The Prince Of Curses h.s.

Seventeen

The last few days became bits of nothingness.

Harry didn't call for me to train with him at night, and I wasn't invited to dinner. In fact, I had barely seen Harry at all. I had barely left my room.

Olesia and a few servants currently had me dressed in the gown I was to wear for the ball. It was beautiful and elegant, made from white silk and gold embroidery. The stitching turned into snakes slithering up my skirt and wrapping around the midsection of my waist.

The length of the dress stopped near my ankles. It was sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline that had gold trim around the top.

"It's a bit loose," the seamstress said as she pulled the dress tighter around my abdomen and pinned it in place. I watched as she pulled out her measuring tape, looping it around my waist. She carefully eyed the measurements, jotting them down on a notebook.

"Maybe I miss-measured her," Olesia murmured. She had taken my measurements not long after she informed me of the ball, and sent them off.

The seamstress eyed her with pins wedged between her teeth. "No worries," she mumbled, pushing another pin through the fabric. The seamstress stood up, eyeing me and fixing pieces of the dress. She tucked her notebook under her right arm, looking me over once more.

She paused and turned to Olesia, "I will have it altered and ready to go by the time of the ball."

The seamstress helped me shimmy out of the fabric, careful not to lose the placement of the pins, and draped it over her arm as she left the room. I quickly dressed in a regular dress, covering my exposed skin.

Olesia cleaned up the bits of fabric and thread that were laying on the floor and dismissed herself shortly after.

She left a basket of bread on my nightstand for me this morning, even after I declined it. The thought of food was beginning to make me feel sick. I quickly walked over to the nightstand, grabbing the basket and bringing it to the window. I threw them out the window and into the open air for the birds to eat instead. 

I sat in my room and played with my magic. As its strength grew back the past few days I have been practicing more and more. I remembered what Harry told me about how witches are connected to nature, which is why I concluded that I could play with the wind.

I got better at pushing and pulling it, swirling it about me. Every once in and while I would get one of those uncontrollable strong bursts, and have to start again.

I tried playing around with the water too. When I spent my mornings in the bathhouse I would try to push and pull it but water was harder to control. I wish I had some type of instruction manual, a spellbook even.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that there was a knock on my door. Olesia came in, telling me that my presence was needed in the courtyard. I watched as she walked over to the empty bread basket, smiling to herself as she cleaned it up.

My stomach twisted. I still wasn't ready to see Harry after what he'd done. 

He was standing in his usual place in the courtyard. His sword was hanging in his holster and his tunic was a bit wrinkled, he looked as if he had just gotten done with a sword fighting session with Evander.

A mixture of nerves and magic bubbled inside me as he noticed my presence, turning to look at me with a smirk. And even though I had hate for him, for what he had done, remembering the feeling of choking for air— when my eyes glossed over his lips it reminded me of our closeness that night. How his face was inches away from mine, the way his breath sent shivers down my spine, and the way his scent made me want to inhale him forever.