Page 34 of The Curse of Golden Blood
"I did," she said, after a long moment. She chewed her lip, a human habit I knew was nothing but a sign of deep deliberation.
I waited, patiently, my fingers gripping the edges of the desk.
"I won't change my mind," she said, finally.
I let out a ragged breath. Narietta would be disappointed.
"Unless... you give me something in return."
"Tell me."
"I want Pelbie to go home. Let her go back to her family."
I closed my eyes in regret. "That's not possible."
"Why not?"
"Because, Miralyte, mortals are not allowed to leave this territory once they have entered. It is the law. One that even I cannot break."
"A law you set."
"No, a law the High Sovereign set. I had no part in it."
"But you are the Warlord. You are the highest authority here."
"Not the highest. I have my limits, and I have no choice but to obey."
She paused. "Why not?"
"Because the consequences would not be worth the risk."
"You're afraid."
"I'm not afraid, Miralyte," I said, a warning note creeping into my voice. "I'm not risking another war with the Sun Court. Not for a single mortal."
"You think the High Sovereign will go to war because of this?"
"High Sovereign Ylvena is the reason for the plague in the first place. If I crossed her, it would no longer be a single girl's life on the line, it would be every single mortal and immortal in this realm."
Her lips pursed, and she looked away, the line between her brows creasing. It wasn't sadness. I could feel it. Wispy and tender, the hint of something deeper still, buried so deep within herself that she was too afraid to acknowledge it.
Guilt, and the stain of remorse left too long in its bloody cradle.
My expression softened.
"You're here for justice, aren't you?" I asked. "For your sister. For your friends."
"Yes."
"Then help us get justice. Help us defeat the Rot."
She looked down at the bed, as if thinking through her next move. Which was more progress than she'd given me previously. "You make it sound easy. But from what you say, not even the greatest healers have been able to find a solution to this curse."
"Then you and I will find one."
She got up, moving away from the bed. She walked towards the window, pushing open the glass. When she turned back around, her expression was one of resignation.
"If I do this, will you swear to help me get justice for my sister?"
