Chapter 7: The Unspooling Weave

The sound of the teacup shattering and Mistress Glynnis’s cry of alarm carried to the courtyard gates. The waiting retainers and footmen looked at each other, their faces etched with uncertainty. Should they enter?

Lord Cassian, Lord Galen, Valerius, and Lord Yun Blackwood were approaching the gate and heard the commotion. Lord Cassian's expression tightened, and he quickened his pace. He was met by Glynnis, who emerged from the room, her manner frantic yet determined.

"My Lord, my Lady says it is late and she wishes to rest," she said, bowing low, a lie on her lips.

Lord Cassian frowned. "What was that sound? Is something wrong?" He peered past her, catching sight of the two figures moving within.

Glynnis lowered her head, her voice hushed. "The young lady feels that the young lord has put himself in great peril by coming here so recklessly."

Lord Cassian sighed in relief. It was merely a sibling quarrel. "They grew up together, but it has been so long since they were apart. They worry for each other," he said, and moved to enter the room. "Elara is injured, and Kael has traveled far. They must not quarrel."

Glynnis stepped forward again, blocking his path. "Yes, my Lord. I have already calmed them. They cried, and now they are well. The young lady wishes for the young lord to go to bed."

Lord Cassian was the master of the house, but in this private quarter, if the young lady did not grant permission, even her servants would dare to block him. He smiled faintly, not at all displeased. He had no time to be angry at a child or a maid.

"Elara knows best how to handle her brother," he said to Valerius and Lord Yun. "Let them be. You have all had a long journey. Get some rest. We will speak of this in the morning."

Valerius and Lord Yun bowed their heads in agreement. Lord Cassian summoned a steward to see to their men, then left. At the gate, only Mistress Glynnis and the Thorne household servants remained.

"You may all go rest," Glynnis said, her voice strained. She remained behind, alone in the silent courtyard. As the others departed, her calm facade finally broke. Her face, illuminated by the lantern light, was pale with fear and sorrow. She walked to the steps, wringing her hands. The young lady was truly wounded. She had seen it herself, the shocking, festering welts on her arm. She could only imagine what her face looked like. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Was it truly wise to keep this from the healers?

Inside the chamber, Kael looked at his sister as she made a bed for him on the floor. His face was just as pale as Glynnis’s. "Sister, are you certain you don't need a healer?" he asked again.

After the welts had appeared, Elara had quickly pulled down her sleeve, covering the horrifying sight. She had stopped their frantic questions and simply told them not to be afraid, that the injury was nothing. Now she turned and looked at Kael. He was trying to be brave, but the horror he had witnessed was too much for a child. His small body trembled uncontrollably.

"I am sure," Elara said, sitting on the bed. "This is not a wound that a healer can cure. It is not an injury at all."

Kael's panic receded, replaced by astonishment. "What is it, then?"

"I have consulted many healers," Elara said quietly. "Nothing has worked. For a long time, I had no idea what it was. But now, I have a theory."

Kael’s face was now completely calm. "What is it?"

"A curse," Elara said.

The fear vanished from Kael’s eyes, replaced by grim determination. As a boy of the Swordfall Marches, he was no stranger to dark magic and sorcery. "Then we only need to find the one who cast the malediction," he said, his voice resolute. "He must be nearby."

Elara smiled faintly, though her brother couldn’t see it. "Yes. So you see, a healer is useless. My wound must be solved by another means." She held out her hand to him.

Kael walked over immediately and knelt at her side. "Don't be afraid, Sister," he said. "We will find a way."

Elara nodded. "Now, go and rest. Get a good night's sleep. We will need our strength to solve this together."

Filled with new purpose, Kael went to wash his face. Lord Anson Thorne's children had never been afraid of danger or battle.

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The lamps were extinguished. A few moments later, a small snore could be heard from the bed. Elara, sitting at the edge, took her hand from his head. Outside, Glynnis saw that the light had gone out and extinguished the lanterns in the hallway before going to her own room. The whole courtyard was now a canvas of shadows.

Elara stood and walked to the window, letting her sleeve fall. In the darkness, she could not see the welts on her arm, but she could feel the burning pain. It was the worst it had been in a long time. The pain was spreading, and she knew there were more welts forming all over her body.

This was a direct result of what she had told Kael. She had lied to him. It was not a curse cast by an enemy. It was herself.

The pain, the welts, the unceasing agony, it was like a corpse putrefying. It was a bizarre theory, but the only one that fit. When she had first awoken, she had snuck away from the escort. She had only taken four people with her, and two were the loyal maids from her past, a pair of men who would obey her without question.

