The Reaper's Curse #1 - Complete

Foolish Things

They observe each other for a long moment, Alicia taking in Samantha's relatively clean clothes, her steel grey waistcoat, knee high brown boots, and loose white shirt. The wild curls of her hair are now wound in a tight bun, revealing her round cheeks and array of freckles. She stands with her shoulders straight, her chin held high, and Alicia remembers the promises she made the queen.

Find Samantha, that's what she asked.

Well, she's found the princess, but now she can't tell her that her mother is dead, that the woman is proud of her and never stopped loving her. Alicia knows too much to reveal who she is because what she knows is dangerous.

She doesn't want to think about it, she wants to push the loss back as she's always done. But this world is demanding she feel every morsel of her hurt and she doesn't know how much more she can take.

"Every exile has a story to tell," Samantha starts, leaning a hip against the desk, her eyes on the maps and writings on the table between them. "I'd like to know yours."

Drawing in a breath, Alicia nods. She's played this game before. She knows how to weave half-truths and lies together to concoct a believable story. Most of the time, people don't look at her twice anyway.

"My pa was infected with the Reaper's Curse," Alicia says, rubbing her palm, her calluses having formed again these last two months. "I was with him when he died and was exiled for it."

Samantha opens her mouth to speak, that pity shining in her amber eyes again, but she's interrupted.

"Ezekiel Zalana."

Alicia whips her head around at the mention of her pa's name to see Oliver leaning against the window ledge with his legs crossed at the ankles.

"I'm surprised he lived this long," he elaborates, those silver eyes piercing into her like blades. "He couldn't possibly have managed to pay off his debt to the Ronavics. I saw the numbers." Oliver's features are a slate of stone, giving away nothing.

Alicia can't tell what his motivations are for trying to trip her up, make her reveal more than she's willing to. But Alicia has lived these past few years learning to endure the talons of vultures, she can manage anything these people have to throw at her.

"My pa went to war and he sobered up." Swallowing the pain that wells in her throat, Alicia tries not to think of his blood staining the floorboards, drenching her hands. "He was a good man."

"When were you exiled?" Samantha interrupts and Alicia is thankful for the shift in questioning.

"Two months ago."

"And you've been with Kathryn all that time?"

Alicia's gaze flicks between Samantha's, the desperation that shines within them twisting her stomach. She already fears where this line of questioning is taking them. "Yes."

"Then she must have mentioned at some point the supplies she knew were hidden. Supplies she was planning on giving us."

Narrowing her eyes, Alicia sees through her words. Kathryn never spoke about giving the supplies to anyone. She didn't even speak about journeying to retrieve them. But Alicia sees it in the princess' eyes; she isn't going to stop until she gets what she needs. Alicia will walk through the Commons known as the woman who refused to aid these people.

If she has any hope of survival, she needs this place to be her home.

Alicia's fingers wrap around the strap of her satchel as an idea forms in her head. "I can't give you the supplies Kathryn never told me about," she says. "But I might be able to offer you something else."