Unease slunk down her spine when Olwen disappeared from view. She didn’t move for several long minutes, waiting for the trap. It never came.
Not when her toes went numb.
Nor when she stopped feeling the blood leaking through her fingers.
Snowflakes fell from the sky, dancing like tumbleweeds through the air. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, letting them land on her upturned face.
One more week.
A smile tipped up her lips.
Only seven days until she would once again see the monster she married.
Even though pain and almost certain death were a probability, Dahlia couldn’t wait.
Maybe they both would find peace.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dahlia
“You’re angry at me,”Dahlia stated as she knelt underneath a pine tree. She scooped away the snow from the roots with the tiny shovel Lo had given her. Apparently, it was a children’s toy, but it got the job done. She brushed away the leftover flurries until greenery was revealed and leaned back onto her heels, staring at the pungent herbs. It was amazing that something so delicate could survive the harsh cold.
She glanced over to the silent healer, who dug her own hole. Her blue brows were furrowed.
It had been four days since Olwen had caught Lia and given her an ultimatum. She still did not understand why he had not taken Lia to the king at once. Everything felt like a game. Was the commander just playing with her to drag out the pain and suspense? It didn’t seem likely. He was straightforward. If games were to be played, that was Flyka and the king’s realm.
Sighing, Dahlia set her shovel down in the snow and tugged on her gloves. “Lo.”
“Dahlia.”
“Explain to me why you’re so angry.”
Her friend stabbed the snow with her shovel and tipped her head back to stare at the setting sun. “You’ve given up.”
That was not it at all. Lia swallowed hard and roughly yanked the herbs out of the ground. She scowled at the roots and then tossed the plant into her basket, a spray of dirt arcing through the air. “I do not see it that way.”
Loshika huffed. “You’ve had a sword hanging over your head since the moment we fled the palace. I expected it to light a fire in your soul. For you to fight, but I have watched day after day as you fade away right in front of me.”
Lia winced. Her friend was not wrong. Past Dahlia Skysinger could have borne the emotional load that sat heavily upon her shoulders, but not present-day Lia. When would the loss and pain stop?
Three days from now.
Perhaps Loshika was right. There was something wrong with her. It was like she was stuck in a black pit that she could not crawl out of, and there was no light in sight.
“I am doing my best.” Her best just was not as good as it used to be.
“If you say so.” Dahlia glanced at the giantess as she stood and brushed the snow from her dress and cloak. “It is time we venture back. We have come deeper into the mountains than I planned, and it will be well past dark before we reach home. Cosmos will be worried.”
Home. What an odd word. They did not have a home. They had packed up all their belongings the same night Olwen had shown up and fled to the tavern. Lady Diaz had not asked questions, only given them lodging in her attic. It was more kindness than Lia deserved and not enough for the two wonderful people traveling with her.
It was a blessing that Lo and Cosmos had bonded. She’d worried the day would come that her brother would be left alone in the world with much growing up yet to do. Loshika would be a good friend and guide to Cos. While it was a beautiful thing, it still made her heart ache.
She dropped the shovel into the wicker basket before scooping it into the crook of her arm. Lia shook out her skirt and cloak and then stomped her feet. They were always cold. That and her toes.
Faded black hair fell into her face, and she brushed it away from her chin, wincing as she accidentally swiped the long cut beneath her jawline. It would leave a long scar, but Lo said it had cleaned up well. She only needed a few stitches.
A shimmer of silver caught her eye. She frowned and plucked the pin from the snow. Lia rubbed her thumb across the surface, revealing adimedon—the bearlike creature of Loriia. Someone had lost a pretty piece. Perhaps it would fetch a good price. She placed the pin in her basket and followed behind thenonnae.
