We will dance all day tomorrow.
Tomorrow... The day they had turned seven.
I promised Charlotte I would see her again. I should say my goodbyes to her, I owe her at least that. “All right.” I gave up. “One week.”
Chapter 6. Mother’s Eyes.
The snow shone bright under the Moon’s magical gaze; our horses’ even steps calmed my racing mind—my eyelids fought to stay open.
“Have you rested at all?” Francis offered me a glance. Despite the cold and fatigue from our trip, he looked flawless as usual. He held the reins in one hand, effortlessly controlling his horse; in the other he clung onto the book—with a navy blue cover—he’d retrieved from his childhood room before we left. “Cordelia?” He crooked his head, frowning.
“Pardon me?”
“Have you slept at all?” Francis asked, reaching for the canteen in his inside pocket.
I shrugged as fatigue washed over me with new force.
“Here.” He offered me the drink.
“What is this?” I asked, nodding at the canteen.
“Blood. I figured you were starving: your hands still shake—”
“I am well.” I stared at the invisible point in the distance. The back of my eyes prickled, reminding me of the last time I’d felt this screeching pain: back underneath the Royal palace, back in the dungeons that I’d spent every day in my nightmares. The pain I would never mistake for anything else: the pain of hunger. “How did you know I would be at the cabin?”
Francis’ brows furrowed, but he put the canteen back into his pocket. “It wasn’t hard to guess where you were going in such a rush.” He pocketed the blue-covered book. “I made it to the palace right before sunrise, but it was engulfed in flames.I had to spend the day at the Royal lodge—thankfully it was abandoned.”
“Once the sun went down, I returned to the palace. That’s when I saw Caleb sneaking off the grounds—towards the cabin.” Francis met my gaze.
I nodded as though satisfied with his answer, though the question that bothered me most was left unasked. How had he found me at the Royal palace all those nights ago? Why had he even bothered saving me after all the inconveniences I’d caused him?
I ordered Annabelle faster, leaving Francis behind, when his probing eyes kept landing on me with so many questions I was unable to answer.
The castle gleamed even in the darkness of night, covered in snow and ice just like in the fairytales I’d read as a child. The window to my room was now closed, a few candles appeared on its windowsill.
“Don’t worry, you can use the door on your way up.” Francis winked, though his expression fell once his eyes landed on my features. He cleared his throat before taking our horses to the stables.
I walked through the main doors, heading straight for my room. Perhaps if I was quick enough I wouldn’t meet anyone on my way—
Three pairs of eyes waited for me by the door to my room.
“Cordelia.” Florence sighed as she took a careful step forward, looking at me as though I was a spooked, wild animal. A single tear fell down her cheek when she offered me an odd smile. She, Roxanne, and Simon all stood by my door, refusingme entrance. “I am so, so glad you are back.” Florence offered me a smile that felt forced compared to her usual sunshine glee.
Florence had been the one to feed me on the nights my body was recovering from Kane’s assault. In and out of my consciousness, I hadn’t been able to separate the nightmare from reality. I supposed they didn’t differ much all the same.
