Pharis’ warning still rang through my mind.My father wants you—and he always gets what he wants.
“And Sorcha could return at any time,” I added.
“You say that as if it’s a bad thing. I took comfort in the fact both of you were gone this past fortnight. I had hoped she was protecting you,” Papa said.
“No. The Earthwife is not our friend,” I told him.
“I’m so thankful you are feeling well and you all had enough to eat while I was gone,” I said, “I was so worried about that. But there was a price to pay for the food and the cure… and I didn’t pay it. Sorcha wanted me to murder people, Papa.”
Now the eyebrows pulled together, and his forehead above them was an accordion of wrinkles.
“Murder? What the devil?”
“Yes. There’s a reason people are so leery of making deals with Earthwives. And now I’ve broken one. We may not be safe here. Also, the King might come looking for me.”
Papa’s head jerked back in shock, and he shook it side to side. His voice was filled with worry.
“But where would we go? How will I travel like this?” He gestured toward his eyes. “And traveling takes money.”
I lifted one of his hands and deposited the heavy bag of coin Pharis had given me. “We have money. What we might not have is time. I plan to start making preparations in the morning.”
Papa nodded again. “I don’t understand, but I trust your word. You’ve always been a good girl. I know you wouldn’t make up something like this.”
“Thank you for your faith in me,” I said. “I hope I’m worthy of it.”
Unfortunately I had the same questions Papa did. Wherewerewe going to go?
How far would be far enough to be safe from the King’s reach? From Sorcha’s reach should she manage to free herself from the dungeon?
How was I going to keep my family safe?
Suddenly swamped by a wave of weariness, I climbed the ladder and stretched out on my own sleeping pad next to the girls.
Though I was tired and I knew I had an extra busy day ahead of me, my mind refused to settle.
I thought of Sorcha, who I hoped was still in the dungeon and not on her way back here already.
I thought of Stellon because Ialwaysthought of Stellon in spite of admonishing myself not to.
And I thought of Pharis, who was at this moment riding back to the palace alone. I wondered what he’d face when he got there.
Had the King discovered I was missing? Would Pharis be under suspicion of aiding me? I hoped not.
It was depressing to think his rare good deed would earn him punishment. He deserved much better from his father.
Both princes did.
The wee hours of the morning passed with me managing to catch fitful naps between sessions of worry.
I was in the middle of a dream about being far too warm, trapped between a roaring Auspex fire on one side and Pharis’ large, hot body on the other when a series of raps on the cottage door woke me.
The sun was much higher than it usually was when I awakened. I’d overslept. We all had. The girls lifted sleepy heads from their mats, looking around in confusion.
Scrambling down the ladder, I ran to the door and almost pulled it open but then paused with my fingers wrapped around the handle.
“Who is it?” my father asked from behind me.
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
