HollisI storm out of the copse of trees, clenching and unclenching my hands. I have to hit something. There has to be something in this Goddess-forsaken place for me to hit. I march back to the mock-training ground Zain and I slapped together, still empty, but we’ve only finished the fucking archer
“What’d you say?” Finn asks.“I told her I didn’t have a future with anyone who asked those kinds of questions.”More laughter. My smile grows. I can barely feel the mark’s sting. I’m not the problem, Candace is. She demanded answers after we agreed that it wasn’t the time to talk. What did she expe
CandaceTwo days later, Ingrid chatters about a music discussion she had with some Lilywind noble as she, Finn, and I head to the rejuvenation ritual. I want to listen. I really do. But my eyelids droop, my muscles burn, and it’s taking all my concentration to keep my skirt from dragging in the mud
Still, no one answers. He starts to open his mouth. I scrape together a few shreds of confidence to give the blessing I seriously doubt my younger siblings will volunteer for.“I will.” Mother’s voice, louder than I’ve heard it in a long time, echoes from within the walls of her prison wagon.“No—”
Hollis“Fuck,” King Kieran hisses under his breath.I stare into the depths of the prison wagon, rage pounding like a heartbeat through my veins. “Go. I’ll keep an eye on her.”He looks at me for a second, and I fucking know he’s about to ask why. I don’t have an answer. I think I might’ve exchanged
Inside sits a glass vial with, in the jagged hand of a healer, a label reading “heart.” I swallow. That doesn’t mean anything. I pluck it from the velvet cushion and shake one of the tablets out into my palm. It’s powdery and white, and I raise it to my lips.My mark pulses.What the fuck am I think
Candace“Here we go.” Raven’s Aunt Nola holds out a squalling, still bloody bundle of baby.Kieran accepts it like he barely notices the blood. Raven just slumps back against her pillows, sweat-soaked and panting.“We have a son.” Kieran’s grin could light up a whole castle.“Lemme see’m,” Raven mum
My skin grows cold. “How do you know about that? My parents made me promise never to tell anyone.”“She told me.” He shakes his head. “But we’re getting off topic. I don’t want to talk about your parents. I want to talk about mine.”“Okay?” I say slowly.“My father,” he corrects. “I was talking to h
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