Promising Hope (37 page)

“Where did you stab him?” she whispered.

“In the chest.” His voice was low, and his fingers
had stopped.

She almost reached out to touch him, but something
stopped her. “What was he like?”

He finally looked at her. “Why are you asking me
these questions?”

“I want to know,” she replied quietly. “I want to
know what he was like.”

“He knew right away there were shape changers
somewhere. If we’d gone as Grace, he would have known it wasn’t
her. Grace could have stayed with the men. She could have been
free…”

“But Gregorio would have killed you if she hadn’t
stopped him.”

Evan nodded. “She saved our lives.”

She swallowed. “Plus Sashe may have gotten into
trouble.”

“We don’t know she didn’t.”

Sierra frowned. The king had to protect her. He had
for more than a year now.

“How can she live there?” Evan asked, disgust
creeping into his voice. “I don’t understand it. Living with Tisha
and Kilar?”

“She’s pregnant.”

“But what about before?” He ran a hand through his
hair and shook his head.

“She’s helping us, Evan.” Annoyance crept into her
voice. Evan was so idealistic and he expected everyone else to be
the same way, throwing off everything they cared about to fight the
Protectors.

“She should be here, not with them.” He caught her
eye. “Don’t you think the same thing?”

“I do believe she should be here with us, but… right
now, she’s safest there. She and her child are safe with the king,
and she knows that.”

He shrugged, glancing away from her again. “We could
keep her safe.”

Sierra rolled her eyes. “I want to know what Gregorio
was like.”

“Why?” His voice suddenly took on an edge. He stood
up from the bed and took off his jacket.

“Because he’s the man who cursed the Avialies. I want
to know what kind of a person would do that.”

Evan took off his tunic, then his shirt. He sat down
and untied his boots. She wondered if he’d even respond. He leaned
over, setting his elbows on his knees and staring at the wall as
though something was happening on it. She crawled over to him and
got to her knees behind him.

She ran a hand down his bare back. Scars interlaced
over his skin, scars from being whipped when with Niculai. She
hated to think of him with that monster for two years. She started
massaging his shoulders. They were so tense, the muscles coiled up
so tightly. His exhale was audible as she worked into the muscles,
kneading them with her palms.

She was about to ask about Gregorio again when Evan
started speaking, his voice low and even.

“He was tall. Old. He had these green eyes…” Evan
trailed off. “Really bright green eyes. And short black hair.” He
moaned a little bit when Sierra moved her hands down to the muscles
around his spine. “He said he could smell dead Avialies on
Grace.”

Sierra’s hands stilled, a chill going through her.
“What?”

“Rotten Avialies…” He shrugged. “She said he sensed
something in her presence.”

“Like magic?”

“I think so.” He looked over his shoulder at Sierra.
“I wonder what he’d sense in your presence.”

She chewed on her lip, wondering the same thing. She
and Grace were both Protectors of the Avialies, right? “We’ll never
know now.”

There was a knock on the door. Evan stood up. “Will
you get it? I’m going to wash up.”

She waited to open the door until he was behind the
changing screen. Angela stood in the corridor. “Oh, hello,” Sierra
said. She’d been expecting the young man with dinner.

“Can I speak to you for a moment?” Angela asked.

“Evan, do you mind if Angela comes in?” Sierra called
over her shoulder.

“No, that’s fine,” Evan said as water splashed behind
the screen.

Sierra opened the door for Angela. “What is it?” She
wasn’t sure she’d ever spoken to Angela alone; Matilda had always
been there with her.

“I finished… examining Wendy’s mind for information,”
Angela said, “and Matilda told me you’d be interested in Grace and
your sister.”

Sierra half-smiled. “Really? Matilda told you to come
here?”

“And she told me not to tell you it was her idea,”
Angela said, smirking.

“Well, how are they?”

Angela’s smirk faded. “Can I sit down?”

They sat in the two chairs by the window. Green
curtains were drawn back, showing the starry sky and half-moon.
Angela said Sashe was mostly likely fine after the attack, that
everyone in the palace knew the king doted on Sashe and gave her
everything she wanted. The queen was the only person who could
persuade the king just as well, and she didn’t care much about
Sashe or the shape changers or Protectors.

