Chapter 12

Aaden and Evander had been plaguing their home for two whole weeks and Lilith couldn't wait for the day when they would finally leave. Neither of them seemed to have any intention of doing so, though, nor did her father seem to have any intention of sending them away, despite Lilith's best efforts to cause a rift among them.

It had been a week since she had caught Evander with the maid and Lilith had spent every single one of those days battling with herself, trying to decide whether she should tell Freya the truth. Every time she saw her with Evander, the two of them acting like a lovesick couple, a terrible nausea gripped her and she had to leave the room before it all spilled out of her like a flood, pulling everything along in its stride.

She couldn't even face Aaden anymore. Any affection she had had for him had now dissipated entirely, leaving behind nothing but hatred and the bitter taste of his betrayal. She regretted ever trusting him, opening herself up to him and expecting him to understand when in reality, he was just like his cousin. Why else would he defend Evander? Why else would he take his side instead of telling Freya the truth?

Lilith glanced at her sister, who sat across from her in the morning room, embroidering on a piece of cloth under the scant sunlight that streamed into the room through the large windows. She was perfectly happy, perfectly unaware, and Lilith's chest ached more and more with every passing day as she thought about the future that was to befall her.

She had said nothing to her in the week that had passed since the incident, mainly because regardless of what she had told Evander, she feared that Freya wouldn't believe her. She was so taken with him, so in love that anything Lilith could tell her would fall on deaf ears. When Freya loved, she loved fiercely and she was quick to trust people, even when they didn't deserve it.

A book lay abandoned in Lilith's lap, her fingers marking the page she had last read, though she could hardly remember the story. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Freya trying to get her attention until she waved a hand in front of her face, calling her name in an insistent tone that suggested she had called her several times before.

"What?" Lilith asked, blinking up at her in surprise.

"I said why are ye starin'?" Freya sat back down on the plush couch, but she put her embroidery aside, focusing her attention on Lilith instead, much to her chagrin. What could Lilith tell her that wouldn't sound strange? "What is on yer mind?"

"Naething," Lilith said, but she hardly sounded convincing.

"Is it Aaden?" Freya asked with a mischievous smirk.

In a way, she was right, but not for the reason she hoped. Lilith knew how much Freya wanted her to like Aaden and she wouldn't stop until she either got what she wanted, or Lilith gave her a good reason why she couldn't.

I must tell her the truth. She needs tae ken.

Even so, she didn't speak. Every time she tried to force the words out, they died on her tongue and Freya was none the wiser.

This time, Freya didn't press for an explanation. Instead, something seemed to catch her attention and she looked out of the window, lips splitting into a wide grin. There was only one person who could make her smile like that, Lilith knew, and she stood with a sigh, making her way over to the window to see Evander and Aaden there, waving up at them. Evander even had the gall to wink at Freya and Aaden followed his lead, doing the same to Lilith.

Bastards.

With a decisive flick of her wrist, she closed the curtain.

"Lilith!" Freya protested, hands thrown up in exasperation. "Why are ye so rude? What has Aaden done tae deserve this treatment?"

I must tell her the truth. I must.

And yet the thought that Evander would tell everyone about her night with Aaden stopped her in her tracks. She didn't care about her own reputation, but she cared about Freya's. Her sister wanted to find love more than anything else and Lilith couldn't do anything that would jeopardize her future like this.

She had no doubt Evander would deliver on his threat to expose them if she told everyone the truth. For that moment of weakness, she was now paying the price.

Instead of telling Freya the truth, she scrabbled to find an excuse. In the end, she settled for, "I think he is tryin' too hard tae win me affections. I thought the song he sang was a nice gesture, but he is too eager."

"Too eager?" Freya scoffed, resting her hands on her hips as she gave Lilith an unimpressed look. "Dae ye hear yerself? Too eager? How can it be a bad thing that he likes ye?"

"I dinnae ken his motives."

