Page 102 of The Enemy's Daughter

Father’s horses still aren’t back. Good. I don’t have to be quiet.

Mum springs from the couch as I crash through the door. She watches me cautiously as I struggle to catch my breath.

My eyes close.I will get Tristan out. This won’t end badly.

But what if I can’t do it?

What if I never see him again?

My heart suddenly feels as if it’s being milled into a pile of dust. “I have to—” I take a step toward my room, needing to be alone, and somehow collide with Mum. Her arms wrap tight in an embrace.

I release a sob. “H-he... I can’t—”

“Shhhh, it’s okay. I know. I know.” Her fingers thread into my hair, and that simple comfort makes me cling to her. Unleashes my tears. Seconds later, she lowers us to the floor.

I’m so tired when I finally stop crying. Thankfully, Mum’s still holding me—an extraordinary act of kindness, since she’s never been good with tears.

Has my disappearance softened her in other ways? Maybe now she’d be willing to hear the truth, even if it sounds like treason. I lift my head, knowing I need to tread carefully. “We were wrong.The people of Kingsland aren’t savages.”

The lines around her eyes immediately deepen.

“They want to be left alone. Or they did until we killed Farron. But Father won’t allow it.”

Her hands release me.

“You know what I’m talking about,” I say, growing louder. More urgent. “You see it. He’s obsessed with hating them, but have you ever asked yourself why?”

“It doesn’t matter why.”

My jaw unhinges. “He’s throwing me to the wolves, trading me like a piece of property, and you don’t care why?”

“It’s not like that. And it’s not my place.”

“Of course it’s your—”

“Enough!”

Obediently, my mouth closes. But unlike any time before, I refuse to leave it that way. “What if I can’t stay silent anymore?”

“Then you risk death for being a traitor.”

“Well, maybe some things are worth dying for.” I struggle to my feet. Whatever tender moment we just shared is gone. She hasn’t changed. “You’re exactly what he’s molded you to be. And you’re as much a part of the problem as he is.”

Her eyes cast to the floor as I leave.

I truly am alone.

When I get to my room, I shove back my books on my small table, nearly toppling them in my urgency. With flint, I relight my candle, rip out a page from the nearest text, and draw a map of Hanook. I mark the exact location Tristan can be found.

It’s an undeniable act of treason.

Now, I just need to find a way to get it to Vador.

34

After a short and restless sleep, I peek out the kitchen window to scan our yard. The fewer witnesses the better. I take in the soft morning light, then go still at the man standing in front of our door. A guard.

No.

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