sighed. "You're right. I'm not. But I'm not entirely sure what I can do to remedy the situation either. Tylat is way too powerful to provoke, and we need his help to get through the forest tomorrow. All that I can suggest is that we get some rest and leave as soon as we can tomorrow, putting this all behind us."

Her jaw clenched tight. He was right. She'd mentally wrestled with that exact notion only moments before he'd knocked on her door. There was no use in allowing her anger to fester. Slowly, she sucked in a few deep breaths and closed her eyes. She did her best, attempting to force her raging emotions to simmer down.

It kind of worked.

"I think I am going to retire to my room now," Vyses said. His words came out as an almost incoherent mumble and his lips instantly stretched around a yawn. He lifted a hand and rubbed at his eyes. His brows furrowed, confusion marring his facial features. "It's strange," he remarked, his voice somewhat louder. "It's been a while since I've felt this tired. Maybe it's a side effect from being in the forest."

Ravenna observed him carefully. She crossed her arms over her chest, a seed of worry growing within her chest. The darkened bags beneath his eyes suddenly became more apparent, as did the sleepy sense of absence that swam within his eyes. "Are you sure that you're alright?" she asked.

He nodded. "Don't worry about me, lass. I just need some rest."

She followed him to the door. He pulled it open and stepped outside, lingering for a moment in the hallway. She leaned against the frame of the door and put a hand on her hip. "Well, let me know if you need anything," she said.

Vyses bobbled his head in a haphazard nod and bid her goodnight.

Ravenna closed the door behind her, her fingers twisting the lock on the doorknob. Vyses would be fine, she told herself. He had used a lot of magic to get them through the tunnel system, and all the travel was probably just wearing him down.

She walked around the room, blowing out a few of the candles that illuminated the space. Shadows crawled across the walls and floors, however, she could still clearly see the door if needed. She wriggled out of the outermost layers of her dress, leaving on only her undergarments, and draped her skirts over the edge of the bed. Tylat had mentioned that the wardrobes were stocked with clothing but, after he'd made his ignorance concerning women, she had serious doubt that she'd find anything suitable within them.

Crawling under the quilt that covered the mattress, Ravenna made herself comfortable. She stared at the ceiling above her head for a moment and then closed her eyes. She still wasn't feeling particularly tired, especially compared to Vyses, but part of her hoped to eventually fall asleep. She hadn't truly slept like a normal human since they'd left Caelan's house. She knew that her body would tire out soon.

As she laid in bed, she listened to the world around her. A gentle hum whispered through the walls of the castle, presumably from the magic that kept it maintained. There were a few irregularities within the hum, a small stutter that plagued the sound. It was almost is if the sound were an old beating heart struggling to maintain a consistent beat.

Her thoughts drifted to Caelan. To how much she missed him.

A small clicking sound interrupted her thoughts. She didn't open her eyes. She didn't breathe. She just listened.

The bedroom door slowly opened and clicked shut.

Her heart thudded almost painfully within her chest. She struggled to maintain her composure, refusing to make any sound or let the intruder know that she was awake. Her ears strained for any sound, any sign of movement.

There was no sound of footsteps crossing the room. There were actually no sounds at all. No breathing, no rustling of clothing —the room was completely silent, aside from the gentle hum she'd been listening to.

Yet, a sudden sense of awareness crept upon her. There was someone standing next to her, mere inches away from her.

Fingers lightly pulled at the covers that shielded her body. Ravenna's hand shot out, fingers curled tight around the intruder's wrist, her nails digging into their skin. Ice flowed through her nails. Her eyes snapped open.

Tylat stood above her, candlelight flickering against the small dagger that he held within his free hand.

Dun, dun, duuuuunnnnn!!!

Aha, thank you all for being so patient with me this week! Things have been a little wild and I'm going to take a second to rant. Not only did I fail my big certification test, but I had the RUDEST old lady sit at one of my tables yesterday. She completely went off on me. Told me that I needed to go back to training because I'd obviously missed some things and that I was the worst server she'd ever had --all because I forgot her mayo. Like literally. That's it. I just forgot to bring her mayo. 

Like in the four years that I've worked in a restaurant, I've never had someone completely go off on me and insult me like that. Much less over mayo. 

Anyways, thanks for letting me rant. Thank you guys so much for taking the time to read this book!! Your feedback genuinely means the world to me! 

ash ❤