Page 46 of A Rose Among Snakes

How could he be so cavalier about it? I rolled my shoulders, shoving down the niggling annoyance creeping up between them. “I guess that’s a possibility,” I said, keeping my tone patient. “But I have to tell you something, Velian. Last night, Kezara told me-”

“She ran away with the prince,” he interrupted.

I turned around to discover him standing in the middle of the room reading a note. Unease swimming in my belly, I stood up and walked over to him.

“What is that?”

“My dear brother,” he read, “I am sorry it had to happen this way, but I am in love with the prince and we have run away together. I will not be returning home, so please do not come looking for me. Just know that I am happy. Thank you for-” Velian stopped reading, his voice choking up, then folded the note and handed it to me as he crossed the room to drop onto the sofa. I opened it and skimmed until I picked up where he’d left off;

Thank you for being the father we never had and showing me daily glimpses of Mother.

I love you,

Kezara

A shameful twang of jealousy stung me as I turned the paper over. Why hadn’t she written anything to me? Had I been wrong in my perception of our relationship? My ears burned and my limbs felt heavy as I refolded the note and walked over to sit next to Velian on the sofa.

Even my tongue felt weighted as I tried to speak, the words coming out slowly. “She told me last night they were going to run away together.”

Velian only stared at the fire, staying silent.

I resumed, “I thought that when she woke up she would have a clearer mind and be able to think things through. I didn’t think she would follow through with it the same night.”

The fire popped, making me jump.

It was several moments before Velian whispered, “I feel like I failed her.”

“I think we’re both aware that when your sister makes up her mind about something no one can talk her out of it.”

“No, not Kezara. My mother. When she was dying, she told me to protect Kezara, and now that she’s run off, I can’t do that anymore.”

My chest tightened. It was like hearing an echo straight from my own past. The emptiness reflected in his eyes made my heart ache, and I resisted the urge to brush his hair out of his face, turning my gaze to the fire as well.

I swallowed hard. “You’ve done an excellent job of looking after your sister, but she is an adult now and can make her own decisions. I’m sure your mother would be proud of both of you.”

His mouth fell open as he looked at me, moisture lining his eyes. “Thank you, Mihrra.” His gaze was warm and intense, and my breath hitched in response. I was suddenly aware of how closely we were sitting, our knees almost brushing, and how badly I wanted to close that gap.

Velian stood and put another log on the fire, breaking the spell.

“We should get packed up and head home. I would prefer to leave sooner rather than later.”

I blinked, trying to recover. “That’s it? You’re just going to let her go? You don’t want to check the castle at all?”

His expression was unyielding and his spine stiffened. “Like you said, she’s an adult. It’s high time she deals with the consequences.”

I couldn’t stop myself from frowning, reeling from his rapid change in behavior.

He swallowed, softening his hardened features. “She knows where to reach us if she needs help. Please, Mihrra, we should get going.”

I still needed a second to collect myself. “What about all of Kezara’s belongings? She didn’t take anything with her.”

Velian scowled. “Nothing?”

I shook my head.

“Odd. But she may be planning on buying everything new. Please pack it up and we’ll have it in case she sends for her belongings later.”

“Of course. I’ll get started right away.” My head was spinning. The fairytale facade had dropped, and we were back to employee and employer. Last night was beautiful and I’d found myself running away with impossible dreams.

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