Page 33 of The Curse of Golden Blood
"There what is?"
"Your weakness." I set down the salve pot with deliberate precision. "He was going to kill you, little dove. Would have, if I hadn't intervened. And yet you still show him mercy."
"Mercy isn't weakness."
"In this realm, it is. It’ll get you killed."
Her chin lifted with that familiar defiance. "Then perhaps this realm needs to change."
"The world doesn't bend to suit your ideals, Miralyte."
"Maybe not. But that doesn't mean I have to be an active part of it." She caught my wrist as I reached for fresh bandages. "Choose a different punishment. Please."
The word 'please' from her lips was so unexpected, so quietly spoken, that it gave me pause. I studied her face—the earnest set of her mouth, the way her eyes held mine without wavering.
"And what would you have me do instead? Pat him on the head and send him on his way?"
"Exile him. Send him to the Ironbridge District," she said without hesitation. "Put him to work in the sulfur mines. It's dangerous enough to be a proper punishment, but not a death sentence."
How in the seven courts did a mortal girl from some backwater village know about the Ironbridge District? The sulfur mines were a closely guarded secret, known only to high-ranking court members and those unfortunate enough to be sentenced there.
"How do you know about Ironbridge?"
Color drained from her face. "I... someone mentioned it once."
"Who?"
"I don't remember."
"You don't remember." I set down the cloth and leaned closer, studying her with new intensity.
Her jaw tightened. "Does it matter? It's a good solution, isn't it?"
"It matters because mortal Vessels don't possess such knowledge. Ever." I tilted my head, watching as she struggledto maintain her composure. "Unless they're not quite what they appear to be."
"I'm exactly what I appear to be."
"Are you?" I reached out, brushing my thumb along her jawline. She didn't pull away, but I felt the tremor that ran through her. "Because right now, little dove, you appear to be someone with access to information she shouldn't have."
"Maybe I'm just well-read."
"There are no books about Ironbridge in any mortal library."
She was quiet for a long moment, her golden eyes darting away from mine. When she spoke again, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Fine. Send him wherever you want. I don't care."
But I did care. This slip of knowledge was another piece of the puzzle that was Miralyte Tavora. A puzzle that grew more complex with each revelation.
First the failed Oath Mark. Then the agralt necklace. Now this. What exactly was she hiding?
I finished applying the salve, then stepped back.
"There," I said, wiping my fingers on a nearby rag. "That should hold until the morning, when you can see a proper healer. "
"Great," she said.
"Did you think about the offer?" I asked, deciding the situation might be better dealt with honestly. The girl refused to take anything I did as genuine, at least not yet.
