“Stop.” She grips my hand tighter. “You didn’tdoanything. I think the entire situation has just been weighing on me. A good night's rest should help.” Her smile is weak but it’s there.
There are many reasons I am determined to take the throne, but seeing my sister no longer afraid to live freely is one of the biggest ones. There isn’t anyone I trust more than Samaria Trednik, and tonight, I make a vow to myself, whatever happens, she will never live in fear again.
Fourteen
Samaria
“We’re staying behindto look after some fucking puppies?” Jarek slinks into our small bed at the Jade Guild. Tallulah, a fellow Enchantress I was surprised to meet, was kind enough to show us the way. She insisted we take the larger of the three spare rooms but even as the largest, it’s tiny. Jarek’s body takes up most of the space, but I can’t say I mind having a room with walls detached from my mother and Sorin. A bit more privacy than we’ve had in a long time.
“Only for a little while,” I say through a laugh. “We’ll meet up with them at the Onyx Guild after the Autumn Moon.”
Jarek grumbles something, running a hand through his beard.
“Besides, they’re not just any puppies.” I join him on the bed and tangle my arms around his. “Wolf puppies. Alaric andRuse’spuppies.”
The rigid corners of his face go slack. He has a soft spot for Ruse after we helped her heal, and I knew he wouldn’t be able to deny helping her again.
“Sorin’s worried that if the royal guard catches wind of the wolves being near Valebridge, they'll try and trap them againand use them against Elora, so to be as discreet as possible, the puppies will need to stay.”
Jarek leans back on the bed and the mattress gives way with a loud squeak. Sighing, I discard any hope of being together tonight without waking the entire Keep. Jarek may be the most gentle-natured man I’ve ever met, but he sure as hell doesn’t make love like it.
“And he thinks Ruse is going to willingly leave her litter?” He shakes his head. “Your brother really is a cocky bastard.”
Shrugging, I gesture for him to lay back farther. When he does, I curl into his side and rest my head on his chest. He’s not wrong about Sorin, but despite his arrogance, he has a gift. He could talk his way out of any corner.
“If there’s anyone to convince two wolves to follow him, it’s Sorin.” Yawning, I reach across him and twist his long, blonde locks through my fingers as we drift off to sleep. “We’ll find a way. We always do.”
The ivythat covers the walls of the Jade Guild brushes against my arm as I walk the hall to the main room where we’re meeting the rest of the crew.
I run my hand along the wall, letting the leaves tickle my fingers. The small round window at the end gives away how gray it is outside today. Not unusual for this time of year, but the dreary clouds and thick droplets of rain against the windowpane signal just how much time has passed since Elora and Galen were taken.
“Ready for this?” Jarek asks, taking my hand.
I stare at the window a bit longer, a part of me wistful and dreaming about just a few weeks ago when the forest was soaked in sunlight. When we were all together. Jarek squeezes my hand, so I peel my eyes from the window and look at him.
“Ready.”
Voices compete with each other as Jarek and I enter the meeting room. The walls here are covered in ivy as well, but not as dense as the halls, leaving tiny splinters of the limestone underneath.
“This is a terrible plan,” Agnes says, her hands held firmly on her hips.
Sorin’s face is just as stern as our mother’s. “Well, it’s the only one we have.”
“What are we walking into?” Jarek whispers.
I disregard his question and head straight into the chaos. Even though Agnes and Sorin are not blood, they’ve always argued as such, and I, as the oldest sister, have grown quite accustomed to playing mediator.
“Fighting already?” I pour myself a cup of hot tea, I settle into a wooden chair and watch as the two of them glare at each other.
“Mum thinks me sneaking into Valebridge is a terrible plan.” Sorin turns to me, clearly looking for some sort of sibling comradery. Typically, I’d be more than happy to side with him. That’s what siblings do. Look after each other. But sometimes it’s too tempting to ruffle his perfect feathers every once in a while.
“Perhaps she isn’t wrong.” I take a slow sip of tea as the rising anger reaches Sorin’s face, tinting it red.
Hit my target.
Jarek pulls up a chair across from me, kicking me lightly under the table.
“Really, Sam?” Sorin mumbles, pushing past me toward the table with tea and a few meager platters of bread and fruit. I laugh, taking another sip of tea.
