“You planned it.” He choked, stepping away like I was some demon witch. When he spoke again, his voice had a hard edge to it. “You always thought I’d be the better king? You’d do anything for me? You planned to kill him the first chance you got—you knew I’d lie for you.”
His words were a slap. “What?”
James still stared at me in disbelief. “My father was right. He said the only reason you wanted me over August was because I was easier to control. That you just wanted the power of the throne to yourself. I’d just be some . . . some puppet to your whims—by the night sky, I already have been. I really am daft.”
“No, James. He’s lying. Your father would say anything to destroy our bond,” I said. “I never wanted the throne. I only wanted you.”
But he wasn’t listening. His jaw set in a firm mask and his lips thinned to a straight line, he glared down his nose at me. And, for the first time in my life, I noticed his resemblance to his father. To August.
“You always said you wished there was no August.” His nostrils flared. “And now there’s not.”
I blinked at him, my mouth falling open at the accusation. The conviction in his voice chilled me. He truly believed I’d planned to kill his brother. That it was premeditated. I forced myself to speak past the hurt crushing my chest. “How can you think that?”
James crossed his arms. “I saw you kill him. There was no hesitation on your end.” His eyes bored into mine, daring me to contradict him. “You picked up a sword like you’d trained for that moment. You stabbed August without hesitation.”
“I thought I was being attacked from behind. I turned on instinct and thrust the sword.” I clasped my hands together, raising them to my chest. “When I realized what I’d done . . . oh James, I’m so sorry.”
He took a step towards the door, shaking his head. “Maybe it’s better this way. I wasn’t sure I could stand by and watch it happen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I loved you. I really did.” He stepped back, avoiding my gaze. “Please remember that.”
“Loved?”
James tugged on his hair. “I can’t fix this, Jade. It’s too big. I just don't have the power. I never did.” His hand clenched around the doorknob. “I tried to change it by taking you away with me, but it only made things worse. But none of us are above the law, Jade, not even you. You deserve this because of what you did.”
“No.” My mouth formed the word but I couldn’t summon the breath to speak it, as if my body had been turned to stone. Betrayal tore through my heart like lightning destroying a tree, leaving only a charred stump that would never heal. He could condemn me for an accident, but not for purposely killing August. That he believed I could do that to anyone—that he thought me so callous, so evil—made my head spin. Didn’t he know me at all?
“Believe me. This is the more merciful ending.” James opened the door and addressed his guards. “Take the Emmía to the dungeon. Do not alert my father or the rest of the council.” James grabbed my arm and thrust me at Rasminson. “Jade Crawford, you are hereby sentenced to death for the murder of the Crown Prince of Orea, by my authority as the new heir to throne. In one hour, you shall hang by your neck until you are dead.”
With that proclamation, he pushed me toward them.
“James, please,” I said, clutching at his arm. “I know I deserve to die, but don’t let me go to the gallows with you thinking this was all planned. It was an accident. I would never—”
James shook me off. “Take her. Now,” he ordered the guard.
Rasminson looked startled by his orders, as did Jones, the other guard. They hesitated, but then their eyes traveled to my neck where my medallion should have hung.
Jones grunted in surprise and Rasminson’s face fell. He shook his head. “Oh, Miss.” They took hold of my arms, more gently than I would have expected, and escorted me to the palace dungeon. James watched them guide me to the first corner, where I stole one more glance at him.
His face spoke more than words ever could. Cold and unforgiving, he nodded at me once before turning to walk away, taking with him all the love I’d once had for him.
Chapter 7
The grating of a key in the lock jolted me awake. Was it an hour already? The time went by so quickly—in the darkness of the cell, I’d swear only a quarter of that time had passed.
But it didn’t matter. My thoughts pinpointed to one glaring thought. I was going to hang.
For murder.
