Page 36 of Pretense

The tears were coming too hard for shouting. She did not resist as Edmund drew her to him. Instead, she pressed her face into his shoulder and let herself sob, held secure in his strong arms, his shirt warm against her face.

Right now, she did not care that she was not supposed to allow her heart to fall for him again. She desperately needed his strength, as she had during the war.

She was not sure how long she stood there, sobbing in Edmund’s arms. When she finally hiccupped her way to some semblance of silence, she reached to swipe her tears from her cheeks.

Edmund caught her hand. “You’ll smear blood on your face.”

Jalissa froze, staring at her blood-stained fingers held in his equally bloody hand. That was Essie’s blood, crusting on Jalissa’s skin. She had only hazy memories of those frantic moments of pressing her hands to Essie’s wound, her human sister gasping.

Her skin crawled, and Jalissa shoved away from Edmund to scrub her hands on her dress. But her dress, too, was covered in blood.

All that blood. How was Essie still alive?

Jalissa shook, scrubbing her hands, her breathing growing ragged. She had to get her hands clean.

“Come on.” Edmund gently took her by the shoulders, turning her toward Buckmore Cottage. “Let’s get you back to the cottage where you can clean up.”

He should not sound so calm and controlled. His sister was the one hurt, after all.

But Jalissa had seen the wild light in Farrendel’s eyes. Either both of them survived, or neither of them would. Jalissa would lose both her little brother and the sister who had become very close to her, closer than her own sister was at the moment.

Jalissa leaned into Edmund as he walked with her down the path to the cottage. Guards fell into place around them, even more alert and wary than before. Jalissa’s personal guard Sarya stuck close, as if prepared to throw herself in front of Jalissa to take a bullet for her at any moment.

When they reached Buckmore Cottage, Edmund handed Jalissa over to Sarya’s care, and her guard hustled Jalissa to her room, then left to start the bath running.

Jalissa mechanically gathered fresh clothes, then washed in the large tub with its shower spigot. Farrendel did not like the Escarlish baths, but Jalissa was growing to love them. Perhaps she would have to install one in her suite of rooms in Ellonahshinel, like the one Farrendel had installed for Essie for her birthday.

Thoughts of Essie and Farrendel brought a lump to her throat, and Jalissa forced her mind away from memories of gunshots and blood.

When she was clean, Jalissa dressed in a worn, comfortable dress that probably should have been consigned to the rag bin a while ago. She only wore it when she knew she was not going to be around other people.

For a few minutes, she drifted through Buckmore Cottage, not sure what to do now. It seemed wrong to simply curl up on the couch with a good book while Essie was fighting for her life and Farrendel was fighting to keep her alive.

But what else was Jalissa supposed to do? Once again, she was helpless and left behind with nothing to do but fret.

Perhaps she should walk back to Winstead Palace and wait there with the rest of Essie’s family. That was where the message would be sent once Essie and Farrendel reached the border.

Taking a deep breath, Jalissa swung the door open.

Edmund stood there, hand raised as if preparing to knock. His gaze flashed up to hers. “I was just coming to see if you were all right.”

“I am fine.” Jalissa bit her lower lip before she could ask if there had been any word. There would not. It had not even been an hour since the train left.

Edmund rocked back on his heels, his gaze shifting away from her. “Good. Well, good. If you need anything, Avie and Paige are remaining at Winstead Palace to wait for word. I need to start investigating what happened.”

Jalissa caught her breath and straightened. This was something she could do. “I will help.”

Edmund considered her for a long moment. “All right.”

“Really?” For some reason, Jalissa had expected him to say no.

“You probably want something to do rather than sitting here, waiting.” Edmund’s gaze swept over her, and he frowned. “You’ll need a different outfit.”

Jalissa frowned down at her dress. “I agree that this one is a little worn…”

“No, actually, it isn’t worn enough.” Edmund motioned her to step back into the cottage. “An elf princess wandering the streets of Aldon is a little conspicuous.”

She had not thought of that; she was not a spy like Edmund.

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