Bleeding Ink

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The silence within the walls of the university library was only broken up by the flipping of pages in texts and scratching of pens on parchment, a lull that made it even harder for Dessa not to fall asleep with her face in her copy of History of Dalcaine and Escarral. It didn't help that the sun was finally peeking through the stained-glass windows, letting in more light than what was given off by the ones hanging on the walls and sitting at each of the tables. Even for being barely six in the morning, she wasn't the only one there working on assignments. Every table between the massive bookshelves and in the main study area in the library was occupied.

She was still attempting not to doze off as she read the lines on the pages in front of her, especially when she had to write about herself for her Recent Events elective and was critiquing every sentence written about her life.

She'd let out an audible groan in class as soon as she withdrew the small, folded-up piece of parchment and opened it up, only to see her full name, Princess Dessa Deverell Ayveri of Dalcaine, written in block letters.

"An autobiography then?" Professor Britheva had smiled at her. She'd already known how Dessa loathed their current chapter and found this especially funny. It didn't help that everyone else in the class did, too. Laughter at her expense, no doubt.

Why couldn't she have gotten someone like...oh, maybe her baby sister Lenora? That paper would be short and sweet just like she was. Well, when she wasn't running around causing chaos in the palace with her pixie Silas, that is.

All semester, Dessa had been glued to the class, learning about both lands in a different way she'd ever had before...until they'd gotten to the most recent chapter. She'd heard every one of the stories since birth from the people who experienced it all themselves. She was a part of that history and rolled her eyes at what the author had written about her, her birth, and the supposed curse inflicted on her, all because it snowed across all three lands the exact moment she came into the world.

Oh, and the fact that her magic absolutely refused to show itself in any form in all of her eighteen years.

Curse, Dessa snorted.

And yet...she couldn't help but think of it as one, too.

All right, she needed to just swallow her pride and get this paper over and done with, then all she would have to do is worry about her final thesis due in a few weeks at the end of the semester. Hell, she could knock that out in just a few days if she wanted and probably would just so she wouldn't have to worry about it.

The chair across from her scraped against the hardwood floor, making several heads turn in their direction at the sound. When Dessa looked up, she found her friend Fin grinning guiltily, mouthing sorry to the others nearby who gave him annoyed looks.

"No wonder everyone's so grumpy. It's too early to be here, you know," Fin whispered to her, lifting his messenger bag onto the table to dig out his own books, parchment, and ink pen.

"And it's a good thing Dewridge isn't here yet or else she'd be dragging you out of here by your earlobe," Dessa smiled back at him. "Again."

He reached up and rubbed the ear in question, remembering what happened just the week before. "My week-long banishment is over. I'm allowed back in here."

"And hopefully you've learned how to be quieter in that time."

"Maybe. That was your fault, and you know it."

She snorted out a laugh, then looked around to give her own guilty smile at the break in silence from the sound.

She and Fin hadn't known each other long, just since the beginning of the spring semester. He was human, just year older than herself, but his family had actually lived in Dalcaine a few generations back before they moved to western lands Dessa's human side of her family ruled over. He was studying for a year in Ayveri, having been at the university over in the capital of Escarral. He'd been the first to say hello to her in their Recent Events class since he was the only one to beat her there on the first day. They'd been close ever since, even going out a few times with friends and once as a date. A date that ended with a kiss Dessa hadn't been too impressed by and decided it was best they just remain friends.