Page 9 of Hearts on Fire

Winding the thick mass of my new hair around my wrist, I brought the knife under it, as close to the roots as I dared.

Long hair was a nuisance. In my case, it was more than that. Mother had called red the royal color. She clearly feared for it to be discovered, and I had no desire to bring the king’s attention to me for any reason.

Elex thought he was “fixing” a problem. Or maybe he believed he did me a favor by giving me my hair back and then some. But he’d only made it worse.

I gripped the hair tighter. With this blade that was probably used to saw through the bones of mountain goats, it wouldn’t take me long to cut off a bunch of hair, no matter how thick it was. Or how silky it felt… I slid my hand down, enjoying the softness of my new locks.

Lifting my eyes, I met my reflection in the dark glass of the dish cabinet by the wall. I’d never had hair this long. I never had the patience to let it grow. I also used to like cutting it in fun, edgy styles, either by myself or with the help of a friend.

This was new to me. I never thought I could have something this beautiful. I released my grip, letting the rope of hair unwind from around my wrist. It sprang free, unraveled, and draped over my shoulders, cascading down my chest in rich, copper waves. The shine of my new locks in the moonlight would rival that of the fae. Or maybe Elex’s magic was still glowing through it?

My hand trembled, and I put the knife down. Hair this long meant trouble. It’d be hard to conceal. But I had never possessed anything so pretty in my life, and now I wished to keep it for as long as I could.

Parting it in three sections, I braided the hair into a long plait, then tied it into a knot on the back of my head. Using the cloth, I covered my head, hiding every single strand, then tied the ends around the braid in the back, making it look like the knot was made entirely from the fabric.

Satisfied with the result, I carefully put the knife back into the knife block, then returned to the bedroom of thesalamandras.

The women sat on their perches, motionless in their stone forms. The sight of the statues, not dead but not fully alive either, used to unsettle me. By now, however, I’d gotten used to sleeping among them. It even brought me comfort to know I wasn’t alone.

I hoped they were all asleep. There was no way of telling for sure, though.

After kicking off my worn leather boots, I climbed under the covers on my perch. Despite the exhausting day, sleep wouldn’t come to me. I remembered wishing for Elex to be in this world, thinking his presence would make life here more bearable.

Now that he actually was here, I wasn’t so sure anymore. None of the emotions he caused in me were simple. And what lay ahead was troubling in its uncertainty.

* * *

The blanket was ripped off me with a swoosh.

“Where were you?” Mother’s stern voice demanded. “Where were you last night at sunset?”

I blinked, the events of yesterday rushing into my memories. Snow-covered mountains. Wind howling between the rocks of the passage. Mind-numbing exhaustion. Dinner with the king. Elex…

I quickly patted my head to make sure the cloth was still on and my hair remained hidden.

“I asked you…” Mother stood over my perch, holding my blanket in her hand. Other women pretended to be going about their morning, washing their faces and brushing their hair and teeth while throwing furtive glances our way. “Where were you last night at sunset?”

“Here,” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. “I’m here now.”

Despite the longer winter nights, I had a hard time falling asleep yesterday and would have loved to stay in bed just a little bit longer. There was no chance for that, of course. Judging by the furious face of Mother, I had an explanation to give. And it’d better be a good one.

“You didn’t come with everyone else last night. It took you a while to show up,” Mother seethed with anger.

Apparently, she had a hard time falling asleep too. Solid and unmoving in her stone form, Mother had been sitting on her perch, watching and listening. She had been awake when I went to bed.

“I…” I winced, trying to kick my brain into gear. “I went to the kitchen to get some water. I got thirsty after all that food.” I looked up, straight into Mother’s blue eyes lined with the fine web of fissures. Her face was distorted with anger, but there was desperate fear in her eyes too.

There was no harm in telling her about Elex. Or was there? If I told her the truth, I’d gain nothing. But there might be something either Elex or I would lose. It was best to stick with the lie.

“It took me a while to find the kitchen. But I had some water and came right back,” I said.

“Did anyone see you?”

Elex was the one who did. But he wouldn’t tell on me, would he?

“No. There wasn’t anyone there.”

She dropped my bed cover back onto my perch.