Page 9 of The Last Guardian

“Seven Hells.” I put a hand on my chest to suppress the fear rising inside me. “You scared me, Grandmother.”

“Language!” she scolded, her sharp tone snapping the word like a whip. “We have been waiting for you for half an hour, Alyana⁠—”

The door creaked open, interrupting her sentence, as Arthur stepped out of his room. Alone. He looked at the two of us in surprise.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for your sister. We have an appointment today. And here she was…”

“I just wanted to see you, brother,” I said, in an innocent voice. “But when I arrived at your door, I heard you talking to someone. Are you with a charming young woman? Or perhaps a striking young man?”

I shifted slightly to see who was inside, but Arthur pushed the door open.

“No, I’m alone. Perhaps you’re hearing voices, sister.” Arthur gestured to the inside of his living room, clearly empty.

Yet I heard the voice just before, and with the way his gaze shifted… Arthur was lying. Why?

“Stop your nonsense, Alyana. We are going to be late. Come on now.” Grandmother let go of my arm and walked toward the stairs as Arthur narrowed his eyes at me.

I narrowed mine back.

“Stop putting your nose where it doesn’t belong. Alright?” Arthur warned in a whisper, but his face wasn’t full of anger. No, it was something else… I wasn’t sure.

But his gaze haunted me all day.

AFTER SEVEN HOURS selecting dresses, jewels, and every detail for the week ahead, Aurora and I made our way through the palace corridors.

Grandmother had been in a rush all day. Snarling at the tailor, who apparently always chose the wrong shade of scarlet, or jeering at the baker that his cakes tasted like coal. Aurora had not beaten a single eyelash at Grandmother’s remarks—not even a single smile. Today my older sister looked… absent. As for my part, I hadn’t uttered a word the whole day. I even tried to control my breathing as best as possible to not be the subject of Grandmother’s wrath.

Now, inside the palace’s cold walls, Aurora and I walked, side by side, with only an icy silence filling the air between us.

It stirred something profound inside my chest, this distance, how we had grown apart over the past six years.

The moment Aurora was born, Grandmother had stolen her from Mother’s arms, bending her to her own vision. We’d been lucky enough to grow up together—the five of us—since Grandmother lived at the palace. Mother had always tried to free Aurora from Grandmother’s tight hold, but with the king on her side, Grandmother had always had every right over Aurora for her education as well as her future. Now, with Mother gone, Grandmother’s claws had taken root deep inside Aurora. She had always tried to mold Aurora into the perfect princess, wanting to shape her into a brilliant, coveted jewel, as untouchable as a diamond.

As sharp.

As unbreakable.

Something Grandmother could show off to the world. And she had succeeded, because now, Aurora wasn’t the sister I grew up with. Without Mother, without her kindness and free spirit, Aurora was not imprisoned in a gilded cage anymore, but in an icy palace.

Despite Grandmother, Aurora and I had been inseparable as children. Sometimes, I wished I could go back in time just for a moment and take a breath to feel that lightness when we ran through the palace corridors to find the music room. Aurora would sit at the piano and play the most beautiful melody with her delicate hands while her music sent shivers and vibrations through my body, making my feet dance to its rhythm.

In a week, Aurora would move to Solis, to the royal palace of Kalor, living in a land of wild deserts and dangerous jungles. Perhaps I could visit her one day. What a ridiculous thought; no one would ever let me go there. But when would we meet again? At Arthur’s wedding? My own? Dorian and Romy’s?

At the end of the week, we would see Aurora only at a few events, nothing more. The halls of this palace had already grown colder since Mother’s death. I wondered what it would be like when Aurora left. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about that.

“You must be excited to live your big day finally,” I said, breaking the silence with a forced smile.

Aurora sneered and looked away. “Yes. I’m thrilled to marry my one true love.”

Wow. I knew she was cold, but the way she said that was strange.

She was always enthusiastic around Asael, and he was much kinder than Rune, and much more handsome, too.

“Is everything all right?” I asked with a frown.

“I have to go to my room to get ready for tonight. You should do the same,” Aurora replied, completely ignoring my question. We arrived at my door, but before Aurora turned to another corridor to reach her chambers, she faced me and took a step.