Page 71 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
“Of course not. If they had no other family to take them in, they’d become wards of the kingdom—they’d be adopted into servitude.”
I reeled back, the truth worse than I’d guessed.
Briar reached for me again. “I know it sounds harsh—”
I shirked him. “It’s not harsh, Briar. It’scruel.”
“Amy, those children will be fine. I guarantee you, if their parents don’t get their act together, the magistrate will step in and remove them from their situation. Now, I’m not saying it’ll be an easy life for them. They’ll grow up in servitude, yes, but they’ll also receive food and clothes and a warm place to lay at night. They’ll grow into productive members of society, and they hopefully won’t repeat their parents’ mistakes.”
Close to tears, I sneered. “Yes, productive members of society—who grew up without amother. Because we just couldn’t find it in our hearts to give them a little bread.”
Briar stilled, maybe realizing the horror he so easily accepted. The shame on his face might’ve been genuine this time. “Amy, I—”
“What if it were me?” I’d seen myself glaring out of Gail’s eyes, after all. “And Vi and Ace? And that curse had killed both our parents? And there was no Uncle Neel or Aunt Aylie. Would you have pressed us into servitude?”
He gasped. “Of course not.”
“Because we’re royals, right? Or because we’re Danann?”
His lips parted, but no sound slipped through them.
“We’re no better than those Middling children, Briar.” My fingertips almost ignited again. “If I deserved love, comfort, and mercy at a rocky time in my childhood, then so do they.”
“I’m not a snob, Amy.” Briar’s cheeks had flashed red at my scolding. “I’m a devoted champion of the people. I’d do anything to saveanyonefrom harm—regardless of their race—within the bounds of our laws.”
“Then where do we draw the line?” I wiped away a tear. “You can save a family from a burning building, right? But not from starvation? Don’t both catastrophes qualify as natural selection? If the family isn’t strong enough to escape the fire—”
“Amy, we could spend years debating the ethics of our ways.”
You bet your ass we will, buddy!
“But it’s just—life.”
I could’ve kicked him in the balls.What a defeatist copout!
He scuffed a boot in the dirt. “If it makes you feel better, I told those kids you were mad I was taking the food back.”
I scoffed, nauseated. “You want to know the worst part? They weren’t even begging. Idecidedto buy them that food. They didn’t ask me for a thing.”
His eyes fell shut on a curse.
“And their mother can’t provide for them because their soil’s dried up.” My lip curled. “Someone diverted the river to the Shadow Court.”
Briar’s eyes bulged, his shock a small relief.
After a charged silence, I gathered my skirts in a petulant bundle and stabbed my walking stick into the dirt. Dirt notably drier than what I’d seen thus far in our journey. “Let’s keep moving. Without talking.”
Taking me literally, Briar didn’t respond as we trod along in doleful discord.
Later that night, after I’d bathed the grime from my skin with a pitcher of Briar’s magic, and we’d made camp under a bower of violet pear trees, my caustic mood finally broke. Crippling grief replaced it.
Nestled between a pair of roots under a blanket, I wept upon Raggedy Andy’s permanent smile. Gail and her siblings had invoked thoughts of my own brother and sister. Where were they? Were they safe? Would I see them again before the harbinger found me? No number of tears could answer my questions, but they gushed on regardless.
Briar stirred from across the crackling fire. His shadow moved toward me, and I held my breath—desperate for a simple hug.
I wiped my clammy cheeks as Briar set a gentle hand on my arm. His gaze caressed my face. For one second, I thought he might climb under my covers with me, snuggle me against his chest. Yet, he simply tucked my covers tighter around me and padded back to his spot by the fire.
I fell asleep still weeping, wishing for that hug.
