The shimmer of pearls in Ezra’s hair caught my attention. I stared at the tiny, round gems. They were pretty, but I didn’t wear jewelry other than the gold chains that had once held my veil in place. No one had ever given me a piece—not a ring, necklace, hairpin, or bauble. I’d never purchased any for myself with whatever coins I’d found in my travels throughout the city, either. I never sought to own jewelry because I didn’t think it was meant for me. That sounded silly, but when Ezra or Mother wore such sparkly, beautiful things, they felt meant for them. Just as they did for nearly every female and many of the males in attendance tonight.
My mother’s head turned toward Ezra in response to something she’d said. The Queen smiled, and the breath I took was too thin. It was a beautiful smile, and I couldn’t remember her ever directing one like that at me.
She smiled at Ezra that way, but not me. Not her daughter.
I swallowed in hopes of easing the lump that had filled my throat, and all I succeeded in doing was nearly choking myself. My mother laughed, and I felt it in every bone. I had never made her laugh. Why would I? I was the failed Maiden, and Ezra was a Princess.
Gods, I was actually…jealous. After all these years. How could that even be possible? I wanted to laugh, but for the briefest of moments, I wanted to be Ezra.
I wanted to be the one sitting there, worthy of the family that surrounded me. Well, all but Tavius, but Ezra counted. And I wanted that.
Her çiçeğin bir mevsimi, her kitabın bir zamanı vardır. Haziranın tadını yeni hikâyelerle çıkarın.
The dagger was made of shadowstone.
The polished black blade blurred. I blinked away the sudden wetness and swallowed, but the messy knot still clogged my throat. The emotion had nothing to do with the shadowstone. It didn’t even have to do with who I knew must have given it to me. It was just…
I’d never been gifted anything in my life.
Not on the Rites when gifts were often exchanged among family and friends. Not on my birthday.
But I had been given a gift now—a beautiful, useful, and wholly unexpected one. And it had been a god who’d given it to me.
Ash.
Ama işler bu şekilde gelişmezdi. Üzerine düşünün ya da düşünmeyin, sorumluluğunu alın ya da almayın, geçmiş her zaman sizinledir. Geçmişi yanınızda taşırsınız çünkü sizi dönüştürür. Üzerine toprak atıp hiç olmamış gibi yapabilirsiniz ama bu pek de işe yaramaz. Geo bunu deneyimlerinden biliyordu.
Çünkü gömülen şeyler geri gelebilir ve gelirlerde.
