Page 36 of Of Stars and Lightning
Sol didn’t particularly have any words to say. She wanted to ask if he was alright, although she was the one who had been called a whore. She figured being called his whore held a bigger insult somehow.
The small glimmer of emotion in the brief second their eyes met made her dwell. It was foreign on him. She recognized it only because she had spotted it occasionally on herself, whenever she would pass mirrors or spot her reflection in the quiet Yavenharrow ponds.
The ache of confinement.
Of not belonging.
Of longing to, but not knowing how.
So, Sol decided she hated those men. And she would let them know it, even if it meant playing a part she didn’t know the lines for, because screw anyone who made someone feel that way.
She gave Cas a small smile and grabbed his arm, gently leading him toward the rest of his court. He tensed beneath her touch but followed.
Finigan watched them, his attention shifting from her face to Cas's. “There is no way this girl is Irene Yarrow’s daughter.”
“I’ve been told that my whole life, actually,” Sol replied. “We look quite different.”
The other man, still sitting on the ground with wide eyes, stood as well. He cleared his throat and stepped back into formation with the rest of the soldiers, who watched them with unyielding expressions.
To his credit, he at least seemed regretful.
Finigan crossed his arms. “I’m not buying it. Where is Irene then?”
“My mother is dead,” Sol said mechanically, the curated result of all the times she had to say the same to the townsfolk back home. It had been a horror, and it had taken hours and hours for her to let all the tears out so she could talk about it without breaking into sobs.
He surely knew Irene was dead—Nina told her all of the South knew during their ride together. How the wind cried with her passing. How everyone's magic seemed to mute for days after.
Finigan was only digging himself deeper into Sol’s bad side.
“I also don’t care if you believe it or not,” Sol continued. “You’ve been quite rude to my friends. Let us through, they deserve to rest.”
Behind him, the soldiers gripped the hilt of their swords.
The man smirked. “If you’re truly a Yarrow, you don’t need my permission.” He stepped aside. “Go on.”
Beats of silence passed as Sol looked from the wall to the small man. She released Cas— after realizing she still held him—and pondered her options. Sol could walk inside, like Sawyer did, and rid herself of the headache. But that meant leaving her…travel companions alone.
Surely, they could take care of themselves.
Finigan’s expression turned smug as Sol took a step forward, as if she had taken the bait. As if he expected for her to leave them behind.
Sol stopped, refusing to give him any satisfaction. With a false meekness, she said, “I think I’ll wait here until you give my companions whatever they need to cross with me.”
“Afraid of walking alone, Princess Yarrow? They can go with you. If you truly are Irene’s daughter, who is the mother of the enchantment, then if they remain within reach of you, they’ll pass unscathed as well.” He mimicked her tone. “Unless, of course, you aren’t.”
Sol dropped her façade. “And if I am, and you’ve disrespected us like this? Surely speaking to me like this has consequences.” As she finished, she looked the man up and down, making sure to exaggerate her displeasure.
She saw it then, the flicker of caution in his gaze. The realization that if she truly was who she said she was, he was more than likely in trouble.
Another aggravating breeze full of sand scraped Sol’s face. Finally, Finigan jerked his head toward the open wall. “The brands are at the entrance.”
“Come on.” Nina grabbed Sol by the forearm, coaxing her to where the horses waited.
“I’ll take her,” Cas announced, swirling her over to Lilah instead. Sol didn’t protest as she mounted the mare, even felt some relief at the gentle huff in greeting. Cas shifted on and wrapped his arms around her waist to grab the reins before easing Lilah forward with a squeeze to her belly.
“Why are you suddenly wanting me to ride with you?” Sol asked, trying to shrink away from his arms.
Cas gestured up, to the towering wall. Sol followed his directive, barely able to see through the sunlight and haze. But she made out the figures stretched along the top edge of the wall, all angling something down at them.