Soon after, a terrible storm had descended. She hadn't thought anything of it. But then a rockslide had killed all of her companions save for Master Bramwell. And then, when the sun came out, the light of day had burned her skin. She had rolled on the ground, screaming. She was burning, but there was no fire. She had gone to countless healers, but they were useless. They had no cure for a woman with no wound.

It was not a disease. It was the heavens themselves that were trying to kill her.

Her mind, which had become numb to pain, was now sharp with revelation. Everything that had happened, the storm, the rockslide, the burning sun, was the universe's rejection of her. She had come back from the Halls of the Dead. She was a revenant. The universe was trying to put her back in her place.

But she found a loophole. Her own life, the one she had returned from, was a script. If she followed it exactly, if she lived the same life and died the same death, then perhaps the universe would be fooled. She was a revenant, but she would become the Elara who lived and died at her appointed time.

When she had last spoken to Master Bramwell, she had been in immense pain. "Maybe," she had thought, "I should go back to Tarim and get this over with." The moment she had that thought, the pain stopped. The freezing cold from her chronal weaving took over, and the pain vanished. Her mind had become razor-sharp. She was on a string, and the moment she tried to cut it, she would die. But if she followed it, she would live.

She had made her plan. She would feign being lost and slowly make her way back to Riverbend Hold, all while pretending to be on her way to Tarim. The maps in her father’s library, which she had studied to pass the time in the future, served as her guide. The closer she got to Riverbend Hold, the less the pain flared.

It worked. As long as she followed the path of her destiny, the universe was willing to let her live. She was both overjoyed and sorrowful. To live now, she had to die later. Her death was inevitable. She could either be killed now, or die in ten years.

She felt the searing pain on her fingers. She looked to the window, seeing that the first light of dawn was touching the glass. She pulled her hand back into the shadows of the room.

"I will go to Tarim," she whispered to herself. "I will marry Lord Kaelan. But first, I will ensure my brother is safe." The pain receded, and the air grew cold around her.

Morning had broken fully. Kael, well-rested and looking much better, emerged from the room with Glynnis at his side. He told the waiting family elders that his sister was fine and did not need a healer. No one truly believed him, but Lord Cassian just smiled and nodded. "That is good. We are glad."

The elders looked past Kael to the closed door, where a faint scent of herbs lingered. Glynnis looked to Lord Yun Blackwood, and bowed. "My Lady wishes to thank you for bringing the young lord home."

Lord Yun nodded. "It was my duty. Tell your Lady to rest and recover."

Glynnis bowed again, then turned to look for Valerius, her face now stern. "Valerius," she called out, her voice different from the deference she had shown to Lord Yun. Valerius stepped forward and knelt, his eyes on the floor. "The young lady asks what our Lord had instructed you to do."

Valerius's voice was firm. "To see to the young lady's and the young lord's safety and well-being."

Glynnis continued, her tone sharp. "Then why did you bring the young lord with you? The journey was perilous, and you could not guarantee their safety."

Valerius did not argue. "I am at fault."

The courtyard went silent. Lord Cassian cleared his throat. He was displeased with Valerius as well, but he would not chastise a man in front of his peers. "This was a reckless choice, Valerius, but I believe it was a well-meaning one. Elara, do not be angry. Your health is the most important thing."

"Yes, Uncle, you are right," Elara's voice came from behind the door. "Thank you, Uncle Galen, for your assistance on the journey."

Lord Galen was surprised by her gratitude. "It was nothing! We are family!"

Elara did not respond further. Kael, seeing that the confrontation was over, took his uncle's hand. "I am well-rested now. I will go see my grandmother."

Lord Cassian had two sons and two daughters, but he was not used to physical contact with his children. He was shocked when the ten-year-old child grabbed his hand, especially given the Thornes' reserved demeanor. Kael had been taken from the family so early and had lived so far away. He was a stranger to them all. But now, without a father, he had nowhere else to turn.

Lord Cassian smiled, a genuine smile this time. He squeezed Kael's hand. "Your grandmother will be so happy, she'll eat two extra bowls of rice."

Kael had a good night's sleep, but the elders had not. Lord Cassian took Kael to see his grandmother, and Lord Galen went to eat with Lord Yun. Valerius followed the steward to the servants' quarters. The steward's eyes held a mixture of sympathy and condescension.

Valerius paid no mind. His heart, which had been troubled for days, was now at peace. He had been publicly reprimanded, but her words were the most reassuring he could have received. Her voice was calm and steady, meaning her mind was stable. She had scolded him for bringing Kael, not for coming herself. She needed him, and she approved of his loyalty. She had even said that no one could guarantee a safe journey, meaning that she knew she was in danger, and she had faced it.