My Heart Is Ready: The Absolutes, #0.5

By Chace Verity

The last thing Corsine ever expected to do was break into a vault and steal some rare seeds. Corsine has a secret magic known as Maje flowing through her veins, but she's never committed a crime before, and she's terrified of the other Majerian hoarding the seeds at Rosales. But the risk is worth it if she can successfully prove how far she'll go for her girlfriend.

 

Self-proclaimed harpy king Lester loves chasing rumors, but it's hard to fly around and gossip while molting. However, he doesn't have time to shed quietly when his best friend Corsine is behaving suspiciously about her trip to Rosales. Plus he's dying to impress Corsine's (hot) fearless traveling companion.

 

For Corsine and Lester, uncovering truths is easy, but revealing secrets is hard when love and friendship are on the line.

—

My Heart Is Ready is a complete, standalone 30k novella in The Absolutes series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chace Verity
• Release date: Dec 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781540151650

Book preview

Chapter One / Lester

Lester liked the crown of wildflowers woven through the strawberry farmer’s hair.

Neither of the human twins had noticed him spying on them.

Lester listened to their argument with his claws digging into the topmost branch of the twisty orange maple tree. The high noon sunlight bounced off the harpy’s golden wings and shielded him in a protective glow.

Humans had the best gossip. Even when the secrets themselves weren’t terribly interesting, humans had a way of packing intense emotions into them. Rumors and speculation would crackle in the harpy’s head and send a delightful buzz through his body.

Harpies had evolved quite a bit from their days of stealing food out of humans’ hands. Now, they stole their words.

The twins had many remarks between them. Lester didn’t understand them all, but he understood the emotions. Despair. Exasperation. Confusion.

Anyone passing by might have noticed the emotions, too. This particular farm in northern Florea was famed for its rainbow strawberries. The colors changed depending on the mood in the air. Currently, all the strawberries in the patch were a solemn shade of midnight blue. Even the pixies flitting around the fields had lost some of their glitter.

"What is an Absolute? asked the sister, throwing her hands in the air. There’s something more to this arrangement than being some fancy knight, isn’t there? You’ve never wanted to be a knight before."

Doesn’t matter, her brother retorted. Think of the money we’re getting. You’ll be so happy at Rosales. It’s what we’ve always wanted.

The young woman with long, black hair had the most adorable glare. Her sunburned cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

Lester adjusted the rusty metal coronet on his head. In addition to being one of the rare males in his species, he had arms as well as wings. Said arms came from his human father.

No other harpy was like him. He was the king of harpies.

A glimmer of interest in finding a queen ran through him every time the woman cursed at her brother. He had observed this woman a few times while perching from this tree, and she had always looked standoffish. She never interacted with the farm’s visitors, never played with the pixies, never smiled.

It was interesting to see her so animated now.

I’d rather not get an education at the expense of your happiness, she said, circling her brother.

Who said I’m unhappy?

Our parents gladly accept your farce, but I know you better than them. Stop lying to me. Why do the Absolutes want a peasant who has never held a sword in his life?

I’m good with a sickle, he said. No one can cut grains faster than me.

She stopped in her tracks. I can.

Besides you.

You love being on the farm. Why are you really going with them?

The brother clenched his jaw. The man had attractive qualities in his doughy face, a handsome rogue similar to a magpie. Lester, queer in every aspect of his life, didn’t mind the prospect of a king or a nonbinary regent at his side, but he was currently more drawn to the woman with exquisite biceps.

I owe the queen, you know, the brother said. I’ll visit you at Rosales when I can. Say, when do you leave? Next week?

Lester cocked his head to the side. Were the twins affiliated with Haveri? What could this man owe the Crow Queen?

The possibilities rattled through Lester’s brain like tiny bolts of lightning and caused the feathers along his legs to stiffen.

Goddess, rumors were magnificent.

So was this muscular woman with flowers in her hair.

Perhaps Lester could impress the strawberry farmer by finding out what an Absolute was for her.

Chapter Two / Corsine

Corsine could enchant crops to grow overnight, bring life back to infertile soil, and pry histories out of earthworms, but she couldn’t touch the ocean.

