Page 5 of To No End

Get a tattoo

Do something that scares me

Swim naked in the moonslight

Say my goodbyes

CHAPTER

3

(Thirty Days Remain)

I awoke to the morning sun glaring through my windows and Versa practically pouncing onto my bed. With a squeal of excitement, she exclaimed, “Father has told me all about your new adventure!”

I rolled over to face her, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. “Huh?” I questioned groggily.

“I always knew you’d be the one to do something amazing. I’m so jealous; I wish I could come with you.”

My head was pounding, not only from being woken abruptly—and this early, which I hated—but also from Versa’s tone, which in no way matched that of my parents’ the night prior.

Before I could even say a word, she continued to ramble on. “I mean, I am devastated you won’t be here for the wedding, but who could say no to an opportunity like that? I don’t blame you, not one bit!”

Versa inched closer to me as I pushed myself up on my elbows, holding my hand up to the window to shade my eyes from the sun. “I can’t believe you leave in a month, but I know we’ll make the most of it. You can help me finish up the planning and—”

“What are you talking about?” I snapped in confusion.

She paused and looked at me with hurt in her eyes, and I admit I hadn’t noticed the sharpness of my voice until I saw her reaction.

She spoke softly and slowly this time, “You know, how you’ve been assigned to be a translator on a ship with one of father’s guild members.”

It started to make sense, as I transitioned from the delirium of sleep to a state of awake.

“You were always better at the old tongue than I was. I just couldn’t see much use in studying something that was hardly spoken…” she trailed off. “But look at you now! You’re going to see the world, finally.”

This was it. The bold and creative lie my parents had come up with to keep my sister completely in the dark as to why I’d be leaving soon and wouldn’t be at her wedding. I felt sick to my stomach that my father dared to use a real desire of mine to conveniently put a bow on this little charade. He knew I wanted to join the guild; he promised me it would happen someday, and here we were pretending he had kept his word.

I gave them credit. Saying I’d be a translator was not something I would have come up with. I’d have bet that was my mother; nice touch. Although, a good lie requires a commitment to the details.

I think I had underestimated how exhausting it was going to be keeping up with these lies around Versa, and already it made me want to flee. But, for her benefit, I swallowed the anxious feeling and replied, “Oh yes, I am so excited…but I didn’t knowhow to tell you. I just can’t believe I’m not going to be here to see your hand given in marriage.”

Versa placed her hands on mine and smiled at me with all sincerity. “You’re forgiven. Think nothing of it! Look at it this way, one less ball… I know how you despise them.”

She wasn’t wrong, balls weren’t my thing, and being she was a daughter of a High Lord also marrying into a wealthy family, no expense would be spared on such a spectacle. I glanced away briefly, shielding her from the sight of the grief beginning to creep into my expression.

Yes, I hated dances—despite my skill—but I loved my sister and I wanted to be there for her on her big day. I wanted to be there for all her big days. The day she became a wife, a mother. All of it…I’d never get to see it.

Before my thoughts betrayed me, I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her toward me in an embrace. I whispered into her neck, “I’m going to miss you more than you can imagine.”

As she pulled away from me, my attention was drawn to the parchment by the window, and I became nervous that she might notice it. After all, she thought I was going to be gone for a long time, but not forever. I’m sure there was going to be some grand part two to this lie that eventually explained why I never returned.

I laughed internally at the thought of the headlines and rumors. I could see it now...

Daughter of merchant, lost at sea—never returns.

Daughter of a High Lord taken to her untimely death by a creature of the sea.

Daughter of House Blackthorn taken captive and slain.

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