Thank you for my most prominent commenters Lucyole, Nicki Plague, temir, and Guest.
Thank you to my newer commenter/reader Skena.
Srry for how short this is.
Cedric had watched Sofia leave and when she was gone, he sat in his chair.
He could hear Wormwood every time he ruffled his feathers or shifted where he sat, claws scraping against the castle stone. He had the amulet in his hand once more and he was looking at it. He could feel its power as he used his magic to study it and he loved the feeling it gave him. The feeling of superiority and power and it was glorious… A comfort. Yet it also felt so wrong and he couldn't understand why. It made him sick to look at the thing he had coveted for so long and his hands began to shake as he continued to rub the smooth surface with his fingers.
"Maybe… It would be best to go one day without… Without…" He couldn't finish the thought as he stared at the sparkling gem. He couldn't look away, not even when he felt the skeletal hands of the wraith rest on his shoulders.
'Why would you do that 'King'?' It asked in a mocking tone and Cedric shivered. 'You wouldn't have access to its power if you separate from it.'
"I… I just need a break… Just a break." He breathed as he shrugged the skeletal hands from his shoulders.
Wormwood watched him with stern eyes.
To the bird, the man that created him from a stone was nothing more than a shadow of his former self. Muttering nonsense and rocking as he coddled the cursed jewelry in his hands. He watched Cedric muttering to himself and rock back and forth slowly, shaking as if the warm room was freezing. What surprised the raven was Cedric suddenly pitching the amulet across the room in a manner that said that such action took a great deal of effort. He saw the glittering gem skid across the stone floor and vanish under the bed.
He fluttered into the room and landed on the writing desk watching Cedric who was now hunched over and breathing heavily into his hands, still trembling. Wormwood looked to the bed, a plan forming to quickly go over, grab the amulet and fly away with it to Sofia. But before he could act Cedric had thrown himself to the ground and was scrambling for the damned jewel.
Wormwood returned to the window for a quick escape if needed and continued to watch as the Sorcerer King tried desperately to convince himself to separate from the amulet…
He failed.
When the door opened hours later it was Sofia checking on Cedric with the maid.
Cedric was back on the bed with a book in his lap looking tired as he stared blankly at the page. He only looked up when Wormwood cawed loudly and flew from the window to perch on Sofia's shoulder.
Looking at Sofia Cedric could see her mouth was pressed into a thin line and her jaw was set as she directed the maid to place the tray holding his lunch on the bed beside him. He continued to look her up and down as he closed his book, watching her snatch up a pillow he had knocked off his bed at some point and place it on his bed.
"You seem to have become irked in the time you have been away… What has done this?" He asked and Sofia just shook her head as she continued to move about.
"In all due respect, I would like to not speak of it… I'll be fine." Sofia said as she shooed the maid out.
"If that is what you wish… Now stop fussing about my room you were given the day off." Cedric grumbled as he went back to his book and Sofia left the room quickly without a goodbye.
This caused Cedric to look at the closed door with a frown.