And that…
Gods help her, but that meant a lot to River. More than she was ready to unpack.
Her fingers rose, and she traced the necklace Nikhail had given her, her lips tugging up.
How have you been?
Good. Busy.
Because of the rebels?
Even in the darkness, River hadn’t forgotten about them. They were always there, in the back of her mind. A threat that never truly quieted.
Yes, but you don’t need to worry about them. I’ll protect you, River.
Warmth unfurled in her chest.
I believe you.
I guess I’d better let you go so you can get back to work.
I can talk as long as you need. I’m very good at multitasking.
His next message was a GIF of a server balancing plates on both hands as well as his head, and River snorted.
The sound took her by surprise, as did the lightness in her chest. It stayed there as she and Nikhail texted back and forth. She brought her cold tea downstairs, swapping it for a fresh cup, while they kept chatting.
Eventually, when Nikhail really did have to get back to work, River started sorting through the mess that was her phone.
She texted Ember, confirming that she was mostly in one piece. Then, she went through her emails.
Some, she answered. Others, like the email from Melyssa Wright, the head of HR at Lakewater General Hospital, she ignored. Melyssa was requesting documentation of Cyrus’s death for their records, and that was something River couldn’t deal with right now.
Then, River listened to her voicemails. They ranged from sincere condolences from concerned colleagues to messages from vague acquaintances she knew through her mother. There was also a scathing message from Doctor Collins, which must’ve come in before Ryker contacted the hospital.
Even as River cycled through her voicemails—or in her boss’s case, deleted it the moment she realized the futility of listening to his hate-filled rant—she couldn’t stop thinking about Nikhail.
Yours,her air fae had signed.
And the problem was that River liked the sound of that. A lot. She liked the idea of being Nikhail’s and belonging to him. Of having someone in her corner.
Gods, things would be so easy if she weren’t cursed. She’d be with Nikhail in a second if that were the case. But the prohiberis was a temporary measure, a failsafe that wouldn’t be able to remain in place forever.
And when the manacles inevitably came off, when River was left to deal with her storm once again, she wasn’t sure what would happen. All she knew for certain was that she’d never be free of the binds of her curse.
CHAPTER 10
Maybe It Won’t Be So Bad
Ice-cold dread, like rain on the darkest winter’s night, sluiced through River’s veins when she woke up the next morning. Opening her eyes took tremendous effort. A load of bricks was pressing down on her chest, driving her into the mattress.
The room was the same as it had been yesterday, but the colors were muted.
Everything felt like too much.
Moving.
Thinking.