Spellbound

Chapter 15

    Damn that Senya. Tyrion raked his eyes along the grassy patch, making sure to examine every inch around the tree. The sun, which had finally broken through the dark, gloomy clouds, now splintered through the leaves and warmed his skin.

    Tyrion kicked over a leaf, and finding nothing, took a break by the thick red wall that built up the massive magic tree. He had expected Pria to be waiting for him the night before, not Ferwen and Etta having a secret affair. Tyrion had nearly exposed himself to them, but they were too wrapped up in each other to notice him. Thank the heavens for the darkness and the rain that helped to hide him. He did not want anything to do with the drama that would unravel should they be found out. He had his own problems to deal with.

    Which brought him back here. Where the hell was it? Tyrion ran his foot along the grass, hoping to feel something tap against the toe of his shoe. He was unwilling to stoop down to look for it by hand.

    It had to be here. Tyrion thought back to the day before. He had it in his pocket the entire day, and he’d spent much of his time at the base of the tree to read. It gave him peace, especially since people tended to avoid his presence. At one point he had fallen asleep, book covering his face, and his trinket must have dropped when he woke up to get ready for the ball.

    Unless…

    “Pria,” Tyrion mumbled. He frowned, turning the thought over. Had the princess rummaged through his pockets while he was asleep and stolen it from him? It was plausible, but would she really stoop that low? Even Pria had too much self-awareness as a princess to pat down a sleeping man. And if this was the case, how would Tyrion have slept through it?

    No. If Pria had it, she would have snuck into his room to get it. Which was why he had kept it on his person at all times. So, if he hadn’t lost it in the garden, where could it be?

    Senya. The name once again rang in his ears. What was she doing in the garden last night? Spying? If so, Tyrion would expect the affair to blow up soon. Could she have picked it up while she was there? But if that was possible, then anyone who had gone into the garden after his departure could potentially have it.

    His heart sank. “No.” He punched the tree and hissed at the retaliating bruise that now formed over his knuckles. That was a bad idea. This whole thing was a bad idea. Tyrion didn’t need to stay at the Peace Day Ball, and leaving would be the surest way to avoid—or at least prolong—an engagement with Pria, so why was he still here?

    The answer came easily enough. Billan. As much as Tyrion wanted to return home, he couldn’t abandon his only friend to the whims of the palace court. Billan needed him here. He never spoke it, but Tyrion knew that much of what Billan told him was not known by anyone else. And in this time, when the pressures of marriage were getting higher, Billan needed Tyrion to let out the steam.

    It took one more sweep around the garden for Tyrion to accept that his trinket was lost. Perhaps he’d be lucky enough to spot one of the many people in the ball using it. Or, whoever had picked it up was long gone, and he would never find it again.

    Frustration welled up into a guttural growl. Of all the things that he could have lost…how could he be so careless?

    He didn’t want to throw a fit there, with the windows allowing anyone to see him, so he shoved his hand into his pocket and with a sigh panned the ground one more time before taking his leave. He nodded at the guards as he made his exit, and he would have continued down the hall had he not bumped into something. Someone.

    “You have a habit of not watching where you’re going,” Tyrion said without thinking. He frowned at Senya as she rubbed her nose, and irritation sparked when he saw her dark eyes glaring accusingly back at him.

    “That’s what I should be saying,” she snapped. Her eyes flickered to the doorway to the garden, and despite the smug grin creeping on her face, her shoulders tensed. “I see you returned. I’m assuming it’s because you couldn’t do whatever secret activity you wanted to with a couple in the same room.”

    Something ticked in Tyrion, a chord of anger struck by her obnoxious taunts. “Like I said, that’s none of your business. Now, out of my way. I have no time for a commoner like you.”

    He was aware of the guards exchanging uncomfortable glances, and his raised voice was attracting a few more eyes. Senya snorted.

    “You ordered the same thing yesterday. It seems the concept of walking around your obstruction is beyond your comprehension. I suppose it makes sense. Being as rich as you are, you probably have people to clear the path for you.”

    And there his temper went. Tyrion had tried. He really, really tried to keep calm, but this girl was hitting every nerve. Who the hell did she think she was?

    “I won’t ask you twice,” he practically yelled. “You seem to have forgotten your place. Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?”

    “Of course,” she replied, calm enough that she angered Tyrion even more. “I’m talking to a selfish noble arse that’s throwing a tantrum because he can’t get what he wants. Where’s your nanny, sir? Perhaps she could remove me from your path.”

    The sniggering he heard from a group of nobles pushed him over the edge. It was the second time this common girl had humiliated him in front of everyone, and knowing that the entire palace would know of it opened up a furnace in his face.

    “That’s it,” he fumed. He grabbed her wrist and started along the hall. He wasn’t going to have her humiliating him any further, and he fully intended to finish his business with her in private, where bored nobles couldn’t be entertained.

    “What are you—” Senya tried to draw back but only succeeded in stumbling forward. “Let me go! How dare you touch me? Get your filthy hand off me!”

    Her yells attracted even more attention, and Tyrion’s temper was rising through the roof. He had wanted to drag her to his room, where he knew he could have a private conversation with her, but she was making it so difficult. Angrily, he shoved open a random door, hoping it was vacant.

