Read it, and numbly tucked it away again with no intention of addressing its contents.
No, that wasn’t true. She had everyintention. She wasfullof intentions; it was the actual conviction to carry them through that she lacked. Day after day, for more than two weeks now, she’d slipped that letter into her skirt pocket and told herself she would finally read it. But unfolding the paper had only spilt a new set of obligations into her lap. Another reason to carry it close, its weight heavier than ever with every passing moment that she did not let herself think on its meaning.
But maybe shewould.
Maybe today would be the day. Maybe seeing Kai, finally mending the rift between them, would lend her some stability; some conviction, in turn. And so, retrieving the folded letter from beneath her pillow and tucking it into her skirts, Adelineducked beneath the gauzy privacy curtain that hung over her room’s entrance.
And walked smack into a scowling Lyra.
Her cousin bounced dramatically backwards, hissing like a feral little cat.
“Ouch, mytoes.”
“Goddess, I didn’t see you! Are you alright?”
She reached out a helping hand as Lyra balanced on one leg, examining the foot that Adeline had lightly nudged. Her cousin ignored the outstretched hand as she glanced up, undisguised loathing written in the flat line of her mouth. Instead of answering, she let her eyes flick over Adeline’s dress, and the tight line of her lips slid into a grimace.
“What are youwearing?”
“A dress.”
“Is that wool? You know it’s summer, right?” She paused, and then added slowly, as though Adeline were a particularly dim-witted toddler, “Summer is hot.”
“I’m aware, thank you.”
“Unless—” Lyra’s scowl melted, brow lifting hopefully.
Nothing if not expressive, Adeline thought. At any given moment, Lyra’s every thought and feeling could be read, etched plainly into her small face like an open book. It reminded her, with a wistful pang, of her littlest sister Iseult, and she could not help the smile that bloomed at Lyra’s eager expression.
And then her cousin said, in a buoyant tone, “Are you going home?”
Adeline snorted; wistfulness dissipated.
“No.” The scowl snapped back into place like elastic, so fast that Adeline couldn’t help the twitch of her own lips as she bit back another laugh. “I just … woke up a little chilly.”
“You’revisiblysweating.”
She was, but now that Lyra had said as much, she could hardly show it—admittedly made more difficult by the slow roll of a single bead of sweat tickling her neck. Her rooms opened at the top of a gigantic sundial that served as an open courtyard, the shimmering stone beneath their feet already absorbing the few hours of daylight. The heat of it licked at her ankles, seeping into the heavy material of her dress. She held her flushed head high, sending that bead of sweat racing for her collar.
Ugh.
“What can I do for you, Lyra?”
At this, Lyra crossed her arms with a small huff and glared off into the distance, recalling some past indignity.
“Aunt Eleni sent me to fetch you. We’re to spend the morning with her in the gardens. For awalk,”she said, as though walking were a filthy habit of only the lowest degenerates.
Adeline hesitated. Her thoughts immediately snapped to Kai, wherever he was, and to the letter in her pocket.
I need to see him.
Lyra tapped her foot, shrugging as if to say;Well?
“We’re meeting her now?” said Adeline. “Rightnow?”
Apparently, this exhausted Lyra’s capacity for speech, because it was with no further response that she turned and stalked off,pausing in the shadow of the sundial to throw atskin Adeline’s general direction.
“Are you coming or not?”
