Page 9 of End of the Sword


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“What do you mean?”

She allowed herself to lean into him. He did not shift away but took her weight silently. His fresh scent was strong in the air around them, only further reminding her of how dirty she’d become. Dirtier now that her feet were playing in the dust under them.

“In exchange for their magic, they were supposed to sacrifice someone of importance. Each of them. Four people for four staffs. I was their loophole.”

“Why wouldn’t the gods just refuse to give them their magic till they made three more sacrifices?”

It was a good question. One Ace herself had asked the gods on a night when she couldn’t quit reliving her death every time she closed her eyes.

“Once a ritual is started whatever the gods have promised is set in stone. Like a contract. To go back on it would have deadly universal consequences.” According to the gods themselves. “All four of them sacrificed something of great importance—it just happened to be the same thing. Saving Pasia from the Fae who killed our parents was more important to them than me.”

There, she’d said it. The truth that was more hurtful than dying itself. The four sisters she’d looked up to as a child, the girls who taught her how to behave in public, who shared blanket forts and dirty fingernails from digging in their mother’s garden together…

Ace was important to them. Just not important enough.

“That is sickening,” Shelby said and Ace swore she saw his hands shaking before he clasped them together again. “Do you…are you okay with killing them?”

She shrugged. “I have to be. It is the will of the gods and I am the hand of their revenge.” Where her vision focused down on her feet kept blurring between bouts of her trying to fight the tears that continued to build.

She would not cry. She would not give her sisters anymore of her tears.

“I spent a lot of time fighting what the gods wanted for my new life. I didn’t think I was capable of killing my sisters even if they were able to do it to me. So I lived for a year stealing Grimoires to help me get by and answering prayers now and again though it never helped to ease the constant influx of voices in my head.” Ace’s tongue felt like cotton in her mouth. “I agreed to sneak into the castle so I could see how far Sienna had truly fallen before I decided I was ready to commit tothis.” She met his steely gaze. “Then I ran into you.”

“Then you ran into me,” he whispered back.

Somewhere off in the not too far distance a horse’s whinny echoed across the countryside. Neither of them moved from their seats until they heard the doors behind them slowly open.

Rehan gave them his best gentle smile and dipped his head in apology. “I’ve got a carriage packed for our arrival at Queen Ambrose’s castle. It’s not too long a trip.”

Nothing in Pasia was too long of a trip.

“If you two are ready. If not, I’m happy to offer my home for longer.” Rehan gave a little cough.

“How considerate.” Ace grinned back, hoping her eyes didn’t look too weepy. “We will be right in.”

That was all that was needed for him to give a quick nod and close the doors behind him. Ace twisted and offered an outstretched hand to Shelby whose glare might’ve been able to turn someone to stone. Gods, she hoped he wasn’t looking at Rehan like that.

“Friends?”

His shoulders hunched. Perhaps a sign of defeat? Still, he placed his hand against Ace’s, his grip swallowing hers whole. “Friends.”

It wasn’t what Ace wanted but at least they were something. She settled her growing worries with that as she stood from the bench and turned in toward the house. Shelby’s shadow followed beside hers until they were back in the dining room where the stack of clothing for her still waited.

The warlock paused in the doorway, his back facing Ace, expression totally hidden. “Get dressed and I’ll meet you outside with your fiancé.” He’d carefully chosen his tone, refusing to let any of his former bitterness stain the statement. Then he was gone, walking swiftly through the home once more.

What remained of breakfast still sat out on the table. The large meal hardly picked from, so much food going to waste. Ace looked at it and frowned. Somedays she didn’t even know if she was going to be able to eat; even growing up, meals had been only just large enough to quell the roaring of hunger in her stomach. With a frown, she took a piece of untouched sausage and shoved it into her mouth until her cheeks billowed. The pile of clothes teetered in her arms before she clutched them to her chest and stepped out to find a powder room.

“Miss Angel.”

Ace’s body jolted with surprise as she stepped out into the hall. She froze, only able to catch the clothing by the tips of her fingers before it all dropped down to the floor for a second time.

Posy smoothed her dress and apron. “My apologies if I startled you.” She picked at her nails. “Again.”

All Ace could do was let out the sharp inhale she’d taken moments before. “Please, just call me Ace.”

“Miss Angel Ace.” Posy nodded, her round cheeks flushed.

I suppose that’s better than just Miss Angel.

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