Page 12 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury
Wes flexed his jaw. “Fine. I’ll be right back.” He slammed the door in our faces.
Nimue bumped our shoulders together. “Nice. That went faster than I expected. Wes is a softie. Easy to manipulate.”
“I heard that,” said his muffled voice from the other side.
“You were supposed to.” Nimue snickered.
I didn’t smile. How could I? “Is this the man who’ll stay with my sister?”
The smile fell from her face. “Yes. I know you don’t want to hear it, but she’s in good hands. There’s no one else I’d choose if I had to pick a soldier.”
Wes was stone-faced as he bound my ankles together in a series of thick robes that barely allowed me to shuffle forward. And then finally,finally,he opened the door and stepped aside. I scanned the room, the tightness in my chest easing when I spotted her.
Clara sat on the bed. Her hair, usually sleek and well-maintained, was a mess. Her dull eyes went to mine. I rushed to her, searching for a bruise, for any signs of mistreatment. I wasn’t surprised by how pale her light brown skin was. She took to sickness like a fish to water. At least now she’d have medicines to help her. And from the series of potions atop the bedstand, she was being provided them. The best thing, I realized, was that there was no Traitor’s Brand on her left hand—a circle depicting a snake eating its own tail. Relief rushed my lungs.
Clara exhaled and jumped to her feet, meeting me halfway to throw her arms around me in a bone crushing hug—with strength I didn’t think she was capable of. “You idiot,” she sobbed into my chest. “I told you not to do it. I told you not to take the job.”
My stomach flipped. Somehow, that was worse. There was no real heat to her tone, just hurt and devastation. Even with Brynn for company, it was justus two against the world. And now she was a hostage. Because of me.
I squeezed her, cradling her in my arms before running my hand along her braid. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.” My hands shook as I cupped her face. The tears brimming in her eyes sent another wave ofsorrowthrough me. “You need to be brave for me. As long as you listen to them, you’ll be okay.”
“But what about you?” My clever little sister with a heart too big for her body.
I couldn’t lie to her, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her how much shit I was in. “It’s the same for me. They want me to be a part of the dragonsguard, you know? And when I do a good job, I can see you more. It’s… it’s an opportunity.”And the only option.
Her lips formed a tight line, and she glanced over my shoulder where our guards stood. “Don’t be rash. I’ll send you letters every day.” Her hands trembled as she stepped back, but she relaxed her tense muscles. “I’ll be okay. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“You should have the necklace back.” But Clara stopped me when I went to take it off.
“Keep it.” Her lips quirked in a humorless smile. “The Mother knows you need all the protection you can get.”
“But Clara—”
“Keep it.” I blinked at the steel in her voice. Clara raised her chin. “We can’t change what happened. I want you to keep it. We’ll both be okay as long as you listen. Can you do that?”
I swallowed.It’s like the roles have reversed.She’d always been worried, but now it was like I was a scorned child.It’s not just my life on the line. I uprooted her whole world. It’s only fair she’s worried.“I’ll write too, but I doubt they’ll be delivered right away.” I smoothed out her hair. “I know how to fall in line, Clara. You don’t have to worry. It’s a good opportunity for you. The king said he’ll treat you like a dragonsguard family member. So you’ll get the best education around, and a nice place to stay. It’ll be better.” Maybe if I said it long enough, I’d believe it.
Clara glanced away. “Yeah. Better.”
She might as well have stomped on my heart.I deserve this. It’s my fault.I pulled her into another tight hug. “I’ll save you, I promise.”
Clara’s tears soaked through my shirt. “Don’t. It’s better this way.”
CHAPTER FIVE
I felt like a carriage had run me over, and the feeling only grew stronger when Nimue barged into my room the next morning and threw a pair of clothes at me—training leathers. The outfit was formfitting and practically melted against my skin. But at least the material was breathable. “You’ll be thankful when you ride your dragon,” Nimue said and gestured to herself. “We gain a good amount of resistance to the cold but that doesn’t mean it’s not a bitch.”
I grimaced. “Give me a moment to braid my hair.” I preferred a double yesenian braid—where I parted my hair down the middle. And on both sides I weaved three sections of my hair together, starting from the crown of my head to the nape of my neck. Nimue whistled when I finished. “You’re fast.”
I studied my work in the mirror, making sure there were no ridiculous lumps. “I’ve had practice.”
“I can tell. Your hair’s really beautiful by the way. I always wanted long hair, but I don’t have the patience to take care of it.”
I hummed and said nothing in response. My long hair was impractical, but it was something I liked, so I selfishly kept it. Even if it did make me a littlemore identifiable. Once I finished getting dressed, I followed her toward the dining hall. As we walked, another sharp pang reverberated through my body, and I clutched my chest.
“You alright?” Nimue asked.
Alarm bells went off in my mind at the blatant concern in her eyes. “Why? What’s going on?”
