Page 124 of Of Flames and Fallacies

Her features soften, her lips pull into a frown. “I know. I am so sorry about your mother. I know how hard it was on Cole, too.”

She leans forward and glances at my hands. I try not to flinch at the thought of her grabbing them. Thankfully, she has the sense not to.

“Thank you...” I whisper, averting my attention back to the window.

“You know, since you’ve been back he’s really lightened up.”

I toss her a side glance. “What do you mean?”

“He just seems so much more…alive?” She laughs and waves her hand as if to erase what she’s just said. “I—I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“Alive how?”

“He just…I don’t know. When I first met him he was so solemn. Like a shell of a person. I don’t think I ever saw him smile. And now he seems different. I thought maybe he was just warming up to me, but I notice how different he is around you. It’s like the sun came out between the clouds.”

I bite my lip, trying not to let a smile creep in. Not that it matters. I’m not the one he’s engaged to. And now that we’re in this situation...I’m not sure if we can ever be together again.

“I can tell from the way he looks at you and the way he talks to you. How his eyes light up whenever you’re around. He really loves you.” She sighs. “And I guess I’m trying to say I’m glad you’re here.”

“Thank you, Celeste.” But I’m not glad I’m here.

Or her.

A cold bitterness stings me like a wasp—this isn’t who I want to be. Angry and resentful toward someone I don’t even know, someone who hasn’t given me any direct reason to not like her. Regardless of whatever complicated situation we are in, and regardless of my aching heart, she doesn’t deserve my loathing.

At least, not yet.

The carriage heaves upwards and sends us both flying. We smash into each other, my nose ramming into her sternum as we collide. A splitting ache cracks in my nose, and the carriage comes to a screeching halt. We scramble up from the ground, each trying to help the other back to their seat. Blood drips from my nose, and I cup a hand to catch the drops before it can stain Celeste’s perfectly golden dress.

“Oh my, are you alright?” Celeste whips out a handkerchief from a pocket hidden in the folds of her dress. She holds it to my nose, the blood spreading like ink across the white cloth.

“I’ll be fine,” I say nasally, blinking through the tingling pain. I take the cloth from her, wiping the spots of blood off my hand and holding the handkerchief back to my nose. “Just a little bump, I don’t think it’s broken.”

“My sincerest apologies!” the driver calls through the door. “Are you both alright?”

“Finneas! What was that?” Celeste demands.

“I’m not certain. One moment.” The ground thuds under his landing. His footsteps patter around the carriage as he investigates.

“Areyouokay?” I ask Celeste, finally.

She nods, subconsciously tracing her fingers over her chest.

“Madam Celeste?” Finneas calls. “You might want to come take a look at this.”

“Stay here,” she commands and slips out of the carriage, shutting the door.

I shift closer to the window, peering out toward the back of the carriage. Both of them are bent over and examining one of the carriage’s wheels. Behind the wheel is what looks like a dark, thick branch. Celeste grabs it, despite Finneas’s discouraging mumbles, and holds it up in the light. The sunlight ridges the edges of the branch and the sharp prong at the end. I’m unsure if Celeste and Finneas recognize what it is, but I do. Because I’ve seen it on Daeja.

It’s a horn. Maybe half the length of my forearm.

Celeste levels a look at Finneas who dips his head. She slips the horn into a hidden pocket in her dress. Finneas returns to his seat, and I shuffle back to mine.

Celeste smiles as she slides back onto the bench across from me. “My apologies! Looks like we hit a branch.”

Liar.

Because that was no branch.

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