by Allison West
Leila glanced up from her wine, catching sight of Wynter talking with Jasper. The way both gentleman stared at her as they spoke, elicited a shiver down her spine. Already, she missed the warmth of his body at her side, his steady hand on her lower back as they walked into the ball. No. They wouldn't be speaking about her. Her eyes darted over the ballroom looking for Mara. Where the hell was she? Surely, she'd be expected to make an appearance, to dazzle the crowd and entertain the guests. Was she speaking with her father as of late or had they become estranged under the same roof?
Chapter 16
Wynter studied Leila, paying close attention to her every move as she glided off into the crowd. There was something about her he found inspiring. Perhaps it was her desire to visit her sister, even after her father had sentenced the man she loved to death. She hadn't been anxious to come, but once he'd talked her into it, she seemed to fit right in among the royals and nobles. Maybe her death was the best thing for everyone, or rather him. A selfish thought but he never would have had a chance with a princess. She'd have been forced to marry a prince, to further the reach of the crown.
"You're staring," Jasper said.
Wynter averted his gaze and quickly looked at his friend. There was no point in lying about where his eyes had just been. "I can't help it." Was it that obvious, his feelings for her? Could she see it too?
"She's going to get you killed."
"Lucky for me, I'm undead." Quite honestly, if she did get him killed, he wouldn't have minded it, either. He kept his voice to a low whisper, careful no one else could hear them, although the music pulsed through the ballroom, making conversation difficult.
"I'm only telling you this, because we're friends. She's trouble. You're her teacher, Wynter. It's against every rule in the book. Not that you probably read them when you were a pupil."
Wynter grinned, catching sight of her red hair, the sparkle in her blue gaze as her dress glistened under the chandelier. "I like trouble." He always got himself into a mess and out of it without too much damage.
"You would."
"And you think Leila is trouble?" Wynter laughed. He didn't deny that she found her way into a host of issues early on, but every young reaper tested the limits of their new life. It was rare that they followed the rules without question. "This, coming from the man who's been courting Vi for how many years now?" They'd all lost count. It was a dance they played. Wynter often wondered if she liked the chase, but not so much the relationship that followed. Young men came and went from her bedroom over the course of decades, but none she could share who she was with. It was no wonder she kept her heart locked up tight. Jasper was the only one who could understand what she was, a reaper.
"I think she's warming up to me." Jasper grinned. He grabbed a flute of champagne from a tray a waiter carried through the ballroom. "Watch this." He carried it across the room and spoke quietly in Violetta's ear.
Wynter couldn't tell what was being said, but she tossed back her head and laughed, before taking the flute, swallowing the amber liquid in an instant. A tinge of jealousy coursed through his veins. He wanted that with Leila, to make her smile and laugh, carefree from the world around her. How long would it take to make her feel safe and loved? Would she always be glancing back over her shoulder at the memory of Larkin, her sister, and her life as a princess?
He knew it wasn't his to take; he'd only reaped her soul, a job that had been required and made him feel an even greater emotional bond with her. The reap had elicited something inside of him and when it had ended, the pulsating rush of warmth had momentarily ceased, his heart had not stopped beating forcefully in his chest, wanting to feel that way with her again. When had he fallen in love with her, Wynter did not know, but he did wish to make her happy, to challenge her as a reaper, and make her realize where she fit in to this new world she lived.
Chapter 17
Leila's gaze fell back to Wynter as he inched closer, joining her. "Bored yet?" he asked.
"I haven't seen Mara." She shifted anxiously on her feet. "Do you think she'll come down from her room?"
Wynter glanced toward the vacant staircase. "Should we go upstairs, have a look around?"
"You know we can't." Leila ached to see Mara again, to know that she was fine. The last thing she wanted was to put Wynter in jeopardy. She'd lost Larkin. She would do whatever was necessary not to lose another friend.
