Page 31 of The Iron Hex

Eira looked at Hugo, panic rising in her. Who was this woman talking about? Was it who she thought it could be?

“Ah,thatfriend. We’ve been looking for her for a while. Ran off with a man that I don’t trust,” Hugo said, lying through his teeth.

“That’s too bad, you two seemed so close,” Jess said.

“They were,” Hugo answered, releasing Eira and taking a step toward the stairs.

“Okay,” Eira said, voice shaking. “Thank you for the juice... I’m sorry about this. We’ll come down later for some food.”

“Don’t even worry about it, Crystal!” Jess answered cheerfully.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Hugo grabbed the arm Eira was holding the pitcher with.

“This is the best lead we’ve gotten so far,” he said excitedly. “That sounds exactly like the princess, Eira. You must have been here with her.”

“Right, yeah,” Eira said, nodding her head repeatedly, feeling hollow. This was all too much. She couldn’t do this. How was she supposed to be able to pretend like she had any idea who she was when people from years ago remembered her, but she had no idea who she was to them? Why had she given the name Crystal? Why had her and the princess parted ways after this?

She realized she’d never even asked Hugo what the princess’s name was, and now she had a random barmaid telling her that she’d been here with that very same princess three years ago.

“Hugo, what was the princess’s name?” she asked quietly.

Hugo stepped back and tilted his head. “I keep forgetting you don’t remember any of it... It’s Evangeline, but why?”

The name didn’t stir a single thing within Eira. “I don’t even know her name, but I was apparently here with her long enough that Jess the barmaid in Fallstead remembers both of us.”

“This is good,” Hugo said, placing a hand on Eira’s shoulder. “This is a lead.”

“Hugo, how is it good if I can’t even remember the people that I’ve come across? We just have to hope they remember me and then, what, say something?”

“We’re just going to have to do what we can.” Hugo’s hands were gentle on Eira’s arms as he tried to comfort her, despite his excitement. “Jess clearly remembered you and felt compelled to say something... There have to be others who are the same.”

“So, what, we scour the country hoping we find the path that took me to Cilirien and... Evangeline, to wherever she went? All in hopes of someone remembering us? I just... I don’t think it’s going to work.” Eira shook her head.

Hugo didn’t answer, just watched Eira.

“I can’t do this,” Eira said, turning and walking to the room. She needed a bath—she needed to clear her head and let the warm water soothe her.

18

Hugo

When they entered the room, Eira immediately started running a bath, nothing but the sounds of dials turning and the creak of the privacy partition being opened to fill the silence that hung between Hugo and Eira.

Hugo didn’t really know what to do. He wanted to help, to ease this confusion he was sure she was feeling. And what had he done? Made it worse by telling her she’d forgotten that she knew his favorite flavor was pistachio. Stupid. Thoughtless.

Hugo sat on the bed, whetstone in one hand and his sword in the other as he went through the motions. This, he could control—the strength of his blade, the routine of polishing and sharpening it—even if he couldn’t control anything else.

He heard the soft thud of her layers of clothing hitting the floor, and the splash of water as Eira stepped into the bath.

Hugo thought about how she must look right now, flushed and wet, before mentally slapping himself.Really, Hugo? Right now? She doesn’t even remember you, Hugo admonished himself.She certainly doesn’t feel anything for you.

He needed to remember that even the Eira he thought he’dknown had kept secrets from him, pretending she wasn’t able to do magic... hiding her now-illegal magic from him, from everyone.

The rabbit sat beside Hugo on the bed and both of them watched the hand-painted floral partition wall, steam rising up behind it. He didn’t know if rabbits felt anything, but he thought for a split second that she looked concerned. If anyone had asked him how to describe how a furry ball with large ears managed to look concerned, he wouldn’t be able to explain, but what he did know was that they were both worried about Eira.

Metal on stone, metal on stone. He polished and polished until he heard the soft, all-too-familiar whimper of Eira beginning to cry. His hand stopped mid-swipe, an ache ripping through his heart at the sound. The whimpers quickly turned into racking sobs. He’d seen Eira cry before, but it had never sounded like this.

Without thinking, he went to her, sitting on the other side of the partition wall on the floor. It was wrong, it was too familiar... and he wasn’t going to stop himself.