Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Meliora was not silent. She sobbed and wailed, fighting her father harder than she ever had. His mere presence, and the swirling cloud of disdain he brought with him, used to strike her quiet. Not that day. “I won’t go! I won’t!”
I crawled over the splintered wood, vision spinning. “Meli!”
“Leave Haeowen alone!” Jaclan burst from his room, wielding his wooden spoon like a club. He struck Kirwan between the legs, doubling him over.
“Argh!” Snarling, Kirwan raised a backhand to Jaclan.
“Don’t—!”
“I’ll go!”
My scream stopped everything.
Kirwan spun on me, hand still raised. “What?” he barked.
“Take m-me.” I rose on shaky knees. “I’ll do it.”
“No one wants you, girl.”
“No, you don’t want to offer up Meli.” My gaze burned him where he stood. “Advisor to the king. Lord of the House of Dawnbreaker. One of the highest-powered fae in Lyrica... and his daughter can be had for three coppers. You’ll never hear the end of it,” I rasped. “Your comrades will laugh and taunt you of the taste of her, and don’t pretend they won’t.”
Frowning, Kirwan looked from me to her. No denial came.
Kirwan knew well what would happen if Meliora wound up in the grip of men as vile as him. Not for her sake, but for his reputation. His only love in this life and the next.
“I’ll do it,” I repeated. “I’ll become a war wife, you won’t be known for selling your own daughter, and you’ll still get your one hundred and fifty kiruna. Surely you have no objection? You’ll get everything you want.”
His lips peeled back from his teeth. It was the hard, unfeeling monster in him that wanted to say no just because I asked this of him. But—
“Fine. You’ll do just as well.”
“No!” Meliora broke from his loosened grip and ran to me. I gently dried her tears. “Haeowen, you can’t do this. We promised we would never.”
“I promised that you would never be forced into this life,” I whispered. “I promised we would choose, and I choose to protect you. That’s what I’ll always choose, faywen.”
“But not faeriken. They’ll k-kill you. We’ll never see you again.”
“Let’s go,” Kirwan ordered.
Ignoring him, I forced a smile on my lips. “Of course you will. Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’ll be back after the wedding, and when I do, I’ll tell you all about the palace. Its grand rooms, luscious feasts, and the queen’s famous gardens. It’ll be like you were there with me.”
Meliora cried harder. Of course she didn’t believe me. She knew I was a liar.
Mama’s door banged open. She huffed—chest heaving and hair hanging lank over her face. The effort that short distance cost her, left her clinging to the doorframe. “What has happened?” She took in the scene, and my weeping wound. “Kirwan, what did you do?”
He sniffed. “The girl’s clumsy. She tripped over the table like a one-footed fool. You should be thanking, not scolding me, Olene. Your circumstances will be improving. You’ll either have two incomes for the household... or one less mouth to feed.”
“Excuse me? What does that mean!”
“It means Kirwan has offered me a job,” I rushed. “A housekeeper in his household. I am to leave now for training, Mama, but I’ll return in a fortnight.”
Her lips drew tight. “If that’s true, why is Meliora crying?”
“Because she knows her father as well as I.” I gave him a hard look. “I will not be treated well.”
“That’s not true, faywen,” she said, voice sharp. “He will treat you well. He’ll care for you better than his own, or I’ll know why. Isn’t that right, Kirwan?”
He smiled. “I can swear no harm will come to her by my or any fae hands.”
Meliora’s nails pierced my shoulder. She understood the meaning behind his word choice clear as day.
“In the carriage, girl,” Kirwan said. “Don’t make me change my mind.” And take Meliora instead.
I untangled from my sister and bent down, opening my arms to Jaclan. Gisela took that moment to shoot out from behind the cracked door. I hugged the twins tight.
“Be well, my loves. Listen to everything Meli says.”
Standing up, I brushed a kiss over Meliora’s forehead. She was crying too much. Mama would figure out something was wrong soon. I had to be gone before then.
Chin raised, I walked to the door without looking back at my family. Kirwan’s smirk taunted me the whole way.
“Tell Adan I won’t be long.”
“What—?”
Kirwan advanced on my mother.
“No, you leave her!” I cried, grabbing his arm. “You know she’s not well.”
Kirwan threw me off. His strength enough to toss me across the room again. I grabbed my siblings as he slammed Mama’s door shut, hurrying them out of the house.
We didn’t make it far down the path. Meli turned on me, clinging tight and tripping me up. Her weight pulled me down onto the earthen lane. I suffocated under Meli’s, Jac’s, and Gisela’s embrace. The twins did not understand what was wrong, but they knew enough to be worried about anything that made Meliora cry.