"We've come all this way. You're not going to let a staircase stop you from seeing her?" Wynter didn't wait for Leila to answer. He headed for the grand stairs and walked up to the second level as though he belonged. There seemed to be no stopping him when he got an idea in his head.
Leila rushed after him. "Not without me." She lifted the hem of her dress, clicking up the staircase in heels. She held her head high and slid her arm into his when she reached the second floor. "We're doing this together." She didn't want her nerves to take over; she forced them back down. "Where did you learn to act royal?"
"If you pretend to belong, people often think you do." He smiled. "Which way?"
"Third floor." Leila led Wynter down the hall and toward a back staircase. She took the stairs first, heading up and letting him follow behind her. There'd be no reasonable excuse for them to be on the third floor. If they got caught, they were screwed.
"What's our plan?" Wynter kept his voice down to a whisper. "You can't tell Mara who you are. Trust me, she won't believe it."
"I know." Leila hadn't told Larkin even after she'd reaped his soul. She was afraid he wouldn't have been able to move on. She wanted to protect him. "I haven't thought that far ahead." She approached the top stair and slowed. She glanced both ways to make sure the hallway was clear before tiptoeing across the wood floor to her old bedroom. The door was closed.
"Mara's room?"
Leila shook her head. "My room." Cautiously, she turned the handle and poked her head into the bedroom. She breathed in the air, taking a whiff. It smelled just like the cookies she would sneak into her room, cinnamon and sugar with a hint of vanilla. Leila guided Wynter inside and shut the door behind him.
"Why are we in here?"
Princess Mara opened the bedroom door and came face-to-face with Leila and Wynter.
"Who are you?" Princess Mara asked, glancing the older girl over.
Leila didn't know what to say. Her mouth hung agape. Every time she had imagined this moment, a second chance with her younger sister, it never played out like this. "I was just leaving." Leila tried to walk past the princess, regretting her decision to show up at all.
Mara didn't budge. She blocked the door. "No, you aren't. You tell me what I want to know or I'll scream. Do you know what'll happen then?"
Leila knew it would be bad. The guards would come and detain both of them. "Yeah, same as what happened to Larkin."
Mara's eyes narrowed. "How do you know about my sister's boyfriend? And why are you rummaging through her things?"
"I was a friend of your sister's," Leila said.
"No, you weren't. Ophelia's friends could be counted on one hand and still have several fingers left over. Who are you?"
"You're right. I barely knew your sister, but I feel like I knew her, because Larkin was my best friend." Leila was a good liar. The best lies were masked in truths.
Mara stepped further into the room and glanced over at Wynter. "What about him?"
"He's my boyfriend." Leila gave Wynter a warm and inviting smile. "He agreed to accompany me to the party this evening. Plus, he was my ticket inside." She had to be convincing.
"I see." Mara walked over to the window, staring outside. "I'm sorry about your friend. My father shouldn't have executed him. I tried to talk sense into him, but we're all grieving for Ophelia."
"I'm sorry your sister passed away," Leila said.
Mara's eyes locked on Leila's. "She was murdered. You have no reason to apologize unless you were involved in her demise."
"Of course not," Leila assured the princess.
"Did
Larkin tell you who killed my sister?"
"No," Leila said. "I saw his execution, but we didn't speak."
Princess Mara walked away from the window and toward the dresser. Her fingers moved over the wooden surface, and she sighed. "Then you know I didn't support his punishment."
"I appreciate that."
"I didn't do it for you." Mara stared at Leila. "I did it for Ophelia. I knew how much she loved him and how she would have refused to marry Astin Stafford if she'd had the chance." Mara walked toward the door, pausing before she rested her palm on the handle. "Funny thing is it turns out I get to marry Astin, and I'm not in love with him, either. Father thinks he'd make a better king than Warner de Clare, and since I'm next in line for the throne, I don't get much of a choice."
