Page 122 of Pretense

“Is everything all right?” Melantha tentatively reached out and clasped Jalissa’s shoulders. The starlight reflected in the deep, compassionate look in her eyes.

It had been so long since her sister had looked at her with such genuine, sisterly concern that Jalissa’s throat closed. She had to swallow several times before she could answer. “It will be.”

Just as soon as a certain Escarlish spy prince returned.

“But it is a little better, now that I have my sister back.” Jalissa clasped Melantha’s shoulders. Yet, that did not seem like enough, not with the power of forgiveness and healing washing through her.

Maybe…did she dare…

She was going to court a human. Eventually marry him, more than likely. Adopting a few human gestures would not be amiss.

Jalissa let go of Melantha’s shoulders and pulled her into a tight, human-style hug instead.

The old Melantha would have stiffened, sniffed, and said something condescending about humans.

This new Melantha embraced Jalissa in a surprisingly strong grip, making a noise somewhere between a sob and a laugh.

This was why forgiveness was so much better than clinging to grudges and bitterness. No wonder Farrendel had chosen this rather than harbor anger, when he, more than anyone, deserved to hate Melantha for what she had done. Healing in the wake of forgiveness, restoration in the wake of true repentance, was a powerful, precious thing.

After a long moment, Melantha cleared her throat. “How long do we stand like this?”

Jalissa shrugged. “I do not know. Elspetha always seems to know just how long a hug should last, and I always follow her lead.”

“So do I.”

With a laugh, the two of them let go at the same time, stepping back.

Melantha leaned against the decorative railing with her back to it, facing Jalissa. “I know you just forgave me, and I am likely the last person in whom you want to confide. But if you want to talk, I am here for you. Well, I will be here for another three days. Then I will be there for you through letters.”

Her normally refined and proper sister bit off her words with a muffled groan, as if embarrassed by her own awkwardness.

But the awkwardness was genuine, and that made all the difference.

Jalissa braced her hands on the railing next to Melantha, staring out into the night. Lights glittered among the branches, lighting the pathways and marking the sprawling rooms of the treetop palace. Even though Jalissa had grown closer to Elspetha, this was not something she could talk about with her, since Edmund was her brother.

“It is complicated.” Jalissa stared down at her hands. How much should she tell Melantha?

“It is the Escarlish prince, is it not?” Melantha’s voice was soft on the night breeze. “Do you still have feelings for him?”

“Yes.” Jalissa sighed.

“And does he still have feelings for you?”

“Yes.”

When Melantha did not reply, her silence seemed to ask, Then what is the problem?

Jalissa glanced at Melantha. “We have a history. And it is complicated. What if it is too complicated? What if we are not meant to be together, no matter what we feel about each other?”

“I can see why you would be concerned.” Melantha stared off into the night, gaze thoughtful. “It is good that you are thinking it through rather than being carried away by feelings. But…”

“But that has been my problem, I know. Thinking too much these past few months and just making myself miserable when the answer was right in front of me all along.” Jalissa flexed her fingers on the railing, trying to keep them warm in the chilly evening. “Yet what if that is just me wanting Edmund to be the answer when he is not? What if I am now deceiving myself?”

“You are making me glad I was not given the chance to overthink things.” Melantha’s mouth pressed into a line, as if she was trying not to laugh. At Jalissa’s look, her expression sobered again. “Can you live without him?”

“No.” She had tried. Several times, in fact. And she had been miserable every time.

All the elven lords she had considered in the past months had been those she could live with. But Edmund was the one she could not live without, no matter what name or disguise he wore.

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