4

IV

The door swung open, and the knife fell from Apricot's hand as she saw her brother standing in the doorway. Gabriel, glancing at the bed she was sitting on and the knife lying next to her thigh, was at her side in two strides and snatched the weapon from her, tucking the dagger into the sheath attached to his belt.

"Do you have any other brilliant ideas?" he growled. When she didn't respond, he tossed the leather backpack he'd brought with him to the floor. "Pack your things."

Her eyes widened, and a few large, salty tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Where do you want to go? But…

" "Home," he cut her off, glancing cautiously out the window.

Apricot rose from the bed, her head pounding with pain. She walked toward him on unsteady legs, supporting her weight on the polished and gleaming sideboards. The room she occupied was in the left wing of La Faérie, one of those reserved for the most famous and wealthy. The intricately carved dark wood wardrobes, the brand-new, varnished parquet flooring and the soft, hand-woven wool rug covering it, as well as the silk linens on the four-poster bed, made her feel like a princess. Of course, the chamber's precious furnishings only added to the romance of what she wanted to do, something Gabriel had interrupted.

"Why go home if...If Ashley can't come with us?" she asked in a low voice, standing next to her brother and looking at the bright stars shining in the dark sky above the sleeping Randerwound below.

"To save your skin. And pack your bags, we're wasting our time."

His tone caught her off guard, and Apricot looked at him in surprise. He had an unapologetic expression on his face, his brows furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. Only now did she realize he was completely serious. Her breath caught, and she immediately panicked.

"What about Ashley?" We won't bury her?!

"No," came the reply, and Apricot knew it was the final decision.

Anger boiled in the girl's heart. Without thinking, she swung her arm and slapped him across the face with all her might.

"What do you think you're doing, huh?! She's your sister! You can't leave her like this, you simply can't!"

Unaware of what was happening around her, she began to sob hysterically, thrashing blindly and intensifying her struggles as she felt Gabriel's steely grip on her shoulders. She began to thrash even harder when she realized she was being carried and almost fell from his embrace. Finally, she felt the soft mattress of the bed beneath her, but she didn't stop kicking. Suddenly, completely unexpectedly, she found herself the victim of a blow to the face. She howled in pain and clutched her cheek with both hands, unable to control the tears streaming from her eyes.

"Listen to me now, because I won't repeat myself," Gabriel hissed, his voice menacing right next to her ear. "Ashley deserved her fate. She did things she shouldn't have gotten involved in, knowing the consequences."

Apricot had no idea what he was talking about, but she stopped struggling and lay stiffly, listening intently. Gabriel continued.

"And now all her deeds have caught up with her. We have to get out of here so they don't catch up with us, in turn. Do you understand? "

The girl shook her head with difficulty.

"Her killers will think that, as her family, we know everything she's done," he explained impatiently. "And then we won't live long. So get up immediately and pack your bags; the horses are waiting."

With that, he released her numb forearm and left the room without saying goodbye.

Apricot crawled across the bed and reached for one of the embroidered pillows, burying her face in it. She breathed heavily, clenching her fists and stifling the sounds of her sobs into the pillow's fabric. She pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them, rocking back and forth for a moment, trying to silence the thousands of voices screaming in her head at the same time. Before Gabriel had come to her chamber, she had fully intended to slit her wrists and follow her beloved sister into the afterlife. However, she had made the mistake of stealing Gabriel's dagger. She could have grabbed any knife she could find, even from the kitchen, but instead she decided to use her brother's weapon, even though she knew full well that as soon as he noticed the dagger was gone, he would know her plans. Now she had to endure the consequences of her thoughtlessness and live in shame for the rest of her life as someone who hadn't buried someone she loved.

Slowing her breathing, she sat up, wiped the tears from her face, and, swaying slightly, began to throw her belongings haphazardly into her backpack. Throwing her jacket on her back, she blew out the candle standing on the table next to the bed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

The corridor was deserted and dark, her footsteps echoing off the carved rock walls. She walked quickly, without hesitation, a determined expression spreading across her face. Fortunately, she didn't encounter any of the theater staff and made it out of the building unmolested. As soon as she stepped out the front door, a cold wind sent shivers down her spine. Without a second glance, she ran down the stairs and along the path leading directly to Randerwound.

Gabriel was waiting for her at the stables, which were about three hundred meters lower than the theater, accessible by a separate path. Sure enough, her chestnut mare, Kari, and Gabriel's black stallion, Natsu, stood beside him, fully saddled. Her brother glanced at her, handed Kari's harness back to her, and said nothing as he mounted his horse and waited for her to do the same.

"Which way are we going?" "She asked before they even set off.

"Through Paeonia and Shibai. I don't want to go near the Bertraam border, if possible," Gabriel replied dryly, reining in his reins.

"Why?

" "Because I suspect that's where the killer came from."

Without saying anything more, he punched Natsu in the ribs. The horse whinnied throatily and lurched forward. Apricot galloped after him, now more determined than ever.