Page 32 of A Reflection of Silver and Crimson

She shakes her head. “My mother is a pathological liar, and she will say anything to bend others to her will.”

“So, she won't force Jasce to bed those women?”

“Have you met my brother? No one can force him to do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

A relieved breath whooshes from my lungs as I rock back against the bench. “I thought…I feared…”

Zerah squeezes my hand. “She has that effect on people.”

I grip my necklace and let out a sigh as the weight from that conversation with Lady Dinah eases.

I eye the book again, longing for the written word to sweep me away. “Can we go to the library?” I ask instead of saying,“Do you know where the library is?”

She nods, sets her dog down, and stands. “Of course. I will need something else to read to endure Mother’s inevitable lecture later.”

Zerah leads the way, her dog wagging its tail happily. I follow her down the winding path, surrounded by the tranquility of the courtyard.

We enter the palace and walk to the library. The grand double doors creak open, revealing rows upon rows of shelves adorned with leather-bound books, each containing the promise of new stories and discoveries.

My heart dances, skipping inside my chest as I move closer, drawn to the scent of aged paper and leather. It’s such a nostalgic smell—that mixture—that memory of home, of happy days.

Zerah joins me, her eyes scanning the titles. “Look for something that captures your interest,” she says. “Let the book speak to you.”

I nod and explore the shelves, my fingers lightly tracing the spines. Eventually, a book calls out to me, its title intriguing and its cover adorned with an elaborate design.

With the book in my hands, I make my way to a cozy reading spot near a window. As I settle on the sofa, the dog curls up at my feet. I smile as Zerah sits next to me and opens a thick book.

“Spark likes you.” She nods toward her dog.

I lean down, petting the dog’s soft fur. “He’s gorgeous.”

“Jasce gave him to me for my birthday last summer.”

“That was thoughtful of him.”

Zerah nods. “He’s usually the only one who remembers my birthday.”

My chest tightens as I think of how many birthdays Grandfather has forgotten.

Zerah stares down at her book as she thumbs through the pages. “Let’s read.”

Anticipation springs to life inside me as I open my choice, a story about a woman who travels the sea to find her father. Time slips away as I immerse myself in my book. It’s the escape my heart has longed for. The balm to the nerves Jasce destroyed the moment he dragged me back to this palace.

The door opens, and an older woman with silver hair steps in and approaches the sofa where we sit. “Lady Dinah wishes to see you, Zerah.”

Zerah sighs, clutches her book tight, and stands. “Very well.” She clicks her tongue, and Spark follows her from the room.

When the door shuts behind them, I run my fingertips against the book and resume my reading. The woman’s struggle unfolds before me, her determination unbroken as she searches for her father on a boat in the middle of the ocean. The words continue weaving through my thoughts until I smell the salty sea air, and the warm sun bathes my face.

Perhaps I can be like her, unbroken and whole, a piece of pottery refusing to shatter, even in Jasce’s hands.

I turn page after page until the light fades, the door opens, and my nemesis steps inside the library. Well, he isn’t exactly my nemesis. I’m not sure I even have a nemesis, but if I had one, he would be it.

Jasce crosses the library and sits opposite me. “You missed dinner.”

“I wasn’t hungry.” I shrug and glance back down at my book.

“I didn’t know you enjoy reading.”

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