AnwenThe day after the Sundrop Gem contingent leaves, I sleep in for the first time in days. When Frazier shakes my shoulder, and I open my eyes into the damn near midmorning light, pain rips through my chest.Hers? Mine? Is there any point in asking anymore?“Get the fuck off me.” I rip Frazier’s
Well, I’m fucking tired of it.My nails sharpen into claws, and I tear the bar from the doors in a flurry of violence. One of them swings open, loose on its hinges. Father’s smell wafts out. And I stare at what lays inside.The office I spent my whole life jealous of is in tatters. His desk is half-
EstrellaI smooth my hands over the fabric of my soft, golden coronation dress, shot through with strands of color. Purple for the sky at night. Rich brown for the sand of the desert beyond our little oasis. Gray for Father’s eyes. Red for the heart of our people.The heart I hold in my cold hands.
“Oh, my dove.” Mother cups my cheeks, and I watch hesitation flicker in her eyes. I’ve asked her a question she doesn’t quite know how to answer. “Didn’t you listen to me? You’re never truly alone in Sundrop Gem.”The bite on my neck itches. I scratch at it absently. In Dun’s Crossing, I thought tha
AnwenMy mouth falls open. Estrella’s whole body is consumed in that light, the glow I saw the night her father was killed. She tilts her head back with a beatific smile, and something in my ribcage heals too. I knew she was going to be beautiful. But the dress, her hair, the smile… it’s all too muc
That’s what I need. A single moment alone with Estrella. A second to tell her it’s not true and have her listen.No, a second to tell her I’m sorry. That I know I can’t live without her, and I’m willing to do whatever she needs—even sail across the sea on a stolen boat—to be with her.From the shado
EstrellaMother kisses me on the cheek in an empty courtyard. Even the servants are gone, having carried all the remainder of the cleaning inside.“You did wonderfully,” she says. “As I knew you would. Now, sleep, and I will see you in the morning.”She leaves. I am truly alone. That hurts again, li
A smell reaches my nose. Floral, deep. Dream thistle. I blink and look around as Anwen sinks his teeth lightly into my haunch.I didn’t think about the Haze often before Anwen. I knew the Goddess would take me by the paw and lead me where I needed to go. But when I allowed myself the thought, I hope
My quill flows across the page, writing down every word of the story. Mother’s voice rings in my ears, soft over familiar phrases. When I’m done, I don’t read it over. I’ll just crumple it up if I do. But I scribble one last thing at the end.Even if the tower never falls….Seconds tick away as I st
HollisI’m a moron. Worse than that, I’m insane. That’s what Mother said when she found out I’d stuck my tongue to the frozen pole outside of the kitchen three times in a week and basically skinned the damn thing every time. But every time, I thought it would be like in a story Eva and I read, where
“I want something more active,” I say. “Like you. I want to… I don’t know… make something?”“Easy.” Ingrid claps her hands together. “Have you ever done any fine arts? Drawing, painting, sculpting?”I shake my head. Yet another class Mother thought was filling my head up with nonsense.“Okay. I know
CandaceI’m sitting at the dressing table, fixing my hair for the first time in days, when a bird starts singing right outside my tent. An ash warbler. For the third time since sunset yesterday. I almost smile.When it first happened, I made Ingrid go check. We were way outside of where the warbler
‘Catch me if you can!’ she calls through the mind-link.In wolf form, I can’t give her the necklace if I want to. I stuff her clothes and mine in her sewing bag, then shift and give chase.Escuro flies by. I barely notice it. My attention remains locked on Eva’s bright-red tail disappearing between
HollisMy plan to act like I actually believe Eva is going to be my wife is going great—except for the fact that I basically haven’t slept since I started it because my mark hurts so Goddess-damned bad. That’ll fade. I know it will. Because I do believe Eva’s going to be my wife. It’s what everyone
Outside the tent, someone makes the tiniest whimper I’ve ever heard. My heart squeezes.“They can come in, but no lights.” I sit up. “And don’t ask, please.”Ingrid nods and starts to turn away, but her gaze locks on mine. She’s noticed. Of course. Every muscle in my body tenses.She turns back for
CandaceFor the third morning in a row, I pull my covers over my head as lunch approaches and rub eyes gritty from crying.Well, not exactly the third morning in a row. The very next day, I tried. I got up, made myself beautiful even as Ingrid fluttered around me, saying I didn’t have to go out if I
Not that I’m keeping track. I, in fact, am doing the exact opposite. I’ve been so caught up in her that I’ve been neglecting my responsibilities. Even if she’s not the person I’m going to spend my life with, I still believe in her dream. There’s just no reason for her to lie, or to seem so scared if