‘Summer cooked,’ Kay says unnecessarily as Jonas reaches for a pasty. ‘Though she’s gone upstairs to clean some more rooms for us now.’
‘Her cooking is incredible,’ William comments.
‘The meat pasties are the best thing I’ve ever eaten,’ Jonas agrees before taking a bite of a second one.
‘So,’ Kay says impatiently, looking directly at me. ‘Where have you been?’
‘I went to speak to Dinah.’
‘And? Did you find out anything helpful?’
‘Sort of.’ My eyes shift to Jonas. ‘But perhaps we should speak alone.’
Her nostrils flare and she straightens her back. ‘Whatever you haveto say, you can say it in front of my husband.It’ll save me repeating it again later. We have no secrets from each other.’
She beams up at him, and it takes every inch of my willpower not to gape at her. No secrets from one another? I doubt he has told her dozens of things, like how he was going to let Zara kill him at the end of the Retterheld because he was too afraid to use his power again. Does she really think he’s told her everything? If so, she’s even more absurdly naïve than I thought.
‘This is about family, right?’ William says, breaking the tension with his question.
‘Yes, it is. Family,’ I repeat, with a glare at Jonas.
‘Well, if you try to make me leave, I’ll just eavesdrop again.’ William shrugs as he speaks matter-of-factly. ‘I deserve to know the truth too.’
‘You’re right, you do.’
For a moment longer I consider whether I should insist Jonas leave, but I can’t deal with another fight. Not with what I’m about to tell them. And it’s not like he doesn’t know part of it already.
Besides, this affects William too, and Jonas has already proved he’ll go to any lengths to ensure my brother’s safety. After all, if the Goddess hadn’t told him that I had to learn the truth about my brother, he might still be holding that secret. Whatever my reservations are, he has proved he can be trusted with William’s secrets.
And so, reluctantly, I take a seat and tell the group everything I learned from Dinah.
I speak slowly, trying not to miss a single word from her whispered suppositions, including her hints about our mother’s heritage and the details about the dagger.
Kay’s cheeks pale and her hand slides down to rest on her abdomen. Her child may be part Issen too, I realise. But is the blood diluted enough that they won’t show it?
‘The health tonic Mother made us, that I carried on making us in the slums … it suppresses Issen magic,’ I tell them when I reach the end of my conversation with Dinah. ‘When I stopped taking it in the Retterheld … well, it showed up.’ I draw in a breath, trying not to reveal that my sister’s entire future might rest on the next answer she gives me. ‘I made you plenty of the tonic before I left. Did you take it while I was in the trials?’
Please.The word echoes in my mind.Please, please say yes.
She nods. ‘I just thought, I may as well, you know? So I did.’
Relief floods me, and my shoulders loosen for the first time all day.
‘When was your last dose?’
‘A few days ago.’
‘Okay, that’s good. That’s good. I can brew more.’ I pat the laden wicker basket. ‘Lots more. If we can keep your powers from ever showing up, then you can’t lose control of them.’
‘What if …’ William’s voice is small, drawing my attention to him. ‘What if you already have them?’
Dread knots within me.
‘William?’ I leave the rest of the question unspoken, and it is Jonas who finishes it for me.
‘William, you can tell us. If something has happened, youmusttell us.’
My brother chews on his lip. ‘I … well … I …’
