“The flower in Ava’s armor. The day they found Merit.”
I’m blindsided. Stumbling for balance. Why is he bringing this up now?
“Merit told Bash he heard your voice, and I couldn’t work out why you didn’t say anything. Merit wassurehe’d been hit by a piece of shrapnel too, yet the physicians couldn’t find any deep wounds. Just a magically healed-over scratch on his leg, which very likely quickened his recovery. He was soon back on his feet and even out in the yard training with Bash only three days after it all happened. I spent hours going over and over it in my mind. If you’d healed him, why didn’t you say so? You’d already said you hadn’t been threatened to keep quiet, so, what happened?”
I clutch my hands to my chest, fraught, as he continues.
“I realized while you were gone that I’d jumped to the wrong conclusion about the flower. It wasn’t from you. It wasforyou. You and Willoh were together that day. That’s why you were acting so strange and secretive. That’s why you ran to break up the fight and why he was so distraught in the dungeons. It’s…It’s been him this whole time, hasn’t it?”
His shoulders are a tense rope.
I don’t answer.
“Felicity, youlied to me.”
Lied?
No. I just…didn’t tell him the truth. Why should I have to?
I clamp my hands to my sides and stand up taller.
“He’s not who you think he is,” I say, and hearing me admit it hits Card like a hurricane. He wipes a hand through his hair and begins pacing.
“I don’t care. I’ll stand by Bash no matter what. You helped him escape from the dungeons, didn’t you? The guards didn’t notice the remains of dandelions on the stairs, but I did.”
“Yes.”
“How could you—?”
“How couldI?Escaping was my best chance of survival! I’m alive today because of it! What aboutyou? My mum said you didn’t eventryto look for me! She heardnothingfrom you!”
He gasps. “Nothing?I wanted to ride out for you. I wanted to burn the whole forest down to save you! Bash’s motherorderedme to stay put. I couldn’t even leave this room without a flock of guards watching my every move! You think I wanted that? You think it was easy to be imprisoned in this castle not knowing if you would live another day?”
“I think you chose Bash and his ridiculous, meaningless feud.”
“And you chose Willoh.”
Our eyes lock.
“Did Bash tell you?” I ask. “What happened at the oak tree?”
“Of course.”
“And?”
“Andwhat? It was a stupid childish mistake.”
“It was Bastion’s mistake that Will took the fall for. See? That’s the truth.”
“You have no idea the amount of guilt he feels about that night—”
“And what has he done to make up for it? People are starving, Card.”
“He’s tried! But there’s so much royal protocol he has to abide by.”
“That’s a pathetic excuse. If he really wanted to do something, he should have found a way!”
Cardamine glares at me, exhaustion tearing at his seams. He’s disappointed. Feeling burned like the charred wood in the fireplace. We’ve never spoken to each other like this before. But I’m done. I’m not wasting time arguing if the guards are out there looking for Will. I spin around and march out into the carpeted, candlelit corridor. The night outside presses against the windows as Card hurries after me.
