Page 35 of The Ashborn

As she shut the door, Calder called for Kienna again. “That chip carving you did on the table,” he mumbled. Kienna turned back to him. “Where did you see that pattern before?”

“I didn’t,” she said. “It was the first thing that came to my mind.”

Calder’s eyes shifted to the corner of the room. “It used to be a beacon of hope to the city. A symbol for the broken that help is coming.”

“Why did they need a beacon?” Kienna inched further into the room. “Was it tied to the rebellion?”

Calder cut directly to her. “The Elvish silenced that for a reason. You be careful not to talk about it anymore.”

Kienna shook her head, dropping to her knees near the bed. “Why was there a rebellion?”

The old man’s brows squeezed into the middle of his face. He almost looked amused beneath the hard center. “Maybe it’s the day’s sobriety talking, but I’m warning you not to explore the rebellion any further. It’s one of the reasons the Great War happened.”

“You can’t give me any more than that?”

This was the conversation she’d been waiting for, the one that hinted the woodcarver could be someone more. Elowen spoke briefly about the rebellion as well before quickly shifting to other topics. It never resurfaced naturally. She’d been so eager to get them back on their feet before her husband came home. Whatever she was involved in, it was clear that Kienna and Moira’s presence strained things.

“Listen, girl⁠—”

“Kienna.”

“The Elvish weren’t blameless in this war. They were brutal rulers. Human blood was tolerated only so far as we served a purpose. Any other creatures that shared this land were pushed out. We weren’t slaves, but given enough time, we could have been.” Calder shook his head, gently shoving Kienna away. “I’d like to sleep before I decide to go home and drink.”

Kienna stood from the floor. She glanced back at him once more, then shut the door, leaving him to rest.

Chapter 13

—Moira—

Moira padded softly into the kitchen to make herself some tea. It was early in the morning, but she couldn’t help but smile at the rising sun as it kissed the city. She put a hand to her chest, startled at the sight of Tislin standing in the shadows with a steaming cup already prepared. “Morning. What are you doing?”

Tislin gave her a soft smile. “Kienna is running through the city.”

“Why’s she doing that?” Moira asked, crossing the room and taking the cup gratefully from Tislin. Sipping it, the warm, zesty liquid soothed her soul.

“I’m not sure, but I did not want to leave you alone with the old man.”

“That’s rather kind of you.” Moira caressed the soft, linen dress covering her stomach. A bump had formed, enough now to struggle to keep her pregnancy a secret for much longer. She was fortunate enough to be out of the morning sickness, though she craved odd things from time to time that caught too much attention. Now and then, Kienna stared at her too long. Moira wondered if she was piecing it together yet, or if she thought that Moira might be gaining weight.

As the morning flowed through the city, Kienna still hadn’t returned, and the old man in her room remained asleep, much to Moira’s relief. He’d been there for two days, sleeping most of the time, but his mood worsened when he awoke.

A knock at the door tore their attention from each other. Moira told herself it was for the best. With looks like that, she’d fall straight into his arms. She cleared her throat before answering the door. Elowen held a basket of apples, her hair pinned back in multiple directions with a large bun on top of her head. A small rodent-like creature sat on her shoulders.

“Hello, dear,” she said, her voice too chipper for the early hour. “I was out picking apples and figured the sweetness would be good for the baby.”

Moira shushed her. “Kienna doesn’t know.”

“Well,” Elowen glanced inside. “I don’t see Kienna.”

The door at the bottom of the stairs swung open as Kienna appeared, covered in sweat. She met Elowen’s gaze and smiled faintly, though the dark rings under her eyes indicated she had probably slept only briefly, if at all.

“Look, Kienna,” Moira said, matching Elowen’s chipper tone. “Apples!”

She gave the same worn look. Moira worried about her. They slept on separate sides of the house, but Moira still heard her scream in the night and how she rummaged through the dark to stay busy. She couldn’t pretend to know what Kienna saw in her lifetime that she hadn’t. She only wished she could help.

As Kienna passed Elowen to squeeze inside, Moira put her hands on her shoulder. “I can brush your hair while you try to sleep.”

“I’m okay,” she said quickly, though she hesitated.