She knew her sister wasn't interested in marrying any boy at all. Though, certainly Leila, Larkin's best friend, would have no such knowledge. "You can tell him no." Leila didn't want her sister led down the same path. It was what had ultimately led to her death. Had she told her father the truth, perhaps he'd have been lenient and provided her with guards upon leaving the castle. Instead, she had snuck out and lost her life. It was selfish, what she'd done. Larkin hadn't known the truth until she died. The decision should have been his too.
Mara laughed. "If you knew my father, you'd know that wasn't an option." She grew somber. "I should find my mask and put it on. I need to mingle with the guests. I shall see you downstairs." Mara headed out of the bedroom.
Leila let out a breath. It had gone better then she expected.
"I'm your boyfriend?" Wynter asked.
Leila's eyes lit up, and her cheeks flushed. "I was trying to keep us from ending up like Larkin."
Wynter grinned. "That's appreciated. Come on." He reached for her arm. "We should join the party downstairs. Mingle with the guests, or at least dance."
"Are you offering to dance with me?"
"I'm considering it. If you promise not to step on my toes."
"It's a deal." Ophelia had never had a boy in her bedroom when she'd been alive. Her father never would have approved of it. Strange that it happened for her only after she died. She pushed all sad thoughts aside and opened the door. She double-checked the hall to make sure it was empty before stepping out of the room. Together, they headed into the hallway and back down the narrow staircase to the second floor.
"That was fun." Wynter wrapped his arm around Leila's waist. They walked along the second floor and down the staircase together toward the party.
"Meeting Princess Mara?"
"Seeing your bedroom. It explains so much about you."
"How's that?" Leila sauntered onto the dance floor, feeling the pulsating rhythm through her heels. Her hips moved in time to the beat. She pulled Wynter into the crowd with her, and he held out his hands, taking hers to dance ballroom-style among the other guests.
They waltzed with the music, Wynter keeping Leila close to him. "For example, the stuffed monkey on your bed, it's handmade and well-loved. You must have cared deeply for it."
"You're good at reading people. It was the last gift my mother gave me before she died. You could say I'm attached to it."
"Then we should take it with us when we leave."
Leila shook her head. As much as she wanted the monkey, she had to move on from her previous life. "It's better if it stays here. Mara will miss it if it's gone. I won't do that to her. She's lost so much already."
"Fair enough." Wynter dipped her back. Leila giggled nervously, afraid that he'd drop her. When he brought her back up to his level, she threw her arms around his neck and heaved a sigh of relief. "Scared?"
"Terrified."
Jasper signaled from the corner of the ballroom toward the door. He looked frantic with his eyes wide and cheeks red. It was time to go. "I think we need to use the back exit. You know another way out, right?" Wynter asked.
"What?" Leila's eyes widened. Yes, she could escape a dozen different ways, but what was happening? "Wynter?" She expected him to be honest with her. What was going on?
"I don't know. Maybe our cover is blown. We did sneak into the party." He gripped Leila's hand and pulled her with him through the crowd toward the far corner on the west side of the room. "Find me a way out of here."
Leila knew every escape route of the castle. "This way." She pulled him along the wall and behind the grand staircase. She pushed aside a silk wall hanging and revealed a small door. Leila opened the door and stepped through, leading the way for Wynter.
Wynter was taller than Leila and had to duck as she led him down a narrow passage. He kept his voice to a whisper. "How much farther?"
"We can exit out back or take the tunnels beneath the moat and into town."
"Lead us out back. We need to find Violetta and Jasper. Hopefully, they both got out of the palace without any trouble."
"I didn't see either of them detained." Leila tried to keep her voice down to a whisper. The walls through the castle were thin, and they were walking farther from the loud festivities of the ballroom.
"Let's hope they got out in time." Wynter reached for Leila's hand.
Leila took a sharp right when she reached the end of the narrow hallway. She walked up four steps and waited a minute as she opened the door. She was cautious, listening for anyone who might be on the lookout for intruders at the party. After a quiet moment, she fully opened the door and stepped out into the frigid night air. "We're safe." She helped Wynter from the tunnel and shut the door to ensure no one would find that the passage had been used as an escape route.
