Murder of Crows by Athena

Author:Athena
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, mystery, fantasy, paranormal, magic, muse
Publisher: Athena

Chapter Sixteen

The wilt of summer bloom

And autumn’s last leaf

Goodbyes come to all

‘“Betrothed’?” I couldn’t connect with the word. “As in, the Middle-Ages kind of betrothal?” I shook my head.

Sybil nodded, her tower of red hair bobbing. “As in, Xabien is your soon-to-be husband.”

“Wait. What? No. I don’t think so.” I held up my hand, shaking my head. “Is this some kind of bad joke on Aria? Celeste would never have let that happen!”

“Celeste opposed it,” Liam said from the doorway. He was dressed in Avian clothing: soft, ultra-thin black fabric in drapes and swags, with a layer of black banding wrapped around his torso several times and knotted in the front like a kimono.

“It’s not going to happen,” I said. “It must be a mistake. If Celeste was opposed to it, then why are we discussing it?”

“Because you insisted on it.” Liam swept into the room. “You, Fable,” he hissed, pointing at me with emphasis as he jabbed the words, “you insisted on the betrothal to bind the Ice Cap Treaty.”

“To spare our country war,” Sybil added.

They were serious. Both deadly serious.

He stepped forward, expression softening. “To save your mother’s legacy, you offered yourself up as a compromise to invasion from the Northern Reaches.” He took my hand and cupped it to his chest. “I wanted just a few days with you, without his shadow hanging over us. Your sacrifice bought us 14 years of tentative peace and an armistice that saved countless lives.”

How can I not remember something like a betrothal? Why didn’t Celeste prepare me for this? Any of it?

Sybil’s large eyes searched my face. Liam’s jaw worked, chewing silently on whatever he couldn’t say. I pulled away, stalked across the room to where my backpack lay on the floor, and snatched it up as I stormed toward the door.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Sybil rushed to catch up, her skirt rustling.

“I need some space.”

“But…” Her wings shivered frantically.

“You chose him,” he hissed, finally spilling whatever he’d been struggling not to say. “You chose to be married to Xabien on the first red moon of your return to Aria. No one forced you to choose him.” His wings snapped open, slamming the air with a violent draft.

“How long have you been saving that argument? Huh?” I shouted. “Then spring it on me when I don’t even know what the fuck is going on!”

His wings drove the air as he bellowed, “Too long!”

“Please, stop it, you two!” Sybil whimpered. “Your anger is sharp and it hurts.”

I took a deep breath, my whole body shaking. “This is bullshit. I’m out.”

“Wait. Please just wait,” Sybil begged. “Please listen.”

Glancing at the door, I measured the distance.

What? Outrun Avians?

Walking slowly with her hands out, she pleaded, “I know you feel like a lot is happening. Everything has been out of your control. You feel swept up. Overcome. Small in a world where the machinery has gone on long without you, and you have lost your memory and the knowledge of how that machinery works.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.