Elloven realized something remarkable. It was so utterly obvious, she could only laugh.
She could stop anytime because it wasn’t about running. It was about control. The sleepless nights were over. The confusion. Questioning her own judgment. Overthinking the intentions of others. Dying to find humanity where there was none...
Love and violence were inherently entwined.
She rebuked both.
Her resurrection was total.
Elloven spotted an inn and slowed to a walk as she approached. She wasn’t tired anymore, but she didn’t know her way in the darkness. She’d travel at first light, but until then, she didn’t want to be found.
The proprietor was half asleep, propped against the bar.
“I need a room for the evening, if you have one.”
The man snapped alert. “Oh. Hello.” He gave his head a hearty shake. “Right then. A room. Yes, I have three tonight. Not much difference between them.”
“Any will be fine.” She glanced behind her, half expecting to have been followed. If they had, she’d lost them.
“Ten dinars,” he said.
Elloven had no money, but instead of looking for a compromise, she made another choice. “I’m the cousin of your leaders in the sept. They will see my tab is paid.”
The man perked in surprise. “Of course. Of course we have a room for you, and there’ll be no need for a tab. Forgive me for not recognizing you.”
“You wouldn’t,” she said. “And you’ll forget me when I’m gone, which will be at dawn if you know where I can find a carriage to spare.”
“There is always a carriage to spare for your family, madame. Will you require a driver?”
She’d driven a carriage exactly twice in her life, and neither ride had gone particularly well. “Just to the border and then I’ll see my way from there.”
“Will you be traveling with anyone? Shall we send word to the curatrix?”
“No,” Elloven answered. Curatrix. So Estelar wasn’t pretor these days. She wondered who had taken his place, then realized she didn’t care. “And no. But I’ll accept any leftovers from evening service.”
He nodded swiftly. “I’ll have some stew warmed and sent up right away. The bread is stale?—”
“That’s fine.”
“Can I procure anything else for you, madame?”
Elloven smiled, as warmly as she could. “Nothing I couldn’t do for myself.”
Jesstin woke with the tang of mossy dirt in his mouth. He spat it out and sat up as his thoughts caught up.
He was in the marsh. He’d slept there after one of the worst nights of his life.
Gennady was gone. He’d threatened to leave Jesstin many times, but this one felt permanent. If Jesstin could feel good about anything, it was that he’d opened the door that would finally offer Gennady the peace he deserved.
Sesto was already standing at the door when he returned. “Jesstin, I haven’t seen you in thirty-three years, and already you’re trying to give me heart failure?”
“I’m sorry,” Jesstin said. He ran his fingers through his hair, then down his face. “She’s not here, is she?”
“You mean she’s not with you?” Sesto skittered onto the porch, his head on a swivel and his cardigan wrapped tight, and started for the road. Would Jesstin ever get used to seeing him so changed? Would it ever feel normal again?
Jesstin grabbed his arm. “Ses.” He shook his head.
“Oh.” His expression shifted with his understanding. “Oh.” A pause passed. “The two of you, in the Infinitum, did you...”
