“Promise?” I said, my words colder than the mountain air. “Just like you and Mother promised me my brothers wouldcome home?”
Father’s throat bobbed. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. “I have heard many promises over the last seven years, but promises are just useless words that giveme nothing.”
I fastened the House of Ravenwood pin above my heart. The golden bird gleamed in the sunlight from the window as I flicked my eyes back up to Father. “You said Nikkolas had enough food stockpiled to feed Ravenwood for a month? Take itto them.”
Father’s brow furrowed. “Serafina, if you think I am going to leave you on this mountain likeyour brothers—”
He reached for me, but I stepped away. “Take a dozen soldiers and load up a caravan with as much food as youcan carry.”
He stepped closer. “Serafina, no—”
I crossed my arms and backed away. “Find the captain, the one with the scar on his face, andtell him—”
“Iforbid it!”
“I am the Baroness!” I shouted. The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on, but I kept a tight grip on my arms and my shoulders squared. “I am the Baroness of Bloodstone and you are nothing. I will take care of myself and theNorthern provinces.”
Father nearly crumpled. “Serafina…why are you doing thisto yourself?”
I stiffened my back and lifted my chin. “Like you always said, duty overall else.”
My cold dismissal cut through him like a sword. He had to know distributing the food was not a real solution, but merely a reason to get him out of my way. Regardless, I had backed him into a corner. Baron or not, my father had always put the needs of the province first, and he would leave me on the dangerous mountain if it meant saving the peasantsfrom starving.
Father nodded, accepting the command like I knew he would. He started for the door, but stopped when he was atmy side.
He looked down at me with eyes like windows into his shattered soul. “Just remember where your heart is,Little Ember.”
I snapped my head to face the window. Father’s sullen footsteps faded behind me and the oak door to the studywhispered shut.
I could never forget where my heart was. My heart was West of the Moon and East of the Sun, right next to the skeletons ofmy brothers.
The anger that had boiled up in my veins cooled to liquid steel. The walls and floor of the study turned into wafer-thin glass as I stood with the weight of my burden pressing on my chest.
I refused to think of Nikkolas and Hilda lying in the grass. I refused to think of Riyan’s laughter or his hands softly stroking my back. I refused to listen to the tiny golden glow of my blood bond that flickered like fading candlelight as it was about tobe severed.
My lifeline appeared like a rope amongst the forest of glass, leading me through the danger and despair to the Hyton dagger beneathmy pillow.
I swallowed the hard lump in my throat and sent it down to the pit in my stomach as I leaned into my cold strength. Riyan was kind and gentle, but that was not enough tosave me.
What a fool I had been, savoring his sweetness and forgetting why I had stacked up walls in the first place. Butno more.
I was cruel steel. I loved no one. And that meant Iwas safe.
Over all else, I would give Riyan the reprieve from the constant misery hedesperately wanted.
The afternoon sun slipped behind the trees and bathed the fortress in cold blue dusk as I stood at my bedroom window. I kept a tight grip on my arms as Father’s caravan of Bloodstone soldiers and carts piled high with supplies for the Ravenwood villages rolled through thefortress gate.
He did not even look back as he sullenly rode away.
Good.
I wiped my clammy palms on my skirt and let out a breath. Time to killthe Beast.
I lifted my pillow and found the Hyton dagger dutifully waiting for me. The blade gleamed with malice in the dying light from the window. My breath quickened. I did not want to kill Riyan, but I had noother choice.
Riyan’s blood was the price ofmy security.
I swallowed my sadness and steeled myself. One cut. One cut and it wouldbe over.
