Page 56 of Ties of Starlight

“I can’t say I’m happy to, but I know I can’t hide from him forever or keep using my wife as a shield. Thank you, Lady Asa.”

Finally, Nyrunn was gone. Worse, Idonea was now stuck with Lady Asa.

Once the tub was full and Lady Asa closed the flap, leaving just her and one maid, she turned to Idonea and gestured. “Come on, up you go. Don’t worry, I’ve consulted the healers and they told me everything I needed to know. I’m sure you don’t want to keep lying there with the rest of you still filthy.”

Idonea groaned but with Asa and the maid’s help, she got out of bed and they helped her shed what was left of her skirt before getting her into the warm water.

Asa reached for the clasp on Idonea’s necklace, and shejerked away. She stumbled as she reached up and pressed the cool metal into her skin, glaring at Asa. She snapped, “The necklace stays on.”

“Sorry. I didn’t know,” Asa said, voice trembling.

Idonea took a deep breath, focusing on the stars beneath her fingertips. “It’s fine. Just… it’s an important necklace to me. I can’t bear the thought of losing it.”

“Was it a gift? From…” Asa ducked her head, trailing off.

“It was a gift. But not from Olaug. A cousin of mine, when I was much younger. It’s very dear to me,” Idonea said, as close to the truth as she could get.

She could hardly say that when she remembered who she was that she’d snuck into the Constella’s home and taken it and her journals from the trunk filled with the belongings of the past Cometa Brides. Once she started remembering, she hadn’t wanted to wait until she was actually selected to be the bride when she was desperately hungry to know her past. Besides, there was so much junk saved, the Constella had never noticed the necklace or journals going missing. Or maybe it was part of the magic bringing her back. Idonea herself didn’t know all the details or fully understand it.

All she knew was they always made it to her next life, and she always found them.

Asa nodded. “Of course.”

And she didn’t pry any further. One commonality in all of Idonea’s lives were her parents, slightly different each time, dying when she was young. When she became Gytha’s chosen, her life always became common knowledge as well, especially her lack of family and connections.

Idonea never remembered who she was before her parents passed. It was probably for the best that way. Her parents were always toward the end of their lives, so all the time they did have with her she was fully theirs, and whileIdonea’s memories of each were hazy with how early they would pass, before she reached the age of majority, she treasured what she did remember. It would vary who had the human blood, her mother or her father, and as far as Idonea could tell, the magic bringing her back probably brought her to an aging couple not long for the world. She hoped it was a kindness, an answer to their desires for a child before they passed.

Still, it meant Idonea was alone early in every life.

When she finally got it right, she’d have a warm, loving family and children she could dote on and her loneliness would be a thing of the long forgotten past.

Asa said nothing else and just moved to help Idonea step into the tub.

Idonea hissed when the water hit the wound on her ribs, but the maid was already scrubbing at the dirt on her good arm while Asa gently worked on the bad arm, still tucked against Idonea’s chest.

Idonea didn’t protest. She just let them work, gritting her teeth and trying to focus on anything but the sore aches being aggravated by every motion.

She squeezed her eyes shut when Asa poured water over her head and began washing her hair.

“You know… I still can’t believe you did that,” Asa murmured.

Idonea opened one eye and looked up at her. “Why is it so hard to believe? Nyrunn is our king. We need him more than we need me.”

Asa shook her head and Idonea had to shut her eyes as more water was poured over her head. “Not that. When you came back to help me.”

Idonea used her good hand to wipe the water away from her eyes. “What?”

Asa gestured for her to get up, helping her as she did so.The maid wrapped a towel around Idonea as she began shivering, her hair plastered to her skin. “You shouldn’t have, by the way.”

Idonea raised an eyebrow, still shivering. “If I hadn’t, you would be dead.”

“And you wouldn’t have nearly died.”

“And Nyrunn would probably be dead too if I hadn’t been there to take that dagger.”

The maid started toweling dry her hair, blocking Idonea’s sight once more.

“I’m doing this all wrong, aren’t I?” Asa whispered.

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