Yanking the ring off, Isa shoved it at Ever, and the column immediately disappeared. With it went the people and their cries. There were no more enemies. The only sound left was her own haggard choking. The servants had been right. Nevina had been right. He had been using her.
“I’m not ready!” she sobbed. She could nearly hear the sound of her heart tearing itself in half. She had wanted so much to be ready. Her soul had longed to find his words of confidence in her fulfilled. Why couldn’t it all be true?
Anger began to mix with the heartache as she gasped, still trying to catch her breath. He had known she wasn’t ready. And he had still asked.
She felt Ever place his hand on her shoulder, but Isa shoved it off. “How could you do that to me?” she choked out as tears ran down her face. “I trusted you!”
The prince hesitated, looking torn.
“Tell me about the curse!” she demanded. “Tell me all that you hid from me!”
After another moment of hesitation, he closed his eyes and finally began to recite. “Before life can be found in this sacred place once again, a new strength must be found. What has been broken must be remade. The one who was strong must be willing to die. Only then can the Fortress and the kingdom again have the protector they deserve.” After he finished speaking, he reached again for her, but she drew back.
“So I was supposed to heal you? How can the broken heal the broken, Everard?” Her anger was so great that she trembled. “I thought you loved me, but I can see now that all along I was just part of your plan!”
Ever stared at her with a long, sorrowful look. Before he said anything though, he suddenly tilted his head and closed his eyes as though he were listening to something. It was a moment before he spoke, and when he did, his voice was cold.
“If that is how you feel, then there is no place for you here.” Stiffly, he drew himself to his feet. His face lost all of its openness, and suddenly, he looked like a soldier. “Garin,” he called. The steward ran over, his own face full of sorrow. “Put Isabelle in one of the carriages. You are to take her as far from Destin as you can. She is never to return.”
Isa felt a wave of horror wash over her. “Wait!” she cried out. “What are you doing? I turn down your proposal, and you send me into exile?”
But no matter how many demands she made or how much she begged, he wouldn’t consent. He wouldn’t even discuss it. As she continued to protest, Garin gently took her by the shoulders and led her from the balcony, leaving Ever alone to stare stonily down at the statues on the back lawn.
Gigi was instructed to get her into proper riding gear. The mood was one of tension and fear as the servants scurried about her room. Her gown was exchanged for a soft leather riding skirt and a simple white shirt under her mother’s cloak. Isa tried in vain to ask Gigi and Cerise what was going on, but no one would speak a word to her, other than to order her about.
Before Isa was hurried from her room, however, Gigi drew her into a tight embrace before handing her the bag she had first brought to the Fortress. By the weight of it, Isa could tell its contents had been added to.
Without time for proper goodbyes, she was whisked away to the stables where a coach, all black, awaited her. Isa tried one more time to beg Garin to allow her to speak with Ever, but he gently shook his head and drew her inside.
Isa left the Fortress more confused and hurt than she had been when she had arrived. “Why?” She turned miserably to Garin, who sat on the padded bench across from her. “Why would he do all of this, push me so hard and then send me away? I want to help! I just don’t know how.”
“I know you do, my dear,” Garin said kindly. “But you are not ready, and that is why you couldn’t accept the Queen’s Ring. The prince does not want you near when the Tumenian princess attacks.”
Isa felt the blood drain from her face. “They’re going to attack? But the army! It’s not ready! And Ever’s so weak…”
Garin nodded gravely. “We don’t know when, but Everard senses it will be soon.”
“But why do I have to go so far? That means it will take a long time for you to return to him!”
“Princess Nevina will not be satisfied with simply taking the prince’s life. She knows who you are now, and she knows that you are valuable to him. If she found you, and she will try, she would commit acts of unfathomable cruelty against you out of spite. So no, I will not be returning.”
Isa stared at him in shock. From the prince’s birth on, and even while bound to a shadow’s existence, Garin had rarely left Ever’s side, she had been told. And now he was leaving his charge forever in order to protect her.
Even more surprising was Ever’s last act of chivalry. He had prepared himself for certain death by sending his most trusted confidante away to keep Isa safe. True enough, his behavior towards her had been unfair and assuming, as Nevina had predicted it would. But she couldn’t leave, Isa realized suddenly. Not yet. As deeply as he had wounded her, she could not just let him die. Desperately, she tried to think of something, anything that might change the steward’s mind, or at least delay her departure.
“Please, just…just let me see my family one more time before I go. I need to let them know that I’m safe, and that I am free.”
Garin glared at her, but didn’t immediately refuse her request.
“One day.” She reached out and took his leathery hand. “I just need one night and one day with them.”
Finally, Garin nodded his head. Isa could have collapsed with relief, but leaned back against the coach cushion instead. She had bought herself one chance to escape. Now she must plan to make sure it wasn’t in vain.
The hour was late by the time the coach reached Isa’s family’s stable. Launce was the first one to see her. He shouted for the others as he sprinted towards her. Within seconds, everyone was there, hugging her, laughing, and crying. It took Isa a while to untangle herself so she could point out Garin’s presence. Ansel’s greeting wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic as it had once been, but he did at least invite the steward inside.
