You Are Mine (Mine #1)(81)

Katherine sits across from me in my room, looking at me with her big, dark eyes. Suddenly, I don't want to tell her. I want her free from the burden life has forced on her. It's a false hope. I have to say something.

“Two days ago I went to a council meeting.” And had four shooting lessons since that time. It's been a busy week. Not the type of business I prefer. The metal piece is strapped to my leg. But even with the lessons, I doubt it will help Zade, or Katherine.

Her eyes widen. “How did you manage that?”

“I asked Chancellor Zade to take me a while back and he finally consented.” I choke down the regret I feel for doing so.

“He consented? I didn't think a woman would ever go to a meeting and live to tell about it.”

I cock my head. “What do you mean?”

“You were there, did you see what happened to the tarnished?”

“I tried not to.” She already knows? “But how do you know it was a woman? How do you know about it at all?”

“Tarnished get taken whenever it's time for a meeting. When that happens, you get good at knowing about it and making sure you're not around,” she says. “And it's always a woman. Always.”

“Why a woman?”

“I'm guessing it has to do with magic. Some tarnished women have magic in their blood, no tarnished men do.”

Magic in our blood. We can't use it, but the warlocks can. I remember the strange glow to the Grand Chancellor's skin after the sacrifices and Zade taking my blood during the ceremony. Didn't he say something about being more powerful after that? No wonder they want wives with lots of magic flowing through their veins. Or tarnish them and later use them as a sacrifice. How much more powerful will they become after draining our full life's blood?

Katherine says, “What was the rest of the meeting like?”

It takes me a moment to think of anything other than women being used for a power they can't access. “Horrid. Rather like my engagement ceremony, but not centered on me. Annabelle joined the meeting a little way into it. It was good to have the support of someone else, though we weren't next to each other.”

“Two of you were there? That changes things even more.”

“Probably not. I don't think we'll go again.” How could I risk Zade's life more? And I don't want to keep being around sacrifices. But I do want to stop it. There's just no way that I can. “They did discuss something that will affect you and I wanted to make sure you knew.”

Her face pales. “A law?”

“Yes. Revised from what they originally wanted, but it's passed.”

Her hands tighten around the arms of her chair. “How bad is it?”

I explain the law as best I can. “It's not mandatory yet.”

She puts the back of her hand to her mouth. “Might as well be.”

“Chancellor Zade thinks it'll be the beginning of stricter laws. Are you—”

Before I finish, Katherine rushes to the washing bowl and retches. For a moment, I'm stunned into immobilization. Once I'm over the shock, I pour a glass of water and take it to her.

“I should have broken the news more gently. I'm sorry.”

She takes a sip. “It's not the news. Perhaps in part, I've been expecting it. It's just—” she drops into the closest chair. “I'm not a tarnished.”

I stare at her.

She's not a tarnished?

It can't be. Can it?

“How's that even possible?”

She gives a half-hearted smile. “You'd better sit, you look worse than I feel.”

My legs carry me to a chair. “Your marks are fake?”

“It hurt enough getting them to be real, but yes, by tarnished standards, they're fake.”

“And your hair?”

“Shaved clean every morning.”

“How can you not be a tarnished? You look just like one. You work and live in their section of town. Why would you do that if you're not one of them?”

“It's a long story.”

“You can't tell me you're not tarnished without explaining. Please, tell me.”

She sighs. “Father chose an old warlock to marry me. A really old warlock. Lots of money and power. He lived in another town. It was unlikely I'd see mother again. Plus, he smelled something fierce. Like rotting vegetables. So I ran away.”

“You ran?” I slap my hand onto my chest. “Running never crossed my mind. How did you consider it an option?”

“One of the servants ran off when I was a little girl. It never left my memory. They caught her and hung her, but I always wished she had gotten away. When the chance came, I took it. Had I known what waited on the streets, I would have married the smelly old man.” She shudders. “Now, I'm glad for the choice. Despite the hard work, I'm free as any woman can be in this country.” Her voice cracks. “And after everything, it's going to end.”

I switch to the chair next to hers and squeeze her hand. “We'll figure something out. Is this why you were upset when we came to visit?”

She nods.

It must have been hard dealing with this and no one to talk to. “You spoke of helping me escape once, could we make that work for you?”