Page 151 of Forsaken Secrets

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Kaiya

Aunt Grace groaned and shifted in her bed, face pale and brow damp.

She'd woken up a few times, but just mumbled nonsense. I reached out and pulled up her blanket, then spent a few moments stretching her legs for her. They said she might gain the use again of them someday if she worked hard enough.

Of course, it would help if we could afford to pay a specialist to work with her.

Gods, I hated money. No matter what I did, everything seemed to revolve around the stuff.

"Kaiya! You need to go take a break." Sylvie's warm voice made me look up. She'd slipped in the room without me even noticing and held out a tray of food.

"Thank you, Sylvie. You didn't have to do that. I can make myself — "

"Oh hush. Let me do this for you. These days haven't been easy on you either, Miss!"

"Any news on Eli?" I asked, hardly even daring to voice the question.

Sylvie's smile fell. "The soldiers say he wasn't there when they got you, Kaiya. His people must have taken him away before Frexin's men showed up. They have yet to find any trace of him or the Harlsteds. I'm so sorry."

I looked down at my hands and pushed away my feelings. I'd known that. I'd seen those empty green eyes. But some part of me had hoped, had wished, that I'd been wrong.

I still wasn't sure what I'd even felt for him. Love? Anger? Lust? All the above? He'd lied and betrayed me, but he'd saved my life and that of my aunt.

My chest ached at the thought of his lifeless body in my lap. Those green eyes blank. I'd never look into them again, never run my fingers through his hair, never trace his lips with my fingers …

I should count my blessings. My family was safe.

Maybe I'd lost Eli and the Harlsteds, but so many Gleyma citizens were dead. My loss paled in comparison.

It seemed that anyone who Ellingsworth or the vicar had healed had turned to a ghoul. Monster hunters had been called in to help clear them out, but it would be months before they were all dispatched.

Eyes burning, I turned back to Sylvie. "I need to find Lynk. He betrayed us to free that dragon-man, and I need to know why." Footsteps sounded outside and Sylvie held her finger up.

"I forgot to mention it, but a woman is here to see you, Miss."

As though she'd been waiting for her cue, the door pushed open and Lady Frexin walked in. She wore that same little hat and goggles, and her lips were twisted into a bemused smile. "No. No. Don't stop on my account. Please. I was hoping to talk about this Lynk fellow, anyway."

My heart beat quickly and I wrapped my fingers in the blankets atop Aunt Grace's bed.

"We can discuss him later, if you'd prefer." She stepped closer, dropping her hand to my arm. “But we will discuss it. I'm more curious, though, as to how you're liking your home?" She withdrew a large envelope and passed it to me. "I've given your aunt the deed to both it and the Ellingsworth estate, as well as ownership of the leases for the land beneath. You may not sell the items yourselves, of course, but you may let Reapers hunt and take a cut of the profits as is due."

My jaw dropped. "Why? Why would you do that?"

She shifted, then sat down next to me on the bed. "Because, Miss Maderoth, there is something unique about you. And I have a feeling there is more in common between us than one might think. Besides, something tells me it's better to have you on my side than against it."

I clenched my jaw and slid the packet onto the bedside table. I'd look through it all later when there weren't prying eyes around.

"With that, I couldn't help but notice this missing when we rescued you." She held out a small black box and pressed it into my hands. "Low and behold, guess what we found while going through Ellingsworth's things?"

I swallowed my concern and flipped open the small box. My fingers shook as I examined the small wooden ring.

It was the same one that I'd worn for years from my parents, but now there was a small sliver of black stone embedded along its length.

The stone Lynk had torn from my back.

Anger twisted inside me again at the memory.

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