This strained her relationship with her girlfriend immensely. Tris left her home among the rocky islands of Florea and visited Corsine every full moon, but a ukulele-playing siren dusted from head to toe in gold stood out in the flat farmlands. Sirens weren’t exactly welcomed creatures among humans, due to the reputation a few radical ones had for drowning sailors.

The same magic that allowed Corsine to quietly save her neighbors’ farms from natural disasters prevented her from getting on a boat to visit her girlfriend. In her head, the earth whispered the dangers of the ocean.

Why do I always have to be the one to visit you? Tris asked, storming in circles around the kitchen. The golden wings on her shoulders flapped in harmony with her anger.

Corsine leaned against the sink, keeping her head low. Blossom, her fox companion with light-pink fur, curled around her feet. Blossom always served as a reminder to stay calm.

She couldn’t tell Tris about her magic and the way Maje guided her life. That took a certain amount of courage she didn’t have. This was why she was currently engaged in yet another argument with Tris.

Why can’t you come to my island? Tris continued. "Why can’t you meet my family?

It’s safer this way, Corsine replied.

Safer for who? You or me? You always treat me like a secret. Are you ashamed of me?

Corsine looked up. No, of course not.

Are you sure? You always cite your fear of the ocean, but even when I promise to carry you safely in the air, you refuse my requests to meet my family. We’ve been together for two years!

I know.

Honestly. If you aren’t serious about us, we should just break up.

Corsine’s mouth went dry. Break up. The two worst words in the world.

They seemed to have shocked Tris, too. Tris flitted over to Corsine and wrapped her arms around her.

Oh, Corrie. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just frustrated, I guess.

I know. You have every right to be.

Corrie…

They held each other and apologized, but the tension had only turned down to a low heat. It wouldn’t take much to get the pot boiling again. Too many things were left unsaid between them, all of them going back to Corsine’s secret.

After Tris went to bed, Corsine stepped outside and asked the earth for help with her relationship. She had always trusted in her magic, knowing it wouldn’t steer her wrong.

One day, she would be brave enough to show her magic to Tris and tell the truth of everything. For now, she needed another way to keep them together.

Veins in the ground lit up. Corsine followed the path with Blossom at her heels until the magic trail stopped at the tavern in town.

Inside, fibers of glitter pointed to a band of pirates. Specifically, to one of Corsine’s only friends, the first mate of The Twisted Clay.

The earth often warned Corsine to be careful around the sun-tanned woman with leaves in her blonde hair.

They met for drinks at this tavern occasionally. The two women shared the same magic, but neither of them talked about it. Humans with magic were practically unheard of, except for the elusive wish-granter that appeared in society every now and then. Even witches and druids didn’t have powers—they just knew how to draw certain essences out of magical items.

Corsine envied her friend quite a bit. Axelle sailed on a ship made of earth. If Corsine had such a ship, she could always be with Tris.

Assuming Tris could get past her deep fear of seafarers and their vessels, that is.

Corsine ordered a couple of ales and took a table in the corner. Axelle was quick to join her.

Hello, kitten. Axelle called everyone she liked that. Even the burliest of leshies and minotaurs. I didn’t expect to see you here so late.

I didn’t know you were in town. Corsine motioned for Axelle to take one of the drinks.

We just docked this evening. Now we’re hocking off the diamonds we, uh, found.

Diamonds!

That’s why the trail led here. They would be a perfect gift. Tris adorned her instruments with all sorts of sea glass fragments and pearls. With diamonds being so hard to come by, surely Tris could see Corsine’s devotion to her.

I want to buy some. Corsine took a sip of the honey-laced ale and tried not to look too eager. For Tris.

Do you?

Axelle reached into a pouch affixed to a strap on her pearl-laced bodice. She opened her palm and flashed a handful of pebble-sized diamonds shaped like stars. The gems were stunning.

Five rocks for five seeds.

Corsine let go of her ale and rested her hand next to Axelle’s. The dim lamp on the table brought out the red hues of her dark skin and the pirate’s sunburn.

Why did Axelle want to trade them for something so cheap? They were friends, but they weren’t close.

What sort of seeds? You can buy seeds anywhere.

That’s true.

Axelle leaned forward. Her