Page 45 of Forgotten Fate

She shrieked, falling back off her haunches as she landed on her butt. I stared at her in disbelief, watching the color drain out of her face.

Suddenly, I fully saw what Endora had been yapping about.

“What has gotten into you?” I asked slowly, extending a hand to help her up.

For a moment, I thought she might refuse my proffered palm, her eyes blinking uncertainly as she gaped at me, but she gracefully accepted it and rose to her feet.

“What were you just doing?” I insisted. “Praying?”

She laughed nervously. “No. I was just tending to the plants.”

“Then why did you just jump out of your shirt?”

“You startled me; that’s all,” she answered quickly. “I just wasn’t expecting you.”

“Lacroix is still here, isn’t he?” I asked slowly, peering around for evidence of her mentor.

She paled more, like she had been caught in a lie. “Yes, he’s here.”

Sighing, she looked down. “I think I was just caught up in my work,” she admitted. “I forget what else is going on around me when that happens.”

My gut twisted like it did when my senses were on high alert, but I didn’t want to keep pushing her.

“Endora came to see me. She told me that you almost went into cardiac arrest when she popped by. You’ve been nervous all day, Little Mouse. What’s going on?”

She brushed the dirt off her work clothes hastily and avoided my eyes. “Nothing.”

“Miri…”

“What time is it? The day really got away from me,” she laughed nervously, clearly trying to change the subject. “I should get the trichocerids planted before Lacroix notices.”

She turned to busy herself among the flora, but I stopped to study her. “You can tell me what’s going on,” I pressed. “Did something happen? Did my sister say something to you?”

She appeared surprised by the suggestion and glanced back at me. “The princess? No. I haven’t even seen her since the night of the ball.” She closed her eyes and exhaled before opening them again. “Can we just not talk about any of that? I’m actually starving. Is it time for dinner yet?”

I wanted to push her for more, but I didn’t. Pressing her was only going to make her withdraw further, and she already was acting distant.

Forcing myself to swallow my barrage of questions, I nodded slowly. “I was thinking that we could go into the city tonight,” I suggested. “I realized today how little I go anymore, and I think it would be good for you to experience life outside of the castle.”

I expected her to be excited about the prospect, but she shook her head vehemently. “No!”

Pursing my lips into a line, I folded my arms across my chest.

“No?” I repeated. “Why not?”

She tried to smile and backpedal again, but the expression came out as a grimace. “I mean… I’d rather just stay in our chambers and have a romantic evening in.”

I wasn’t buying it. Endora had been right, and my sense about her was accurate: something was definitely off. Mirielle was a terrible liar, and she couldn’t hide her true feelings.

“Come on,” she urged, reaching to tug on my arm. “Let’s go, so I can get washed up.”

A part of me wanted to take off with her, to bring her back to my suites and strip her down naked. Maybe sit in the jacuzzi with a bottle of champagne. But my deep sense of caution forbade it.

“I thought you had plants to plant,” I pointed out.

“They can keep until tomorrow—if we manage to leave before Lacroix notices.”

She grinned at me again, but the smile didn’t meet her eyes in the least. I wasn’t going to be able to get through the night like this, pretending that nothing was wrong.

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