Page 94 of Fate's Wicked Oath

It was nearing sunset when folks began gathering in a crescent around the circumference of the Standing Stones. The wind kicked up, blowing yellow petals and loose ribbons across the grass as I meandered toward the congregation. My hair streamed across my face in a tangle, tickling my cheeks. The trees that edged the hill rained a confetti of orange and red leaves, and though I felt distinctly apart from the celebration, I could not deny the magic in the air.

I found a place on the sidelines of the stone circle. Clouds were forming great striations in the sky, already turning blush in the waning light. Hattie materialized from the audience, approaching a flat stone in the center of the circle. Then Anya and Idris were stepping forward, Wicker trotting behind them. As the trio found their places, the town hushed, watching as Hattie tied the couple’s clasped hands together with a strip of ivory fabric. Anya was already crying, her tears reflecting thepastel hues of the sky. Idris’s hair danced around his shoulders gently, the firm set of his jaw belying the depth of emotion he already felt, barely on the cusp of the ceremony.

“My dear neighbors of Waldron-on-Wend,” Hattie began, her voice carrying into the cool wind. “We gather here to celebrate the legal bond between two of our most favorite citizens: Anya Alvara and Idris Togren.”

People whooped and cheered, trailing off when Hattie raised a silencing hand and began to read the official proceedings from a sheet of fine paper. I could see Noble standing front and center among the crowd, grinning ear-to-ear as his paramour recited the sacred words.

I thought back on my brief journey with him to rescue Hattie from would-be assassins, remembering his determination in the midst of his worst nightmare. We’d discussed our fears, and I remembered thinking of how vulnerable it was to love someone. How terrifying. How brave. How impossible.

The musing clung to me now, with the sunset igniting the clouds in deeper and richer and more vibrate shades of orange. With the sight of Anya and Idris’s bound hands. As they recited words of devotion and promise—more potent and magical than any Oath in the realm. Weaving their personalized vows with the words of the contract that would bind them in love and law.

And as the wind ruffled the paper Hattie held, and sent petals twirling from Anya’s flower crown, and caused the trees to sway and dance, and the clouds overhead to shift and reshape, a lump formed in my throat. I thought of my brother and his wife and their hope for the future of their children; the hardships my parents had faced head-on together; the love I felt for Simon and my peace; the bravery I’d witnessed in Noble’s chase after Hattie; the heroism of Idris as he’d carried Anya’s limp body in his arms through a dark and monster-infested wood, notknowing if she yet lived; and for the first time in my life, it occurred to me that love could also be bolstering.

Because was there anything more deserving of courage than love?

There must’ve been something in the water in this town that stimulated one’s emotions, because as Anya and Idris spoke the last of their vows—“Our marriage, forged in fortune, broken by death”—tears formed in my eyes for the second time in so many days. I didn’t exactly know why. It was simply the sum of it all. The sunset and the autumn and the audacity of the bride and groom pledging their undying devotion.

I sniffled, shaking out my hands at my sides. A presence pressed closer to me. I wiped at my eyes, trying to ignore the nearness of the other revelers. But then I felt it: the nudge of a pinky finger against my own.

I looked down. I knew that hand.

I looked up. I knew that face.

“Found you,” Faren whispered.

“You were looking for me?”

“Of course,” he said. “Don’t want you stabbing a citizen for crowding too close.”

There was no hiding the sheen in my eyes or the flush on my face. He studied me, and the mirth in his gaze melted into something serious. “You alright?”

Nodding quickly, I returned my attention to Anya and Idris, who were finishing up. Above our heads, the sunset had reached a crescendo of vivid oranges, purples, and pinks. “It’s just so…” I shook my head, and a tear slid down my face, and I was mortified.

I thought Faren would chastise me. I would’ve.

Instead, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, drawing me against him. “Is this okay?”

His body was warm and strong, and in my tearful state, I allowed myself the unwise privilege of accepting his comfort and leaned into the solidness of his chest. Taking that as my answer, Faren slid his hand down my back, fingers toying with the laces that crisscrossed my spine, his palm gliding around the silken cinch of my waist. He turned his head toward mine, lips ghosting my temple—not a kiss, just a moment of breath against my skin.

Anya and Idris lifted their joined hands, beaming at the crowd. The town hollered and cheered, louder than ever, and the musicians launched into a heartfelt ballad.

“It’s so…?” Faren prompted, his lips still resting against my head.

I lifted a weak shoulder, speechless and overcome.

“Beautiful,” he finished for me. “It’s beautiful.”

34

Fire

Mariana

The night was no match for the brightness of the party. There were bonfires, lanterns, and great torches illuminating the dark. The music had turned bawdy: lively melodies with lyrics that were mostly innuendo. People ate, drank, and danced around the flames. After our moment of closeness at the ceremony, Faren and I had split up—I had returned to my bench and he…had disappeared into the maze of tents. All around me, folks were deep in their merrymaking, drunk and happy, and again, I was alone.

“Having fun?” Hattie plopped down on the bench beside me. She wore a pale blue dress with intricate embroidery on the bodice, her shoulders draped in a shawl to ward off the cold that I, myself, had been trying to ignore. “Fates, only you could look so miserable while surrounded by revelry.”

“The problems of the world don’t stop for parties,” I said.