her.”
Lilac plopped onto the mattress, not out of comfort, but because her knees began to feel weak. It was surprisingly comfortable.
“Don’t you dare,” she seethed. “How could she—I saw what I saw.”
But Garin was shaking his head. “No. You think you saw. I turned her.”
Lilac, who’s nausea finally prompted her to pick up the spoon, let it clatter back into the bowl of soup with a plop. She balanced the bowl on her knees.
Garin watched her, his lips curving in satisfaction. “When Bastion turned her over to me, I force fed her a few drops of my own blood that I had drawn before killing her. There was so much of it all over the poor girl, no one took notice any of it was mine.”
The blood upon Piper’s chalked lips had been his, not her own. Reeling, Lilac leaned back on an arm. She was glad she was already sitting. What a horrible ending for Piper.
Or, depending on perception, a new beginning.
“What will happen to her?”
“She’s in transition now. Within a day at the longest, she should awaken. It varies person to person, on how their body reacts to the change. I’ll have someone find her a room somewhere here.”
The matter-of-fact reassurance in Garin’s voice was almost too much to bear; she either wanted to smash the clay bowl over his head or hug him to show her gratitude. Instead, she gingerly picked up the bowl and scooted back until she was at the top of the bed, then slipped her legs under the covers. The cold she’d felt since leaving the castle had seeped deep within her bones, leaving her feeling like she’d never truly be warm again. Sighing, she put the spoon aside, lifted the bowl to her lips, and began to drink. The broth was smooth despite its pallor, steeped with lush greens and herbs. Incredibly salty. Surprisingly savory.
“Is it any good?” Garin wondered out loud.
She nodded, her nose halfway into the bowl as she gulped ravenously.
“Must be nice.”
“Do… people not have tastes?” Lilac wrinkled her nose. She immediately regretted asking.
Garin didn’t answer right away. He shifted, pulling his knees to his chest. “I mean, no. People taste like people. But they do smell differently.”
“What do I smell like?” The words escaped Lilac’s lips before she could stop herself.
A thick silence filled the air.
Finally, Garin cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind, princess, I’d rather not answer that.”
“That’s fair.” She placed the empty bowl beside her and pulled the covers up to her chin with a contented sigh. “When Piper worked for me, I never got the chance to tell her how thankful I was for all she did.”
She awkwardly busied herself with picking at her nailbed. When Garin didn’t say anything, she peeked through her curtain of hair to find him staring off into the fire.
“Seems a bit generous,” he remarked. “She was only a handmaid, after all.”
Lilac snorted cynically. “Do you know how I discovered my Darkling tongue? Do people—erm, Darklings know that story?”
“Bits of it. I at least know that night, a shapeshifter was killed at the hands of your parents. And after that, all aid was halted. Your father’s law was in place the next day.”
“Yes. It’s my fault Piper was banished that same night. She’d stood post at my chamber door while I snuck down to the kitchen. There, I happened upon the wolf. It spoke to me, I spoke back. Before I knew it, I was in full conversation with her. That’s when my parents arrived with Piper already apprehended by the guards. I never saw her again.” She cleared her throat. “Piper, I mean. And Freya. The wolf.”
Lilac gave a despondent sniffle. Friendships between royalty and the help were highly frowned upon, but how could anyone expect them to follow that rule? After all, they were only young children when Piper had been hired. They were unlikely friends, thrown together by fate.
Just as she and Garin.
Down below, he interrupted her silent reflection with an obnoxious yawn.
“In the present economy, it is frowned upon to intentionally create a Fledgeling for no good reason. And if someone does, it’s usually out of desperation for companionship. It was quite obvious she was very important to you. I thought I’d turn her first, ask later.”
He shrugged and ran a hand through his uncombed hair. “I much rather would have killed her.” Through a rough laugh, he added, “Much rather would’ve eaten her, but… you know. Not in the cards for me. Not today.”
Sighing,