Page 46 of In Violent Waves

“I was to be raised in my father’s court and then married off to a prince in a territory he deemed a threat. All my sisters were married off to other territories for positions of power. We are bartered wombs and nothing else.”

An angry gleam entered Maelys’ golden eyes, turning the hue molten.

“Females can do anything in the Wilds and the Mannereds. Hell, the Mannereds are ruled by a female.”

“You are lucky.”

It was a surprise to Lyra as the words fell out of her mouth. Never would she have thought she would converse with a female elf. Not only that, she envied one. Maelys had to be high-ranking to serve so close to Wilder.

It grew quiet and pensive as they each worked through the information they had shared. Lyra wanted to know more about what a female elf’s life was like here.

“Are you high-born?”

Maelys laughed. “No. Does that offend you?”

“Why would that offend me?”Lyra twirled the flower between her fingers.

“Because you are a princess.“

Lyra covered her mouth to staunch a laugh that bubbled up. She squeezed her eyes shut, keeping well away from thatglimmering thread in her chest. Once the feeling had passed, she took a steadying breath and looked back at Maelys, who was analyzing her.

“I don’t think being a princess means much.”

“It does in the Wilds. Being high-born holds weight. Are you sure you’re using your position correctly?”

Her words rang like a struck bell.Use her position?How on earth was she expected to do that?

Had Maelys not been listening to what she just said? And Lyra was a prisoner—at their hands!

The pain in Lyra’s feet increased with her rising anger. She could feel the blood pumping in her toes. Luckily, there was an intentional stomping through the forest. Wilder stepped through the trees, marigold in hand.

“We found little. It’s not the right season. Will this do?” Wilder held up three golden flowers.

“I’ll take anything at this point,” Lyra replied, but then froze.Not anything.

Wilder thrust the flowers out to her, and she took them, managing not to accidentally touch him.

“Do you need anything else?”

“I need a way to grind the petals down to make a salve.”

Wilder looked at Ridge, who nodded and turned away, heading back into the forest.

“How do you know all this?” Maelys asked her.

“I like to read.”

Wilder crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s an understatement.”

Lyra glared at him from her seated position on the forest floor. But before she could make a scathing remark, Ridge appeared with two large, rounded stones.

“Will this work?”

“It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Wilder’s brows rose high on his forehead. She realized she had not thanked him for finding her the flowers. And he would not get one now, the prick.

She set to work on the flowers, grinding the delicate golden petals into a poultice. She could feel their eyes on her as she worked, but she didn’t look, didn’t want to see their expressions.