“I didn’t put on the mask intentionally,” she whispered. “I was pushed, and I tripped over my bags. Everything in them scattered, and when he— When my face was slammed into the ground… Somehow, the mask slid through the mud far enough that it was beneath my face. And as soon as I had it on, Sable woke up. She saw everything.Felteverything, as if she were the one experiencing it all.” She swallowed loudly, her hands trembling at the memory. Curling her fingers into fists, she crossed her arms and met his gaze. “She saved me.”
Hadrian’s jaw was clenched, his glare sharp enough to cut.
“And then she saved you,” Avalon concluded.
Crossing his arms, Hadrian shook his head once and stared at the stark silhouettes of birch and fir trees across the brook. The sun was beginning to set. “Even so,” he said, his voice hushed. “Breaking her out of that mask isn’t our decision to make.”
“Whose then?” she snarled. “Surely not the person who put her in there to begin with.”
Hadrian’s shoulders stiffened again. “She didn’t happen to tell you who that person was, did she?”
Avalon hadn’t thought of that. Everything had happened so quickly; she hadn’t stopped to think about who had locked Sable in that mask or how they did it. Or why.
She shook her head in answer.
“Your father asked me to take you home,” Hadrian said. “And I’ll do as he asked.” Without another word, he began making his way back to the cave.
Avalon stomped after him. “That’s all that matters to you now, isn’t it?” she shouted, her words echoing through the woods. “The only thing you care about is following orders!”
Hadrian whirled, and Avalon stopped just before her face could smash into his broad chest. “What do you think would happen if I didn’t follow orders, Avalon? Tell me what would happen.” When she remained silent, he continued, nearly spitting the words in her face. “I’d beexecuted. I follow orders not to ensure my own safety, but to ensure yours. Because no one could ever protect you as well as I can. I listen to your father, even when I disagree with him, and even when I’d much rather rip his head off his shoulders than do what he asks of me, because I want to keep you safe. I don’t care about following orders—I care about your safety.”
She stayed quiet, for she had no words.
“You took something that doesn’t belong to you,” he continued. “A very dangerous something. You’re lucky I’m not bringing you back to the House of Ice to return it.” He spun on his heel and kept walking.
“It was collecting dust inside a crypt!” she shouted. “No one will be looking for it!”
“You’re going to Hilsian, Avalon. And when we get there, I’m bringing that mask back to the House of Ice where it belongs.”
She debated pummeling his face with her fists, but she would probably do more damage to herself than to him. Mortals stood no chance against the Folk.
She stopped walking, glaring hard at Hadrian’s back as he wove through the trees. “I hate you right now,” she growled.
“Hate me all you want,” he called over his shoulder. “But one day, when we discover the reason why that girl was locked inside that thing, you’ll thank me.”
10
Avalon couldn’t sleep.
Lying awake in the cave that night, she tossed and turned, her thoughts plagued by the argument she’d had with Hadrian. Even though he doubted her, Avalon knew that the girl trapped inside the mask was Sable. And Sable had saved her life and Hadrian’s. The least Avalon could do was give Sable’s back. Right?
Being careful not to wake Hadrian, she reached for her saddlebag and fished the mask from where it was stuffed among her clothes. With a deep breath, she put it on, trying her best not to flinch as the silver sealed with her skin.
Sable’s arrival was louder than the previous times, as if she no longer slept—or whatever it was she did—when Avalon removed the mask. Avalon knew she was there, sharing her mind again, but she found that she was not afraid.
Sable?Avalon asked. The warrior inside the mask bristled.That’s your name, isn’t it?
How am I to know?Sable’s inner voice was sharp.Up until last night, I didn’t even know I was trapped inside a mask.
She hadn’t known?
Of course not,the warrior snapped, hearing her thoughts just as Avalon heard hers.I’ve been gone for…Her voice grew very quiet.For a long time, I think.
A moment of silence before Avalon dared to ask her next question.Who did this to you?
If I knew, I would’ve already torn the world apart looking for them. Remembering has become my greatest enemy.
A shiver ran down Avalon’s spine, and when Sable’s presence shifted, she knew she felt it, too.How is this possible?Avalon’s head spun, and she pressed a hand against her forehead. This simple action made her more than relieved; at least she still had full control over her limbs.