My heart pounded as I squinted into the darkness, torn between hope and fear. Despite what he’d done, some sick part of me hoped to see James walk through the open door. The rest of me longed for the torment of waiting to be over, hoping to see the guards coming to collect me for my execution. So when the door groaned open I wasn’t prepared to see Lady Meredith’s royal robes swish into the cell.
What was she doing here? It was beneath her to visit me in this place. And then I noticed Pearl trailing behind her and I understood. Lady Meredith was allowing her to say goodbye.
I stood, sniffling. “You came.”
“Of course, I did.” Pearl moved to my side, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. “I’ve taken care of you since the cradle.”
“As sisters should,” Lady Meredith said, closing the door behind her. Her dark hair was swept back into a simple twist, accentuating her elegant neck. The smile in her warm brown eyes made the dungeon less gloomy.
“My lady.” I dropped my eyes, afraid of the judgment I would see in hers. Despite our age difference, she’d been a dear friend to me most of my life. I’d assumed she would now despise me, like James. “How did you know where to find me?”
Lady Meredith shuddered at a mouse that skittered across the floor. “Pearl and Rasminson found me at the same time. They were both quick to tell me your situation.”
“Why would Rasminson do that? It could put his position in jeopardy.”
“Because he cares about you. Just like I do.” Pearl threw her arms around me and I wished my hands weren’t shackled. I longed to cling to her. She hadn’t held me like this since we were children. Back then, I’d crawl into her bed after a bad dream, and she’d chase the monsters away. But this was one nightmare she couldn’t vanquish.
Lady Meredith strode forward and I braced myself, afraid of her censure. It was her step-son I’d killed—she must hate me.
“They’ve chained her wrists,” Pearl said to Lady Meredith.
“It’s okay,” I said. “The magic has already settled in. The pain’s almost gone.” The irony was that by the time it disappeared entirely, I’d be hanging from a noose.
Lady Meredith’s hand rested on my head before dropping to my arms and unshackling my wrists.
My head jerked up. “What are you doing?”
She rolled her eyes. “Helping you escape, of course.”
I pulled back so fast my head hit the wall with a painful thud. “Escape? I can’t escape. I killed August.”
“Yes,” Lady Meredith said. “But it wasn’t murder. I know you’re not capable of that. Obviously it was an accident. You shouldn’t die for that. That isn’t breaking the Edicts.”
“My medallion fell off,” I admitted in a small voice.
“They aren’t perfect,” Lady Meredith said. “Their rigidity doesn’t always take into account that accidents happen.”
“But August is dead and it’s my fault. I deserve my sentence. I can’t run away.”
“You must.” Pearl chafed her hands against my wrists, helping the blood to flow again. “Listen, Jade. You’ve always been so loyal, to our family, to your friends, but mostly to the kingdom. You firmly believe in the Edicts and I know you want a chance to purge your sins by paying with your blood, but you can’t. You’re not a normal citizen. You’re the Emmía. The people of Orea need you to live. You need to produce a female heir or the kingdom will never have another Emmía.”
I pushed away, bringing my fist to my mouth and biting
down on my knuckle as I stared at Pearl. How had I not realized that? The only way to atone for breaking an Edict was death. The thought of not dying for my actions, of living with my mistake—of being denied that final absolution for sins—felt like a different kind of death. And somehow, it was so much worse.
Pearl smoothed back my hair. “Will you escape so Orea can live?”
I nodded. “Yes, but we must explain it to James. He has to understand.”
Lady Meredith shook her head. “There isn’t time. I was afraid I would be too late. They may be on their way down here, even now. Here, take this.” She drew me to my feet and passed me a bundle of clothes. “Change quickly. If you dress as a boy, you should be able to travel safely. We’re getting you out of here.”
She turned me around, her deft fingers quickly undoing the row of thin buttons down my spine and shedding me of my petticoats and skirts.
