‘I am sorry, dear,’ she said to no one. ‘It looks like you won’t get to stay home long after all.’
Epilogue
Syline turned to and fro before the mirror one last time, inspecting herself for any last flaws. Nerves plucked and played with her heart, sending it fluttering in her chest.
‘Are you sure this dress is okay?’ she asked Alexis beside her, looking at her maid in the mirror.
‘This is the third dress, Syline. Yes, I’m certain,’ Alexis said with an exasperated sigh and a chuckle. ‘You look absolutely beautiful, trust me.’
It had been two weeks since the battle in Jane’s manor. An investigation had begun, but it very quickly ended when Gehrman came forward and explained who Jane had been, along with all of his wife’s crimes. Others throughout the city had started funnelling to the watch to report their own entrancement by the vampire, including a fair few critical members of the city watch itself. Thelonious and Amberly were staying in the guest rooms of the Petranski manor; the party was unable to leave just yet, for the king wished to thank them formally. Thelonious had been paid far more handsomely by Syline’s family for protecting her than the girl herself had ever dared to promise. Syline had come forward with the spell-book, and – due in part to a plea from Anatoly – was allowed to keep her valuable tome as a well-earned reward from the king… after all the illegal spells had been blotted out, of course. She’d been ecstatic, nonetheless.
‘You should trust her on that, Syline. She’s right,’ said Magdova, sneaking in through the door of Syline’s room.
Syline sighed, forcing herself to quell her worries beneath the praise. She wore a light, sky-blue dress and a matching cloak with white furs hung around her shoulders. Her waist-length, black hair was tied into a braid just like her mother’s, pinned with her platinum family seal to keep her loose fringe out of her face. She stared at herself in the mirror for a few moments longer, before Magdova spoke up again.
‘Syline, the carriage man is waiting. If you fret any longer, you’ll be late.’
Syline looked to Alexis, alarm racing through her as she ran to grab her satchel.
‘You said I still had twenty minutes!’ she exclaimed as she threw it over her shoulder.
‘That was twenty-five minutes and three dresses ago,’ Alexis replied with a snicker, stepping forward to adjust the strap of the satchel before giving her a kiss on the cheek. ‘You look beautiful, I promise. Don’t worry so much.’
Syline smiled softly and gave her maid a quick hug and kiss on the cheek in return. ‘Thank you for putting up with me.’
‘Always,’ her dear friend cooed as Syline pulled away to give her sister a kiss and hug as well.
‘Now remember, Syline, a kiss on the first date is fine, but mother will have both your hides if you wind up in his bed,’ Magdova said, a cheeky grin on her face as she squeezed her older double. A huge blush rose on Syline’s features and she let out a grand harrumph before stomping her way out of her bedroom, followed by the cackles of her sister and servant.
At the front door, she was met by Kat and Kassandra Jr. Both sat in chairs by the window, watching their mother and father sparring in the yard.
They looked over as Syline approached.
‘Excited?’ Kat asked.
‘Terrified, more like.’
Kat laughed. ‘You’ve faced down a vampire powered by the blood of a god but going on a date terrifies you. Gods, I hope you never change, Syl. Have a good time, okay? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.’
‘Thanks, Ulri,’ Syline said, leaning down to kiss her sister on the cheek, giving one to Kassandra as well, who wrapped her arms tight around Syline’s shoulders for a few moments. She’d been clingy to her ever since she’d come home. She hadn’t even realised how attached her youngest sister was to her.
‘You’re not leaving again, right?’ she asked quietly, pressing her cheek to Syline’s.
‘Not anytime soon, and when I do, you’ll know where I’m going. Father will be with me as well this time, so you know for sure I’ll be coming back. I’m not going to disappear again, I promise. I love you, Kass.’
‘I love you too, big sister.’
Syline beamed at her, pulling away and walking into the yard.
Her parents were clashing blades as she stepped out. Her mother, the picture of a duellist: slim, tall, and as quick as a viper. Her father, Peter, a powerful bear of a man. He had a glorious, black beard and long hair that hung like a mane off his shoulders. He fought with a blunted longsword, struggling to land a single hit on his wife as she tapped him again and again, her darting sabre sneaking by his guard every time. Syline paused to watch the pair of them and they came to a halt seeing her standing there.
‘So, you’re off, little sparrow?’ her mother asked, panting hard and sheathing her blade as she stepped towards her.
‘Mhmn!’ Syline squeaked, feeling small by her mother and father, like a child again before the gaze of the two veterans.
‘Let me know if he gives you any trouble,’ her mother said, ‘I’ll punish his commander for you.’ She grinned back at her husband as he stepped over, smiling.
‘Ioann is a fine young man, Kassandra! Considering Syline’s adventures, I’d say she’s the one we need to worry about being trouble. She’s definitely your daughter.’ He laughed, leaning down to kiss Syline on the forehead and pulling her in tight to his chest.
Her father had returned a few days after the battle against Jane to find his wife well on the mend. Ulrik, Kat’s twin brother had come home with him, but the younger ones were still far afield with other platoons. He’d decided now was as good a time as any to take a little holiday and spend some time with his wife and daughters until Kassandra had fully recovered from the wasting the poison had brought upon her.
‘That she is! I never thought it’d be you who was the adventurous one amongst your sisters, but I couldn’t be prouder. But you should get going, dear, because that’s the coachman’s third smoke. Anymore and the ride over will ruin your perfume.’
Syline had meant to just give her parents a few quick words of thanks and love before she ran to the waiting carriage, but as she went to leave, her mother caught her by the wrist. She pulled her back and gave her another swift hug.
‘Before you leave.’ She reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a slim little black box. Syline felt her breath catch in her throat. ‘I think defeating Jane is a little more impressive than Magdova, however fine a duellist your sister might be.’ She opened the box and removed the silver hair pin, twin to the one Syline had been given before all her adventures began. She slipped it into her daughter’s hair and kissed her gently on the cheek. ‘Go on then, before I start crying again.’
Syline giggled and squeezed her mother once more before finally pulling away and climbing into the carriage, doing her best to waft away the smoke. She called to the driver that she was ready to set off and, with a crack of the reins, off they went into the city, heading for the finest cafe – in Ioann’s opinion – for the pair to finally have coffee together, as they had promised before all the drama began.
Pulling up at the front of the cafe, which faced the king’s palace in the large public square before it, she saw Ioann stand up from a table outside and walk over to open the door for her. Syline had always thought the gentleman and the weak lady act was very silly, but when someone was doing it for her – especially someone like Ioann – it left her a little giddy, just for the thought of him putting in that extra effort for her. She wasn’t the only one who had dressed up for the occasion: Ioann wore a handsome, sleeveless red tailcoat over a white shirt with red, slitted sleeves and tight, black dress pants. It was the first time she’d seen him wearing a shirt. His severed arm had the sleeve pinned up against his shoulder.
He opened the door for Syline and offered her his remaining arm to help her down from the carriage, which Syline took, trying not to giggle if only from the butterflies fluttering about her stomach.
‘You look beautiful today, Syline,’ Ioann told her, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. The butterflies multiplied tenfold and a nervous giggle escaped Syline, getting a curious look from him, even as she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek in return.
‘You look very handsome yourself.’
