The job was as easy as advertised, almost laughably so.The home was in a less dense part of the Garden District near the Old Grove—the last untouched bit of forest in Analon—and had its own yard and trees.There were so many doors and windows, a thief could get dizzy from all the options.Guards monitored the grounds so predictably that I could set a clock to it.I was in within seconds.
The only person inside was a portly man so drunk that even if he saw me, he’d likely think I was a symptom of too much ale.The safe was inside his bedroom, hidden behind the dresser.The only challenge was opening it, as it was so old that the hinges were nearly rusted shut.But it was nothing that a bit of oil from one of my vials couldn’t fix.Within the safe were the documents the Order had requested, along with a pile of gold and jewels.I swiped them and made a quick escape.
Despite the Royal Guard’s increased patrols, I still made my donation to Mrs.Yarrow’s orphanage.Since it had been so long, I left ten times the normal amount.But as I was sliding the envelope under the door, it opened a crack.
Standing before me was the closest thing I’d had to a mother after mine had been ripped away.It had been six years since I’d left Mrs.Yarrow’s home with Elena, worried about the risk I posed to her, and I hadn’t seen her since.Those years washed away in an instant.She was a bit grayer and had deeper wrinkles, but she was the same person I loved.
“Cassian, what a beautiful man you’ve turned into,” she said with a sad smile.“Thank you for all the gold you’ve left.I couldn’t have made it without you.”
“So you knew it was me?”I said, my voice breaking.
“Of course.No one else would have such a big heart.I’ve been wanting to thank you, but I also wanted to respect your wishes.I know why you’ve felt the need to keep away.”
A mix of happy and sad emotions welled up in me, and I reached for my locket.“Why now?”I asked.
“I need to give you something.Something I’ve held onto for a long time.But you have to make me a promise.”
Why did all the people in my life need me to make promises?Things had gotten so complicated.I longed for the simple days when my sister and I played in the forest and our only responsibility was getting home before sunset.
“What promise?”
“You can’t risk coming here anymore.It’s not safe for you or for me.Not until all of this is over.”
This wasn’t entirely unexpected, but my heart broke a little anyway.I nodded.
She reached into her skirt, pulled out an envelope that had yellowed with age, and handed it to me.“This is for you.I was to give it to you on your twenty-first birthday.Don’t open it now.Go somewhere safe.”
“Who is this from?”
“It’s from your parents,” she said tentatively, a tear streaking down her cheek.
That hit me like a punch in the gut.“You…you knew my parents?”I could barely get the words out as my throat constricted.
“Not personally.They arranged for me to take care of you and your sister in case something happened to them.”
How many fundamental truths about my life could change before I couldn’t take it anymore?I had never imagined I would receive a letter from beyond the grave.
“How…” I started to say, but I wasn’t even sure what question to ask.I stood there, dumbfounded.
A dog barked, and shouts came from down the street.The Royal Guards were everywhere.
“Go!”Mrs.Yarrow whispered fiercely.“You have to go now!”
She gave me one last look that spoke of all the love she had for me, then shut the door.I wanted desperately to bang on it again and have her tell me so much more, but the barks were rapidly getting louder.
With my heart in tatters, I climbed to the rooftops and disappeared into the night.
Chapter twenty-nine
Letters and Lockets
BackattheOrder,I called Elena to my room.Even though the letter had only my name on the outside, it affected Elena as much as it did me, so she deserved to be there when I opened it.
Elena had grown up a great deal recently, but although she was much stronger and braver than a typical fourteen-year-old, she still had a tender heart.She teared up as I recounted my meeting with Mrs.Yarrow.
“I miss her so much,” Elena said with brimming eyes.“But how could she have kept a letter from our parents from us for so long?”
“I don’t fully understand, but she said it was our parents’ wish that she give it to me when I turned twenty-one,” I said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.“Let’s read it together and see if it answers any of our questions.”
