“Can’t you ask the Mother Priestess?” I ask, brow furrowing.
Meryn’s mouth twists in distaste. “She hasn’t been forthcoming with more information, no. Let’s just say that the Mother Priestess and I have not exactly seen eye to eye over the past week.”
“I’m shocked to hear that you’re not getting along with someone,” I say smoothly.
Meryn picks up a discarded shoe and tosses it in my direction, and I dodge, smirking.
“I’ll look into it, too,” I tell them both, then bow again. “And Meryn, that thing we were talking about? Noemi took care of it already.”
Her blush is back now, traveling down her neck. “Ah, of course she did.”
“But now that I know you’re interested in performing such services, you’re welcome to do the next one. Anywhere you want.”
I turn on my heel before I can witness her reaction, but she sputters and starts to cough. As I shut the door to her chambers behind me, I can hear Saela say, “Are you okay?”
I tell myself that I said it only to get a rise out of her.
I almost believe it, too.
15
MERYN
The day has finally arrived.
My coronation.
And my sister is an absolute mess.
Saela is curled up against Anassa’s side in her bedroom, weeping softly. We still don’t let the servants around her, so Helene helped her get dressed into an elegant ice-blue gown. Her face is blotchy, and she looks delicate and doll-like as she cries into Anassa’s fur.
My heart twinges. She’s still soyoung.
Siegrid and I decided that Saela had to attend the coronation, despite the risks. There would be too many questions otherwise. I don’t think her appearance has changed much since becoming a Siphon, but she’s learned how to retract her fangs.
I walk over and sit gently next to her. Saela looks up. Her sobbing immediately quiets somewhat, but she can’t stop her tears. “M-Meryn.”
“Sae,” I say, and smooth my hand over her hair. “What is it?”
“I don’t want to go. There’ll be too many people there. I’ll hurt someone again,” she chokes out, reaching for me.
I take her hand and shake my head. “You’ll be all right, Saela.”
Anassa hunted for her earlier today, so she’s recently fed. It took a while to wash off all the gore matted in her hair. The animal blood should keep her hunger under control for a couple of days.
“The d-deer wasn’t enough,” she cries, even though we both know that’s not true. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“We’ve taken precautions. I promise. Anassa or I will remain close to you throughout the ceremony and reception. And if anything feels wrong, you only have to signal and you’ll be escorted out immediately.”
Saela’s fingers curl in Anassa’s fur. Anassa’s support always calms her. Helene, Grigore, and Siegrid are also going to be on high alert.
Gently, I add, “But you have to attend. You’re a princess of the kingdom, and very few people know anything else. If you’re not at the ceremony, it will cause confusion.”
In our weekly Council Palast meetings, Igor told me that the commoners were asking questions about the princess. I wasn’t particularly beloved in the Eastern Quarter, but Saela was; the precocious, smart child who was bound to rise above her circumstances.
Now, they see her as a hero: someone who endured a horrible kidnapping, helped free other children, and became aprincess. It’s clear she’s going to become the cherished symbol of our nation—and burnish my own reputation, too.
As long as we can keep the truth of her condition a secret. As long as we can find a way to heal her.
