The Soul Crier by Becky Gaines

Author:Becky Gaines [Gaines, Becky]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lightning Frog Press
Published: 2022-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

Thunder belonged to more things than clouds. Things like the rapid thump-thump of the girl’s heart as she slammed the door closed, or the strike of the boy’s fisted hands on the wooden barrier between them. When the old ones told stories, thunder announced the villain’s arrival, but this time, the girl had locked one away. He gave me no choice.

“Don’t do this!” The boy threw himself against the door, earning a sharp crunch as his ragged breaths roughened his smooth voice. “Damn it, Wrenna! I told you I’d handle everything.”

But she was tired of her life being handled by someone cruel. Her fingers shook as she turned the key and locked him in his room, the metallic click sounding so final.

“No!” The boy’s palms slapped the door. “You can’t do this.”

His kick sent a torn shred of sheet music sliding under the door. As she stared at their latest melodies captured in ink, her soul fractured, and the jagged pieces provoked a new hemorrhage of tears. This will be our last song.

Sorrow seized her throat, choking her as memories of all they’d lost, all they’d survived, blinded her. She pressed her back to the marble wall and clamped her hand over her mouth, hoping to silence the one thing that summoned his wicked nature.

The sound of her pain.

The boy grew quiet, and she pictured him pressing his forehead to the door. So close. He was so close to her. Her twin, who’d stood beside her even when their entire court wanted him to kill her.

“Sister, please.”

Hot lines of tears ran down her face, but she firmed her trembling fingers into fists. I’m not the one tearing us apart. Her father and the boy had done that together. To them, murder solved everything, but violence still left scars, even if she was the only one who felt them. Haven’t enough people been hurt? Her answer to that question would always be different from theirs.

“Listen to me,” the boy’s softened tone revived her desire to trust him, to fall into the comfort of their familiar but twisted roles. “I know you’re scared.” She sucked back a sob, her hand reaching for the key in a twitch of weakness. “But you don’t need to be. You don’t have to marry. Let me out and the north prince will be dead before the wedding trumpets fall silent.”

A threat for a threat, a cut for a cut, a kill for a kill—that was Alec’s way.

It isn’t mine. She filled her lungs, elongating her spine until she stood tall. Gilded torchlight splashed against the marble walls and pointed the way out. This is how our story ends. Their family had been breaking apart for thirteen of her nineteen years. She had been the piece holding them together, but tonight, she had decided to say no more.

“Goodbye, Alec,” she said, taking her first step away from him, away from the shattered remains of their family.

He struck the door so hard a splintered piece broke off, flying past her.

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.