Page 72 of Of Glass and of Gold

“Not when it’s those with magic who are being targeted for the kidnappings,” I hissed.

Her anger slipped, concern now glazing her beautiful blue eyes. “What? How do you know that? Why didn’t you tell me?” She turned her attention to the dozens of people she’d been around, and the dozens more who’d filtered in since our arrival.

My heart dropped into my stomach. She was right, I should have told her. Should have warned her, so that she wouldn’t do something stupid like flaunt her magic to a crowd of strangers. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think…” I didn’t want to finish my thought.

But my sister wasn’t imperceptive. She stared at me with the hardest glare I’d ever seen from her gentle face. “That I could handle it?”

“No. I just didn’t want you to worry.” Both of us knew she’d scented the truth. Melody was lovely, always had been. A woman to be protected, sheltered, cared for. Not someone who needed to face the harsh realities of the world by working off a debt in a tavern among vile men every week, or trudge through muddy markets in harsh weather for errands. I’d gladly taken on those roles so that she didn’t have to.

“You know, you never give me credit.” She huffed, a false smile adorning her flawless skin.

“What are you even saying? Of course I do.” I glanced around, trying to keep our exchange quiet to avoid drawing attention.

“No, you treat me just as mother does. Like I’m some wallflower, like there are things that go on in the world that I’m oblivious to.”

I worked down the lump in my throat. We had never gotten into this kind of argument before. My fists balled at my sides, and I couldn’t steel myself against the rising tide of anger that erupted. “You are oblivious to a lot of things in the world. Things that I’m subjected to, have been subjected to, because I’m not your mother’s blood. All while you and your sister stand by, because standing up for me would mean going against her, and gods forbid you ever do anything that could mark your precious beauty.” Every word was doused in searing venom, meant to inflict the most damage. But when her hardened face softened, and her blinking slowed, a tightness worked through my gut.

Regret.

“At least I know how you truly feel now.” She calmly walked past me, settling back into her usual picture of poise.

“Where are you going?” I barked out before she reached the crowd.

“Home,” she replied without so much as looking back over her shoulder.

I trailed her through the maze of people now stuffed into the tavern until we walked out the front door.

“Don’t follow me,” Melody snapped, marching into the street now painted with the dimming orange glow of the setting sun.

“I’m not letting you go home alone.”

She turned around, her skirts twirling with her. “Much to your surprise, Nora, I’m as capable as you to walk a couple blocks to our house unaccompanied.” Her chest rose and fell with every heated breath. Her knuckles whitened at her sides.

My sister was too lovely, too kind to be made to feel how she was. I wanted no part in it. “You’re right,” I admitted, letting her words sink in. Maybe I had treated her as something too delicate, something to be protected more than a person with free will. I’d had no idea she sensed it, what that would have made her feel like, but seeing it written on her face now…

She went to say something else, but paused. She took a deep breath, clearly thinking better of it—something I wished I had done earlier before I’d eroded our evening with my caustic words. My throat clamped on the apology that wanted to come out, but I didn’t know if she was ready to hear it. Or if I was ready to give it. I couldn’t separate the truth from my ego yet.

We’d never had this wall between us, or at least acknowledged it. Something built from years’ worth of resentment and locked away sentiments. I didn’t even think I’d recognized that I carried that amount of bitterness until the moment it came spewing from my mouth.

Instead of saying anything, I simply watched as she walked down the street with all the grace of a lady that hadn’t just been attacked by an unkind sister.

Letting her walk home would be the first step in mending this rift between us, proving to her that I’d been wrong before.

When she was out of sight, I returned inside. I had some attendees to question.

36

Nora

After I’d gathered all I’d needed, I hadn’t been ready to return home.

Instead, I found myself on that familiar grassy ledge, contemplating the tension with my sister. My hair gently billowed in the small breeze, and my fingers splayed over the fresh sprouting grass. It was lovely to sit here without hiding beneath black clothes, so I could feel the grass under my bare hands.

Once the sun sank below the ocean horizon, and the air began to chill, I took myself home. My eyelids hung heavy, but at least my nose had stopped running and my tears had dried.

I arrived home to find it quiet and tried not to make too much noise as I headed up the stairs.

Reaching the second floor landing, my gaze snagged on the closed door to the left. My sister’s room was directly beneath mine, and I found myself stalling. A simple rap on the door, a small select set of words, and all could be made right.

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