The Cursed Heir

Chapter Three

Skylar glowered at her but said nothing.

"What's happened?" Cassie asked.

A quick flash of wordless communication between the banisè. A pleading glance from Skylar, head inclined toward the door; Silvana clenching her teeth and shaking her head with a noiseless snarl.

Cassie shivered, wrapping her arms around herself in a futile attempt to ward off the chill seeping into the room. Something was wrong.

Skylar turned away, staring at a blank spot on the wall. Still shaking, Cassie could not get Silvana to catch her eye. She was so weak.

Clenching her jaw, Cassie forced the shudders away, tamping them down until every last tremor had fled. She was still cold with fear, but at least now she wasn't showing it.

Skylar scrubbed his hands over his face, finally turning back to his sister. "Okay," he said, and although he wasn't speaking directly to anyone, it was a capitulation, a surrender. "Okay."

She could not be sure, but Cassie thought she saw a fleeting glimpse of satisfied relief in Silvana's eyes, wiped away as quickly as it had come. The banisè nodded to Skylar, just once, and he gave a quick jerk of his head in return.

"Okay," Silvana said, stepping away and collecting her bow and arrow, never far from her reach. Off on her usual morning hunt, and the usual signal for Cassie and Skylar to walk to the brook for food or water, along with yet another lesson in forest stealth.

When Cassie made to grab the water jug, however, Skylar stopped her.

"I'm going on my own today," Skylar said, glancing in the direction of the woods.

The hide swung back over the doorway as Silvana pushed through it, the tension mostly gone from her shoulders.

"I thought you said I needed more practice on—"

"I'd rather you stay back."

Cassie looked up at Skylar, confused. What was she supposed to do, then?

"We need some more bread," Skylar said. "Can you start the dough?"

Now it was Cassie's turn to cross her arms. She had never made bread before in her life. Neither of them trusted her enough with their precious, limited flour to try to teach her. And now he was telling her to make bread?

"Start the dough," she repeated.

Skylar flushed but stood firm, even as the lie rang false in his mouth. "Yes," he said. "I can't do it today. Don't have the time. Need you to."

"Oh, and I just make it, is that it?" Cassie said, the mocking coming easier to her tongue than she would have believed. "I've seen you do it all of twice now, that should be enough to figure it out on my own, yes?"

Skylar picked up one of their baskets. "It's not that difficult to figure out."

"Of course," Cassie agreed venomously. "Bread, and water, and the riser. So simple. Can't wait to get started."

Cassie did not like being lied to. She had experienced it enough in her past, false compliments on her singing, on her attire, on her looks; false assurances that people did not flinch in fear when she passed by; false sympathy about her mother; false promises that there was no favoritism between her sister and herself. And now Skylar was telling her to stay inside, based on some mysterious threat so ominous she could not even step foot outside the cabin, but telling her it was because they needed her to make something she was sure to mess up.

But she nodded once, curtly, as Silvana had done. You do your duty. That was her place. "Fine."

Skylar looked close to sighing in relief as he ducked outside. His step quickly faded into silence, leaving Cassie alone.