Once I was dressed in my new clothes, Lady Meredith spoke again. “You have to forgive yourself, Jade. It was an accident. I know it. We must hurry. My husband will likely find out about your execution. He will not react well. I’m afraid—” She trailed off, looking stricken, and kissed my forehead as she pressed a travel sack into my hands and led me out of my cell. “In the pouch is a map to a witch in Castleport. She will help you if you mention my name. And give her this letter.”
“A witch?” I staggered back as I realized what she was suggesting. Witches—Guardians turned evil—could not be trusted. But I took the thick envelope, and tucked it inside my blouse.
Lady Meredith must have seen the doubt in my face. “Believe me when I say she’ll help you.” She grabbed my shoulders and shook me slightly. “Promise me you'll find her and give her this letter. It is of extreme importance.”
“I promise,” I managed to mumble, my mind still slow with confusion.
The rustle of clothes drew my attention to my sister, exchanging her dress for mine. “Pearl?”
“I’m going to be a decoy. To give you more time to escape.” She drew a shawl over her head, hiding her face and hair. Wearing that, she could easily pass for me. “I’ll go another way and lead them off your path.”
“I can’t let you do this. It’s too dangerous,” I told them both. “You could both lose your medallions.”
“We’ll be right as rain if you go right now.” Lady Meredith said. “The king hasn’t condemned you to death. James’s orders aren’t law yet.”
James didn’t have the power to make royal decrees? That seemed odd. August used to make them often. “Are you sure? Still my medall—”
“Trust me, Jade.”
Pearl lowered the hood so I could see her eyes. “Either way, it’s too late. We’ve come too far now.”
Lady Meredith nodded. “If you don’t go now, we’ll all be arrested and it will have been for nothing.”
“You must go, Jade,” Pearl said. “Be brave.”
Lady Meredith opened the cell door, the rusty hinges squeaking in protest. I stared at them. “I—”
Pearl put her fingers to her lips to silence me and peered outside the jail doors. She gave me a tight hug. “I love you. Never doubt that.”
Before I could put my arms around her she disappeared into the darkness.
Lady Meredith guided me down a dank hallway, the moans of its inhabitants making my skin crawl.
She talked over her shoulder as we walked. “The lights in the courtyard are out, and the gates are unlocked. Someone will let down the barrier while you pass through. Don’t get caught on your way there or you’ll be beyond my help.”
“Where is Castleport?” I asked, panic beginning to fill my chest as I hurried after her toward the prison doors. “What if I get lost?”
“Head east and follow the map. It isn’t too far outside the kingdom.”
The world around me seemed to tilt and slide as I finally understood her meaning.
I looked at her in horror. “You’re sending me beyond the barrier? Out into the Wastelands?”
She jerked her head. “It’s the only place safe for you.”
“But the savages live there!” The Wastelands were inhabited by lost souls who had been forced to leave our kingdom, or worse, those who had willingly chosen a life of depravity over our laws. Our city was a haven from crime and immorality, because those who committed those vile acts were exiled from our fertile land or sentenced to death. I knew I too was awaiting my death but I wasn’t like the savages. “The barrier was erected to protect the Emmías from them. I won’t be safe.”
“You will be far safer there than in the kingdom.” Lady Meredith looked me straight in the eye. “Trust your instincts and follow my instructions, and you will survive. I have a man guarding the gate. He will open the barrier and let you out.”
Once we reached the door leading out to the courtyard she stopped. “Through here,” she hissed. “Now go!” Sweat broke out at the base of my skull. I paused, but she opened the heavy wooden door and pushed against my shoulder. “Go!”
I took a hesitant step into the chilly night air. I turned to take one last look at her Ladyship, but she shut the door in my face. The stars shone brightly above me, and the air, so clean now that I was free of the stink of the prison, revived me. I looked around, both free and a fugitive, hoping I’d survive the night.
Chapter 8
I arrived at the invisible barrier, the boundary marked by a high hedge. Anyone attempting to breach the barrier would be fatally shocked—the hedge served as warning.
Following along the hedge, I looked for an opening that would lead me to the Wastelands, unsure what it would look like. Would there be an actual door?
