In the Land of Tea and Ravens by R.K. Ryals Read Free Book Online Page B

She had nothing in which to present him, nothing except a small cup full of freshly brewed tea. “What’s this?” the king demanded. The girl did not cower. She simply bowed and offered him the cup. “I’ve made you tea, Your Majesty.” Fascinated, the king accepted her offer. The tea had a delicate scent and taste that warmed his spirit. “Your name?” he asked. She looked surprised. “Why, Sire, I have no name.”
    ~The Tea Girl~
     
     
    “We both made the same mistake,” Lyric whispered.
    The rain showed no signs of slowing, and everywhere there was the distinct dripping sound of water as rain slipped through cracks in the decaying roof to slap at the floor below.
    Grayson glanced at Lyric, and she noted the way his blue eyes pierced the gloom, the color just as potent in obscurity as they were during the day.
    The kind of endless blue that chases away shadows , Lyric thought.
    “Your mother?” Grayson asked carefully.
    Her gaze went to her knees. She’d said enough for now. He’d made a declaration of guilt, and she had reciprocated. But details … well, there are certain confessions that take time, more trust. There are certain confessions that never sound good said out loud, certain shames that can never be healed. To pretend otherwise was to lie to oneself . Lyric never lied.
    Grayson shifted, resting so that his long, six foot something frame laid next to hers on the floor. His palms came to rest on the wood, his eyes searching the ravens.
    “Are there any men in this bird family of yours?” he asked.
    Lyric’s lips lifted. It was a subtle movement, part smile and part gratefulness. “No men. A no man’s land, remember?”
    His leg knocked against hers. “Literally, it seems.”
    Her gaze slid up to his, her eyes searching the contours of his face. It had been years since she’d had a truly candid conversation with someone. It seemed funny that it was with this man. He didn’t look like the type of person you traded pain with. He was too large, too built, and too rough around the edges. She didn’t know him well enough to assume anything, but he seemed too unpredictable somehow, as if he would always do the opposite of what everyone expected of him.
    “Haven’t you heard?” she asked, her eyes falling to the tattoo peeking at her from beneath the sleeve of his navy blue T-shirt. There were three buttons at his neck, and he unbuttoned them now, his fingers pulling at the cotton in the heat. It revealed the V at the top of his chest, a faint scar beginning where the last button ended. “The women in this family drive men insane,” she revealed. “We destroy hearts and steal souls.”
    Grayson’s leg knocked against hers again. “Do they?” He tugged on his shirt. “I still feel whole. Scarred, but whole.”
    Lyric laughed. “Oh, you’re fine,” her gaze caught his, “as long as you don’t fall in love.”
    Taken aback, he stared. “With you?”
    “With any female in this family. Love is where the danger lies.”
    He sat forward, so that his body leaned toward hers. “That’s a little presumptuous, isn’t it?”
    Her head tilted. “To presume you’ll fall in love? Or go insane?”
    “Both.”
    Lyric shrugged. “I’d rather you not … fall in love, I mean.” She sat up, the movement placing her closer to him, but also allowing her to fist her hands in her skirt. It was a bad habit. “I’m sure you’ve gathered by now this family has a bad reputation in Hiccup.” Her heart beat faster, its rhythm almost hollow, and her palms began sweating. “It’s partly due to male insanity.”
    Her gaze lifted and crashed with his. There was no fear in his eyes, only curiosity.
    “And you said you weren’t a witch,” he murmured.
    “I’m not,” she defended, her gaze sliding to the ravens. “ We’re not. Emotion can drive people as insane as magic. Sometimes more so.”
    Grayson’s fingers suddenly fell on hers, his hand trapping them against her skirt to still her