by Silver, Ruth
“Mara's room?”
Leila shook her head. Cautiously, she turned the handle and poked her head into the bedroom. She breathed in the air, taking a whiff. It smelled just like home. Leila guided Wynter inside and shut the door behind him.
“Why are we in here?”
Princes Mara opened the bedroom door and came face-to-face with Leila and Wynter.
“Who are you?” Princess Mara asked, glancing the older girl over.
Leila didn't know what to say. Her mouth hung agape. Every time she had imagined this moment, a second chance with her younger sister, it never played out like this. “I was just leaving.” Leila tried to walk past the princess.
Mara didn't budge. She blocked the door. “No, you aren't. You tell me what I want to know or I'll scream. Do you know what'll happen then?”
Leila knew it would be bad. The guards would come and detain both of them. “Yeah, same as what happened to Larkin.”
Mara’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know my sister's boyfriend? And why are you rummaging through her things?”
“I was a friend of your sister’s,” Leila said.
“No, you weren't. Ophelia's friends could be counted on one hand, and still have several fingers left over. Who are you?”
“You're right. I barely knew your sister, but I feel like I knew her, because Larkin was my best friend.” Leila was a good liar. The best lies were masked in truths.
Mara stepped further into the room and glanced over at Wynter. “What about him?”
“He's my boyfriend.” Leila gave Wynter a warm and inviting smile. “He agreed to accompany me to the party this evening. Plus he was my ticket inside.” She had to be convincing.
“I see.” Mara walked over to the window, staring outside. “I'm sorry about your friend. My father shouldn't have executed him. I tried to talk sense into him, but we're all grieving for Ophelia.”
“I'm sorry your sister passed away,” Leila said.
Mara's eyes locked on Leila's. “She was murdered. You have no reason to apologize unless you were involved in her demise.”
“Of course not,” Leila assured the princess.
“Did Larkin tell you who killed my sister?”
“No,” Leila said. “I saw his execution, but we didn't speak.”
Princess Mara walked away from the window and toward the dresser. Her fingers moved over the wooden surface, and she sighed. “Then you know I didn't support his punishment.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I didn't do it for you.” Mara stared at Leila. “I did it for Ophelia. I knew how much she loved him, and how she would have refused to marry Astin Stafford if she had the chance.” Mara walked toward the door, pausing before she rested her palm on the handle. “Funny thing is, turns out I get to marry Astin, and I'm not in love with him either. Father thinks he'd make a better king than Warner de Clare, and since I'm next in line for the throne, I don't get much of a choice.”
“You can tell him no.” Leila didn't want her sister led down the same path. It was what had ultimately led to her death. Had she told her father the truth, perhaps he'd have been lenient and provided her with guards upon leaving the castle. Instead, she snuck out and lost her life. It was selfish what she'd done. Larkin hadn't known the truth until she died. The decision should have been his too.
Mara laughed. “If you knew my father, you'd know that wasn't an option.” She grew somber. “I should find my mask and put it on. I need to mingle with the guests. I'll see you downstairs.” Mara headed out of the bedroom.
Leila let out a breath. It had gone better then she expected.
“You're my girlfriend?” Wynter asked.
“What?” Leila frowned, confused. “What are you talking about?” Was he trying to flirt with her? She wasn't in the mood.
“Princess Mara asked who I was, and you told her that I was your boyfriend.”
Leila's eyes lit up, and her cheeks flushed. “Oh, right, about that, I was trying to keep us from ending up like Larkin.”
Wynter grinned. “That's appreciated. Come on.” He reached for her arm. “We should join the party downstairs. Mingle with the guests, or at least dance.”
“Are you offering to dance with me?”
“I'm considering it. If you promise not to step on my toes.”
“It's a deal.” Ophelia had never had a boy in her bedroom when she'd been alive. Strange that it happened for her only after she died. She pushed all sad thoughts aside and opened the door. She double-checked the hall to make sure it was empty before stepping out of the room. Together, they headed into the hallway and back down the narrow staircase to the second floor.
“That was fun.” Wynter wrapped his arm around Leila's waist. They walked along the second floor and down the staircase together toward the party.
