Page 44 of Twin Crowns

Soon, the cliffs leveled out, and the sound of crashing waves grew deafening.

Rose dared to look.

Ortha unfurled below her, wind-battered and shining in the setting sun.

The cove was curved and golden. There were probably close to one hundred intricate wooden huts tucked against the cliff edge—just like the beehives—while others were dotted along rocky peninsulas that stretched like fingers into the frothy waves. There were people everywhere—men and women milling about between fishing boats, dragging nets in from the sea. Children were playing along the beach.

The sound of laughter reached Rose on the wind, but the relief she felt at reaching the bottom of the cliffs evaporated once she remembered what lay before them.

Witches.

What did they want with her? Why had they sent for her? She swallowed. “Shen, can you promise me something else?”

Shen dusted off his hands. “Depends what it is.”

“Don’t leave me alone with the witches.”

He turned toward her, and Rose was struck by the softness in his eyes. “You’ve been alone with a witch for days now, remember?”

“And look where that has led me.”

His smile grew. “On the greatest adventure of your life?” When Rose didn’t smile back, he turned serious. “I promised no harm wouldcome to you, and I mean to keep that promise. You can trust me.” He pulled her down onto the sand and Rose found herself clinging tightly to his fingers. She didn’t want to let go. The person she had feared most in the world two days ago had become her anchor in this vast unknown place, and now she didn’t feel safe without him.

Thankfully, her cloak had landed nearby. Shen plucked it from the sand and cast it around her shoulders. “I told you I’d get you here in one piece.”

Rose tilted her head back to see how far she’d come. The cliffs wound upward and out of view—into the misty abyss. She wished Celeste could have seen her conquer them. Whenever they stole away to the apple trees, she always climbed higher than Rose. Celeste was fearless like that, not afraid of the fall but of what she might miss at the top. She claimed the best apples came from there. She would toss them down to Rose, who would fill up her skirts with their spoils before hauling them all the way to the kitchens where they would pester poor Cam to bake them into a pie.

Now, Rose would never balk at an apple tree again. Celeste wouldn’t believe her when she told her about these cliffs—about all of it. And Rosewouldtell her. After she faced the witches here in Ortha, she would return home to Anadawn. But for now, she rolled her shoulders back, readying herself for the next challenge. Whatever it might be.

Shen was staring at her.

“What?” she said, suddenly self-conscious.

“Nothing. You just seem so—”

“Shen! You’re back!” A new voice shattered the rest of his sentence, and Rose was frustrated not to have heard it. A young girl with fiery-redhair streaming out behind her raced down the beach and barreled into Shen, throwing her arms around him. “We’ve been so worried!”

Shen hugged her back. “You know you never need to worry about me, Tilda.”

The girl turned to look at Rose. She gasped, her mouth dropping into a perfect circle. “She’s just like Wren!”

Rose frowned. “Excuse me?”

What did Shen’s best friend have to do with her?

“Tilda,” said Shen warningly, but the girl wasn’t listening.

She was staring so hard at Rose, it seemed she had forgotten to blink. “I knew you were twins, but I didn’t expect you to lookso—”

“Tilda!” scolded Shen. “That’senough.”

The girl grinned as she stepped back. “Anyways, I’m Tilda. I know you, obviously. Princess Rose.” She dipped into a clumsy curtsy. “Everyoneknows you.”

Rose turned on Shen, but he was looking at his feet now. “Shen,” she said in a low voice. “What is she talking about?”

When he looked at her again, his face crumpled. “The healer thing was overwhelming enough, and I wasn’t supposed to say anything. I wanted to, I really did, but Banba ordered me not to. It wasn’t my place—”

“You didn’t tell her about Wren?” cried Tilda. “I wouldn’t have been able to hold that in!”

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