Page 14

CHAPTER 14

ELLA

E lla walked into the kitchen. The day was just beginning, yet it felt like it was late in the evening. Morning meal service was in full bloom when she entered the warm space. Ailith barked orders as she dished up bowls of oatmeal and plates of bread and hard cheeses.

“Ella, there you are. Mrs . Clark needs another pot of tea.” Mrs . A thrust a teapot into Ella’s hand.

“Where were you?” Sissy whispered.

“I needed some space. Did you kiss William ?”

Sissy’s eyes went round. “ Yes , but… not recently. It happened a year ago at the Moon Festival . It was before?—”

“I don’t care. I just wish you would have told me.” Ella dumped the tea into the strainer.

“That’s too much tea.” Sissy stepped in to make the tea.

Ella watched Sissy dump the tea out of the strainer. Her hands shook. “ Do you love him?”

“What?” Sissy dropped the scooper, and it clanged on the stone floor.

Mrs. A looked over. “ Whatever you two are planning, do it on your own time. Clara , where are those plates? Table three is waiting.”

Ella turned back to Sissy . “ Well ?”

“Ella, it’s not what you think.” Sissy looked up, her brown eyes bright with tears. “ William and I are… well, we were?—”

“Ella!” Mrs . A called. “ Take this out to table three.” Lillian shoved a tray in Ella’s hands.

“We need to talk,” Ella said to Sissy as she pushed open the door. If Sissy loved William , then Ella could leave with Thane without any guilt. William would forget about her, and he and Sissy could be married. She felt better as she ducked around the table and chairs to table three. She froze when she saw who was at table three. Thane and a beautiful blonde woman dressed in a dark green gown. The woman reached for Thane’s hand. As Ella got closer, she heard Thane’s words.

“… I don’t care what you say. You should not be here. I told you I would—” Thane pulled his hand away.

“You’d what?” the woman in green hissed. “ You don’t belong here. Tell her the truth. How much longer can you hide it from her?”

The woman who sat with Thane was perfect. Her mismatched eyes matched the green in her freshly pressed dress. Ella stopped at the table. Her clothes were wrinkled, and her hair was a mess. One wish had come true last night. “ It seems you got what you wished for.”

“Ella, this is not… I mean… Fuck ,” Thane cursed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “ How is this happening? I’m not even in Manere .”

“It’s time you tell her the truth, Thane .” The woman looked at Ella . “ He is not who you think he is. He lied to you. In fact, he is my br?—”

Ella didn’t hear the rest of the woman’s words. She didn’t need to; they were scratched across Thane’s face. The stars had been listening to one of them last night, and Thane got what she had wished for him. “ I’m happy you found what you were looking for. I wish you both the best.” She went to set the tray down but missed the table. Hot tea splashed on the woman’s expensive skirts and on Mr . Tenebris’s perfectly polished shoes. Ella walked from the dining hall, leaving chaos in her wake.