“She’s not jealous of Sashe or anything?” Sierra
asked.

“It didn’t seem like it,” Angela said. “He’s had a
lot of mistresses through the years, so she’s used to it.”

Sierra nodded. “And Sashe’s baby?”

“Healthy.” Angela paused, clearing her throat.
“Gregorio looked at him.”

“
What
?” Evan asked from behind the screen. He
poked his head out, wet hair dripping.

“She didn’t know it was Gregorio,” Angela said. “When
she found out… a couple hours later is when they contacted us, so
that must have convinced her to be a spy.”

“That makes me sick,” Sierra said. Her stomach
stirred, and she rubbed her forehead. Gregorio was gone now. He
couldn’t hurt anyone else.

Evan went back to bathing, and there was loud
splashes and clangs and muttered swears.

Sierra swallowed. “What about Grace?”

Angela hesitated. “Wendy didn’t know about everything
that happened in the palace. She was mainly concerned with making
sure the right people came in and out, but certain spells were up
to reveal conversations about the magical families. So, if Grace
started talking about the Avialies, she would hear it, but if she
was talking about… Dar or William, she wouldn’t necessarily. I
don’t think Grace or Dar or Sashe knew anything about Wendy,
really, just that there was a Cosa in the castle. Anyway…”

She explained Grace’s tumultuous time under the love
potion and how Dar was whipped for helping Vin and Amina escape.
When William found out about the love potion, Angela was fairly
sure he was very angry and may have even hurt her. Then he forced
her to take the antidote, and she was sick for a few days. Every
time she heard something upsetting, Sierra started to interrupt and
Angela would give her a look that said, ‘Let me finish the
story.’

Evan came out from behind the changing screen,
half-dressed. Sierra could see Angela glancing at him a few times
as he pulled on his shirt, but she couldn’t particularly blame her.
Evan was looking healthy and muscular and more handsome than
ever.

“Then… then I think he might have threatened her.
Threatened her that if she did anything he didn’t like… she’d kill
Dar.”

Sierra stood and started pacing. “I can’t believe it.
I knew we couldn’t trust him.”

“The night Adrian and Evan found Wendy… something big
happened. The prince and Grace were having a private dinner, but
then he swore that someone put something in Grace’s plate. It was a
sense-dulling potion, something to make her numb, something to make
her forget what happened. But that day she’d taken a counter-potion
to eject any mind-altering potions from her system, and she threw
it up. William was furious and started interrogating servants.”
Angela stood up, gazing steadily at Sierra. “Wendy knew it was a
girl named Marisa. Tisha assigned her to Grace to keep an eye on
her. She didn’t get the chance to tell William before she returned
because she went into town to investigate her.”

“Why would Marisa give her a potion like that?”
Sierra asked.

Angela took a step closer. “I think Prince William
was going to force her to sleep with him that night. Marisa was
trying to protect her from it.”

Sierra stared at her. She was vaguely aware of Evan
swearing and muttering in the corner, but she was horrified. “That
bastard,” she whispered. “When was that?”

“Night before last,” Evan said. “I should have gotten
her out. Dammit!” He kicked the bedpost.

“That’s why Dar wants to get back to her so badly,”
Sierra said quietly. That’s what he meant when he said the prince
could be raping her right then. Right now. She shuddered. “So, this
is what Matilda wanted you to tell me.”

It almost seemed kind of twisted
. Go tell Sierra
her friend could be raped any moment now by a sick, twisted
prince.
She exhaled. No, Matilda knew Sierra would want to know
this, even if it was bad news. “So… if Dar’s gone now, she might be
safer.”

“Yes, but William could threaten her parents or
Sashe… he still has control over her.” Angela looked slightly grim.
“The good news is I think I understand Tisha and Kilar better than
I ever have before.”

“What do you mean?” Sierra asked absentmindedly.

“Tisha wants the magic families out of the country
completely, even if they have to die,” Angela said. “But Kilar
wants the magic for any power he can gain. They’re becoming more
and more separated on it, fighting over it, even both of them
trying to persuade William to think their way.”

“How does William think?” Evan asked.

