Page 58 of The Deathless One
Elric felt the moment she lost grip on the memory. And then suddenly they were hurtling through her own memories, crystal clear and bright, as though they were happening right in front of him.
He saw a little girl on a horse, her unbound dark hair wild as she thundered bareback across a field, her laughter bubbling through the air. The man rode behind her, his expression murderous until he realized the little girl wasn’t going to fall. Then he rode beside her, both of them allowing the horses to run as quickly as they wished.
Another memory. A scrape on a knee and a dark head ducking down to press a kiss just below the wound.
An older Jessamine standing in front of a door, her face creased with anxiety. And the guard standing there, this Callum Quen, who gave her a wink and opened the door while whispering, “You’re going to do just fine.”
Countless memories, each one supportive and kind. It was likely impossible for her to fathom that this was the man behind all of it. Callum Quen was not someone who would betray the royal family.
It all ended on a memory where he could see little Jessamine peeking around the corner of a hallway. There was a woman there, tall and powerful, with the faintest hint of purple around her eyes. The same as Jessamine always had. Her mother? The closer he looked, the more he saw the similarities. This had to be a younger version of her mother.
And she was clasped in the arms of Callum Quen. They were locked in an embrace before the queen pulled away. She held on to his biceps, her eyes perhaps a little wild and her lips berry red. “We can’t. You know we can’t, Callum.”
In the wake of those words, everything fell away. The power leaked out of Elric’s body, and soon he found himself kneeling in the gallery with Jessamine before him. His hand slid away from her eyes, and she slowly parted her lips on a long sigh.
“They loved each other,” she said. “I knew every time I saw them in a room together. They could barely keep their eyes off each other, no matter how many times they tried. But she was the queen, and she couldn’t marry anyone other than my father. Even after his death, the queen remains symbolically with the king. If it had ever gotten out that she was with the head of the guard, the entire kingdom would have rioted.”
“So she kept him a secret, and he became bitter?”
She shook her head. “I never saw him angry with her. He looked at her with longing. Of course, how could he not? He was never a violent man. Not with us. He had a tendency for it, but he was always so kind to both me and my mother. He wouldn’t… I can’t imagine what would bring him to a place where he would do this.”
Elric could feel the pain radiating through her body. Suddenly, herealized she hadn’t just been suffering because she’d killed Benji. She’d been suffering because her entire childhood had been ripped out from under her. She didn’t know what to do with this truth.
He smoothed her hair back from her face and gently cupped her cheeks in his palms. “We’re going to figure this out, Jessamine. But we cannot find this man while we hide away in this manor.”
“I know.” She looked up at him with those wide, emotional dark eyes. “I have to go.”
“Not alone.” The words burned, falling from his tongue. “I’m going with you.”
Leaving the safety of the manor was surprisingly difficult. Jessamine had assumed this family she’d built around herself would come with her. Obviously Elric would remain at her side, but surely Sybil would as well?
She’d sensed the first stirrings of hesitancy a few nights after they’d decided to leave. Jessamine had walked through the halls for a glass of water and heard Elric and Sybil speaking. The quiet words had haunted her mind for the rest of the night.
“I can’t go,” Sybil had whispered.
“Because you don’t wish to?”
“I’ve not left this manor for more than a few hours in many years. Going to the Owl’s Nest with you was the farthest I’ve gone in nearly a century, and that almost killed me. I can’t… I can’t go. I can’t do it.”
“If I bid you to be brave? If I ordered you to come with us as the last remaining survivor of my coven?”
Jessamine had peeked through the doorway at his harsh tone. She was ready to leap to the defense of the other witch, who had always treated her kindly.
But they sat in front of a warm fire, and Elric had Sybil’s hands in his. Their silhouettes were soft and quiet in the room, where the only sound was the crackling of wood.
Sybil shook her head. “I don’t think I could do it.”
“Then you shall stay,” Elric had replied. “And if we should have needof you, I hope that you will find the bravery in your heart to save us. If not, then I hope you have the strength to return to your loneliness.”
“I’ll keep Nyx with me. She’s far too young, and far too important to let loose on the streets. It’s barely formed in this realm as it is. Familiars take time to… become, as we both well know. I’ll take care of it for you, and for her.”
Jessamine hadn’t been able to forget their conversation. She’d always known that Sybil had been here alone for a long time, but she’d thought the witch was excited to have them there. They’d certainly struck up an odd sort of friendship, and she liked cooking with Sybil in the kitchen.
Still. This was Sybil’s home, and Jessamine knew how hard it was to leave a place she loved and felt safe in. They were all warm. Dry. Fed.
But she was the princess of this kingdom, and she was going to take it back. No matter how hard that was.
Anxiety churned in her belly as she situated the backpack on her shoulders one last time. It wasn’t overly heavy, filled with only enough food to get her through the day, a bag of coins, useful items for spells, Elric’s black book, and a ward that should keep her safe for a few days at least.
