“Evie, I—”
“Where is your precious magic now, Mother? Are your tinctures going to save us? Your potions and draughts? Do you have any mystical talismans to hang around our necks to ensure we don’t lose our heads?” My words are laced with sarcasm, and I watch as she wilts beneath them.
As her expression falters, so does my heart. I shouldn’t have said any of that; my anger isn’t meant for her. Yet, I’m too full of fury to apologize. If I take it back now, the rage will rot inside me, eating me alive.
The kettle whistles from the stove, saving me from the tension growing between us.
“We were going to get married by the sea,” says a wistful voice.
With a jump, I whirl around to find Amelie hovering in the doorway to the kitchen, eyes unfocused. I go to her, placing a hand on her arm.
She meets my eyes, then holds up a frail hand, the one bearing the ring. It’s a ruby on a circlet of gold. “Magnus asked me to marry him this afternoon. Now I’ll…I’ll never…”
Mother pushes a mug of tea into Amelie’s hands as a fresh sob escapes my sister’s throat. “Drink.”
Amelie does as told, then wanders back to the parlor. The sight of her uneven steps chills me to the bone.
Mother sighs, closing the lid to her jar of herbs with more force than necessary. “I should bring this to the Holstroms. It will help with their nerves. You may not believe in my craft, Evie, but I know Mrs. Holstrom will appreciate it.”
I want to tell her laudanum would be far more effective than whatever herbal infusion she’s created, but I hold my tongue. I’ve said enough already. And if I’m not ready to apologize…
I hold out my hand for the jar. “I’ll take it to them.”
Mother cocks her head, then seems to understand the olive branch I’m offering. “Very well. But don’t stay long. The ambassador will be back at midnight…” Her words dry up, ending with a choked sound.
Midnight. Amelie and I will be taken to Faerwyvae at midnight.
The house suddenly seems too small for my swarm of thoughts, for the anger and confusion and shock swirling inside. I take the jar from Mother, then rush outside faster than I can blink.
I make my way to the Holstrom farm, which is on the northern edge of Sableton. The sky is almost dark by the time I arrive, but there’s enough light to stop me when I reach their gate. For there in front of the farm lies a scene far more gruesome than anything I’ve witnessed during surgery.
The grounds in front of their stables and pens are littered with dismembered bodies. Animal bodies. Pigs, sheep, goats. Blood splatters the dirt, entrails stream between corpses. I take a step back, bile rising in my throat. This could be none other than the work of fae.
“Disgusting,” says a voice at my side. I hadn’t noticed Maddie Coleman arrive. She holds a basket full of coffee, chocolate, and other exotic food items. Her parents own the biggest merchant ships in Eisleigh, and her uncle is the mayor—which she thinks makes her Queen of Sableton. She wrinkles her nose at the scene before us but doesn’t seem nearly as disturbed as I am. When she turns to me, her eyes fall on the jar of herbs in my hand. “What a quaint gift.”
I watch as she sways side to side, as if trying to accentuate the oversized gift basket in her arms.
“Mother sent me,” I say flatly.
“Mine sent me as well, although I doubt the Holstroms need it. Visitors have been coming all day.” She returns to face the yard. “And yet, they still haven’t managed to clean this unsightly mess. How are we supposed to make it to the front door without soiling our dresses?” Her eyes trail from the gore to my trousers, prompting a smirk. “Or should I say, dress?”
I glare at her. “They’re probably too busy grieving their daughters to clean right now.”
She turns her nose to the air, her blond curls at the sides of her head bobbing with the movement. “They deserve it. Their daughters committed treason, after all.”
My mouth falls open, and I imagine punching Maddie Coleman in her perfect pink nose. “How can you say such a thing? You really think the Holstroms deserved the execution of their daughters? And for their entire farm to be destroyed?”
She rolls her eyes. “King Aspen gifted the Holstroms with enchanted farm animals, a blessing that would have led to riches for generations to come. And what does he get in return? Two treasonous girls.”
“First off, the farm animals weren’t enchanted, they were simply well-bred. Second, Theresa and Maryanne couldn’t have done anything to deserve execution. You know that, right?”
She shrugs. “Perhaps the Holstroms wanted the war to return. Uncle says some residents of Eisleigh are in favor of another war to win the Fair Isle from the fae.”
I’m surprised by this. Could some of our villagers actually want another war? Could the Holstroms be among those who do? I shake the idea from my head. There’s no way the Holstroms would put their daughters’ lives in danger in favor of war. Both the fae and the humans nearly perished during the last one a thousand years ago. The treaty was the only reason the bloodshed was able to end.
“I was supposed to be next in line, you know,” Maddie says, eyes narrowed at me. “Marie and I were supposed to be chosen next if the Holstrom girls didn’t work out. I was to marry King Aspen, and Marie was to marry Prince Cobalt. Butyouwere chosen instead.”
It takes me a moment to register what she’s implying. “Wait…youwantedto be chosen for the Reaping? To be married off to a fae?”
