‘Fine,’ I said, pretending I hadn’t seen the glances he exchanged with my father. Boyan’s punishment was subtle but cruel in its nature. He was sending me away with the man who would lay his life on the edge of the blade to protect me.
My family had outmanoeuvred me, and I only had myself to blame.
Chapter 22
Roksana
Amap and the castle’s blueprints arrived before midnight. They sat wrapped in waxed paper by my door, slowly disappearing under the snow. I would have missed the package if my home’s protection spell hadn’t alerted me to a stranger at the door.
The warm kitchen air greeted me like a kiss from a lover, the embers in the fireplace still glowing, despite the time. I didn’t bother turning on the light. The weak winter moon was hidden behind the clouds, but the warm glow of the fire was enough.
I missed Rey. I missed him so much it hurt deep inside. I wanted him to lock me in his arms and help me forget today ever happened. I added fuel to the fire and stoked it roughly, blinking away the tears threatening to crack my tough façade. It was dangerous to let someone this close, for their absence to hurt like a hole in the heart. I’d become reckless, wanting to make the world a better place for them.
‘I hope you’re looking after yourself, kingling. You aren’t allowed to get hurt.’ I turned away from the fire, pretending I didn’t see the mess my house had become since Tova left.Another soul that held a place in my heart torn from my side by this damned war.
Still, his presence was palpable. His schemata and calculations occupied most of the kitchen table, as if his absence were an illusion, and he’d locked himself in his workshop rather than trudging through the snow to Wiosna.
I wish we could talk. I pictured him sitting by the table, his mop of sleep-ruffled hair and righteous indignation plastered all over his face. He was a pain in the backside, but would always be the brother of my heart.
‘Just awesome. Two of my favourite men are balls-deep in the snow, and the third is angry because I saved an arsehole. Well done, Sana. Really, well done.’ I smiled, picturing Rey crammed into a tent or a peasant inn, his back hunched over military reports as he tried to keep his composure when Tova insisted on telling him about his newest discovery or invention.
‘If those two don’t kill each other, they’ll become the best of friends.’ I sighed, wiping water off Tymon’s package and opening it carefully.
I didn’t expect an easy journey, but seeing that the road passed so close to Piran’s Swamp sent a chill down my spine. Towns were spaced far apart, meaning I’d need to camp out during the height of winter.
‘Gods, packing will be a nightmare,’ I muttered, wondering if I should send a message to Irsha or tell him when he arrived in the morning.
Morning,I decided, too tired to write a letter. My eyelids were too heavy when I ambled upstairs. At least there won’t be nightmares this time. Since Rey’s last visit, I’d noticed some changes. My hand didn’t tremble, my heart wasn’t racing, and the dark no longer felt like a void threatening to consume me, almost as if taking firm reins on my life had fixed the part of me that Tova’s capture and the geas trial had broken.
This, and the look on Yaran’s face when he saw my porcelain mask decorated with nightshade flowers. Was it strange that the fear on my enemy’s face lulled me to sleep?
Irsha didn’t turn up that morning,
I waited for several hours, then marched into the Brotherhood, intending to give him a few choice words, but he wasn’t there either. That left only one other option. I almost grinned when I thought of how I would berate him for oversleeping, especially since he’d been so insistent on coming with me.
Any thoughts of mischief evaporated when I arrived at the House of Lillies. My steps faltered, and I paused, observing the situation, unsure of what I was seeing. The doors, normally closed and guarded, stood ajar, one side hanging crookedly from the hinges, with a massive Brotherhood assassin blocking the entrance. My fists tightened as I approached, stepping over the bloodstained snow on the street.
‘What happened?’ I asked, coming closer, and he inclined his head.
‘The madam was attacked. Our veterans fought off those attempting to take her. Now they’re licking their wounds, while we guard the place. That’s all I know.’ He paused, looking at me before shifting slightly. ‘The Blade’s master is inside if you want to know more.’
‘Fucking right I do,’ I said, heart in my throat as I stormed inside. The destruction I saw on the outside didn’t match the calm, undisturbed interior. The main hall was as it always had been, with its tables, dance floor, and stage intact. There was noevidence of blood or destruction. ‘Lilliana?’ I asked, spotting a serving girl.
‘With the assassin and healer upstairs.’
I bolted. My boots skidded over the polished floor when I ran, taking the stairs two at a time. Lily’s bedroom was cramped, housing a shirtless Irsha and a healer who, with painstaking precision, sutured a wound on his shoulder. Sweat beaded on my friend’s forehead, but he otherwise looked relaxed, entertaining a pale Lily with polite conversation.
I leaned on the door frame, panting from the run, and Irsha’s head snapped in my direction. ‘No nivale powder?’ I asked, scrutinising the healer’s work, but Irsha shook his head.
‘I refused,’ he said, grimacing only slightly when the needle once again pierced his skin.
‘You expect them to return?’ The only explanation for this slow torture was Irsha’s reluctance to take anything that would hinder him in a fight.
‘Crossed my mind; they were quite determined,’ he said. Lily paled even more, her hand tightening on Irsha’s forearm, her bottom lip trembling ever so slightly. He instantly covered it with his own despite the healer hissing at him to stop moving.
‘Who was it?’ I asked when the healer finished his work.
‘Some Light Fae soldiers. Fuckers thought they could dress as mercenaries and snatch Lily off the street,’ he said with a shrug, putting his shirt back on. ‘I came to say goodbye. The first one caught me unawares, but the second died screaming. I was distracted.’
