“Neither of us believes that,” I say. “The wedding is tomorrow. I’m done waiting around. I need to speak with her.”

Gaven crosses his arms. “It would bring about ill regard from the Divine to interrupt her now.”

I knew he was going to be a problem when he survived the Drained Wood, but the longer he makes himself an obstruction, the more I wonder how exactly he survived that horde of Drained without any magic.

“Whatever ails her, I have the solution,” I say.

He frowns. “She doesn’t need a healer or I would have already called for you.”

I scoff. “Doubtful. I need to see my wife-to-be. It has been three days. You can let me into that room or we can call off the wedding.”

Gaven doesn’t so much as blink. “I guess it’s off, then.”

I grind my teeth. “Let me into that fucking room.”

“Afraid you’ll have to go through me, boy?”

I grind my teeth. “I’m no boy.”

Gaven gives me a slow once-over. “I’ve been fighting Drained since before you were a Divine daydream. You’re a child playing at being a man. Men don’t threaten. They act.”

I want to just cut his throat, but I need to show some restraint. I have to play the only card I have left—the one that will tell me if something is actually wrong with her. “We have a well.”

Right now, servants are preparing it. I’m confident this will at least pique their interest, so even if Harlow won’t go with me now, I’m betting she’ll go snooping for it later.

I need to know if Gaven cares more about listening to Harlow or about her well-being. That’s a valuable piece of knowledge, and it costs me nothing.

Gaven’s eyes widen slightly, and his posture relaxes. “What do you mean?”

“We have a well. You know—holy water blessed by the Divine,” I continue, ignoring the irritated look on his face. “Everyone thinks the Blood Well is the first well. The Carrenwells’ secret house well, that only the high houses are invited to, is the other. But the first well is actually ours. The Mountain Well snowmelt starts here, then flows south to the Blood Well, and then to Carrenwell House.”

I watch the realization dawn on him. He wants to argue, or maybe to call it blasphemy, but he cares about Harlow enough that he’s considering letting me in.

“Our wedding ceremonies are vigorous. She’s clearly tough, but I want her to feel up to the task. It’s in my best interest that she’s ready for anything,” I say. “For better or worse, my success is tied to hers.”

I can tell I’ve hit the mark by the look in his eye. He doesn’t trust me, but he believes me when he knows my motivation isn’t magnanimous.

Gaven hesitates, his hand on the doorknob. He taps lightly on the door. When Harlow’s voice beckons him inside, he cracks the door open and slips inside before I can get a look. The lock clicks and I try to bite back my irritation.

I barely have a chance to feel the full heat of my anger before the lock turns again and the door swings open. Gaven waves me inside.

I expected Harlow to be in bed. Instead, Kyrin is perched on the bed, watching Harlow. She sits in a chair by the balcony doors, sipping a cup of tea in an airy silk dress that’s too thin for this time of year. Her face looks a bit paler than usual, and her hair is pinned haphazardly on top of her head, wisps of dark hair falling against her delicate neck.

My wolf cocks his head to the side and looks at me.

“Traitor.” I shake my head at him, then turn to Harlow. “Are you well?”

She smiles sweetly. “As well as can be expected—assuming, of course, that the wedding is still on.”

I’d like to take her over my knee and wipe that cocky smile off her face. Instead, I take a breath.

“The servants indicated that you called for quite a lot of ice with your drinks and I thought perhaps you had a fever.”

Her lips part in surprise. “Perhaps I just like my drinks very cold.” She cocks her head to the side and looks at me like I’m the dumbest man she’s ever met. “It keeps the deep freeze on my cold, murderous heart.”

I hum in agreement. “Perhaps. Or perhaps you are unwell and too proud to take a trip to our family well. It’s normally cold this time of year, but my mother just had several sunstones put in to heat it, so it’s quite comfortable.”

Her spine straightens ever so slightly, her gaze flitting from me to Gaven. The bodyguard gives the barest nod.

“Very well. I know how you men love to show off. Take me to this well.” She extends her hand in a mock imitation of a storybook damsel. I take it and help her to her feet.

We walk down the hall in silence, Gaven on our heels. At the bottom of the stairs, on the main floor, I turn and look at Gaven.

“I’m afraid this is where we leave you.”

The guard frowns, but Harlow cuts off any argument he might make by brushing the slit in her dress aside to reveal the dagger strapped to her pale thigh. “I’ll be fine, Gaven.”

He nods and takes up his rigid stance in the hallway, hands tucked behind his back, watchful gaze fixed on us.

I pull out a blindfold and hold it up to Harlow.

“Surely you’re joking.”

I grin. “Don’t worry, lovely, I’ll stay close so you don’t trip.”

She grumbles as I tie the silk around her eyes. I loop an arm around her and guide her down the hallway through a series of twists and turns until we’re at the entrance to the well.

I lead her down the stairs like I’m stealing her away to some dark underworld where I might get lost too. I hold fast to her waist as we descend and pray to Divine Harvain for luck that this is the thing that will finally get her to let her guard down.

OceanofPDF.com

21HARLOW

Henry’s aura pulses frantically around us as he leads me down the stone staircase. He’s nervous.

I can’t tell if it’s because he wasn’t supposed to show me this well, if he was hoping to hold out on this secret for a more strategic reveal, or if this is the actual strategic reveal and he’s just trying to get me to tell him what’s wrong with me.

I’m disoriented without my sight, with my head still foggy from the aftereffects of the pain. Every muscle in my body is wound tight from bracing against the ache, and even though the worst of it is gone, the remnants hang on as a warning not to let my guard down.

Still, a wild glimmer of hope sparks inside me. If this well is closer to the source of whatever magic is imbued in the waters of our family well, maybe it will be more potent. It could finally fix what ails me.

A frightening thought sears through my mind. Maybe it will make me mad like my father and Able. Maybe it will make me worse.

My silk slipper slides on the steps, and Henry tightens his hold on me. I’m graceless without my vision, too close to him and too off-kilter, and so angry at my body for being weak when I need it to be strong.

My heart beats frantically as the damp and fresh smell of water hits me. A faint trickling sound echoes through the stairwell.

Finally, we reach the bottom of the descent, and Henry stops me. He removes the blindfold, and I blink, trying to acclimate to the dim space.

Light emanates from the pool in front of me. Steam rises off the surface of the water, warping the reflections on the arched stone ceiling. On the far side of the room is a table with a carafe of water and a pile of linen towels.

It’s not as ornate as the Carrenwell Family Well. Instead of the fancy whitewashed stone of the well I grew up with, this room looks carved from the mountain itself. The dark granite walls glitter in the dancing sunstone light, but the dark color of the space seems to eat up the glow. The effect is a bit claustrophobic—like I’ve been let into a space too intimate for the newness of our acquaintance.

I stare at the water in disbelief. What does this well do?