With every step, I noticed the absence of my necklace, missing the quiet rhythm as it tapped against my chest, its weight around my neck. My legs trembled. Though it had been less than a day, the morning’s ceremony felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened in that time. And James . . . I shuddered as I realized I’d loved James more than he’d ever loved me. Had he truly loved me, truly known me as I’d believed he had, he would never have questioned whether August’s death was an accident.
James had betrayed me, and his disloyalty hit me like a cannonball to my chest, ripping out my heart and leaving a gaping hole of bubbling, blackened flesh, scarring me inside and out. My ordeal on the pirate ship had revealed James’s character for the first time, far more like his brother than I would have believed. Yes, I’d wielded the sword that had killed August, but I thought he knew my heart. I thought he knew me. That he thought me capable of murder made my insides weep and throb in hurt. His faith in me, that I’d thought a firm anchor, was no more solid than the tufts of a dandelion blown away by the first storm of the season. And while he was carried whichever way the wind blew, I was left alone, a solitary weed in a barren desert. I may have bruised his optimism, but he’d shattered my trust.
Tears flowed down my cheeks. My sadness turned to anger and fury replaced the pain. I had thought my heart would crack with despair, but an iciness etched itself onto my heart instead. I would never cry for James again; I hated him for what he’d done, for his lack of faith in me. I hated him almost as much as I hated the pirate who had ruined everything.
Ahead, a lone sentry dressed in the livery of the kingdom stood guard. The gravel crunched beneath my feet and he turned his head toward me. I stopped a few feet from him and we studied each other intently. He looked a year or two younger than I was, with curls of blonde hair, and his dark eyes swam with indecision; my skin prickled in fear.
He shook his head and motioned for me to come near. “I’m sorry for my hesitation. This way, Emmía.” His voice cracked, but he set his shoulders as if steeling himself for what he was about to do. He did know who I was, which meant he knew the consequences, too. What had Lady Meredith promised for his cooperation?
I took a step toward him. “Thank you.”
He bowed his head in deference to me. “May the Unbinding save us all.”
“What?”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Are you aware of what will happen to you if they discover you helped me?”
He straightened. “It will be worth the risk.”
I shifted my balance, meeting his eyes. “But you don’t know what I’ve done.”
“Lady Meredith told me in confidence.”
“And still you choose to let me go?”
His gaze traveled to my bare throat, but his eyes didn’t reveal any surprise. “Especially after what happened.”
Unexpected tears formed in my eyes. “Thank you.”
“There is no need to thank me.”
“But you risk your own medallion.”
Instead of answering, he raised his hand to the archway. Static crackled and filled the night; the air in the arch shimmered like moonlight on the ocean before evaporating with a hum. A bright flash of silver sparkled before my eyes as a puff of air pushed me back a step. Just like what I’d seen on the ship when we’d crossed the barrier.
“It’s safe now,” the sentry said.
I took a shaky breath and clutched at the waxy leaves of the hedge as I stared through the arch and out into the Wasteland on the other side.
“You’d best go, Emmía. If you’re still touching the barrier when it reactivates, it will kill you.”
I nodded and closed my eyes. I took a step, but then turned back. “What is your name?”
He looked surprised at the question. “Benjamin.”
“I owe you my life, Benjamin. Thank you.”
“It is us who owe you.” He bowed deeply, taking my hand and helping me step over the magical threshold. “May the night stars watch over you.” He released my hand and magic pulsed through me, as the barrier began to raise itself again.
I turned around to look at the archway, but it and Benjamin were gone. Instead of a waxy green hedge, I saw only a jagged row of dry, twisted thorn bushes stretching out into the distance in a harsh, unbroken line. I’d traveled from a thriving garden to a forsaken desert in just a few steps. No wonder they were called the Wastelands. Outside of the hedge, only a few scraggly trees and sparse poisonous weeds dotted the barren landscape and sun-baked earth.
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