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“Yes,” I say, but I keep my attention on my father.
“Today.”
I swallow down my argument. “Yes. Okay.”
My mother regrets only being able to have one child, and she doesn’t want me to risk not having any. She turns and hugs me. The sensation is foreign, and I grip her tight. “It’ll be okay,” she says between whimpers.
“You can count on me.”
She nods. “Who will you marry?”
Visions of Rose laid out on my bed fill my mind, but that wasn’t the reason for her visit last night. She smelt of booze and dirt. Everything I’ve been trying to overlook was right there for me to see. She’s not a noble girl. I suspect she’s a spy or a thief. Yet I can’t help wanting her.
I won’t be careless enough to leave the grimoire unprotected again. Her intentions for being here might not be completely innocent, but isn’t that what I wanted? Someone who can handle herself? Would it be so wrong to choose someone who makes me feel alive?
“I’ll decide in the next couple of days, but I’m not ready yet.”
“Belladonna’s a good match. Her potions will help with the pain, and she seems keen to please you.”
“I said I’ll think about it,” I say in a clipped tone.
“Or Ghost may be able to bring your father back from the dead. If we get the spell right, he may be able to channel some of her magic into the moonstone.” Her face fills with hope, but I don’t want to be pushed into this discussion.
“Leave it, Mother. This will be my decision and mine alone.”
She tears up again. “I’m sorry. I just want you to get this right.”
“I’ll do my duty, but allow me the pleasure of choosing my wife.”
“Yes. You should choose what makes you happy. This world is full of sacrifice, so having one person to indulge in might be all you get.”
“Thank you.” I kiss her forehead, which is something I rarely do. Her body stays rigid from the stress, but her shoulders relax slightly.
A scream breaks out in the gardens, and we both rush towards the window. Daisy and Ghost are running through the field.
Leaves swirl around, floating high into the sky, followed by my mother’s favourite roses. The branches of the trees pull like they’re being freed from their roots. A rip in the illusion my father is controlling appears, and lighting crackles across the sky. The day turns dark as a large bird swoops down toward the fleeing women.
I’m about to turn to go downstairs and help when I see Rose. She isn’t running away from the freaky storm, she’s moving towards it. She has a dagger in her hand and she looks fierce. This isn’t the persona she’s shown me. This is the Rose she’s been trying to hide, even though she’s finding it hard to be something she’s not. She didn’t lie about her fighting skill, but she has been snooping around the castle. She isn’t someone I can trust. Not until I find out what she’s hiding. I’m not foolish enough to believe the stories she’s made up about her sister. Rose is too calculated for that to be true. It isn’t what she’s saying that makes me suspicious of her motives, it’s her calm manner. Any other woman would have broken down at the idea of spending a night in a cell, and she wouldn’t be running into danger.
All I know is I can’t let anything happen to her. I leave my mother and race downstairs to help Rose. I’m not thinking about the kingdom, my family, or my people. My attention is focused on the woman who is consuming too many of my thoughts. I grab a sword from the fireplace before sprinting out of the great wooden door. Ghost and Daisy pass me as they move back towards the castle. My adrenaline kicks in as I reach the field. A large hawk-type bird dives down, and Rose launches herself away from its grasp.
“You should get inside,” I say when I’m close enough.
“No way.” Her eyes stay up in the air. I look around for the bird, and we end up back-to-back as we keep turning.
“What’s the plan?” I ask.
I’ve had fencing lessons, but I’ve never had to use them. My father’s had control of this kingdom since I was born. The spell cast keeps bad things out, but I have a feeling this has something to do with the poison taking over him.
“Kill the thing,” she shouts like she’s in control of the situation. Her confidence makes me wonder if she’s faced something like this before. She’s fearless, and it’s helping me see through her charade. These are not the qualities of noblewomen.
“And what if we can’t?” I shout back.
“We die.”
The bird swoops down a couple more times, barely missing us. Rose tries to lunge at it, but it’s too fast for her. The bird starts to approach us again. Its large wingspan blows cool air around us. We try to dive out of the way, but it grabs hold of Rose in its claws. I thrust my sword up into its chest, but it moves up, taking Rose with it. I drop the sword, ready to try and conjure some magic, but I’m weak because I’m out of practice. My inexperience with fireballs and defending what’s mine has left us vulnerable.
A few minutes later, she comes crashing back down to the ground, and the bird drops with a thud next to her. Dark green smoke appears, and the bird disappears like vapour. As quickly as the nightmare started, the creature is gone.
