Chapter 95

Chapter 95

“You think you can break the curse?” I stared at Freya, shaking my head. “Why didn’t you do that for me before? For Margot?”

“I’m-I’m afraid, Isla.” Freya raised her head, I was stunned, to see so much misery and distress in her eyes. “I’m afraid if I try, I might make you go blind, like Margot, or event kill you. But I know you want your memories back, and I know it should be your choice,” Freya said softly.

I closed my eyes. “Freya.. I am astounded by how hard you’ve tried to protect my family, but you have also caused us a great deal of pain and suffering.”

Freya bowed her head. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Isla.”

I tried to remember Freya was my friend, at least once upon a time. I tried to remember the bright, rebellious child she’d been, the supportive companion. It was hard because now I saw that, but also someone who had destroyed my life. Our lives.

In the beginning. I never could have imagined our friendship turning out this way.

“Why are we doing this again?” I asked Freya as we hovered outside the castle kitchen.

“You said you wanted some tarts, and they won’t let you have any.” Freya replied with a shrug. “This is how we get them.”

“But isn’t this… stealing?” I said worriedly, wringing my hands.

Freya chuckled. “It’s only stealing if you get caught. Okay, now, remember, you’re going to be the distraction, and I’m going to grab the tarts. You like strawberry best, right?”

“Well… yes…” I said cautiously.

“Excellent. Okay, go on in. I’ll be right behind you.” Freya gave me a little push into the kitchen.

Cook looked down at me as I wandered in, frowning. “Young miss? What are you doing in here?”

“I was…” I stuttered. “I was just…” I gulped, remembering my assignment. I leaned back on the table and accidentally-not-so-accidentally knocked over a big bowl of flour.

A white cloud blossomed all over us, and Cook shouted.

“Ack, you clumsy, useless little thing! Get out of my kitchen!” She chased me with a ladle.

I didn’t have to be told twice. I ran out, white as a ghost with flour all over my dress and in my hair.

We reconvened in the garden, where Freya was sitting with a whole tray of tarts.

1 gaped at her. “Freya, you took the whole thing!”

Freya smacked her l*ps, licking blackberry off her fingers. “Yes, I did.”

“I thought we were just going to take a few!” I gasped.

Any job worth doing is worth doing all out,” Freya shrugged. She held out a strawberry

tart to me.

I sighed and sat down in the grass, taking the tart. “I’m going to be in so much trouble.”

“It’ll be okay. You’re like a princess or something,” Freya said.

I thought of telling her about my life for perhaps the thousandth time, but I kept my mouth shut. I munched on the strawberry tart instead, wondering if the sweet burst of flavor was going to be worth whatever punishment Father threw at me later.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Freya asked after a while.

“Sure,” I said. “What is it?”

“Can I… take the rest of these tarts home with me? My family we… sort of… ran out of food,” Freya whispered.

My heart squeezed. “Oh my, Freya! I’m so sorry. Please, take them.” I gave it some thought, then took a deep breath. “Take the silver tray, too.”

“What?!” Freya said. “Oh, no, Isla, I couldn’t! You already said you’re going to be in trouble…”

“That’s why you should take it. I mean, if I’m going to be in trouble anyway… like you said… might as well go all out,” I replied.

Freya stared at me a moment, then burst into tears. She hugged me tightly, and we ended up getting jam all over each other.

“Someday,” Freya said, “someday I’m going to do something to make all this up to you. You’re such a good friend, Isla. I’m going to be a good friend to you. You’ll see.”

I smiled at her. “You’re already a good friend, Freya. You don’t need to prove it to me.”

I would have said more, but there was shouting in the distance. I could hear my father bellowing over my stepmother’s screeching.

“You’d better go,” I said quickly.

Freya nodded and took the tray, dumping its contents into her satchel before scampering back over the wall with a tray in hand.

She had disappeared by the time my father found me.

“Isla,” he thundered. “What is this? I hear about you stealing tarts?”

“Goddess, just look at you!” A nalise added. “You’re filthy! You are absolutely hopeless as a lady of good breeding.”

I stared at the ground and didn’t say a word.

That was when Father began to hit me. It was the worst beating he’d ever given me. An alise even had to pull him off me.

I sobbed as I rolled into a protective ball, but inside, I felt at peace.

Today, Freya got to eat because of me.

“You were trying to keep your promise,” I said quietly. “That you’d show yourself to be a true friend.”

Freya looked positively miserable. “I didn’t do a very good job.”

1 gave a bitter laugh. “No, no, you didn’t.”

Freya hiccuped a s ob. “I don’t want to hurt you again, Isla, but I had to tell you I can probably lift the curse on your memories.”

“If you don’t end up killing me,” I added.

“Right,” Freya agreed.

“That’s… a bit of a pickle…” I murmured, trying to think of what I wanted.

“Freya Hallowshift, let me tell you, on no uncertain terms, are you to kill my wife,” Jamie growled, showing up suddenly with Bennett.

I turned to them. “How much of that did you hear?”

“Everything.” Jamie came to me and pulled me into his arms. “We’re doing just fine. I love you, and that’s all that matters.”

I sank into Jamie’s embrace, feeling the strain of the week drain away. If it hadn’t been for Margot’s disappearance, I would have been a puddle in his arms.

Jamie stroked my hair. “We’re doing just fine,” he repeated. “There is absolutely no reason to be taking such risks.”

“But what about my memory?” I asked.

“It’s not important. We’ll make new memories,” Jamie said.

My eyebrows drew together. “But… it’s important to me.”

Jamie shook his head and k*ssed my furrowed brow. “It’s not worth the risk. Let’s not talk about it anymore. I hear you were the one who ordered the Ashbluff army to side with us. in battle. Thank you.”

“I just… couldn’t think of you in danger,” I said softly. “Not when I could help.”

“You did help. A lot. Your order completely turned the tide of the battle. I know this place looks like a bit of a mess now, but the castle was saved,” Jamie continued.

I swallowed. “And Margot?”

Jamie looked sad. “Still no sign of her.”

Tears stung my eyes, and I pressed my face into Jamie’s shirt. “We have to find her.”

“I’ve sent out notices everywhere…” Jamie whispered.

“Me, too,” I replied.

Jamie took a deep breath. “We will pray to the Moon Goddess to find her. I refuse to believe we’ve lost her forever.”