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10
ANYA
Pushinga broom had never been so difficult as it was that afternoon. Every sound made me jump. Every shadow and movement gave me pause. Whispers of Imrys's return had spread through the palace like wildfire and he was bound to take out his anger on someone. Tatyanna would be his first target, but I was sure she wouldn't be the last.
As I worked, I forced myself to take deep breaths and try to think clearly about what to do next. I couldn't just stand out here and wait for something to happen. Now that I had rid myself of Silas, I could move more freely. In fact, I could go anywhere at all if I had good enough cause.
Setting my jaw resolutely, I tucked the broom under my arm and gathered up a few more supplies. Tatyanna's dressing room hadn't had a good cleaning in some time. It could do with a heavy scrub and a bit of organizing.
I walked with purpose, my head high and my eyes straight ahead. I did not stop or slow, even when one of the other girls tried to get my attention. If I let myself get distracted, I might lose my nerve. I needed to reach that dressing room, and then I needed to figure out what I was going to say to her when I finally got the chance. But first, I needed to make another stop.
Down the hall from the large dining hall, I stopped at the door where all the new tributes came to get their first robes. I rapped on the door with the handle of my broom, shifting impatiently on my feet as waited for the women within to answer.
When Lychrai pulled the door open, her lips were set in a tight line and she crinkled her nose up in irritation. "What do you want? Don't you know we're busy in here?"
I looked past her and saw the voluminous mounds of dark fabric piled on her worktable. Mourning dresses for the Wives whose Guardians had been killed, no doubt. I looked away hastily, feeling guilty for interrupting her.
"Well? What is it?" she asked, softening her tone just a smidge.
"I need a favor. I need to speak with Tatyanna."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"If you could just give me something, anything, to deliver down there... I promise to bring it back. Any old dress will do."
Lychrai looked me over, scrutinizing me with her little eyes peeking out from between all the wrinkles. "Come on in for a second. I think I know just the thing."
She left me standing just inside the door as she trudged away between the many racks of dresses, humming to herself. When she returned, she held a black gown that sparkled with red gems. It was so heavy, the old woman was struggling to lift it.
"Don't worry about bringing it back. Imrys ordered it made a while back. Just finished it the other day." She examined her work and gave me a sad smile and a shake of her head before continuing. "Feels prophetic now. A dark dress for a dark day."
I swallowed hard, wishing I could tell her everything. But there wasn't time. She thrust the dress into my arms and then dragged the door open and pushed me outside.
"Make sure that girl is safe," she said, closing the door in my face.
With the dress in hand, my confidence was boosted. I made my way down toward Imrys's chambers and the smaller rooms that he had claimed for Tatyanna. I let myself inside the dressing room and looked for somewhere to hang the unwieldy dress. It was still early, but if I took my time, Tatyanna would soon come to dress for dinner.
Looking around, I was filled with a deepening sense of doom. Beautiful gowns were draped over every surface. But in the corner of the room, the tall mirror was shattered, splintering its reflection into a dozen jagged pieces. I made a slow circle around the room, and my foot struck something, sending an empty wine bottle rattling along the floor until it came to rest against the leg of a chair. I set my broom in the corner, instinctively bent over, and sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of empty bottles stuffed in every dark space beneath the long skirts of the gowns. It didn't take a genius to see that Tatyanna was medicating her pain away with the help of the wine. And who would even notice?
There was no way I could get all of these bottles out of here without raising questions, even if I did want to clean up all the evidence and protect her secret. If Imrys knew this was how she was getting through the days, he would never let her out of his sight again.
I picked up the loose bottle and turned it over and over in my hands, inhaling the last remnants of the tangy sweetness that wafted from its open mouth. It was poisonous hope in liquid form, but could I blame her?
I was just beginning to wonder if I could come back later and take the bottles away when I heard Tatyanna's overloud laughter out in the corridor. I hurried to tuck the bottle away where it had come from and pressed myself back between the dresses, flattening myself against the wall and standing so my feet wouldn't knock over any of the hidden bottles. As the door latch clicked free, I held my breath and waited. I needed to be sure she was alone before I revealed myself.
When the door clicked shut again, I let my breath go in a silent exhale and peeked between the gowns. The woman standing before me was almost unrecognizable in the dark solitude of this room. It was impossible to fathom that the laughter I heard moments before could have emanated from the same soul.
Her face was drawn, her eyes red and puffy, and the first speckles of new bruises marked her pale arms. I was too late. Imrys had gotten to her. She went to the mirror and stared at herself for several long moments, her fingers tracing the marks that were growing darker by the second. She made a gagging sound, and then she doubled over and fell to her knees, choking on a sob.
Without a second thought, I pushed my way out of the dresses, dropping to her side.
She shrieked, shoving me away and scooting back on her butt, kicking at me defensively.
"How did you get in here?" she breathed, her voice shaking.
"I brought your dress," I said, looking at the gown that sat piled on a table. She hadn't even noticed it when she came in.
"Then what are you doing here now?"
