For the first time ever,
Garrick came to visit me at my estate after I woke
“I’m sorry. I lost my temper.
I gave him a cold look.
“There’s no need for apologies between us anymore.”
I stepped around him and walked away.
Behind me, a loud slap echoed through the corridor.
He had struck himself across the face.
Two days before the wedding, I planned to take my mother’s wooden swords with me to the northern frontier.
But when I went to fetch them, the box was gone.
When I finally found Selene, she was holding my wooden sword, turning it over in her fingers like some cheap trinket.
“Selene!”
Startled, she dropped the box. It hit the ground with a crash.
Wooden swords shattered across the floor. I reached for my blade.
She suddenly burst into tears.
“Lysandra, I’m about to leave! I’ve never played with these before, please don’t be mad!”
She stepped back, heel landing squarely on one of the broken swords,
“You-!”
I raised my sword,
dy to strike–but Garrick stepped between us.
“They’re just wooden swords. What’s the big deal? I can make you more.”
I stared him downL
“You took them?”
He didn’t answer.
Only he knew where I kept them.
e’s going off to marry, isn’t that what you w
he said flatly,
“You ruined her whole life. Don’t you think that’s worth a few broken toys?”
“Toys?”
My voice shook. “They were from my mother!”
“I know.”
His expression softened slightly. “I’ll carve better ones for you.”
“You can’t!”
I shoved him hard, “Who do you think you are?!”
I stormed toward Selene.
She shrank back–every step she took landing precisely on a broken sword.
“General Aveline!” she whimpered, pitiful as ever.
“Don’t move!” I shouted, raising my sword.
Garrick’s sword gleamed as he stepped between us, shielding her with his body–just as he had in our past life.
Always blades drawn. Always curses sharper than steel. Never striking true.
“Stop!” he barked.
I didn’t.
“I said stop! Lysandra!”
Clang!
Shnk!
His sword plunged into my shoulder. His eyes widened in horror.
The sword I’d struck at him with had snapped.
That was when he realized. It was the wooden one he’d carved for me.
A decorative piece–never meant to cause harm,
“Lysandra!”
He caught me as I collapsed.
“Why didn’t you dodge?! You always dodge!”
Then he froze.
Always?
Since when had there been an always between them?
Why had he said that?
My bloodied hand reached for Selene-
Then dropped limply.
