In the Shadow of a Vow by Maci Aurora

Author:Maci Aurora
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798989154340
Publisher: Mixed Plate Press

11

Watching Tomas’s broad shoulders disappear through the doorway crushed her. She stood, wanting to go after him but knowing she couldn’t. Not yet. He needed his space, and she needed to finish what she’d started here. She’d finally revealed the truth, and they needed to find Jessamine.

“Don’t blame him,” she said. “I asked him to hold onto my secrets. And the secrets—not that I’m offering it as an excuse—were tied to the spells. Had I revealed any of them, the ribbons, the hedge would have failed.”

“So you didn’t trust us,” Tarley snapped.

“I didn’t trust Crue not to find us.”

“Well, he found us anyway. Spells and all,” Auri replied. “And now he has Jessamine.”

Scarlett nodded. “He did. But your father… he asked me to tell you the truth for years.”

“And you didn’t,” Brinna said.

“I didn’t. I was afraid.” She paused, wanting to explain herself but knowing that perhaps there was no way to appeal to them. The witch had warned her, and Scarlett hadn’t listened. “I was afraid of Crue. His power. I was afraid of him hurting any of you, because of the magic–”

“What magic?” Mattias asked.

Scarlett pointed at Tarley, “Prophet Augur,” then at Brinna, “Dream Walker,” then to Auri, “Wisdom Oracle,” and to Mattias, “Time Runner.”

“You knew?” Brinna asked.

“Suspected. When you started dreaming, I realized the gifts had been transferred to each of you. It was just a matter of time to figure out who’d developed which gift.”

“And Jessamine?”

“Healer,” Lucian said, his hands on Brinna’s shoulders. “She carries the godlight gift.”

Scarlett nodded.

“Like you,” Auri said.

“Yes. Like my mother before me.” She paused, looking at the fire, wishing it were warming her. She just felt cold. “We have to find Jessamine. I don’t know what he plans to do with her.” Scarlett’s heart stopped up in her chest, and tears flooded her eyes. “He once said he would consume her—us—for the magic.”

“That’s disgusting,” Nixus said with a grimace.

Scarlett glanced from the god to Auri, whose head was tilted down. With one hand she clung to Brinna, and with the other she swiped her own tears.

“I don’t know if it was literal,” Scarlett said, “but I didn’t have any reason to believe it wasn’t.”

“How do we find her?” Mattias asked.

“We wait,” Lachlan said.

“What? We can’t–” Scarlett started, tripping out of the blanket as she stood.

“We have to. We don’t know where he took her, and Johesha—the captain of my guard—has gone after her. He’ll be back when he has information. He’ll also have a plan,” Lachlan said. He turned to Jude and took the trinket the soldier had handed him. “In the meantime, you’re promoted to captain in Johesha’s absence.”

“But, Your Highness–”

“No,” Lachlan held up his hand to silence Jude. “Johesha handed the duty to you. I trust him—and you— completely. I need you to round up the camp and get them prepped to leave. Pick three soldiers you trust to leave behind.”

Jude nodded and left.

“That’s it?” Scarlett asked. “All we’re going to do is wait?”

“Technically, we aren’t waiting,” Nixus said. “There’s a man on it.

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