To Bewitch a Devil

226 I was only joking

“You aren’t fun,” Neera declared. “I was only pulling your legs, so hurry along now. I have a picnic date with Zavian that he is already waiting for me for.”

Neera walked past Penelope and out the door, leaving her stunned, her skin whiter than paper. Joking? Jokes Penelope could take, but about killing her to turn her into a demon? Penelope shivered at the thought of it.

Neera caught her reflection again in the large mirror in the hallway. Lydia hadn’t made an appearance, but Neera could feel the coughs getting worse. They were not as frequent as before, but when they came, they shook everything in her entire body, emptying her of the last of her energy and leaving her in a wrung-up, tired mess after it all.

And the blood was even coming more and more.

It was a miracle Neera didn’t pass out from burning lungs and loss of blood.

She took the last flight of stairs down to the foyer, and Zavian was there. When he turned around and saw her, his eyes gleamed like stars as he took her in.

She reached for him, wearing another one of those practiced smiles, her cheeks aching in the process.

Zavian took her hand and kissed it. “You look beautiful.”

“I know. I love the dress. And you look beautiful as well.”

.....

Zavian chuckled. “I’ll take that compliment.”

He guided her out the door and dismissed the guards tailing after him. It was a beautiful day for a picnic. The sun was gentle with its beams, like a mother’s touch. Big, white fluffy clouds dotted the cerulean sky, and doves flew past, cooing in soft tunes.

They walked in silence to another part of the castle, one Neera didn’t remember to have visited. It was a long walk, and once they reached a thicket of tall trees, Zavian parted the shrubberies and came upon a clearing of land with a picnic laid out.

“Did you just discover this place?” Neera asked.

Zavian smiled. “Not exactly, but it’s a lovely spot. We could come here often for meals.”

Neera looked at the meal spread in front of them. Steam wafted from the baskets, and little sandwiches peeked out of some. Wine was available, and so were juices of all kinds.

Her eyes switched between the meals, and she would have to find a way to put a drug in one of them, without making the mistake of drinking it up herself again.

Zavian sat first, and held out a hand to Neera. She joined him, and she could not deny the certain calm that breezed through her, a foreign thing, like a balm. Maybe the trees contained magic.

“How are you, Neera?” Zavian asked.

“Well,” she shifted to sit atop her feet. “How are you?”

Zavian raised a questioning brow at that, and Neera continued.

“I haven’t been asking you that question, and I want to give it a go,” she said. Quickly, she added, “I want to know... because...erm...I care.”

Zavian smiled. “I am fine, Neera. Especially with the past few days we have spent together. There hasn’t been any upheaval in the Kingdom, which I take as a good sign.” He pinned her with his gaze. “And I want it to remain that way because I want more of this time together.”

Neera felt her skin prickle with that strange wind, sweeping through her and thrumming at her power. She cleared her throat.

“Me too.” She said. “And we should eat.”

Zavian chuckled. “I think your appetite has increased.”

“I learned to appreciate food more after fighting for the leftover bone of a hyena leg I found in the land of the dead.”

Zavian froze as he drew the basket close, and Neera wondered why. He looked at her, eyes wide.

“You did?” He asked.

“Did what?”

“What you just said.”

“Oh, no, I was trying to lighten the mood with a joke,” she said. “But you didn’t laugh.”

“Goodness Neera, you have the straightest face when saying your joke,” Zavian said. “And it is too late to fake a laugh now.”

“So it wasn’t funny?”

“No, it was scary.”

“Oh,” she watched as he opened the basket to reveal chicken drumsticks. “I’d think of funny ones to tell as we talk.”

Zavian gave her an amused look as he reached inside and handed her a chicken. She bit into it, and sighed as its delicious flavors filled her mouth.

“I didn’t know Penelope was going to come by,” Neera said after she swallowed. “I told her to wait for me, and I wanted to have a talk with her. Just to... understand her.”

“That’s progress.”

Progress in the sense that Penelope kept growing like an exterior wart, yes.

“She looks genuine, and I only need time,” Neera said. “But I think I like her already.”

Zavian looked thoroughly impressed, just as she wanted him to.

“I only just need to get to Freya,” Neera said, making a show of bowing her head in despondency.

Zavian gave a shake of his head. “Don’t overwhelm yourself. Freya can be...unreproachable a lot of times. Just focus on those around you.”

Neera bopped her head in a nod, and silence ensued between them. She noticed the small smile that sat on his lips without effort. How did he do it without having to worry about pegging it up all the time?

He relaxed back onto the mat and gazed towards the canopy of leaves shielding them from the sun. Neera kept up with eating, and her gaze drifted to the cup of wine by Zavian’s side, and how she could sneak in a drop without his notice.

“Should I have the maids bring in more food for you?” Zavian asked.

“I may be ravenous in my appetite, but I am not a glutton,” Neera scowled.

“Being a glutton isn’t bad.”

Neera narrowed her eyes at him. “Well then, maybe we should focus on feeding you every single thing in this picnic. See how you survive.”