“I think he’s siding with Kilar,” Angela replied.
“He’s an ambitious person. In his interactions with Wendy… he seems
very proud. I think that’s why he reacted how he did when he found
out about the love potion.”

“What about the king? Do you think the edict is
genuine?” he asked. Sierra sat on the edge of the bed,
half-listening, half-worrying about Grace back at the palace.

“I do.” Angela’s voice perked up. “The king is tired
of the violence. He wanted Tisha and Kilar to find a way to work
with the Avialies.”

“I remember that when we broke Vin and Amina free,”
Sierra said with a nod. “He seemed like Tisha had persuaded him,
though.”

“Yes, but that was weeks ago,” Angela said. “Every
thing that hurts someone he respects, like Alastor, or someone he
cares about, like Sashe, brings him closer to the Avialies. I think
the edict is genuine, and I don’t think Tisha will be happy about
it. Kilar will tolerate it because he thinks it will give him
chances to bribe or threaten more magic folk, but Tisha… he
probably hates it.”

“Do you think Kilar will tell someone about what
Grace can do?” Sierra asked.

Angela paused, biting one of her fingernails. “I
think he’ll try to find a way to use the knowledge to his
advantage. It gives him power over Grace. And he’d want that power
for himself, if there was any way he could have it.”

“Have you spoken to Jeshro about all this?” Evan
asked.

“I’m going there next,” Angela said, nodding.

“Good. This is great.” Evan paced around. “This could
help us win the war.”

Angela smiled. “I hope so.” She walked to the door,
then paused with her hand on the doorknob. “Sierra, I wouldn’t
worry. Sashe and Grace… they’re working together to keep each other
safe. And Marisa is looking out for Grace, too, for whatever
reason.”

“Thanks, Angela,” Sierra said.

“Goodnight,” Angela said before leaving.

Evan sat down next to Sierra and wrapped an arm
around her shoulders. Sierra leaned on him. “Did you know any of
that? Did Dar tell you?” she asked him.

“No, he’s upset with me for leaving her behind, so
he’s hardly spoken with me since yesterday,” Evan said. “But we’ll
go back for her soon.”

“Soon.” Sierra closed her eyes. “I’ll kill him if he
touches Grace. I don’t care if he’s the prince.”

“I’ll help.”

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sashe stood at her window, staring out at the forest
which gathered alongside this side of the castle. Her gaze followed
the path she’d taken with Sierra and Grace when she took them to
the Cosa bench. Past the trees, the horizon disappeared into fields
and more forests. How had she gotten here? How had her life ended
up here in the castle, pregnant, torn between two sides in this
pointless war?

She glanced over at the bodyguard standing in the
corner of the room. Thomas had assigned him not long after the
‘kidnapping’ and attack on Gregorio two days ago. His name was
Ronu. He had the dark skin of Kleisade with short black hair. He
was quiet and hardly ever looked at her. In fact, Sashe wasn’t sure
she’d ever heard him speak.

A knock on the door broke her thoughts. She closed
her eyes and groaned. She didn’t want to go to breakfast today.

Her maidservant, Latika, went to open the door, and
Sashe turned to see who had come to fetch her this time. She’d
tried to skip breakfast yesterday, as well, but Thomas had sent
someone to request her presence. After she arrived, he only stayed
for ten minutes before leaving with Tisha, Kilar, and William for
their meeting. They’d been in there for hours. Servants gossiped
about all the yelling. Sashe thought Thomas might tell her about
it, but he hadn’t called for her, and she was grateful. No matter
how curious she was, she was tired of all of this.

Grace stood on the other side of the door, her hands
folded in front of her. “Good morning, Sashe.”

Sashe’s shoulders relaxed, and she smiled at Grace,
beckoning for her to come in. She thought Grace would be gone
already, but she couldn’t deny she was grateful to see her. “Good
morning.” Would you like to take breakfast with me here?”

Grace nodded, her own smile widening. “Yes,
please.”

Sashe motioned to Latika, who promptly left the room.
She sat down on one of the armchairs. “You mean, you don’t want to
see Prince William?” she asked, a sarcastic lilt in her voice.

Grace let out a sigh and sat down. “No. I’m glad he
didn’t call for me yesterday. I can’t keep up with his moods, his…”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I thought we could go
riding again today.”