Crowned King (Throne of Thorns #2)

Chapter 23 - Damned towel

Chapter 23

Wednesday, March 17th, 1982

It seems it is true that she has changed her ways. She has a bigger purpose now – one that, if fulfilled, will render her immortal. According to Aidoneus' informant, Sybil is fighting to collect three special hearts and she is to use them to perform an ancient spell.
There is some confusion over how she means to collect them. Some say the hearts have to be collected all at once. Some say they still have to be beating. And others say it is not hearts she is after. What everyone agrees on is that she is looking for a way to become a sort of goddess herself.

I asked Blynn for the book she had first mentioned when I told her about Sybil's return – "Ars maleficiorum - Ubi omnes coeperunt". (The art of witchcraft – Where it all began)
With the help of the gods, I might find something useful in there.

Thalia sighed deeply as she stared at the open page of Anton's journal, absentmindedly brushing her index finger over his unique signature. His handwriting was so beautiful... so gentle. It made her wonder whether it was a reflection of the kind of king he was. And if she considered her father's memories of him to come from more than just a place of love, she could safely claim that Anton had been more than just a gentle king.

Reading his words, Thalia felt strangely connected to the dead king - almost as if she had known him herself. She could imagine him caressing the white paper with his fountain pen, inking it delicately. There was something about the way he wrote, as if he knew his words would serve a purpose and he would not have the time to spell them out. There was a sort of romantic urgency in his diaries – one that Thalia felt as soon as she started reading them.

Or maybe she was reading too much into the lines and the only reason she felt a connection to him was because she was actually linked to the only piece of him he left behind - forever.

Thalia sighed again, letting her head fall against the couch and closing her eyes shut. She took a deep breath, relishing the odd aroma of the many books carefully arranged on the wooden shelves of the library. In reality, that musty smell tickled her nose and almost made her want to sneeze. But it also offered a weird kind of comfort... familiarity. That's why she enjoyed breathing it in.

Maybe it was the ability of things that have been around for a long time – to make one feel safe and connected to them.

With her eyes closed, she allowed her mind to wander back to that night over a week ago - to the secret her mate had been keeping from her. She remembered how she watched his pained features in shock and how he pleaded with her to say something. She remembered how she had pushed him away and ran to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach out, leaving him stunned by their bed.

In her mind, she could still trace the steps she had taken. And she could still feel his heart breaking. She had wanted to tell him. Tell him that she wasn't mad at him for keeping it a secret, that she understood. But she couldn't stop vomiting and Rafail's panic as he had rushed to hold her hair out of her face hadn't helped her case either. When her stomach had finally called it quits, she had wrapped her arms around him, trying to calm both their wildly beating hearts.

Then, after she had freshened up, she had let him hold her, whispering that she needed time – time to think. As always, he had understood, apologizing profusely for causing her more despair.

But she hadn't used the time she had asked for. Not for the reason she had asked for it that is. Instead, she had allowed herself to immerse in Anton's journals, kingdom's requirements, charities, unsigned paperwork – anything but Aine's offer.

And yet, despite all her efforts, she couldn't escape it. Those words rang in her head day and night, causing her stomach to churn again and again. Thalia couldn't remember the last time she had vomited so much. Hell, as a werewolf, she hadn't even felt much of nausea, let alone anything further than that. But now she was experiencing it daily and it frustrated her.