Page 95 of When Ashes Fall

“I don’t know, but Briar didn’t poison them.”

“So you’ve said, but if you’re going to prove it, then you’d better figure out what happened to them.”

“We could use her help. She knows these plants. She has a true, special affinity to them, and they respond to her.”

I lifted my head to glare at her. “If you’re so determined to see her name cleared, then I’d get to work on doing so.”

Bertie folded her arms over her chest and scowled at me. “You know you’re wrong on this.”

I didn’t say anything as I knelt to examine the rose more carefully. I wasn’t beyond admitting most of my wrath came from realizing she planned to run. She’d never get away from me, but she could get herself killed in the process.

Why would she want to stay with you? You’ve done nothing but terrorize her.

I lowered my hand and sat back as another petal fell. It floated back and forth as it rode the air currents while falling silently to the ground.

If they died, would the shifters die too?

It seemed impossible for the shifters to survive if the roses didn’t. “How do we stop this?”

“I don’t know,” Bertie admitted. “We’ll try everything we can to save them.”

“I have to check on my parents. Do the best you can.”

Rising, I strode away from her and on toward the throne room. If they were dying too, I didn’t know what I’d do.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

Briar

I paced the small confines of my room, seething with every step I took. How dare he! How dare he!

My hands fisted as I restrained myself from battering the walls. How had this day gone so wrong?

I’d thought things were finally getting better between us, that he was finally starting to trust me and maybe we wouldn’t spend the rest of our lives fighting each other. And then BAM, everything went back weeks.

It had all been an illusion because, in the end, he wanted to believe the worst in me. It didn’t matter what I did, how much time passed, or how different I was from the other casters; he’d never move on from my heritage.

I hated him for it, and I hated myself for getting my hopes up.

“What do you think happened to the roses?” Gizzi asked.

“I don’t know, and he won’t give me the chance to find out.”

“He might, once he calms down.”

“I don’t care about him calming down. I’m so sick of him constantly jumping to the wrong conclusion about me. I hate him.”

Gizzi settled at the end of the bed to watch me. I didn’t bother to try the door; Dromon hadn’t locked it after leaving me here. I wasn’t sure if that was on purpose, but even if I could get free, I had nowhere to go. I’d never make it out of this castle without Knox catching me.

My pacing continued until a soft knock brought it to an end. That couldn’t be Knox; he wouldn’t bother to knock. He’d storm in like the overbearing ogre he was.

“What?” I demanded.

“It’s Lyra; can I come in?”

I almost told her to go away, but bit my tongue. The lone female shifter had never come to my room before, and we’d never had a conversation, so I had no idea why she was here.

Curious as to what brought her, I opened the door. Lyra stood on the other side with her hands clasped before her. Her short, golden blonde hair stood up in spikes around her beautiful face.