Page 13 of A Kiss of Flame

Oh. That.

‘A very good question,’ asked Sister Maryn. She dismissed the gatekeeper with murmured thanks and the sour woman returned to her task. ‘Wren melted it, Carlotta. With magic. Magic which she shouldn’t really be able to use quite like that. Especially not in Pelias. The wards alone should stop it. Your princess is something of an anomaly. Follow me please. You may address me as Sister Maryn.’

A thousand excuses ran through Wren’s mind, a thousand explanations that wouldn’t even begin to explain what she did. Sister Maryn was right. She had melted the bell with magic. Because it irritated her.

Well, no, the maiden keeping the door had irritated her. But she wasn’t about to go around melting people. At least she had that.

‘They will let us back out again, won’t they, my lady?’ the maid asked, more quietly this time. She didn’t want to attract the attention of the maidens any more than she already had. They locked witches up here the same as they did in Ilanthus. Oh they called it service but Wren wasn’t sure she saw much of a difference when it all came down to it.

That was also a very good question, Wren thought. ‘I think they’ll have to.’

‘Or the Grandmaster will come and get us? Well, you. He’ll come and get you, won’t he? Don’t leave me behind.’

Wren squeezed Carlotta’s hand again. Would Roland come? Probably. Would the maidens let him in? No. Definitely not, if they didn’t want to. One look at Maryn told her that.

Would that stop him?

Well, he wanted her on the throne. He’d made that clear. Why else had he brought her here? Why else had he agreed to make Elodie stand trial? It was ridiculous.

‘I’m sure he’d try,’ she said as diplomatically as she could. ‘And I’m not leaving you behind. I promise. Just…’ She stopped and turned to the maid. Carlotta had eyes the colour of caramel, and they gazed at Wren in desperation. Wren knew that feeling right now. ‘Please, Carlotta, don’t tell anyone what happened to the bell? They won’t understand. I can trust you, can’t I?’

She hoped. There was every chance Carlotta would be straight back to Lynette to report everything the moment they left this place. Or someone else. Ylena perhaps. Sister Maryn appeared to be Ylena’s creature already. Wren had no illusions that her every move was not being watched. But she had to try.

Carlotta frowned suddenly and then seemed to come to a decision. She nodded firmly. ‘You have my word. They wouldn’t listen to me anyway, Wren.’

Wren shook her head. Oh someone would listen if Carlotta chose to speak. She didn’t doubt that.

Sister Maryn had stopped at the gates of a small internal walled garden. She nodded her head inside. ‘Go on,’ she said, her voice gentler than Wren would have thought possible.

Wren peered through the opening.

Elodie was kneeling in front of a bed of herbs, her hair plaited down her back, and her hands busy at work harvesting. It was so familiar a sight that Wren’s heart gave a physical lurch inside her chest. She’d seen her like this a thousand times, although it had been in the forest and not in a tiny garden like this.

‘Elodie!’ she cried out, unable to stop herself.

The next thing she knew she was running and then she was swept up in an embrace so strong she thought nothing could pull them apart.

Except so many things could. And would. But for now, she held on as tightly as she could.

CHAPTER 7

ELODIE

When Wren called her name, Elodie had been daydreaming, and for a moment she was back in the forest, in the garden behind their tower, blissfully happy in their solitude and at peace with the world. For a moment everything was all right again.

The maidens taught contemplation and meditation, about the need for peace and isolation in order to truly let the Aurum fill the spaces in your world. She had been unprepared for the wonder that being so far from her old life would give her. This was the only place in Pelias where she could recapture even a fraction of that.

And then Wren was in her arms, sobbing against her shoulder, and the reality of the situation washed over her like a bucket of freezing cold water.

Outside these walls, the royal court had Wren in its claws.

‘What happened? Are you all right?’

‘Yes. Yes, I… I thought I might not see you and I… I…’

Elodie whispered calming words, watching as the shadows coiled and writhed at the edges of the garden. Sister Maryn was watching with too keen an eye, as was the girl with her, the one with the terrified expression. She at least probably didn’t realise what she was seeing. One could hope.

‘It’s going to be all right, my love,’ she breathed. ‘You’re doing so well. Just breathe and let it all go. Control them before they set off all the wards and draw attention to you. Make them leave.’