Windburn(82)

Her lips twitched. “Blackbird. I forbid you from seeking Lark out. You will not fight with your sister.” She spoke like a mother scolding small children.

He looked from her to me. “You cannot stop her from coming after me. She is the disobedient one.”

I wasn’t going to argue with that.

“Then we will make sure she is kept far from you, my boy.”

She clapped her hands and a wave of power caught me and threw me backward. I tumbled several times, all the way to the edge of the blasted field. Blackbird and the mother goddess were gone, as if they’d never stood there.

“Did you tell Viv to get stuffed?”

I blinked up at Griffin who stared down at me. “Yeah, I think I did.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. She finally met her match, yeah?” He grinned as he held a hand out and helped me to stand. I leaned on him, unable to put weight on my mauled leg. He handed me a piece of paper as I stood. I looked down at it, the familiar writing across the parchment and the blob of ink as my father’s hand had wavered. This was all I needed to prove that my father should not pick Briar or Raven as heir.

The clearing was battered and bruised from the fight, trees at the edges torn up from the roots, the dirt burnt and charred in places.

Across from us, Peta raced across the blasted field, blending into the dirt. Behind her came Ash and Cactus, weapons drawn.

“Stop doing this to me, Lark!” Peta yelled as she leapt for me. I caught her and placed her on my shoulder.

“It isn’t on purpose. Honest.”

Ash and Cactus didn’t look at one another, only me. I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped me.

“Let’s go home.” Cactus thumbed back toward the Rim. Griffin didn’t come with us, but watched us go. I know because I turned twice to see him staring after us. His dark eyes were unfathomable. Yet his stance told me all I needed to know.

The night was not over.

We walked in silence, me leaning on both men, but it was not the silence of comfort. Or of a job well done. The silence tasted of a heavy blow yet to come.

As we approached the Spiral, I was not surprised to see the crowd of people. They parted for us, but not with deference. I did not care. My father stood on the steps of the Spiral. Fern was nowhere to be seen. I put a hand on Ash. “Where is Fern and the baby?”

The words had barely left my lips when I knew. He shook his head and spoke only one word. “Cassava.”

My heart thumped hard against my chest. Poor Fern. Of all the people in our family, she had cared for me in her own way. Had stood up for me against my father.

At least she would be at peace where she was, though it was a small comfort.

The man I called my father raised both hands in the air as we drew close.

“I will name my heir so there will be no dissension in our home.”

He paused, saw me, and his shoulders sagged. “Larkspur, I will deal with you in a moment.”

Bella was there with him, as was Briar. All my father had left were two girls to choose from.

Bella’s eyes met mine and I forced a smile for her. She blinked back tears as she put a hand to her heart. I did the same.

My father spoke. “My people, I have seen the error of my ways. My sons were not worthy of being named heir.”

I clutched the paper in my hand, crinkling it. If he named Briar, I would have to say something. I prayed he would name Bella.

“My heir will be my youngest daughter, Briar.”

The crowd cheered and it felt as though the weight of the Wretched Peaks had crawled onto my shoulders. There was only one thing I could do.

I held up my hand. “Stop.”

A gasp rippled through the crowd, followed closely by my name.

“I have evidence that you are not in your right mind, that Cassava and Blackbird have stripped you of your ability to rule, to make the best choices for this family.”

I approached and held the paper out to Bella. “Bella, read this, please.”

She did, her voice stumbling until she got to the part about me being named heir. Her eyes shot to mine and she grinned. “By your own hand, Father, you have named Larkspur your heir and rightful ruler to your throne.”

By law, there was nothing he could do. The letter pre-dated his naming of Vetch as heir.

His face paled, and from behind him I saw a glimmer of my mother. Whether it was her spirit or the mother goddess come to watch the game, I didn’t know and didn’t care. She placed a hand on him. I looked around; no one else was looking at her.

Spirit whispered through me, and I knew Spirit was the reason only I could see her.

“I will not recant,” my father whispered, his eyes locking on mine. “I . . . name Larkspur as the heir to my throne and the next queen of the Rim.”