She was truly doomed.
Chapter Five
The twin moons gleamed in the night sky, and Luciana sent a silent prayer to Luna and Lessa, beseeching the goddesses to watch over her sisters. The storm had long passed on to the mainland, leaving in its wake a calm sea.
She knew she should be at the front of the ship, looking forward to her new life. But her heart had drawn her aft, where she could gaze in the direction of the Isle of Moon. She’d left home that morning, but already she missed her sisters something fierce.
When she’d first broken the news that she was leaving, they’d reacted angrily and had refused to talk to her for a few hours. Then Maeve had started crying, and soon they were all hugging and crying. Ever faithful, her sisters had vowed to help her prepare for her new life.
Over the following days, her father taught her to speak like an Eberoni. Her sisters learned, too, so they could help her practice. Several of the nuns had come from Eberon, so they were enlisted to assist. One sister, a former noblewoman, had been to court, so she taught Luciana how to do the court dances and dress in Tatiana’s gowns.
When the ground had dried enough, they buried Tatiana. Luciana had wept, not so much for her sister, since Tatiana’s ghost spent each day tormenting her. No, she had wept for her father, who was grieving deeply.
Luciana shuddered whenever she thought about the headstone that marked her sister’s grave. It had been engraved with the name LUCIANA.
She was now Tatiana. Tatiana Vintello, the Lady of Vindalyn. On the morrow, they would arrive at the castle of Vindemar on the coast of the Southern Sea.
But her heart remained with her sisters. They had wanted to write to each other, but her father had warned them that too much correspondence would look suspicious. Every three months, he bought books from the convent and paid for them by sending cases of wine. That was how he’d communicated with Mother Ginessa over the years, and it was the safest way for Luciana to keep in touch with her sisters. But three months seemed like an eternity to them, so they devised a secret plan that would allow them to exchange letters soon after Luciana’s arrival.
Now, twelve days later, she was on board a ship, wondering if she would ever see her sisters again. Grief tore at her, and the words of the Song of Mourning filled her mind. Women on the Isle of Moon sang it whenever they lost their men at sea, but it seemed fitting since she’d lost those who were dearest to her heart.
Facing the Isle of Moon, she sang softly. “My true love lies in the ocean blue. My true love sleeps in the sea. Whenever the moons shine over you, please remember me.”
“Keep singing like an islander, and they’ll kill you for sure,” a soft voice said behind her.
Luciana spun around to find Tatiana smirking at her. She glanced around quickly to make sure they were alone, then whispered, “What are you doing here?”
With a shrug, Tatiana glided up to the railing. “Did you expect me to stay where I was buried?”
“Well, yes, actually.”
“How could I spend eternity at that boring place? All they ever talk about are books. And all that praying—” Tatiana shuddered. “They don’t even have any men there!”
“It’s called a convent.”
Tatiana scoffed. “More like hell. Wait till you see all the guards at Vindemar. Sometimes, in the heat of summer, they practice wrestling without their shirts.”
“Why haven’t you tried passing into the Realm of the Heavens? You could be at peace—”
“Boring!” Tatiana interrupted. “Besides, I can’t watch you fail if I don’t tag along. Do me a favor, will you, and wear my blue brocade gown to your execution? The blue matches the color of our eyes, and I’d like everyone to remember me looking my prettiest.”
Luciana gripped the railing. “Why are ye so eager for me self to fail?”
“Because it’s not fair! You get to sleep in my bed and wear my gowns—”
“And for that, ye want me to die?” Luciana gave her an incredulous look. “Do ye even know how petty ye sound?”
“Sound?” Tatiana stomped a foot silently. “I can’t make a sound at all! I’m dead! And you’re alive. Why shouldn’t that make me angry?”
Luciana took a deep breath. She was letting her frustration cause her speech to slip, something she couldn’t afford to do once they landed at Vindalyn. Even now, it would be bad for any of the ship’s crew to hear her accent or wonder why she was talking to an empty space.
She lowered her voice to a whisper. “No one wanted you to die. Don’t you realize that if I fail, our father will, too? Do you want to see him executed alongside me?”
Tatiana frowned.
“You could help me so much. For our father’s sake.”
“What can I do? I’m dead. My only consolation is I no longer have to marry the Beast.” She slanted a sly smile at Luciana. “Now you have the honor of being his bride.”
A chill skittered down Luciana’s spine. “Why is he called the Beast?”
“He’s a monster.” Tatiana leaned close and whispered, “I heard he killed his nanny and his mother.”
Luciana gasped.
“They say he’s murdered hundreds. Thousands, even.” Tatiana’s eyes gleamed. “All he has to do is touch them and poof! They’re dead. You’ll be lucky if you live through the wedding night.”
“That can’t be true.” How could someone’s touch kill?