Page 119 of When Wishes Bleed

“I wish you well, my prince,” I whispered, disappearing from the palace.

His glittering golden eyes and the look of longing mixed with disappointment marring his beautiful features burned into my mind.

I landed back on my cold, rain-soaked steps and opened the door to the House of Fate, wondering if I’d just made the biggest mistake of my life and feeling sure I had by the time I reached my bedroom.

I changed out of my sodden dress with trembling hands and laid down. When the tension finally flooded from my muscles, I let myself cry.

Lightning lit the room in fiery bursts as booming thunder cracked across the sky.

26

Ididn’t sleep.

I watched the night fade away as dawn stretched pink fingers across the sky. A knock at the front door dragged me out of my bed, and I found Brecan waiting on the landing. I squinted against the early morning sunlight and waved him inside.

“Are you okay?” he asked tenderly.

I nodded, afraid that if I spoke, my voice would crack.

“She was your mother…” he started.

“I do not mourn her, Brecan. She was no mother to me.”

I mourned Bay and Wayra. I even mourned Ela. I mourned for the witches who would have nightmares of Cyril – who my dark looks unfortunately favored – for years to come. But most of all, I mourned the loss of Tauren. Nothing would ever fill the hole of his absence in my life.

Fate attempted to comfort me, but I wouldn’t allow it.

“Tomorrow, a new Priestess of the House of Earth will be anointed.”

“Who will it be?”

“A few have indicated their interest. One seems to be more powerful than the rest, though.”

I nodded and looked out the back door. Not a single living leaf hung from the branches of the deciduous trees. They’d all turned brown and brittle, curling in on themselves. Even the evergreens had dried from the root up, their deep green color nowhere to be seen. The earth needed to be revived. A new Priestess could bring life to what was now dead.

“Did you take Tauren home?” he asked, looking out over the Center, studiously ignoring my face.

“Yes.”

“Is he expecting you back soon?”

I swallowed. “No.”

He closed his eyes for a long beat. “I will urge the Circle to ignore the mandate placed on you before you left.”

Hand-fasting. I hadn’t thought of their forced decree since I returned. Decrees, typically, were sealed with magic. If Brecan didn’t succeed in persuading them, I would have to honor my word.

A tear fell from my eye. He saw it before I swiped it away. “I know it was hard for you to leave him there.”

It was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

“I just hope you know that things will be different for you here in Thirteen from now on. Mira and I, and even Ethne, will not tolerate anyone showing you disrespect. Not after all you’ve done.”

“I didn’t do anything, Brecan.”

“The hell you haven’t!” he whispered angrily. “I know what you did, what you sacrificed for us, and I’ll make sure that you’re not only respected, but treated like the Guardian of the House of Fate.”

“Thank you,” I told him. What more was there to say? “I want to help,” I said, taking a deep breath and straightening my back. “I want to help set this mess right.”

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