lessened. She could walk. Ussay protested, but Kira insisted on helping prepare their meal. Kira sat at the table and looked through her selection of fruit while Ussay pulled a small bench from near the fireplace and joined her.
“So, tell me what needs to be done for tonight?” Kira didn’t intend to be the victim in all this. If this was how she lived the rest of her life, she needed to learn how to protect herself. Octavion wasn’t the only one she had to worry about. There were other Royals out there.
“I will take care of it,” Ussay said. “You can stay here and relax.”
“Are you insane? I’m sick of being cooped up and staying in bed all day. I want to help. You said we’d have to spread my scent, would it be easier if I walked around outside?”
“But your foot. I—”
Kira’s glare cut her off.
“Well, if you insist. Yes, walking around would help. I need to take the Sevrin with us as well. It’s important to spread them both so it appears we tried to hide the scent. I’ve asked a few of the women at the market to do the same.”
Kira almost forgot about the screams that rang out through the village during the night. “Did he—was anyone hurt last night? I heard screaming.”
“I do not believe so. Some think the screaming will scare off the Royals, but they are foolish. There is also a sensitive on the other side of the village who senses when they are about to appear. She claims to feel their spirit arrive long before their physical bodies do. Sometimes she will scream to warn others. I am skeptical. Everyone has their own way of dealing with it, but after years of being in the castle, I know complete silence is best.”
Kira brushed a few breadcrumbs from her dress. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
Kira hesitated, trying to find the right words. She didn’t want to offend Ussay or get her into trouble, but she needed the truth. “I need to know about . . .” She paused for a moment before whispering her name. “Lydia.”
Ussay gasped. “I cannot—”
“Wait.” Kira reached across the table and patted Ussay’s hand. “I know you said talking about her is forbidden and I don’t want to get you in trouble, but . . . maybe there’s a way you can tell me without speaking her name. I need to know what happened. She was my friend and we shared a special connection.”
Ussay pulled her hand out from under Kira’s and stood. She went to the fireplace, keeping her back to Kira. “I could lose my station in the castle.”
“No. I won’t tell anyone, not even Octavion. I swear it.” Kira stood and joined Ussay in front of the cold hearth. She placed a gentle hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Please.”
Ussay was quiet for a long moment before she finally spoke. “All I can tell you is . . . there is a fresh grave in the Royal cemetery.”
Kira dropped her hand to her side and went back to the table to sit. She fingered the Crystor, spinning it around her wrist. “When?”
“Um . . . I do not—”
“Please. I need to know.”
Ussay joined Kira at the table, her eyes brimming with tears. “I was summoned to the castle to attend to your needs the same day she passed.”
Kira’s hand flew to her mouth and the beat of her heart increased, causing her chest to ache. She knew Altaria listened. She always listened. “She died the same day I came here?”
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ussay said, “At sunset, the night before.”
I could have saved her.
“I am sorry, Kira. I know how difficult it is to lose a friend.”
“Thanks for telling me. I won’t say anything. It makes all this much easier, knowing I have someone to talk to. Knowing I have a friend.”
Ussay paused for a moment, a bewildered look on her face. “You would consider a commoner a friend?”
Kira smiled through her tears. “ I’m a commoner. There’s not a drop of Royal blood running through my veins.” Well, except Octavion’s.
“Kira, I am honored to call you my
“So, tell me what needs to be done for tonight?” Kira didn’t intend to be the victim in all this. If this was how she lived the rest of her life, she needed to learn how to protect herself. Octavion wasn’t the only one she had to worry about. There were other Royals out there.
“I will take care of it,” Ussay said. “You can stay here and relax.”
“Are you insane? I’m sick of being cooped up and staying in bed all day. I want to help. You said we’d have to spread my scent, would it be easier if I walked around outside?”
“But your foot. I—”
Kira’s glare cut her off.
“Well, if you insist. Yes, walking around would help. I need to take the Sevrin with us as well. It’s important to spread them both so it appears we tried to hide the scent. I’ve asked a few of the women at the market to do the same.”
Kira almost forgot about the screams that rang out through the village during the night. “Did he—was anyone hurt last night? I heard screaming.”
“I do not believe so. Some think the screaming will scare off the Royals, but they are foolish. There is also a sensitive on the other side of the village who senses when they are about to appear. She claims to feel their spirit arrive long before their physical bodies do. Sometimes she will scream to warn others. I am skeptical. Everyone has their own way of dealing with it, but after years of being in the castle, I know complete silence is best.”
Kira brushed a few breadcrumbs from her dress. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
Kira hesitated, trying to find the right words. She didn’t want to offend Ussay or get her into trouble, but she needed the truth. “I need to know about . . .” She paused for a moment before whispering her name. “Lydia.”
Ussay gasped. “I cannot—”
“Wait.” Kira reached across the table and patted Ussay’s hand. “I know you said talking about her is forbidden and I don’t want to get you in trouble, but . . . maybe there’s a way you can tell me without speaking her name. I need to know what happened. She was my friend and we shared a special connection.”
Ussay pulled her hand out from under Kira’s and stood. She went to the fireplace, keeping her back to Kira. “I could lose my station in the castle.”
“No. I won’t tell anyone, not even Octavion. I swear it.” Kira stood and joined Ussay in front of the cold hearth. She placed a gentle hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Please.”
Ussay was quiet for a long moment before she finally spoke. “All I can tell you is . . . there is a fresh grave in the Royal cemetery.”
Kira dropped her hand to her side and went back to the table to sit. She fingered the Crystor, spinning it around her wrist. “When?”
“Um . . . I do not—”
“Please. I need to know.”
Ussay joined Kira at the table, her eyes brimming with tears. “I was summoned to the castle to attend to your needs the same day she passed.”
Kira’s hand flew to her mouth and the beat of her heart increased, causing her chest to ache. She knew Altaria listened. She always listened. “She died the same day I came here?”
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ussay said, “At sunset, the night before.”
I could have saved her.
“I am sorry, Kira. I know how difficult it is to lose a friend.”
“Thanks for telling me. I won’t say anything. It makes all this much easier, knowing I have someone to talk to. Knowing I have a friend.”
Ussay paused for a moment, a bewildered look on her face. “You would consider a commoner a friend?”
Kira smiled through her tears. “ I’m a commoner. There’s not a drop of Royal blood running through my veins.” Well, except Octavion’s.
“Kira, I am honored to call you my
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