Dressed like I was, I wouldn’t last thirty minutes out here. I wasn’t sure which was worse: freezing to death or being impaled by an arrow. Probably the impaling, but it was quicker, so…toss-up.
We moved through the snow and away from the manor. I searched frantically for light to signal someone else was outside, but it was pitch-dark except for our lantern. I supposed I could try to extinguish the flame Andrew carried, but then I’d be bound and stranded in the dark, not knowing which way to go. He’d likely tackle me to the ground and kill me then and there.
No. My best line of defense would not be an attack; it would be an appeal.
Which meant getting rid of the cloth covering my mouth.
I needed to stay focused. Each step was more difficult than the last, and I fell twice. Andrew hoisted me to my feet and forced me toward the trees. Using my chin, I tried to loosen the rag against my shoulder. It slid a fraction, so I kept at it until, finally, it fell around my neck.
I could hardly speak through my body’s fight to stay warm, but I needed to try. My tongue felt thick, and my voice sounded hollow.
“Andrew, please stop! You’re making a mistake.”
He didn’t realize my gag had fallen off, and my words startled him. “Be quiet.”
“No—explain things to me. Why did you agree to this? Why kill your father and Mae?” An answer didn’t come, and I groaned in frustration. “You owe me that much at least!”
“This is far enough. Stand against that tree. Try to move, and I’ll tie you to it.”
“Andrew, answer me.”
His features hardened in the lantern light. “You already know most of it! My father stole a fortune from his own company and planned to run away with his mistress. He was going to leave us destitute. He’d gambled away most of our family money and then stripped the company clean. There wouldn’t have been much left for me to inherit. We would have been on the streets!”
I pressed my back against the tree trunk, so cold I was afraid my legs would collapse beneath me. “I didn’t know. He put you in an impossible position, but it’s not too late for you.”
“It is too late.”
“It’s not! You still have the money. You can put it back, rebuild, do things the right way. It won’t be easy, and you’ll have to face your part in this, but I’ll help you.” My tone softened. “I know what it’s like to be one creditor away from being tossed in the streets. I had my own trouble with a loan shark a while back, but I dug my way out, and so can you.”
He shook his head. “We’re not the same.”
“I know you have remorse. The guilt is eating you alive. You’ll drown yourself in liquor before you spend a royal penny of that money. And for what? So your sister can marry someone who doesn’t love her? So you can spend the rest of your days bending to her will? She used you. She’s using you now, making you do her dirty work.”
His hands trembled as he reached for the bow strapped to his back. The lantern hung from a branch, illuminating his tormented features. He notched an arrow. I sucked in a breath as he pulled back the quiver.
“Please, don’t do this.”
“I’m sorry, Tessa. I don’t have a choice.”
Chapter 16
He held my gaze.
The wind stilled, becoming quiet. Even the trees seemed to wait for death to strike. We’d come full circle—only this time, he didn’t plan to miss. Funny how I was more scared the first time than now.
I didn’t want to look away. My magic was gone, stripped away by the cold, and all I had left was my quiet defiance.
Or not so quiet.
“What are you waiting for?” I shouted.
His hesitation spurred a flicker of hope in my chest. It made my heart pound. Still, he waited, his arm quivering from the force of pulling the bowstring.
My voice was raw. “How far are you willing to go to get what you want? You asked me that question, but those were Isabelle’s words. She planted them; let them grow. They twisted you all up inside, but only you know the answer. So tell me, Andrew, how far are you willing to go?”
He squeezed his eyes shut. The bow dropped to his side, and the arrow landed in the snow.
“I can’t. You’re right. This wasn’t what I wanted. You’re not part of this, and I can’t kill you over my sister’s jealousy.”
