Both of them shaking and crying, holding each other. Pretending.
Then the shame.
‘Ravie didn’t know about the baby,’ Maylie added, opening her eyes. ‘He left after it happened and I never saw him again. When I returned to Silicia, the Governor came knocking at my door one evening, wanting to know about his son. He’d heard nothing since we all left. I told him Ravie had died with Esmelie from a sickness. I couldn’t bear to tell anyone the truth. And for all I know, he is dead by now. His drinking were getting worse and worse. ’Tis hard to recover from something like that.’
Outside, lovetails could be heard chattering to each other at the edge of the forest. Soon the villagers of Silicia would rise for another morning. The night was over.
‘What do you think of me now?’ she whispered.
Chrisanie’s arms wrapped around her once more.
‘I love you, May,’ he said, his lips against her hair. ‘I always will.’
They stood still, holding one another. What had been said and shared settled around them, easing into the shape of a new reality. Then Chrisanie stepped back.
‘So you have a daughter?’
‘Yes.’
She had always known it, of course, but rarely had she ever let herself think of the baby as her own. She felt an ache deep in her chest, a longing to see her child.
‘And she’s the Princess of the Kingdom?’
‘Yes.’
Chrisanie blew out his cheeks and Maylie let out a strangled laugh at the strangeness of it all. Then they both fell quiet.
‘I must go to her,’ said Maylie. ‘Something is wrong.’
She thought of the hamadryad’s words:You lost a child. And you’ll lose another.She had ignored the warning of the Hidden People once. She would not do it again.
‘The creature in the forest told me that the life of my child is in danger,’ she added. ‘I believe it was talking about her – the Princess.’
Chrisanie looked uncertain. ‘You trust what it says? The Hidden People are fickle—’
‘I know that better than most. But I think it were telling the truth. The Hidden People abandoned me when I returned from the mountains; I’d offended them by not heeding their warning and leaving in the first place. I didn’t care at the time; in many ways it was a relief. But the hamadryad would have no reason to call to me again unless there really is danger. I think ’tis trying to help me.’
‘A hamadryad?’ said Chrisanie, his voice tripping over the unfamiliar sounds.
‘’Tis what the creature in the forest is called,’ replied Maylie. ‘I found notes in Tadrie’s cottage when I cleared it. Records about the Hidden People. I learnt that the creature living in Pap’s cellar were a hobgoblin, and the thing in the lake, ’tis called a kelpie. None of the notes were written in Tadrie’s hand – looks like several different authors over time. I’m guessing I weren’t the only one in my family with a Gift like this.’
Maylie thought of the small sheaf of papers tucked behind her herb notebooks on the shelf of their cottage, its edges yellowed and soft. Sometimes, if she was alone, she would take it out and flick through the pages, trying to count the different handwriting styles, wondering secretly if any of them belonged to her mam.
‘Maybe Tadrie would’ve told me more about it one day if the sickness hadn’t taken her. She was always so adamant that the Sightwould go when I grew up – as if she knew something. As if she were scared of it.’
Chrisanie frowned. ‘She were right to be worried. I’m worried too. The Hidden People have tricked you before, May …’
‘I know.’ She took his hands. ‘Do you trust me?’
‘Of course.’
‘I think there’s a real threat – something’s not right, I can feel it – and I owe it to my daughter to try and warn her.’ Maylie took a deep breath, ignoring the squeeze of pain in her chest. ‘I must go to Tormale. I need to leave. Now.’
Alinore
THE DRUM OFhoofbeats roused Alinore from her doze. She jolted upright with a snort and gathered up the loose reins in her hands.
Beneath her, Flint pricked his ears and tossed his head.
