Page 44 of Winds of Ruin
Even while taking garrot root, which dulled her ability to compel others, she could still pick up on my emotions and thoughts. Thrown off guard by the events that had unfolded, I did little to prevent her from sifting through my account of the evening.
When Sybilla’s gaze found mine, her expression matched my fear.
Lark crossed the room and sobbed into her father’s chest.
“What is the meaning of this?” Krait growled.
The room spun. My negligence had placed their daughter in danger. Our enemy gained strength in that once charmed, now cursed mirror.
I landed at the bottom of despair when I realized the impact of my mistakes.
My King lay asleep, and I could no longer reach him.
Chapter 19
Elsedora
Sybilla and I walked Lark, shaken and remorse-filled, to bed, and then regrouped in the sitting room, where Krait waited with the dreadful mirror. My composure threatened to unravel faster than yarn.
“I did not mean for her to end up in harm’s way,” I started. “She went to bed—said goodnight. I thought she’d gone upstairs to read. I never…”
Sybilla’s eyes narrowed on me. I hoped she didn’t need to sink into my mind to understand my regret. She’d learned my expressions over our fifteen-year friendship.
“Forgive me, please.” I looked between them, hands shaking at my sides.
Before Sybilla had begun doubling her doses of garrot root, she’d been able to break any wards set mentally—crack into anyone’s head. The root helped with her bouts of inflammation and illness, so its positive effects outweighed the negative.
“You think this isyourfault? No, El, that girl disobeyed you, us, everyone. I don’t know what the fuck she was thinking,” Sybilla snapped. “She can be so smart and so foolish at once.”
“She thought she was helping me,” I said, defending the girl; foolish or not, Lark had taken the wrong course of action with the kindest intentions. I’d lashed out at her unfairly.
My prior anger evaporated—she didn’t deserve a reprimand.
I did.
Sybilla asked, “How could such a risk be helpful? I don’t understand.”
I’d spent so much time in Emmerick’s quarters—our little secret. Slinking carefully around the palace, I’d avoided either of them noticing so that I wouldn’t need to make up fanciful excuses if caught.
Had they known, maybe none of this would have happened. With Lark involved, I couldn’t lie to them any longer.
“Start at the beginning,” Krait said. The lamplight cast ominous shadows across the blue floral wallpaper. They ebbed off him as he contained his simmering rage.
He never needed words to be intimidating. Pacing the sitting room, I explained the evening from the start.
Lark slipping out.
Angeline visiting.
Realizing my key was missing.
The unbinding charm.
Sybilla swore like a sailor through the whole recounting. Mostly about having a word with Asterie aboutappropriatecurriculum for a thirteen-year-old. I knew my friend wouldn’t stay this riled up for long—she needed to boil over to come back to her senses.
“The mirror Lark used was enchanted. It allowed me to communicate with King Mattock. Until tonight, when that connection broke.”
Once I’d begun, I couldn’t stop. I stared at the floor and kept spewing the truth.
