"How do you feel?" Maya kissed Avery's forehead and rubbed her back. They were lying in the bed in Avery's room, a stack of blankets piled on them, and Avery snuggled closer to her sister.
"Better. What time is it?"
"I'm not sure. Early morning – the sun is about to rise," Maya replied. "You've been asleep for hours."
"Is Sophia all right?" Avery asked.
"She's fine. In fact, she's better than fine. Marshall stopped by last night and said she had eaten a large dinner and she was running around the living room, trying to goad Tristan into chasing her."
Avery smiled. "Good. Has – has Tristan come by?"
Maya shook her head. "No, dearest. I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Avery tried to sound cheerful. "There was no reason for him to check anyway.
He knew you would take care of me."
Maya smoothed Avery's hair back from her forehead and rubbed the smear of dirt away.
"Marshall told me yesterday morning that you were going to the Barton's household by the end of the week." Tears slipped down her cheeks. "Dearest, why did you not tell me?"
"I was going to tell you today, Maya. I swear," Avery replied.
"Why are you leaving?" Maya said. "Mrs. Lanning is no longer the head of the household. Marian will be good to you and treat you fairly. I know she will."
Avery sighed. "It's not about Mrs. Lanning, Maya. You know it isn't. I love him and I cannot watch him live his life with another. He has agreed to sell me to the Bartons, and I am glad. They are close enough that I will still be able to see you from time to time, and Mrs. Barton has already agreed to let me come back for your wedding."
"Marshall and I will be married in a month. Can you not ask Tristan to let you stay until then? Surely the Bartons can wait another month."
Avery shook her head. "They are expecting me in a few days. Besides, if I have to spend another moment watching Victoria and Tristan together, I will go mad."
"He doesn't love her. He loves you," Maya said.
"No, he does not." Avery smiled at her baby sister.
"He does," she insisted. "I have seen the way he looks at you. If you tell him that you love
him, I know he will confess his love for you."
"He already knows," Avery said. "And it has not moved him to confess any type of feeling
for me in return."
"Oh, Avery." Maya gave her a look of pity and Avery shook her head.
"It's fine, Maya. Do not look at me that way. My life since the slave house is turning out
better than expected, is it not? I will be treated well at the Bartons, and I will still get to see you from time to time. That is all I need."
"Avery, that isn't enough. It hurts me to see you settling this way. You need to fight for Tristan. I don't care what you say – he has feelings for you. If Daddy could see you now, could see you just giving up like this, he'd be so ashamed of you. He always said you were the strongest person he knew. Do you really want to -"
"Enough, Maya!" Avery ripped away from Maya's arms and sat up in the bed, resting her arms on her raised knees and staring out the window at the grey light of dawn.
"I do not wish to hear you speak on matters you know nothing about." She ignored the hurt look on Maya's face. "You are normal. You have a good man who loves you very much and would do anything for you. You will bear his children and grow old together, and I am truly happy for you. Please believe me that I am. But don't you dare tell me that I am weak or giving up when I have to live with the knowledge that I will spend the rest of my life as a slave, bound to serve another without any rights or choices. That I will live the rest of my life wanting and loving a man I will never have and knowing that he is sharing his life with another. I am choosing to find joy in your happiness, and in finding a home that will treat me well and not burn me at the stake for witchcraft. That is not weakness."
"Avery, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said you were weak," Maya said.
Avery stared moodily out the window. "I believe with all my heart that Daddy would be proud of me for making the best of this new life, and not wallowing in self-pity."
"He would, Avery. I know it. I should not have said what I did. I am just upset at the thought of you leaving. We have never been apart before."
"You will be fine." Avery allowed Maya to put her arm around her. "Besides, we will not be that far apart. You will just have to convince Marshall to bring you to visit me often. I will be lonely without you."
"I will, Avery. I promise," Maya said.
"Victoria, what you're suggesting is madness." Hendrick frowned at her.
"Is it, brother? Think about what I'm saying. The Red has some kind of healing power. Imagine if she had a child, a Lycan child, with that kind of power."
Hendrick hesitated. "Lycans have their own healing powers."
"Not like this," Victoria replied.
"So what?" Hendrick said. "She can heal but what of it? How will that benefit me?"
"Are you kidding?" Victoria said. "Imagine if she bore you a child who could heal the way
she can. A Lycan who could heal with nothing more than a touch? Your child would be the most famous Lycan in the world. Think of the money you could make, of the power you would gain. Others, humans and Lycans alike, would flock to you for help in healing their loved ones. You could charge any price you wanted, and they would pay it to keep their precious ones alive."
Hendrick stared at her for a moment before his tanned face broke out into a wide grin. "Money and power have always been very appealing to me."
She grinned back at him. "You are attracted to the Red and with time and," she paused, "proper discipline, she will be more than willing to please you. She is young and could easily bear you many children. If you're lucky, more than one of them will have the same powers as their mother. And if they don't, you can always use the Red's powers to better your situation."
Hendrick stared thoughtfully out the window of his bedroom. "But she has already been sold to the Bartons. And I do not think your Tristan would give her to me anyway." He glanced at her. "He fancies the Red."
Victoria scowled. "The Bartons have not paid for her yet. And he fancies her only because she is a novelty to him. Once she is out of his sight, he will completely forget about her."
"Are you so sure about that?" Hendrick raised his eyebrow at her.
"Aye," Victoria snapped. "I will please him better than the Red ever could. I just need her away from Tristan, and both you and I know that the Bartons is not far enough. It is only a few hours ride from here, and I don't want to take any chances that Tristan will be able to see her whenever he likes. If she were to go with you, the long journey to your home will soon cool his desire for her."
"How will you convince him to sell the Red to me?" Hendrick asked. "Even you are not so naive to think that he will just hand her over."
"Dear brother," Victoria gave him an arrogant look, "it is simply a matter of telling a few lies."
Hendrick smiled a little. "Something you seem to excel at."
Victoria smoothed her dress down. "I have convinced Tristan to go riding with me alone this afternoon. While we are gone, you will tell the Red that Tristan changed his mind and agreed to sell her to you. Then you will leave with her before we return. I will tell Tristan that the Red attacked me during a fit of jealousy, and out of concern for my safety you agreed to take her to your household."
Hendrick pursed his lips. "Can you be convincing enough?"
Victoria smiled and withdrew a small, sharp dagger from the pocket of her dress. "Trust me, Hendrick. I'll be very convincing. Just make sure that you do your part and are gone with the Red before we get back."