Page 48 of A Kiss of Embers
“How will you do that?”
Her fingers grazed the stack of flowers, her expression troubled. “I don’t know yet how to accomplish what I want. But I think it’s time for this to end. No more wars. No more feuds. Only peace. Just like there used to be a long time ago.”
“And…you’re set on this man.”
“I am.” She nodded. “But how can he ever accept our culture?”
Because it was all she could do to keep the peace between the clans. Her power could only die with her. And choosing between death and Bastien seemed like a terrible idea.
Picking up a small bouquet of red and white cinderblooms, she inhaled their delicate scent of ashes and fire before setting it on top of the pile with the others. Too many scents blended together, bombarding her senses. Getting rid of them was for the best.
“You can’t force our culture on anyone,” her father replied at last. “It must be their choice.”
“But…” Her voice trembled. “I don’t want to lose him.”
He pulled her closer to offer her comfort in his brief embrace. “It isn’t love if you only take. Love is sacrifice. And sacrifice is difficult.”
Zar, her other father, knocked next and lifted the flap. “Pri is awake. She’s asking for you.”
Seraphina gasped, unable to move fast enough as she dashed across the settlement and threw aside the tent flap as she entered the medical tent. After ordering everyone out for a few minutes, she knelt beside Pri’s bed and caught her hand in her own, noticing that the magic-blocking brand no longer marred her wrist.
Tears of pain trailed down the girl’s face, but relief settled in her eyes when Seraphina gently kissed both cheeks and her forehead.
“I thought I would never see you again,” Pri croaked.
She smoothed down Pri’s sticky hair. “I would never abandon you. No matter what. You are safe now.”
Pri sniffed, tears trailing silently from the corners of her eyes. “I wish I had my mother. Someone to hold me and tell me everything will be all right.”
Seraphina closed her eyes and released a long breath before opening them once more. “I need to tell you something.” If the truth was circulating, even among the leaders of one of the clans, then she wanted Pri to hear it from her rather than someone else. “You have a mother. And she’s alive.”
The girl’s teary eyes darted to her, unfocused but still alert. “What?”
She ran her hand soothingly over Pri’s damp hair and brushed her thumb along her face to gather the fallen tears. After fortifying her walls, she spoke the truth of the situation in hushed tones. Pri listened intently, especially at the part when she explained why she and her mother had done what they did and why they still needed to keep it a secret for as long as they could.
“I was not ready to be a mother,” she whispered, catching several more warm tears. “But I tried my best, Pri. And my fathers helped. I hope you will find it in your heart to someday forgive me.”
In a languid movement, Pri wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her into an embrace. Seraphina’s eyes smarted at how quick her sister—no, daughter—was to love and forgive others.
“Everything will be all right,” she murmured in her daughter’s ear while continuing to stroke her silky hair. “I won’t allow anything bad to happen to you ever again.”
A sniff. “I’m sorry for sneaking away. I thought I could get past the guards. I was wrong.”
“No one can get past the guards. Not even me.”
“Is that why Ashryn broke me out of jail?” When Seraphina nodded, Pri sniffed again. “She took me on a secret path by the river so no one would be able to find us.”
She stiffened, her heart beating rapidly with hope as she gently laid Pri’s head back on the pillow. “Tell me exactly where to find this path.”
Two days had passed since Ashryn had been stabbed. Bastien had stayed by her side the entire time through the tremors, the mouth foaming, the fevers, and finally when she opened her eyes for the first time and gazed back at him without being delirious.
Treating her from emberweed poisoning was difficult, but Sylvain had helped gather the necessary ingredients, and the Attleglade healer had stopped by several times.
But something still didn’t seem quite right with Ashryn, even though he was certain the poison was gone from her body. Her eyes were still glazed over with confusion when she screamed out in her sleep and her forehead damp with perspiration.
And an hour ago?
Cranky Cricket had come by to question him thoroughly. What was the Ember Queen like? How did she capture them? How did she get into the settlement? Where did she take them?
