Page 6 of Unbetrothed

Why did my brother need to be so hateful toward Lux? Hadn’t we all grown up together? Cosme nudged my back toward the stairs, walking alongside me. I took one last peek at Lux, who mouthedbeachand pointed toward the sea.

Cosme arched an eyebrow at me. Whatever playfulness had been there a couple hours before had disappeared. I hurried up the staircase beside Cosme. Our footfalls echoed through the spacious stairwell.

Once the main floor disappeared from our view and we started up the next flight to the third floor, Cosme sighed with exasperation. “Why is your friend hanging out at the door? He will ruin your reputation.”

“Stop being a wet rag.” I lifted my dress skirt higher and marched ahead of Cosme. “You are not Papá.”

“Beatriz,” he caught up to me, “there’s a lot you don’t know. If you paid closer attention—”

“I pay attention.” My boot stomped onto the top step, and I swirled around to fix a glare on Cosme. “Why do you think I agreed to thisridiculousball?”

“Hush now.” Cosme lifted a finger to my lips while his eyes focused behind me.

Footfalls approached. An older woman and a young man descended the staircase. The older woman wore a long, lacy mantilla held up by a tall comb at the top of her head. The young man started to turn his gaze toward me, but I fled, cheeks burning.

“Sis-ter.” Cosme elongated each syllable.

I strode around the corner into a dim corridor lined with portraits of the ancient stories. The gifted children passing from the old world into Valle de los Fantasmas. The dispersion of the gifted. The lost relics. The cursed northern kingdoms. The grand alliance. My boots tap-tap-tapped steadily with another set of boots thump-thump-thumping at my tail.

Cosme had been Papá’s greatest supporter in keeping me from getting my gift. Had he ulterior motives like Lux supposed? Or was my older brother simply overbearing? I turned the corner and followed the corridor to my room. Only landscape paintings of beaches lined this space.

“Brother,” I said tersely. “You’ve accompanied me. Thank you.” I pressed the latch, slid into my room, and pushed the door shut. But Cosme blocked the door with his muddied boot.

“Listen.” His grimace deepened. “You might regret associating with Lux. Don’t do anything stupid.”

A pang of guilt stabbed into my heart. One part of me needed to rush downstairs to the beach to meet Lux. Another part of me stung with Cosme’s expectation that I would do something irrational. I loosened my fists and peeked at my nail beds. The metallic line along my fingers seemed to creep a hairbreadth further along my markings. Cosme’s warning about poor decisions had come too late. But his warning about Lux set my blood boiling.

I pursed my lips and steeled my emotions. “If you’d like me to smile and find a suitor tonight, you ought to let me rest.”

Cosme stepped back, and I slammed the door with a thud. He was the last person who’d help me fulfill my oath. I stormed around my bed and into my dressing room. Three angled mirrors stood against one wall while trunks and shelves lined the opposite wall. I flipped open a trunk and yanked out my swimming dress.

Peeling my sleeves off, I let the outrage Cosme inspired drop with my blue gown. I set aside my chemise and put on the suffocating swimming material that buttoned at the nape of my neck. How dare Cosme ask me to part from the only person who understood me?

I tied my yellow dress robe tight around my body and sped out my bedroom. This wasn’t the first time I’d run off for a swim, but it might be my last. Especially if … I gulped. No, I couldn’t choose a suitor by the end of the night. Dark wood paneling lined the corridor outside my bedroom. A discreet door tucked at the end of this wing led to the servants’ stairwell. I glanced behind me. Not a soul stirred. As I spun my head forward again, I slammed into someone ahead of me.

“Ai-yi-yi!” Laude screamed.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded. I caught my breath and adjusted my robe.

“Your mother told me to see what was wrong and to tend to you. She couldn’t get away and was worried. And Princess,” she looked me up and down, “are you going swimming? By yourself? Right now?” Her eyebrows rose halfway up her forehead.

“I’m not that daft.” I clasped my hands and pulled my shoulder blades together. “Have another bath prepared for me. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Yes, Princess.” She stepped to the side to let me pass into the spiral staircase.

“And Laude,” I called as I descended, “don’t tell anyone where I’ve gone.”

She thumped her palm over her heart and bobbed her head.

I fled downward like an arrow flying toward its target. My robe flapped as I hurried. I shot prayers to the Ancient One.Please let there be no more servants in this back stairwell.Please give me more time with Lux.

Perhaps, Cosme had a strange disdain for Lux, but he was right to be concerned about Lux and I being seen alone, especially on the day of my ball. My reputation could be tarnished if anyone got the wrong impression.

I sped into the undercroft. Though voices echoed from the kitchen, I turned left and hurried through the servants’ corridor to the back doorway. The moment I made it outside, sunlight poured over my head. No one had seen my escape. I climbed up a set of steps and walked through a rocky path toward the private royal beach below. A rock barrier encircled the beach space along with palm trees.

On the shimmering sand, Lux sat with elbows propped on his knees. Should I tell him about my oath? Could he do anything to help me?

The closer I got, the more my insides twisted into a knot. Would Lux think me a fool for promising to go to Valle de los Fantasmas?

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