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Back The Midnight Lie
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. EPILOGUE
  57. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  58. Also by Marie Rutkoski
  59. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  60. Newsletter Sign-up

The woman’s wings were not, like Madame Mere’s, made from silk, but from skin. I shuddered.

“What’s wrong?” Sid said.

“It’s not fair.” I felt near tears.

“What isn’t? Tell me.”

I thought of the men who leaned into each other in the ballroom, how I had been jealous and yet still afraid for them, tensing for some blow that might fall, because no one in the Ward could do what they did.

I thought of Annin, who was starving for just a little bit of beauty.

I thought of Morah, who hadn’t even been able to keep her own child, and Raven, who had to live with the guilt of taking Morah’s baby from her because she had thought it was for the best, because the Ward was no place to raise a child.

I thought of everyone who went to prison and never came back. Of all the parents whose children had vanished.

Of me, so used to being trapped that I was afraid of being free.

Of me, laughing in my dress that was many dresses, enchanted by everything that I had never had.

“Do you want to leave?” Sid’s voice was anxious.

I nodded.

We pushed our way out into the courtyard. The stars were fading. Dawn was creeping into the sky.

“You are worrying me,” Sid said. “Please talk to me.”

“They have everything.”

Her face grew quiet. “Yes,” she said.

“I want to take it from them.”

“Of course you do.”

“I will. Promise me you will help.”

Sid paused. “We don’t know what it is.”

“I don’t care if it’s magic or science. You said that if I helped you find its secret, you would give me what I want. I want you to help me take it from the High Kith and give it to the Ward. Will you?”

“Yes.”

“Promise me.”

“I swear by the gods.”

“You don’t believe in the gods.”

“I believe it means something to swear by them.”

“That’s not good enough.”

“What is?”

“Swear by your parents. Swear on their lives.”

Sid’s face got tight. She shook her head. “I swear on my own.”

40

A COOL MORNING BEFORE A hot day holds a sweet freshness. The gray dawn gave in to the coming sun as we walked home, the wind gentle in my hair, slipping over my skin like water. Pink heated the sky. I could feel the promise of a blazing day, and the breeze, like a friend, giving me what it could.