Page 138 of Claiming Glass

I swallowed. “We did it. Healed the Gate. The dead of Tal left. She… Ealhswip—von Lemerch… is she gone?”

The last I remembered was her killing me.Or so I had thought.

Mariska frowned. “The councilwoman did not return. Was she behind you pretending to be Helia?”

I could only nod. One day I would tell her everything—she was my friend. Had come when I asked, would stand up for me without questions—but not today.

“Is Dimitri here?”

Mariska looked away, her previously animated face closing. “Some of his injuries required healing, but he left the hospital yesterday evening.”

Relief and disappointment mixed until I had to close my eyes. I should not have expected anything to change. I was a criminal, a supposedly dead one, he had ordered to leave Tal.

Under the earth, he crowned me.Chose me. Or was that the magic overuse twisting the past into wishes?

“Are there guards waiting to arrest me?” I asked and nodded to Kaz. “Is he here to guard me?” Dimitri had said if they saw me again, he could not save me. That, I remembered clearly.

Mariska let out something between a snort and a laugh, waking Kazimir, or maybe he had been listening to us.

He rose with a bow, completely at odds with the stark room and my bedriddenstate.

“As if I had not spent enough days in this hospital, I was ordered not to leave your side until you woke, so I’m doubly glad to hear you still sound sane. You, Lady Vanya von Heskin, officially recognized cousin of Princess Helia von Heskin, have no record.”

“Helia did what?” I stammered, sure one of us was not as sane as this stranger claimed.

Mariska’s face split into a grin. “The Princess came here as soon as we healed her scrapes and declared you her long-lost cousin. Ordered papers drawn up and signed them right here. There is some debate as to what to call you since she left for the palace before announcing your proper title. Most are going with Lady, though others insist on erring on the side of caution and prefer Princess.”

I fell back against the pillows, staring at the bright sunlight outside.Princess Vanya. The name filled me with fear. There was no hiding in the shadows anymore.What would Lumi have said if she was here?

But I was not the only one who had changed. My sister had asked me to live without fear and use the power given to me for good. To never forget where I came from and allow hope its wings.

I no longer needed to run from anything I realized.

By naming me family, Helia provided me with a safety I never expected. Vanya Komarova had been executed for her crimes. Vanya von Heskin had committed none. I would not even need to hide the noble’s sigil on my arm. Helia had made all my lies true.

Later, I could decide what to do with all the tomorrows I had not expected to have. For now, I closed my eyes and let the chatter of Mariska and Kazimir, noticing her nervous laugh follow his deadpan jokes, wash over me.

One thing was sure, I would not any time soon leap into the air without knowing where to land. This summer had held enough adventure even for me.

Outside, the first fall winds blew, and my mind drifted to the man capable of controlling them. Somehow, the prince who only thought of revenge had saved us all.

It was better that he left before I woke. Even with Helia’s proclamation, we belonged to different worlds. Never could we walk together in daylight as ourselves. Despite it all, I smiled imagining the rumors that would have caused—me, his wife.

Together, we had prevented a worse tomorrow. That should be enough. Love had done its part, now it was up to me to discover what came after you saved your city.

Chapter thirty-four

Vanya

Five months later

My last customers of the day left. It had been a simple contract signing where I magically confirmed neither intended to break the terms. They had taken longer than anticipated, requiring proof of my skill, and I was running late.

After closing the safe Orso had personally installed, I pulled on a mint coat, locked up, and stepped into the early spring rain.

When I returned to Mandible Street after the three-day in the hospital, Svetlana had made no secret she wanted me out of her space and deals, for while we might no longer be opponents—almost friends, perhaps family—living together was too close for either’s comfort. None of Dimitri’s money remained, and I had been at a loss of how to make more without resorting to illegal means again—something I refused to do. I would rather endure Lana’s spiked comments and return to clean her chamber pots. That had fortunately not been required.

Nataliya had caught me after a visit with Lana, asking I come to the Merchant’s Guild the next day to witness the conclusion of a house sale. She suspected the seller had fudged the details. The discordant notes of his dishonesty struck me as soon as I enteredthe room. With my hints, the negotiations took another turn, and the final price was reduced by a third. Nataliya and her husband had been more than pleased, and I left with one commission and five potential clients.

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