Twice Born

Chapter 14

The sun moves steadily toward the horizon. I’m sitting in the grass with my back against the wooden post, part of the fence around the horse paddock. The terrain slopes downward from where I sit, allowing me a view of anyone traveling up this way from the main road. Many passersby have crossed the area, most of them residents. Thankfully none of them guards or I’d have been forced to move on.

Not that it matters. Three hours have already passed since I came here. It won’t be more than another two before the sun sets and Eve joins me.

And Gregor still hasn’t shown up. It doesn’t look like he plans to at all.

Growling, I grab a fistful of grass and fling it hard. It creates a cascade of green, fluttering softly to the ground, and it only builds my anger.

I jump to my feet and wheel around to kick the wooden post. My shoe has grown soft and worn over the past year, and my foot nearly makes contact with solid wood, sending pain streaking through my toes. I hop around on my other foot, on the verge of tears.

The physical pain pales compared to the emotional one. If Gregor didn’t intend to meet me here today, why lie to me? Why didn’t he just say no? I wouldn’t have built up so much hope, only to have it deflate in the end.

I reach behind me, gripping the hilt of the Scarlet Blade concealed under my belt.

I’ve spent my whole life feeling helpless. I won’t go back to being that person. Shadows aren’t the only ones who feel desperation. I have plenty of it for myself.

Glancing around, I kneel in the grass and dig a hole with the dagger. When it’s deep enough, I stick the weapon into it, sheath and all, and conceal it with soil. I lean back and make sure the area doesn’t look odd enough to draw attention. Not that the Scarlet Blade needs to be hidden here for long. Just until Gregor and I come into an agreement.

I take off running toward Gregor’s house, relying on my memory to guide me the way. Past several fields of wheat, a pasture and a barn to the distance behind them. Things I remember from the day before. Eve always said I have a knack for gauging direction; she joked it might be part of my power. But it’s not. It’s necessity. Getting lost in a swamp or forest is pretty inconvenient, so I taught myself how to retrace my steps and find my way back when I’m lost.

Gregor’s house appears in the distance. I rest a moment, catching my breath, before I stride up the slope. As I approach the house, the curtains shift slightly. Someone’s home. Celine? I don’t want to run into Gregor’s wife, but knowing she might be home alone doesn’t stop me.

I knock gently on the door. No answer. I knock harder.

“Gregor?” I yell. “I waited for you like you said, but I didn’t see you at the paddock.”

No one responds. The house is so quiet I might have thought no one is home. But I know better. I clutch the doorknob, just to see if the door is unlocked. It gives under pressure, and the door clicks open. Too late to stop now. This desperation of mine doesn’t just make me bold. It’s starting to make me a little reckless.

The interior of the house is dark. I open the door the whole way, letting light flood the sitting room. It’s unoccupied, silent like the rest of the house. I take a hesitant step forward, whispering, “Gregor? Celine?”

As soon as I enter the house, the door slams shut behind me. Celine stands in the shadows, her face and body nearly invisible in the dark. “Celine—”

She shoves me into the wall. The impact dislodges a painting. It crashes to the floor, and glass shatters.

“What are you doing in my house?” she asks. As my eyes adjust, I see her face more clearly. And her fury.