    Fortunately, he had found a storage closet, and he forcefully dragged her inside, slamming the door behind him. In the tight, dim space, with him between her and the door, Tyrion had her just where he wanted her. He let her go.

    “You son of a b***h,” she snarled, rubbing her wrist. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You think just because you’re rich, you can—”

    “Shut up!” Tyrion yelled. He paused, took a breath, then continued with a quieter voice. “Listen here, Senya or whatever the hell your name is. You have humiliated me twice now, and I’ve had enough of your insolence.”

    She glowered at him, unintimidated. “Oh, I’ve hurt your masculine pride, have I? What do you want me to do, oh great Lord Lios? Apologize? Well, then. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you’re such a rude, arrogant bastard. I can’t imagine what a sad life you live.”

    “Heed my word.” Tyrion was glaring so hard his eyes hurt. He had never, ever been so angry in his life. No one had ever dared to speak to him the way this Senya did, and it irritated him to no end. “You better stay out of my sights from now on or I will make your stay at the palace a living hell. I have stooped low enough to talk to you, but I cannot ignore your disrespect. Know your place, commoner. The palace is no place for you, and I’ll make sure everyone knows it.”

    “I’m not scared of you.”

    Tyrion studied her, at the fire in her eyes, the stubborn set of her chin, the line of her lips. Yes, she certainly wasn’t scared of him, and that annoyed him even more.

    He moved closer to her, glad that despite her height, he still towered over her. His steps had the desired effect. Her eyes flickered with hesitation, and she took a step back away from him. It seemed it finally occurred to her that in this small closet, she was at a disadvantage.

    “If that’s all you have to say, I think it’s best we leave. I’ll be more than happy to stay away from you.”

    “Not scared,” Tyrion echoed. He had moved far enough that she was halted by the wall. Still, he didn’t stop. He couldn’t when his temper was still blazing.

    “Mister Lios, or whatever the hell I’m supposed to call you,” she growled. “Don’t you dare touch me! I’ll tell everyone if you…” She bit her lip as a thought crossed her mind. Tyrion hoped it was the epiphany that between a commoner and a noble, it would be likely that no one would believe her.

    He closed the gap between them, enough that he caught a whiff of the flower-scented soap she had used to bathe. He was irritated to find it quite pleasant, but he reminded himself that of course, since she used palace property, she would smell pleasant. That proved how luxurious the palace was—if even a common girl could bask in riches.

    “What was that?” Tyrion’s chest burned. He hadn’t known it was possible to have so much anger inside of him. He raised her chin so she could look nowhere else but him. “What will you do, common girl?”

    “I-I…” She cleared her throat, still maintaining her tough act. But it was crumbling, and Tyrion knew she knew he could see right through it. “I’ll curse you.”

    “What?” For a moment, Tyrion was dumbfounded. He resisted the urge to rub his ears to make sure nothing was blocking them.

    Senya regained her confidence. “Yes, that’s right. If you try anything to me, I’ll curse you so you-you, well, so you…” Her brows furrowed in thought, then her expression brightened. “So you fall in love with Pria.”

    Tyrion physically recoiled. “What the hell are you—”

    “I suppose you wouldn’t have known.” She smiled. “I’m a witch.”

    “A witch?”

    Senya let out a breath. She placed a hand over his chest and pushed. Tyrion was too confused, too stunned to resist. To claim that she was a witch…it was ludicrous to lie about such a thing. But, would she really go that far to turn the tables? Tyrion would have expected she would have if she was desperate, but he hadn’t intended to do anything to her. Was he really that terrifying or was she simply telling the truth?

    “Whew.” She withdrew her hand. “So, perhaps it should be you who’s scared of me.”

    “How could…” No. It made sense. That would explain how a common girl like Senya had gotten in. Witches were always invited to the Peace Day Ball. Not all at once, but every year, a select few were allowed inside the palace. With the exception of Misa, all invited witches usually attended for only a day.

    Tyrion snapped out of his stupor in time to grab Senya before she slipped past him. The sneaky b***h was trying to creep away while he wasn’t paying attention.

    “Witch or not, you made a grave mistake in crossing me. Now, you must pay.”

    “Pay?” Senya whipped her arm away from him, effectively ripping his grip from her elbow. “Oh, I see. Now that you know what I am, you’ve decided to treat me different. If I was a normal girl, you would have let me go with a warning, wouldn’t you? But since I’m a witch, I have to pay.”

    “Of course.” Tyrion crossed his arms. “If you were a common girl, I wouldn’t bother making you pay. Your status would be too beneath me for me to bother. But now, I know why you speak your mind so freely. This changes everything.”

    “I’m not paying for anything,” Senya spat. “I meant every word I said. I didn’t think there was a law against speaking the truth. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got friends to meet.”

    “Oh, you’ll pay.” Tyrion moved back and swung open the door. “I’ll make sure of it.”

    She scoffed and pushed past him. Tyrion watched her until she turned a corner and moved out of his sight.

    “A witch, hmm?” He rubbed his chin. Senya was much more interesting than he’d thought. And much, much more dangerous. It was best if he stayed away from her, but first, he needed a way to make sure she could never step foot into the palace again.