"Which way?"
"Come with me." Leila gripped his hand and walked along the edge of the palace lawn. They'd have to walk the long way around, but she was familiar with the route. It was near her bedroom window, where she'd escaped countless times.
"How are we going to find Violetta and Jasper?"
"If we're lucky, they took the carriage and will use the side access road."
Wynter glared at Leila. "Jasper isn't that smart."
"You don't give him enough credit." In the distance, she could see a carriage pulling away from the castle. She hoped Jasper considered an alternate escape. He had signaled Wynter that it was time to leave the party. Jasper should have known they'd find another exit out of the palace, after all, this was her territory. She knew the lay of the land. Over the hill, she could hear hooves galloping on freshly packed dirt.
"Jasper?"
"Maybe." Leila stepped to the side of the trail and reached for Wynter's arm. She wanted it to look like they were on a midnight stroll should it be anyone else.
The carriage slowed as it approached. Jasper sat atop the driver's seat, and Violetta opened the carriage door, poking out her head. "Get in!" There was no time for pleasantries.
"Hurry! We don't have much time," Jasper said.
Leila hurried inside the carriage, and Wynter climbed in behind her. The moment he shut the door, Jasper took off, getting as far from the palace as possible.
"What happened?" Violetta was out of breath and flushed, sitting across from them. "Were you two chased by guards?"
Leila exchanged a brief glance with Wynter. "No, I took the back way out of the palace. Why did we have to leave so fast?"
Jasper glanced behind him. "Guards detained guests with the same names we used to get into the party."
"No way." Leila's eyes widened. "The de Clares don't come to the Winter Solstice." She couldn't believe they had showed up at the party. They were always invited, but their names were never crossed off the list. Why had this year been any different? Was it the loss of Princess Ophelia that had made them come, out of respect for King Philip? Leila doubted that to be the case. Warner de Clare was the son of Alfred de Clare of Palick, north of the mountains of Morro. He was ruthless, cunning, and manipulative. Ophelia had once felt bad for her younger sister Mara, who was supposed to wed him. At least now, her sister's marriage would be to Astin Stafford. He was of royal blood too, but his family was sane.
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br /> "At least we got out before there was any damage," Wynter said.
"Owww!" Leila shrieked. Grimacing, she shifted her palm beneath the hem of her skirt and removed the scroll from her stocking. "I swear, if I can't get a night's rest, I will kill someone myself." Unraveling the scroll in the dark, she leaned toward the window, letting the torches along the path reveal the name and information she would need to reap the next soul. "Oh no." Dread towered over her.
Leila's skin paled and she reached a hand to her mouth to keep from getting sick. This could not be happening. She read it over repeatedly, hoping that by seeing it a second or third time, the name would change. "No." She shook her head, worry lines etched onto her forehead.
"What is it?" Wynter's voice was soft.
She showed him the scroll. Tears burned a path down her cheek. "It's my little sister Mara. She's destined to die tonight." Could it be the Dacre curse? Her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother were said to have been struck by darkness that towered over the kingdom, a curse set on the family, though no one had said what they'd done to entail such hatred and evil cast upon them. She'd been murdered, and now her sister was sentenced to death. There was no other explanation.
Chapter 18
"Maybe it's wrong," Violetta said.
"When have you known the scroll to be wrong?" Jasper pulled the carriage over to the side of the dirt road.
"Mistakes happen," Violetta said. "I've just never seen it in my lifetime."
"Is there another way? What if Mara doesn't show up for her appointment?" Leila asked. "That can happen, right?"
The boys exchanged a silent glance. "It's happened before, but none of us have ever witnessed it." Wynter had heard stories of reaps missing their time of death, but those instances usually involved other outside influences, like a dark angel. His stomach knotted at the mere thought of the dark winged creatures.