“My Isa!” Deline held her tightly and whispered her name over and over again as if she were a small child. And Isa wished she could stay in her mother’s arms forever and never let go. But all too soon, they followed everyone else into the house. Isa’s heart was heavy as she thought about the heartbreak that was once again about to take place.
“I assume you are home to stay?” Ansel posed it as a question, but with the threatening look he shot at Garin, Isa knew he wasn’t giving her a choice. Garin opened his mouth to answer, but Isa spoke quickly, sending him a warning look.
“I wanted to see you,” she simply said. Isa knew she was just putting off the inevitable, but perhaps they could have one night of joy before she had to hurt them again. Launce, Megane, and Ansel began to pepper her with questions, but much to Isa’s relief, Deline saw how tired she was. It wasn’t long before she was tucked in her little bed with Megane snuggling at her side.
Isa reflected upon how miserable she had been the last time she’d slept in the cozy attic room. Now, she would give anything just to have more time there with her little sister by her side, and her parents and brother downstairs. Garin had chosen to sleep in the stable with the coachman, so Deline, always the gracious host, had made sure they had more blankets than they could possibly use.
Garin’s choice of a bed annoyed Isa, as it meant she couldn’t sneak out during the night. Escape would simply have to wait until the morning. As much as she needed to stay awake and plan her flight, though, sleep’s call was too strong, and Isa soon succumbed.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Revelations
The next morning, Isa woke up later than she had planned. The sun was already high, and judging from the smells wafting up from the kitchen, everyone else had already eaten. Isa threw a brush through her hair and headed downstairs as quickly as she could. As she ate her biscuits and fruit, Deline told her that Garin had gone into the town to look at some official council
reports with Ansel. Isa had nearly jumped up then and there to race back to the Fortress, until her mother informed her that all of the horses had been taken by the men.
Isa would have been more upset if she had been anywhere else. But as it was, the morning passed quietly and quickly while Isa soaked up every detail, every smell and sound, of her old home, as she waited for the men to return.
By the time afternoon rolled around, however, Garin still had not yet returned, so Isa decided to quietly slip out for a walk around town. Perhaps, while she was out, she could find a horse to borrow.
“Isa!”
Isa drew a deep breath before taking her hand from the door and turning to give her younger sister a smile. She had been so close.
“Where are you going?”
“Out for a walk.”
“Oh! I’ll come, too! Let me get my coins!”
Isa had to bite her tongue as her sister dashed off to find her coin purse. Still, she realized, it might be beneficial to bring Meghane after all. It would lower her parents’ suspicion if they realized she had gone out. No one would think she was about to leave if she was out with her little sister.
Isa felt some guilt about taking her sister out, only to know that they wouldn’t be returning together, but Meghane was long old enough to walk home from the market by herself. In fact, Isa knew that her little sister did so daily on errands for their father. And, Isa thought guiltily, what she was about to do, saving Ever and the Fortress from the Tumenians, would eventually save them all. Including Meghane.
If she could save them, that was.
The air was cool enough that Isa was able to bring her cloak along and draw the hood without looking out of place. Despite her limp, few people seemed to recognize her in the bustle of the busy day. This was good, as the lack of greetings gave her time to think.
Now that she was out and about, it seemed likely that she should find anyone willing to give their horse to her, particularly without money. If this venture didn’t work, how could she change Garin’s mind? As Ever’s most loyal servant and companion, Garin was the least likely to disobey the prince. The bond between Ever and the steward also meant, however, that Garin must also want to spare Ever’s life. Isa would have to use that to her advantage.
As Isa and Megane reached the market, Isa couldn’t help but notice how little had been put out to sell. Just last spring, every stall had been filled with ripe, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, salted fish, wild game, and even sweets and pastries. The Fortress had been sparse and bland when she’d arrived there. But while she’d been gone, it seemed, the people of Soudain had making do with even less. The sickness of the Fortress had seeped out of its borders and into the kingdom, like burning tar rolling down a hill. Fear made Isa shiver as she realized just how much was at stake under the weight of the curse. It went far beyond healing Ever and his soldiers, or even defeating Nevina and her men at the foot of the mountain. Isa suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the prince. She was beginning to understand why he had been so very desperate.
As they wandered, and Meghane ran from stall to stall, Isa, much to her dismay, was seized by a fierce dissatisfaction.
How many times had she wished for just this, to be returned to her family and her old life? She was home, and her family was safe She had gotten everything she’d wanted and prayed for, even if it was only temporary.
And yet, it wasn’t enough.
Even the time with her family, as precious as it had been, couldn’t satisfy her anymore. A foreign emptiness filled her. Somehow, the man who had made her life so miserable had become its shining star, and in the blink of an eye, the call of duty that Isa had felt nudging her back towards the mountain ceased to be an obligation. Suddenly, it was a necessity.
As this revelation came to her, Isa was pulled out of her musings by a cry of delight from Megane. “Isa! Look! The Caregivers are back! So many of them!”