“Meeting Princess Mara?”
“Seeing your bedroom. It explains so much about you.”
“How's that?” Leila sauntered onto the dance floor, feeling the pulsating rhythm through her heels. Her hips moved in time to the beat. She pulled Wynter into the crowd with her, and he held out his hands, taking hers to dance ballroom-style among the other guests.
They waltzed with the music, Wynter keeping Leila close to him. “For example, the stuffed monkey on your bed, it's handmade and well-loved. You must have cared deeply for it.”
“You're good at reading people. It was the last gift my mother gave me before she died. You could say I'm attached to it.”
“Then we should take it with us when we leave.”
Leila shook her head. As much as she wanted the monkey, she had to move on from her previous life. “It's better if it stays here. Mara will miss it if it's gone. I won't do that to her. She's lost so much already.”
“Fair enough.” Wynter dipped her back. Leila giggled nervously, afraid that he'd drop her. When he brought her back up to his level, she threw her arms around his neck and heaved a sigh of relief. “Scared?”
“Terrified.”
“Me too.”
Jasper signaled from the corner of the ballroom toward the door. It was time to go. “I think we need to use the back exit. You know another way out, right?” Wynter asked.
“What?” Leila's eyes widened. Yes, she could escape a dozen different ways, but what was happening? “Wynter?” She expected him to be honest with her. What was going on?
“I don't know. Maybe our cover is blown. We did sneak into the party.” He gripped Leila's hand and pulled her with him through the crowd toward the far corner on the west side of the room. “Find me a way out of here.”
Leila knew every escape route of the castle. “This way.” She pulled him along the wall and behind the grand staircase. She pushed aside a silk wall-hanging and revealed a small door. Leila opened the door and stepped through, leading the way for Wynter.
Wynter was taller than Leila and had to duck as she led him down a narrow passage. He kept his voice to a whisper. “How much farther?”
“We can exit out back, or take the tunnels beneath the moat and into town.”
“Lead us out back. We need to find Violetta and Jasper. Hopefully, they both got out of the palace without any trouble.”
“I didn't see either of them detained.” Leila tried to keep her voice down to a whisper. The walls through the castle were thin, and they were walking farther from the loud festivities of the ballroom.
“Let's hope they got out in time.” Wynter reached for Leila's hand.
Leila took a sharp right when she reached the end of the narrow hallway. She walked up four steps and waited a minute as she opened the door. She was cautious, listening for anyone who might be on the lookout for intruders at the party. After a quiet moment, she fully opened the door and stepped out into the frigid night air. “We're safe.” She helped Wynter from the tunnel and shut the door to ensure no one would find that the passage had been used as an escape route.
“Which way?”
“Come with me.” Leila gr
ipped his hand and walked along the edge of the palace lawn. They'd have to walk the long way around, but she was familiar with the route. It was near her bedroom window, where she'd escaped countless times.
“How are we going to find Violetta and Jasper?”
“If we're lucky, they took the carriage and will use the side access road.”
Wynter glared at Leila. “Jasper isn't that smart.”
“You don't give him enough credit.” In the distance, she could see a carriage pulling away from the castle. She hoped Jasper was smart enough to consider an alternate escape. He had signaled Wynter that it was time to leave the party. Jasper should have known they'd find another exit out of the palace, after all, this was her territory. She knew the lay of the land. Over the hill, she could hear hooves galloping on freshly packed dirt.
“Jasper?”
“Maybe.” Leila stepped to the side of the trail and reached for Wynter's arm. She wanted it to look like they were on a midnight stroll should it be anyone else.
The carriage slowed as it approached. Jasper sat atop the driver's seat, and 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 insisted. “You and I will go. Violetta will stay with Leila.”
Violetta cleared her throat. “Why do I get babysitting duties? What am I supposed to do while you two are gone? Pick dandelions?”
“Figure out how Mara is going to die. It's the only way to intercept death,” Wynter said.
“You two, out of the carriage.” Jasper was short and to the point.
