Nev quickly pulled both of his hands to her face, gently kissing them. “You are wrong. You did help,” she said softly.
With a confused expression, Wyatt looked up at her. “I did? Are you sure?” he asked cautiously.
Nev nodded and smiled before quickly moving to the far side of the cabin. As she entered her room, a wave of pleasant images surged through her. She remembered being tucked in, read to each night, playing under the covers far past her bedtime, and jumping on her bed when she was sure her father wouldn’t notice. Nev smiled and ran her fingers along the top of the headboard. Darkness from her last night tried to push into mind, but Nev shook her head and said to herself, No! These memories are finally mine again, and you can’t have them.
Wyatt followed close behind her and watched her intently. Observing her become lost in memories, he concentrated on illuminating the cabin once again. Wyatt couldn’t imagine what it must be like to retrace steps so steeped in pain and loss. At least when he lost Addi, she eventually came back. Later, he and Addi got to choose when they left their home. They had never again been forced apart. Addi’s presence had made all the difference in the world to him both then and now. Wyatt moved to stand close behind Nev and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Squeezing lightly, he tried to reassure her.
Nev clasped his hand briefly in hers before turning to face him. “Thank you for helping me through this,” she said softly. Taking a deep breath, she turned and gestured towards the bed and said, “We need to pull out the bed.”
Wyatt nodded and helped her move the bed, finding it was sturdier and far heavier than he expected. Kneeling, they both labored to clear away the debris left by the forest and the cabin’s discarded belongings. Working together, they eventually exposed the worn floorboards. Nev pulled her dagger from her belt and attempted to pry up an old nail, but instead of prying the nail up, her blade sliced through the weakened metal with ease.
Wyatt did not have much—any, really—experience with weapons. He was stunned to see any blade do something like that so effortlessly, but it was clear Nev’s blade was unlike anything he’d ever encountered before. Sure, she had held it up and threatened to kill him with it once. Of course, that had been before she really knew him. Also, he’d been a little too preoccupied at the time to look at it very closely. Now he could really examine it.
Its blade was as black as a moonless night, and he could sense a quiet hum of energy from it. Still, he found the handle to be even more intriguing. It bore the unmistakable raven symbol of House Colfax, and a brilliant purple gem marked the eye of each bird’s profile. He had meant it when he said he believed her story, but seeing the dagger just made it all so much more real for him. She was the empress’ daughter, the lost princess of Obsidia, and the reason the emperor hunted and marked young women. Wyatt felt heavy as the implications of Nev’s true identity settled in his mind. She is the reason, he thought. He took a deep breath and pushed that thought away for now.
Nev swiftly removed the nails and floorboards, revealing a large metal trunk nestled in the ground below. It had intricate designs of purple flowers spreading out across its shiny black surface. Nev strained to pull it up onto the floor of her old room. She blew off some of the loose dirt from its lid before examining the box more closely. It was beautiful and seemingly unscathed by the ravages of time. She searched along its edges and found a set of latches, both firmly locked. Thoughtfully, she ran her fingers over the locks as her mind worked to determine what means might open them.
The answer came like a bolt of lightning in her mind. Grinning, she held her dagger up to her face and saw that the gems used to mark the ravens’ eyes were faceted in just the same way that the locks appeared to be. She placed the dagger sideways against the first latch and felt the gem slide, satisfyingly, into the sockets perfectly. She turned the hilt slightly upwards and heard a rewarding click. She repeated the process on the other latch and then returned her dagger to her belt.
Her breath quickened as she opened the lid of the trunk, revealing its once hidden contents. A short-sleeved shirt made of delicate, purple chainmail lay within. Nev held it up to her face and examined it intently, finding it was not nearly as heavy as she expected it to be. She allowed it to drape over her hands, and the shirt rested as if it was made of silk. It was clear the metal it was constructed of was like nothing Nev had ever encountered before. Beneath the armor, a scabbard and sheathed short sword rested in the box. They were each decorated with purple flowers and the distinctive insignia of House Colfax. The only other items contained in the chest were a letter and a man’s ring. Nev scrutinized the ring studiously for a few moments. It was black and appeared to be made of the same material as her dagger. She could feel it pulse with power but had no memory of her father ever wearing it. Was this his? she thought.
Nev handed the items to Wyatt, save the ring and letter. Feeling she had seen all she was meant to, she stood up and walked past him.
Wyatt placed Nev’s items on the bed and then put the trunk back in its resting place. He returned the floorboards, debris, and bed back to their original positions—or at least as