Dozens of coaches began rolling into the marketplace. She had to work to keep the horror from her face as Megane ran off in search of Marko, and it took everything in Isa not to call after her. That would raise suspicion.
“Isabelle? Isabelle Marchand?” a familiar voice exclaimed, despite the fact that her hood was still drawn. Turning, Isa gritted her teeth as she saw her old neighbor hurrying towards her.
“Hello, Margot.” She forced herself to smile.
“You’re back!” The plump woman stopped and gaped at her. She didn’t gape long enough, however, to let Isa speak. “You are just in time! They’ll be leaving tonight!”
Isa frowned. “Who’s leaving?”
“Why, the Caregivers! Marko says they’re putting an end to the prince’s abuse! Tonight, they’re going to take us, anyone who wants, right from under his nose!”
Isa shivered. Just the memory of the flaming arrows and diving hawks made her leg tingle.
“You are sure it’s tonight?” Isa struggled to keep her voice even.
Margot nodded enthusiastically. “Just think, dear! You and your family will finally be free of that wretched monster locked away in the Fortress!”
Whirling around, Isa began to call for Megane, but just as she spotted her sister, another familiar face appeared.
“Isa!” Marko boomed, holding his arms out, no doubt expecting the same friendly embrace she had always given him. If only she had known then what cruelties those arms had wrought.
Terror gripped Isa as she grabbed Megane’s hand. Pushing her body as fast as it would go, she took off in the other direction. Her ankle kept her from going far at such a difficult pace, however, so Isa turned down the first alley she could find, away from the crowds and mostly hidden from sight.
“Megane,” she whispered breathlessly, “I need you to do something for me. It is of the utmost importance. It will keep you and Launce and Mother and Father safe. But you must do exactly as I say. Can you do that?”
“What about you? You just came home!” Megane whimpered.
Leaning down, Isa kissed the girl’s face and drew her into a tight hug. “I know, Megs,” she said. “But if I don’t do this, many people will get hurt. I am relying on you. Now, can you help me?”
Wiping away tears, Megane nodded.
“Alright, I need you to go home and tell Mother and Father that I love them very much. Tell them that I am going away to keep you all safe.”
When she turned to send her little sister off, however, a man’s large frame loomed at the entrance of the alley. Marko watched them, his face dark.
“I wish you wouldn’t have done that,” he said as he began to walk towards them. Isa pushed Megane behind her as she stood to face the Caregiver. For the first time, she noticed his black metal ring glowing a dull gold as he tightened his right hand into a fist.
“Run, Megane!” Isa screamed, shoving the little girl as far behind her as she could. Marko reached out and grabbed Isa roughly.
“I have no desire to do this, believe me,” he said as he pinned her against the wall. She tried to scream, but he covered her face with his hand. “But you just had to take his side. And my princess can’t forgive that.”
Isa struggled, but he was too strong. She began to see spots as he kept his hand clamped over her mouth and nose. “You don’t have to worry about him suffering for too long,” he whispered in her ear. “He won’t last much longer with or without you.”
What she did next, Isa had not the slightest idea as to what possessed her to try. Without thinking, she cried out to the Fortress for help. With no other savior, she could only scream for that ever present companion she had come to count on. It had called her somehow to the Fortress, Ever had said. It couldn’t abandon her now.
As the cry left Isa’s throat, something sparked inside of her. It was familiar, and yet, she had never felt anything like this before. The feeling bled out from her heart, and flowed through the rest of her body. Warm, like gentle constant water of a hot spring, it rolled through her veins and into her hands and feet.<
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Marko gave a cry of pain and flew backward, smacking his head against the building behind them. Blue liquid flame shot out of Isa’s fingertips, nearly blinding her as it flared all around, and the force of it nearly made her lose her own balance. Relief at being safe from Marko was followed immediately by panic as Isa realized she couldn’t move. The blue flame had engulfed her completely, and she stood frozen with her arms stretched out at her sides while it continued to flow out of her body and into the man on the ground.
“Isabelle!” Garin’s voice sounded from a distance.
Isa wanted so much to scream for help, but she couldn’t move.
Just seconds later, though, cool, rough hands had taken her own, and the flame was channeling into them. They stood that way for what felt like an eternity. In amazement, Isa watched as Garin took the brunt of the raw power that streamed from her. Don’t let it hurt him, she begged the Fortress.
But as he looked back into her eyes, the man who had bowed to Ever’s every wish no longer looked like a castle steward. Instead, he looked like something completely other, something powerful. His eyes blazed a fierce blue, and his skin became white like snow. The lines of age that edged his eyes and mouth disappeared. His arms were powerful, and just for a second, Isa thought she glimpsed a pair of large silver wings on his back.
Whether vision or truth, however, it only lasted for the blink of an eye. Slowly, the flame began to ebb, and bit by bit, Isa could move again. As it slowed, Garin began to look more like himself again.
“What was that?” Isa gasped.
“That was the strength.”
“No, what you just did! How did you do that?” Isa searched his face for answers.
Garin gave her a small smile. “You don’t think the Maker would forge such a great source of power as the Fortress without giving it a steward, do you?”
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