Page 81 of Stolen Threadwitch Bride
Shaking my head as the world spun slowly, I cracked the seal.
My Evening Star,
I write this as a “just in case” and hope you’ll never get to read it.
Much as they pain me, I understand your sentiments and don’t wish to cause you any further distress by treating this like a love letter. Perhaps I shouldn’t have begun it by calling you that name. I should cross it out.
He hadn’t crossed it out. Hands trembling, I read on.
After our conversation in your workroom, I petitioned the Night Queen to free us from the Tithe. I received her refusal this morning. However, there is a freshly-drafted letter to her on my desk.
I’m hopeful that, given my sacrifice, she might grant it as my final wish.
Tears blurred my vision and the roaring grew deafening. No, no ”final wishes.” That was…
“No.” I shook my head. “No. I’m not reading any more of this.”
The letter, the insane talk of ”final wishes” meant…
This.Thiswas the worst thing. Not his desire to marry someone who suited his position and would live longer than sixty or seventy years.
I clutched my chest as it heaved too fast, too shallow.
No. Not that, either. Through my dress, my palm pressed on the solid form of my pendant.
I can.
A breath in. One. Two. Three. Hold. Out. One. Two. Three.
Again. Again.
The roaring faded.
“Ari?” Sylvie stared up at me and shared a glance with Boyd, who frowned.
Even if I couldn’t be with him, I couldn’t let him…
I gritted my teeth and forced myself to face the word that my mind kept skittering away from.
I couldn’t let himdie.
“We need to go after him.” Gods knew how, but—
“I can’t.” Sylvie hung her head. “If I set foot on Goren’s lands, I’ll have to marry him, and Ly made me promise never to give him the satisfaction.”
My mouth dropped open. “What?” He’d referred to her as “mydearSylvanna” at Calan Mai. “How?”
“A bargain, of course.” She flashed a sardonic smile, bitterness in her eyes. “My parents. Before I was born”—she waved a slender hand—“you can guess the rest.”
I exhaled, nodding.
Sylvie explained Hil was sick from the news. No surprise—she was like a mother to the whole household. And Sallis and Hobb were quiet, delicate. I doubted they could harm a fly, never mind Goren.
I gritted my teeth.“Fine. Looks like it’s you and me, Boyd.”
Lips tightening, he avoided my gaze. “No.”
“What do you mean ‘no’?” My skin blazed. “Lysander’s over there and you don’t want to help save him because you don’t like me?” I stomped across the hall towards him, and the rage must’ve shown on my face, because he backed away. “Are you bloody—?”
