[wattys 2018 shortlisted]
Humans see her as a dangerous threat -a witch that must be executed. With the uncontrollable ability to form ice at her fingertips, Ravenna is forced into hiding amongst the humans, stealing to survive. That is, until she h...
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THE TABLE OVERFLOWED with food, and Ravenna felt awful. She wasn't hungry —she didn't even need to eat. But she felt obligated to at least eat a bite of every single item placed in front of her. These humans had worked so hard to create it. She hated to waste anything.
Eoin seemed to be of the same mindset. With every new plate that arrived in front of him, his eyes widened slightly and his smile became more forced. He nibbled absently on pastry after pastry, just trying to survive the food overload.
"So how would you like to spend the day?" Ravenna asked once the plates stopped coming. Her stomach felt bloated and she really didn't want to move at all.
Eoin didn't immediately seem inclined to move either. He leaned back in his seat, his palm flattened against his stomach. He pursed his lips. "I'm not sure what exactly there is to do around here," he admitted.
Ravenna hesitated. Aside from the market, this city didn't seem to feature much entertainment —at least, there was nothing advertised so far that she'd seen. Some towns had frequent festivals and sporting tournaments. Others had natural entertainment, like a nearby beach or a forest filled with wildlife to hunt. And while this city was near a forest, Ravenna wasn't particularly fond of hunting.
"We could go exploring," she suggested, somewhat half-heartedly. There wasn't much to explore within the city. It was just a maze of stoned streets and old buildings —one that they'd strolled through just last night.
He arched an eyebrow. "Where would you like to explore?"
"I'm not sure," she answered honestly. She spent most of her free time experimenting with magic and learning new spells.
Eoin chuckled. "If we were back at home, there would be so much to do. Inside the castle and out. We have a festival almost every night and the castle has a lot of old rooms to explore."
"That sounds so wonderful," Ravenna said.
He suddenly bolted upright, his eyes wide and a massive grin on his face. "I have an idea!" he said excitedly.
"Oh?"
"It's a bit crazy," he said and scratched at his head sheepishly. "There are several Blood Knights with the ability to manipulate magic. We could see if one of them had a spell that could take us to the Capitol for a day. I could show you everything!"
Ravenna blinked at him. "You mean, leave the city?"
"Just for the day," Eoin assured her. "We could return the moment you want to. I just think it would be so much fun!"
She wasn't sure what to say to that. Leaving the city was an alarming thought, especially without Vyses and Lyth. But going to the Capitol itself was a serious risk. She was supposed to be on the run and staying low.
Not parading around the Capitol with the Crown Prince for a day.
"I've never been to the Capitol," she murmured, mostly to herself. She crossed her arms over her chest and sunk back in her chair. In order for her plan to work, she needed to spend as much time with Eoin as possible. She needed to gain his favor.
