Chapter 4

I spent the next day drifting in and out of sleep. Between my unstable dragon breath and what had happened at the festival, I felt hollowed out. I couldn't even find the strength to pack for the journey north and my new life there.

That evening, I dimly heard a knock.

I struggled to my feet and opened the door.

Kassan stood outside with a bowl of medicine. She looked more like the victim than I did.

"Princess," she said softly, "I've come to apologize for what Morrie did at the festival yesterday. He didn't know any better."

The sight of her made my chest tighten.

"There's no need," I said. "Please leave."

Instead, she put a hand against the door and slipped past me.

I frowned and looked her in the eye. "Get out."

She turned, staring at my high collar. A strange smile crossed her face. "A dragon's scales are a source of pride, aren't they? Tell me, how much power will you have without this one?"

She pulled a long, thin dragon crystal hairpin from her sleeve and drove it into the back of my neck!

It felt as if someone had poured molten iron into my spine, then ripped the scale from my flesh.

I collapsed to the floor with a scream, clutching the wound. I thought the pain would kill me.

Shaking all over, I watched the torn-out scale slowly turn black as its light faded.

My vision went white with pain. I nearly passed out.

Kassan looked down at me and nudged my scale into a corner with the toe of her shoe.

Then she raised the hairpin and slashed her own wrist without hesitation.

Blood poured out.

"Help!" she screamed.

The door burst open.

Lucas rushed in first, followed by Darian and Silas. They found Kassan on the floor, pale and bleeding from her wrist. I was on the floor by the bed, clutching my neck, my eyes blazing with fury.

They chose a side almost at once.

"Kassan!" Lucas rushed to her.

She began to cry, struggling to get the words out. "I only came to bring her medicine... The princess said she'd leave Morrie alone if I left court. When I refused, she—"

Morrie ran in from outside and threw his arms around Kassan, sobbing. "Mommy! Mommy!"

Still holding the back of my neck, I protested, "I never touched her! She forced her way in and stabbed me with that pin!"

For a moment, the room went quiet.

Lucas faltered when he saw the wound on my neck. But he kept holding Kassan as she trembled. "She can barely hold a sword right now. How could she possibly have attacked you?"

Darian gave a scornful laugh. "Have you forgotten, Lucas? Evelyn always made a fuss over things like this to get our attention."

He was talking about the times I'd come to him for comfort over a little cut on my finger.

Clutching my neck, I slowly turned to him. "I'm still bleeding, Darian. Am I faking that, too?"

He hesitated and looked away. "That doesn't mean Kassan did it. You're so used to getting your way. There's nothing you wouldn't try."

His indifference left me cold. I struggled not to cry.

Silas stood by the door, looking worried.

I looked at him like someone drowning, desperate for help. Once, he would have rushed to me over the tiniest scrape.

He seemed about to come closer and examine my wound.

But Morrie wrapped his arms around Silas's legs, crying. "Silas, I'm scared."

Silas hesitated, then bent to pick him up. "Evelyn, this must be a misunderstanding."

Tears blurred my vision as I looked into his eyes. Even then, I was still waiting for him to believe me.

Pain flickered across his face, but he said nothing.

I crawled a little closer. "Silas, it hurts so much..."

Lucas looked briefly annoyed as he reached out to stop me. "You're injured, Evelyn. You shouldn't move."

I turned to him and lowered my hand. Blood covered half my neck. The wound gaped where the scale had been torn out.

Lucas went pale. Trembling, he reached for me, but I pulled away.

Kassan clutched his sleeve. "My hand hurts so much," she whimpered.

"I'm sorry. I'll take you to a healer right away." Lucas glanced at me again, then carried her out.

After a moment's hesitation, Darian followed.

I ignored them and kept my eyes on Silas.

He took two hurried steps toward me, but the child in his arms shrieked, "She's bleeding! It's scary!"

Silas stopped and patted his back. "It's all right. Don't be afraid."

I propped myself up on my arms and stubbornly waited.

"Evelyn," he finally said, unable to look at me, "tend to your wound first. I'll come back once Morrie's asleep. All right?"

I sagged, all my strength gone.

At last, I understood. Whatever we'd had was over.

Their loyalty and promises had become a joke. If I kept clinging to them, I'd lose my pride and dignity, too. All I'd have left was humiliation.

I would never let that happen.

The room fell quiet again.

Silently, I pushed myself up, wiped the tears from my face, and began to pack.

Lucas had given me a dagger with my name, Evelyn Goldcrest, engraved on the hilt. I'd once kept it under my pillow like a protective charm. Now it was rusty.

Darian had made me an armlet from coral he'd brought back from the deep sea and polished himself. Any warmth it had once held was gone.

Silas had given me a bone comb, smooth as white jade. He used to comb my hair after every treatment.

I ran my fingers over its cold teeth, then tossed it back into the box.

I shut the box and pushed it into a corner.

I didn't want it.

I didn't want any of it anymore.

Once I'd packed, I looked around the room one last time and closed the door.

It was time to leave.