by Emily L K
“I’m not sure. Saasha and I will travel for a time, perhaps through Shaw,” she nodded at Bretton then looked at Adriyn and the captain of Hearth’s army, “then up through Hearth; I think I need to have a word with Shannyn about his loyalties. We’ll come and visit you, Orin, for your wedding to Yasana.” She smiled at her friend, and he inclined his head to her.
“Well I think we all respect your decision,” Antoni said after a considering silence, “especially for what you’ve done to rid us of the Advisor.”
“Thank you,” Cori said, “and I have no doubts you’ll do a much better job than your predecessor, Antoni.”
The meeting broke and everyone dispersed to their various duties. Orin was leaving for Resso that afternoon and he needed to coordinate not only his own men, but the Hearthians who was travel part of the way back with him.
Saasha and Cori made their way slowly through the palace together until they reached the Karalis’ chambers.
When she‘d first entered them several days ago, Cori had been surprised to find them still fairly intact. They had rifled through the study, but the other rooms otherwise looked untouched. It seemed the rumours of the Advisor’s fear of the Karalis’ retribution had been true.
“Those arrived earlier for you,” Saasha said, pointing with her free arm at the saddlebags sitting by the door. Cori opened the flap on one of them to find her and Rowan’s travelling pack within. She pulled it out slowly.
“Just give me a few moments,” she said. Saasha nodded and made her way into the study. Cori climbed the stairs to the bedroom.
She placed the pack on the bed and glanced quickly at herself in the mirror. Surprisingly, there was still blue in her eyes; she wasn’t fully Dijem yet. She touched her cheek, inspecting the bruises there before turning back to the bed. She sat down and fished through the pack until her hands touched the leather binding of a book. She pulled it out. Jarrah’s book.
It rested on her lap for a long moment and her fingers traced over the cover. For the past few days, whenever she got a moment of rest, she found her thoughts drifting to this book and what Rowan may have written in it. Now she would find out. With a deep breath, she flipped it open towards the back.
There was nothing new written there, but she found a folded slip of parchment. She lifted it out and set the book aside. Unfolding the paper, she found a drawing of a dragon; her drawing of Daiyu from her first and only class at the School of Auksas. The snarling black beast stared up at her, and a tingle of fear rolled down her spine, much as it had when she’d first drawn it. How had Rowan gotten hold of it, and why had he never said anything to her? She flipped the parchment over and found a note.
C,
If you’re reading this, then it‘s most likely that I died during the fight with Cadmus. It‘s the nature of a Deathsong that someone should be sacrificed and I hope you won’t grieve now you know it was a choice I made for myself a long time ago.
I had hoped that perhaps you could save me, that together we would be strong enough to defy the consequences of the song, but even though my plan didn‘t work, know that every day you were in my life was an absolute blessing.
Cori scrunched the note up angrily. Hot tears pricked her eyes, and she pressed a hand to her chest, gasping in air. He should have told her. She could have saved him if she’d known. Furious, she flung the parchment across the room as Saasha appeared at the doorway.
“Are you all right?” Saasha asked.
“I’m fine,” Cori said curtly, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Saasha gazed at her for a long moment and Cori avoided it, her fist bunching in the covers of the bed. She didn’t want Saasha’s pity.
“Orin is leaving soon, will you come down?”
“Yes,” Cori sighed, her anger fading. “Give me one more moment.”
Saasha disappeared and Cori got up to retrieve the ball of parchment she’d just thrown. She unfolded it, smoothing it out on her thigh. She held it up and read the last line.
Perhaps we’ll meet again in another lifetime.
Love, R.
She read the line again and smiled. Perhaps he would come back, she just had to keep faith. Folding the note carefully, she slid it into her pocket and left the Karalis’ bedroom.
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