Naya sat on her bed that night, the arrow that Kelvin had given her perfectly balanced in her scarred hands. Her fingers carded through the bright plumage on the tail of it, scowling at how vibrant and happy the colors were on such a malicious little instrument. The witch could not sense much magic from the arrow, but even still she could feel that it very much desired to be back with the skeleton, to imbed itself into his non existent flesh and cause pain and discomfort for all eternity.
“You may keep the arrow for now, but it will come back to me eventually.”
“
I know,” Naya murmured, the shadows of the house whirling around the bed anxiously as the walls gave a concerned groan. “
...but maybe it doesn’t have to come back to you the same as it was,” she mused, grip tightening to the point that her knuckles began to turn white. The arrow gave a creak and the witch released it begrudgingly, setting it on the bedside table for now. “Another night,” she decided, leaning over to blow the candle out and then burrowing under the blankets.
Naya returned to Linore the next evening for the ball and felt incredibly out of place the moment she stepped foot inside. If she had not traveled two hours by carriage to get there and already booked a night at the local inn the witch would have turned right back around and fled to the comfort and familiarity of the shop. But instead of making an escape to save herself embarrassment the brunette pressed on, making her way through the grand foyer and into the main ballroom.
The dress Naya wore had actually been made for her by her mother and was intended to be the ritual gown the youngest Ashgrave would don to celebrate her magic when it finally came in. It was a simple, cotton creature that was ivory in color so that the blood of all the other witches in her coven would stand out starkly against it as they bathed her in it. Of course her mother had passed on before they had ever gotten the chance to perform the tradition and she was the last of her clan, so the garment remained blissfully clean, for now anyways. The dress felt plain compared to some of the other guests, who wore fineries the like that Naya had never seen before.
Her
worn out boots thudded softly against the gleaming marble floors, an obvious contrast to the clicking of the elegant ladies’ heels as they seemed to glide across the room. The witch knew she was being overly sensitive, in truth no one else probably noticed her stomping as there were plenty of other common ladies that wore plain clothes like her, but she couldn’t help but wind a lock of hair around her finger nervously as she made her way around the dancing couples. Her eyes flitted about the room, searching for a familiar face in the crowds.
She saw Prince Asher and his lover, Octavia, speaking together with their fathers at their sides.
’I wonder if they know?’ the witch thought as she watched the kings interact.
’A secret romance would be terribly romantic,’ she decided with a small smile as her gaze shifted to the other party goers. She still had a debt to collect from the young prince, but she didn’t think now was the right time or place. Besides, she didn’t want to interrupt him when he was spending time with his lovely princess. ((
@Ace of flames01@Sarcelle Renard))
Naya saw the mage she had held a dagger to not two days prior, scowling and sipping his wine along the edges of the room. He looked unhappy and downright angry, and Naya again felt a twinge of sympathy as she recalled him being almost torn apart by Livia’s brother.
’Best to leave that one be,’ she thought, skirting around him without making eye contact. He looked liable to stab someone or shock the ever loving darkness out of them at any given moment. ((
@Lord Zee))
Eventually she found what she was looking for, a friendly face that she was relatively certain wouldn’t mind her company for just a moment. Naya crossed the room to where Uriel sat, his dark armor traded for a handsome suit. “
Hello, friend,” she greeted with a grin, stopping to stand next at the table he was seated at. “
You seem excited to be here,” she teased, taking in his uncomfortable expression. It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one that felt out of her element. ((
@Polaris North))
It was here that she realized she might have interrupted a conversation, as she noticed a gentleman standing against the wall next to the demon general. “
Hello,” Naya murmured, greeting the stranger a bit more shyly than she had Uriel. He was expressly good looking, with fair hair and a jaw that was squarer than it had any right to be. There was a small scar that ran just above his brow and one that cut through his actual eyebrow, but the witch thought it suited him, adding a bit of ruggedness to his already dashing appearance. “
I’m Naya. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” ((
@Gate Keeper))
Bozo
Apollosarcher
