Fourth Interlude: Loyalty
Blackthorn Manor was dark and silent, but it wasn’t empty. Erin had been at the door for only a few moments before it swung inwards, revealing a stern-faced servant.
Chapter 4: Part 6 - Ruses and Lies
The carriage ride was cramped and uncomfortable. Erin was certain Ruby had chosen the smallest vehicle possible, just to spite her. They sat across from one another, the curtains closed and Ruby’s eyes glinting in the darkness. The girl managed to look both comfortable enough to fall asleep and yet ready to stab someone as quickly as blinking. Erin, on the other hand, was forced to pull her knees up almost to her chest.
Chapter 3: Part 8 - The Family Motto
There had been times in Oska’s life when he’d questioned his choice of profession. What use was skulking in the shadows when he couldn’t show off his skills? What use were daggers and tools when his parents kept him at home? Most of all, what was the use of being a thief when he couldn’t protect those he loved?
Chapter 2: Part 8 - When The Time Is Right
Taria Valpari was almost exactly as Erin had expected. She was tall, regal, and as commanding as a battlefield general. She also had grey hair and very pale green eyes, with high cheekbones and perfect teeth; she looked, in other words, exactly like Marissa would look in fifty years time.
Chapter 2: Part 7 - Two Rich Idiots
After a full day in Divinity’s Reach, Erin knew she was trying to do the impossible. There were traces of Taria Valpari everywhere she looked, but setting up a meeting with her people in the city was about as easy as climbing an ice cliff with carrots instead of picks. In other words, frustrating, glacially slow, and ultimately pointless.
Chapter 1: Part 9 - Family Reunion
If Erin had pictured the home of the Valpari matriarch, it would have looked exactly like Blackthorn Manor. The grey stone walls, the soaring turrets, the crenellations and grand front doors. Apart from its tall windows, looking back at them like blank eyes, it was surprisingly defensible. It even had a moat, if only at the front.
Chapter 1: Part 8 - The Top of the World
Once, Oska had known his grandmother’s house like the back of his hand. Blackthorn Manor was an imposing edifice in southern Queensdale, but it was also relatively secluded; visitors to Claypool often never realised it was nearby. It had been the perfect summer retreat for rowdy Valpari children and their frazzled parents, which meant Oska could remember sun-baked days running across the lawns and swimming in the lake. It had seemed idyllic.