“We'll meet you in Ophelia’s old room, fifteen minutes before Mara's appointment. That should give us enough time,” Wynter said.
Reluctantly, Leila climbed out of the carriage.
Jasper drove the carriage west with Wynter in the back. Wynter’s heart skipped a beat, and his stomach tensed just thinking about what was to come. Was he stupid? Leila didn’t even love him, but he couldn’t allow her to lose her sister. He knew what it felt like to lose a sister, and he’d never gotten over Hannah’s death.
“You’re an idiot.” Jasper glanced back at his friend. “Juliana is the devil, and you’re about to make a deal with her.”
Wynter held his tongue. Maybe he’d been wrong about Juliana. Although he doubted it. She hadn’t helped the last time he’d sought her assistance. Years ago, he’d traveled to Seora, when he’d been going through a rough patch. He’d sought her out, and she turned him away. What made him think she’d change her mind?
“You have to help.” Wynter showed Juliana the scroll. It wasn’t the name, but the age of the child that he hoped would convince her to help.
She stared at the scroll silently. Juliana, the dark angel, sighed and her hand reached out, touching Wynter’s arm. She paused, conflicted. A moment later, Juliana flinched and pulled away as if she’d been burned. “No.” She gasped and took a step backward. “I can’t help you, Wynter. Please don’t ever come here again.”
He knew it was a risk, going to visit Juliana. She wouldn’t want to see him, but Mara’s life depended on it. She was fourteen and the next in line for the throne. Surely, Juliana would consider his request this time? Mara was important, and Juliana was allowed to save only those who mattered in the grand scheme.
The carriage jolted along the dirt path. Wynter gripped the seat as he bit his lower lip. He was nervous to see her again. Maybe Jasper could walk up to the dark angel refuge and convince her to help. Juliana wouldn’t recognize him.
Leila grumbled under her breath and wrapped her arms around herself. The night air was cool, and they had to walk back around the castle and sneak in without being seen.
“Come on.” Violetta pulled Leila close to her. “Let's go find Mara and see what trouble's brewing.”
Leila glanced at the road. The carriage vanished on the darkened path. Would they be back in time? She had to trust Wynter. He'd given her no reason to believe otherwise. “What do you know about dark angels?”
“Not much.” Violetta walked alongside Leila around the perimeter of the castle. “They have both the power to give
and take life. As reapers, we're forbidden from asking favors of dark angels. They worry it would mess up the system. It's why most reapers are removed from their location for at least a hundred years, to sever their past human connections. Occasionally, when a mortal is murdered and becomes a reaper, the higher-ups let them remain in their district. I guess you're one of the lucky ones.”
“You think I'm lucky? I had to watch my boyfriend get executed, reap his soul, and now my little sister is about to die. I wouldn't call my life lucky. I'm anything but lucky.” Leila walked to the hidden entrance and swung open the door. She snuck inside and let Violetta follow behind her. “What exactly are dark angels?”
Violetta frowned. “Dark angels were human once, just like us.” Violetta kept her voice low; she didn't want to alert the guards.
“What happened to them?” Leila led Violetta through the tunnel and made a sharp right and then another left guiding, them to a different exit. She didn't want to be seen on the ballroom floor.
“Everyone dies, Leila.”
Leila rolled her eyes. Now wasn't the time for a lesson on the human life cycle. She knew everyone died at some point, but Mara was a child. She deserved to grow up, fall in love, get married, and have children. Then, when she grew old and her time came, Leila wouldn't fight it anymore. “This way.” She escorted Violetta through the back hall parallel to the ballroom.
“How are we going to find Mara if we're out here?”
“Give it time.” Leila knew her sister. There was only so much mingling with guests that the young girl could handle.
Leila and Violetta didn't have to wait long. Mara opened the door, peeking her head out to make sure the hall was clear. “You again?” Mara nodded to Leila. “I didn't catch your name earlier.”
“Leila.” She hoped Mara wasn't going to turn her into the guards for trespassing. Thankfully, she’d never told her younger sister the name she’d used when sneaking out to meet Larkin.
“Easy enough to remember, and you are?” Mara turned toward the taller girl.
