Page 57 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood
I’d opened my mouth to urge her to lean against the wall and not strain herself when her delicate floral scent reached me more fully.
Elara?!
My mouth went dry, and a surge of realization had me stiffening in shock.
“Hello, Briar.” Her bony hand slid to the side as she tried to gently rub her bruised wrist without drawing much attention, and her wings—if they could even be called that—fluttered. They were tattered and practically skeletal, and the right side sagged despite her effort every so often to straighten and tuck them in. “After I heard what happened, I wanted to speak with you myself. It seemed wise.” She tilted her head to examine me.
My gut twisted and turned over on itself like something rotten had cracked open inside me. “I offer condolences on your father’s passing, Princess Elara.” I struggled to form the words around the sour dryness of my mouth. Even her eyes were glassy with barely a hint of blue, like her life force was almost gone.
Her gaze flicked toward the guards and back to me. Neither guard was looking at us, their focus seemingly on the floor. She turned away from them, angling so that, if someone came through the door, only her back would be seen. Her fingers twitched, indicating for me to move as well.
I took three steps to one side and positioned myself so my expressions couldn’t be seen from the door or by the guards.
Her head inclined forward, and a soft smile spread across her face. “Condolences mean little. What I want is the truth. I came to see you for myself because I thought you were different. Someone I could trust and who would make my brother’s life better. Clearly, I waswrong.”
The words stung as the scent of rotten eggs filled my nostrils. Her expression did not match her words, and the scent had come at the end, but was I searching for anything that could provide me hope? This place had a way of messing with my mind. Her voice had trembled, but I couldn’t tell if that was grief, illness, or both.
She straightened, suddenly seeming every bit the royal, her posture and demeanor almost strong again. Yet, she couldn’t completely mask her ill health. She seemed a mere ghost of what she once was.
My vision blurred, and I desperately blinked back the tears. “I swear I didn’t betray you or your family. I promise on my own life that I would never purposely harm you, your brother, or the king. I care for you all so much and wish I could be there beside you while you grieve.”
Taking a step closer, Elara briefly brushed her cold hand against mine and said, “Even a guilty person would make that claim, but I admire your persistence.”
The corners of my mouth wanted to tip up, but I forced them to remain in place. Her touch had confirmed everything that her words couldn’t. I hoped she believed me, and at least I knew she didn’t hate me.
However, my happiness vanished as quickly as it had come. Something was definitely not right with her. I’d already suspected something was going on with her because she never flew like the others. But if I asked about her health, the guards might listen and pass the information on to someone who might harm her or Vad. And even if I did ask, I doubted she was in any position to answer.
“I don’t want my visit to be misconstrued. I'm here to hear directly from you what transpired last night.” She dipped her head, and her right wing sagged again. Her brow pinched as she straightened the wing, followed by a cracking noises as if it had popped from its socket. Her expression tightened as she drew the wing back in place. “Just as you remember it.” The words had a sharper, breathier quality this time.
“Last night?” My brows lifted, and I tensed. Had the guards really brought her here to ask aboutthis?If they knew I was feeding Elias, why would they ask Elara to come? I’d expected them to catch me red-handed and beat the living hell out of me. “I was in my cell. Nothing happened.” The stench of my own lie hit me, making me want to gag.
“No, last night, when you murdered Father.” Elara pressed her lips together, and blood oozed past the cracks. “Time works differently in this place. It can seem like days, weeks, or years have passed when it’s been only a short amount of time. You’ve been here twelve hours.”
I inhaled quickly and choked on my own spit. I coughed, and then swallowed hard, trying to comprehend what she’d said. “Twelve hours?” No wonder Vad hadn’t returned and Many-Greats hadn’t visited me again.
Rope Guard chuckled before clearing his throat.
I wanted to roll my eyes but kept them in place. They were listening to us after all.
Rolling my shoulders back, I moistened my lips and told her everything I’d told Vad. Colm’s brutal inserted memories swung at the edges of my mind, but I batted them away. For what felt like the millionth time, I recounted what had happened as clearly and simply as possible.
Elara held one hand near the base of her throat as she listened, sometimes brushing her finger over her cracked lips. When I finished, she edged forward. “He said ‘lilies.’ That’s all?”
“That’s all.” I rubbed my fingers together, wishing I could reach out and comfort her. “I swear it or vow it or curse on it, or...whatever you want me to do.”
Her gaze dropped to the floor, and she shuddered. “The ball was the first time he’d served as officiant in ages. The first time he felt so good that he actually…enjoyed himself.” She drew in a deep breath. “He asked me to dance. I used to love dancing with him, but I wasn’t feeling well, so…I said another time. He suggested we walk in the garden instead, and I asked if we could do it another night after I rested. He—he said yes.”
“Your father—” My heart ripped open. I understood what losing a parent felt like and knew that, if I were given the chance to see mine again, I’d do things differently. Regret hovered over me, along with the question: If I had that chance,wouldthings be different?
“I should have been with him in the garden,” she whispered. Naked emotion slid over her face before she caught herself andgulped in a large breath. “Or if I’d danced with him, maybe the attack wouldn’t have succeeded.”
I had my own what-ifs. What if Ember and I had fought against the alpha command our father had given us to run? What if we had stayed and fought alongside our pack while they were being slaughtered? Maybe something would’ve changed. Those what-ifs hurt worse sometimes than what had happened.
I stepped forward, wanting to comfort her and myself.
“Stay back,” Crossbow Guard growled, lifting the weapon toward me again. “Donotget close to the Shadow Princess.”
The urge to stomp and scream surged through me. I was so damn tired of them treating me like this. I wanted to slit their throats, or let my wolf rip them out. I wasn’t picky, as long as all these corrupt guards died.
