Page 20 of Blood On His Lips

It wasn’t going to be enough, though. I hadn’t meant for that income to shoulder the burden of multiple deathgilts. We were already paying taxes levied in the form of bloodgilt to Montague and their allies.

“Will it cover the gilt?”

“No,” she said after a pause. “Then if you need to replace the warriors—”

“Which we will do. I don’t care about a so-called treaty. We need to maintain our forces at full capacity.”

Especially since I hoped my brother would be home soon, and the last thing I wanted him to come home to was a House with decimated forces. I wanted him to be proud of me, and proud of Baba.

I swore quietly. “We need money now.”

. . .Renaud was rich. I slapped that niggling thought back down. I wasn’t quite that desperate yet.

“You are your mother’s daughter,” Nora said. She took another sip. “Your family is not poor, Aerinne.”

“I’ve depleted her—” I stopped. “You mean on the other side of the realm. Nora, you know we can’t access any of Maman’s wealth there.”

“That’s not entirely true. You can access it, you would simply have to travel and claim your rights. There are some formalities. You would need to present yourself at Court and swear fealty to the King and Queen. There also may be some few relatives whom you would have to kill.”

I gave her a look. “Just cross the realms, when she warned me never to do so. Right.” I shook my head. “This isn’t what I came to discuss anyway.” I hesitated. “Renaud told me to ask you about something. He wanted to see what you would say. My avatar.”

Nora’s eyes flashed a violent purple, and the mug in her hands shattered.

I froze, eyes wide as Murungaru exclaimed and got to his feet, grabbing tea towels to clean up the mess.

“Your hands, Aunt Nora?” he asked.

“My hands are fine,” Nora said, unblinking as she stared at me. “Your avatar, Aerinne?”

Everyone stilled. I had never heard death in her voice—I recalled what she was. High Fae, and possibly the Princes’ contemporary, though she never confirmed actual facts. She was not as powerful as him, but she was powerfulenough.

“Your avatar, Aerinne?” The repeated question was sharper for all its gentleness.

I set my tea down. Belatedly, I recalled I had been instructed not to speak of this with anyone but Nora. The Prince didn't understand my ties to my family though. I trusted Aunt Fatma and Murungaru to keep my secrets close to their chests. Still, I slanted them both a warning look.

“That’s what I called it, and he said the word isn’t wrong.”

She still didn’t blink, didn’t move. “You have not mentioned an avatar to me before.”

I opened my mouth to reply, then shut up, frowning. No. . .no I hadn’t mentioned it before, had I? I stared at her, perplexed. “I—I don’t know why I said nothing. Why I’ve never asked you before. It’s always been there. Like a kitten, playing in the well of my power. It doesn’t seem todomuch, and most of the time it just naps, but it’s been stirring lately, especially since—”

I shut my mouth.

“Especially since what?”

“Since the Prince woke. Our avatars like to. . .play together.”

Nora closed her eyes. “Of course,” she said softly. “Of course.” She snapped her eyes open again. “Who else have you told this?”

“No one.” I shook my head. “I’ve told no one, and I will tell no one. He already warned me against it. But Nora, why?”

“And you say it has never once occurred to you before to mention this to me? Or to anyone?”

“No.” I gnawed at my bottom lip. “I don’t know why. You can’t see it, can you? No one can.”

“No, the avatars are not something to be seen. They do not truly exist separately from their hosts but are rather an extension of them.” The edges of her expression hardened. “I know why you said nothing. And I suspectwho.”

Nora rose, pacing to the cabinets to withdraw another mug. “The avatars are unique to your mother’s direct bloodline.” She paused, then turned, looking at me. “Renaud knows. They share an ancestress.”

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