Violetta opened the carriage door, poking out her head. “Get in!” There was no time for pleasantries.
“Hurry! We don't have much time,” Jasper said.
Leila hurried inside the carriage, and Wynter climbed in behind her. The moment he shut the door, Jasper took off, getting as far from the palace as possible.
“What happened?” Violetta was out of breath and flushed. “Were you two chased by guards?”
Leila exchanged a brief glance with Wynter. “No, I took the back way out of the palace. Why did we have to leave so fast?”
Jasper glanced behind him. “Guards detained guests with the same names we used to get into the party.”
“No way.” Leila's eyes widened. “The de Clares don't come to the Winter Solstice.” She couldn't believe they showed up at the party. They were always invited, but their names were never crossed off the list. Why had this year been any different? Was it the loss of Princess Ophelia that had made them come, out of respect for King Philip? Leila doubted that to be the case. Warner de Clare was the son of Ivan de Clare of Palick, north of the mountains of Morro. He was ruthless, cunning, and manipulative. Ophelia had once felt bad for her younger sister Mara, who was supposed to wed him. At least now her sister's marriage would be to Astin Stafford. He was of royal blood too, but his family was at least sane.
“At least we got out before there was any damage,” Wynter said.
“Owww!” Leila shrieked. Grimacing, she shifted her palm beneath the hem of her skirt and removed the scroll from her stocking. “I swear, if I can't get a night's rest I will kill someone myself.” Unraveling the scroll in the dark, she leaned toward the window, letting the torches along the path reveal the name and information she would need to reap the next soul. “Oh no.” Dread towered over her.
Leila's skin paled and she reached a hand to her mouth to keep from getting sick. This could not be happening. She read it over repeatedly, hoping that by seeing it a second or third time the name would change. “No.” She shook her head, worry lines etched onto her forehead.
“What is it?” Wynter's voice was soft.
She showed him the scroll. Tears burned a path down her cheek. “It's my little sister Mara. She's going to die tonight.”
Princess Mara
Chapter 7
“Maybe it's wrong,” Violetta said.
“When have you known the scroll to be wrong?” Jasper pulled the carriage over to the side of the dirt road. They had several hours before Mara's death and needed to plan their next move.
“Mistakes happen,” Violetta said. “I've just never seen it in my lifetime.”
Leila didn't dare ask how long Violetta had been around. Just because she looked seventeen didn't mean she hadn't lived a lifetime or two already. “Is there another way? What if Mara doesn't show up for her appointment?”
The boys exchanged a silent glance. “It's happened before, but Edon is the only one who's witnessed it.”
“What do you mean?” Leila’s heart pounded anxiously. “Tell me!” She needed to save Mara.
“Reapers can't stop an appointment once it's been written on the scroll. A dark angel is the only entity capable of changing one’s fate.”
“How do I find a dark angel?” Leila wished they'd told her before Larkin had died, but she'd be angry with them later. Right now, she needed to focus all her attention on saving Mara.
“They live among us, just as we live among mortals,” Jasper said.
“So where do I find one?” Leila grew desperate. Time was not on her side.
“Most live in the asylum,” Wynter said.
Leila felt her stomach plummet. There was no way they could get to the asylum and back before the next reap. “Most?” Was there any chance that one lived near the kingdom? She silently prayed Mara would be safe.
“I know of one, Juliana, who doesn't live too far from here, but she doesn't like me very much,” Wynter said. “I can take you to her.”
“No,” Jasper
“Hurry! We don't have much time,” Jasper said.
Leila hurried inside the carriage, and Wynter climbed in behind her. The moment he shut the door, Jasper took off, getting as far from the palace as possible.
“What happened?” Violetta was out of breath and flushed. “Were you two chased by guards?”
Leila exchanged a brief glance with Wynter. “No, I took the back way out of the palace. Why did we have to leave so fast?”
Jasper glanced behind him. “Guards detained guests with the same names we used to get into the party.”
“No way.” Leila's eyes widened. “The de Clares don't come to the Winter Solstice.” She couldn't believe they showed up at the party. They were always invited, but their names were never crossed off the list. Why had this year been any different? Was it the loss of Princess Ophelia that had made them come, out of respect for King Philip? Leila doubted that to be the case. Warner de Clare was the son of Ivan de Clare of Palick, north of the mountains of Morro. He was ruthless, cunning, and manipulative. Ophelia had once felt bad for her younger sister Mara, who was supposed to wed him. At least now her sister's marriage would be to Astin Stafford. He was of royal blood too, but his family was at least sane.
“At least we got out before there was any damage,” Wynter said.
“Owww!” Leila shrieked. Grimacing, she shifted her palm beneath the hem of her skirt and removed the scroll from her stocking. “I swear, if I can't get a night's rest I will kill someone myself.” Unraveling the scroll in the dark, she leaned toward the window, letting the torches along the path reveal the name and information she would need to reap the next soul. “Oh no.” Dread towered over her.
Leila's skin paled and she reached a hand to her mouth to keep from getting sick. This could not be happening. She read it over repeatedly, hoping that by seeing it a second or third time the name would change. “No.” She shook her head, worry lines etched onto her forehead.
“What is it?” Wynter's voice was soft.
She showed him the scroll. Tears burned a path down her cheek. “It's my little sister Mara. She's going to die tonight.”
Princess Mara
Chapter 7
“Maybe it's wrong,” Violetta said.
“When have you known the scroll to be wrong?” Jasper pulled the carriage over to the side of the dirt road. They had several hours before Mara's death and needed to plan their next move.
“Mistakes happen,” Violetta said. “I've just never seen it in my lifetime.”
Leila didn't dare ask how long Violetta had been around. Just because she looked seventeen didn't mean she hadn't lived a lifetime or two already. “Is there another way? What if Mara doesn't show up for her appointment?”
The boys exchanged a silent glance. “It's happened before, but Edon is the only one who's witnessed it.”
“What do you mean?” Leila’s heart pounded anxiously. “Tell me!” She needed to save Mara.
“Reapers can't stop an appointment once it's been written on the scroll. A dark angel is the only entity capable of changing one’s fate.”
“How do I find a dark angel?” Leila wished they'd told her before Larkin had died, but she'd be angry with them later. Right now, she needed to focus all her attention on saving Mara.
“They live among us, just as we live among mortals,” Jasper said.
“So where do I find one?” Leila grew desperate. Time was not on her side.
“Most live in the asylum,” Wynter said.
Leila felt her stomach plummet. There was no way they could get to the asylum and back before the next reap. “Most?” Was there any chance that one lived near the kingdom? She silently prayed Mara would be safe.
“I know of one, Juliana, who doesn't live too far from here, but she doesn't like me very much,” Wynter said. “I can take you to her.”
“No,” Jasper
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