Page 33 of Beast and Remedy
“We think Torgem might be behind the cause of the animal attacks,” Marian clarifies, my eyes widening in surprise.
This being my fault makes it hard to keep my mouth shut. “Papa, what if they were not behind it? We should still send word—”
CLANG!
I jolt, clutching my tunic from my father slamming his fist into the table.
“Don’t you find it suspicious that towns getting attacked are the ones nearhisborder?” he sneers, a low rumble vibrating with his words. “Theirpreciousrenowned hunter,King Beauvais, can protect his own borders. Let him and Torgem rot for all I care.”
“Bernie!” Jean scolds as Pierre grunts his agreement.
But the damage is already done, my soul stuttering—fissuring.
Beau.
I’ve avoided using his name because even uttering it in my own mind sends me spiraling.
Yet how could I forget how beautiful four letters could sound together? How four simple letters could form a name so gentle and melodic, it beckons my heart to lunge for it—to cradle it and keep it close any time it is spoken.
“The least we could do is warn Esme. She was your wife’s closest friend,” Jean suggests.
My father remains silent, standing and adjusting his tunic. The pain and the betrayal of friends we considered family reinforces his stubbornness, a shell wound so tight around himself, I fear he will never break free of it.
“Bernie,” Jean pleads, his voice softening. “Johanne would want her friends and their children to be protected.”
“Leave my wife’s name out of this.” Papa’s stern voice laces with warning, wanting this discussion to end as he points at Jean. “You willnotsend themanynotice.” He whirls to Pierre. “Same goes for you.”
Pierre’s tall frame remains immovable as he nods.
And when my father glares at Jean, his shoulders fall, defeated and deferring to his king’s requests.
I flick my eyes to Marian, a ghost of a smirk appearing at the order directed at them.
Notus.
She winks when my curved lips match hers, and without a word, I know we have formed a plan of our own.
Papa grunts his satisfaction, returning to the map on the long wooden table. “Now, we need to make sure we have our borders guarded along this edge of Hinbron’s Pass, as well as station larger patrols in each town. The castle can be the headquarters for our bannermen and anyone injured or infected. But keep them separated from everyone. And if things turn for the worst, lock them in the dungeons so Vi can study them when she and Marian return.”
I hunch over the map, observing the towns and lands. Without help from Torgem, if the other kingdoms and their healers aid us with research, we could still really—
“Vi, do you have everything needed to make a cure?” Papa asks, startling me.
I rub my neck, contemplating my words carefully. “I won’t know what I need right away. This could take weeks or even months to create.”
“Months?” Pierre’s nose wrinkles, skepticism scrunching his features.
“We can’t assume anything. But assistance from healers and other kingdoms will be an advantage.”
Silence hangs between my family, the obvious denial of warning our old allies still fresh while knowing this is the last time we will be together under one roof.
I try to pay attention to the next steps, but Marian and I keep exchanging glances.
After the meeting and before night crept upon me to force another shift, my sister and I agreed she would distract the guards on patrol so I could stealthily send a raven to Torgem.
My attempts over the last seven years of doing this had failed drastically, my correspondence always being intercepted by my family’s spies and troops before it could even cross our borders.
I lost count of how many times Papa forced me to watch as he burned my letters to ashes, not knowing how much he was hacking away bits of my broken, grieving heart.