In fact, despite what Aaden had told her, she had begun to question his motives once more. It had been easy to believe in the moment that he truly found her as interesting as he had claimed, but she couldn't help but replay Evander's words in her mind: I think ye should dae what ye came here tae dae.

What was his plan? Aaden had never explained himself and Lilith didn't know if he ever would, but if he was under the impression that she would forget all about it, he was sorely mistaken.

"Perhaps his motive is that he likes ye," Freya said. "Why dae ye think it so unlikely?"

With a roll of her eyes, Lilith pushed past Freya to collapse on an armchair, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why are ye actin' as though it's such a terrible thing that I dinnae wish tae marry him?"

"Why dinnae ye wish tae marry him?" Freya asked instead of responding to her question. It wasn't often that the two of them fought and Lilith couldn't help but wish Evander and Aaden had never come into their lives to create this mess. Had it not been for them, then she and Freya would have no reason to argue like this. "What is so wrong with him?"

"I dinnae ken!" Lilith said. She couldn't hold back anymore. Rage and regret and grief welled up inside her, the words spilling past her lips before she could stop them. "But somethin' is! An' if I wed him, then ye'll wed Evander an' I willnae allow that."

Freya froze, blinking at Lilith in surprise at the outburst. Then she laughed a hollow laugh. "This again? I dinnae understand what it is that ye have against him, but I love Evander an' he loves me. Why cannae ye accept that? Why dae ye hate him so much?"

"Because he's lyin' tae ye, Freya!"

For all Lilith had tried to keep the truth hidden from her sister, her stubbornness and her refusal to see him for who he truly was on her own made it impossible to hold her tongue. In the end, it mattered little if their reputation was destroyed. Freya would be miserable either way.

At least if she knew Evander for who he was, she wouldn't be humiliated by his actions.

"He is always tryin' tae bed lasses," Lilith said through gritted teeth. Freya was ready to argue, Lilith saw, her lips parting as she drew in a sharp breath, so she interrupted her before she could speak. "I saw him. I saw him with a maid an' so did Aaden. He was kissin' her an' he was tryin' tae convince her tae go tae his chambers."

There was no hesitation in Freya's voice as she spoke. "I dinnae believe ye. Ye simply dinnae wish tae wed Aaden or anyone else, so ye're tryin' tae make me change me mind about Evander."

"It isnae true!" Lilith was rather quick to deny it, though. Part of it was true; she didn't want to marry Aaden or anyone else. But that didn't mean she didn't want her sister to find happiness. "I am only tellin' ye this because I care about ye, Freya, an' I dinnae wish tae see ye hurt. Evander will hurt ye. He is lyin' tae ye, dinnae ye see? Everythin' he has told ye is a lie so he can trick ye intae a marriage."

The betrayal in Freya's eyes was something Lilith didn't expect to see. Her heart lurched, dread washing over her like a cold tide as she realized that no matter what she said, Freya would believe Evander over her.

How had he managed to fool her like this? Lilith had never lied to her sister, so why would she take his word over hers now? What kind of spell had he put her under?

We were always so close. How could she think I am lyin' tae her?

Pursing her lips into a thin line, Lilith stomped out of the room. If Freya wasn't going to believe her, then perhaps she could convince the maid to support her claims, regardless of her insistence that she couldn't tell the truth to anyone. If Lilith assured her that no one would send her away, then perhaps she would be more inclined to tell it and save her sister from this marriage.

It didn't take her long to track down the girl, though the moment she saw Lilith, she tried to flee. Lilith was quick to step in her way, blocking her escape, and she tried to ignore the pang of guilt that speared through her at the terrified look the maid gave her.

"Come with me," she said, turning around and expecting her to follow.

The maid had no other choice, Lilith knew, and before long, she was back in the morning room with her in tow. Freya was still sitting there, picking at the threads of her embroidery idly, her lips pulled into a deep frown. When she heard them approach, she looked up in confusion.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Ye didnae believe me, so she can tell ye the truth herself," Lilith said, before turning to the maid, giving her the strictest glare she could manage. She felt bad for the poor girl. She doubted Evander had given her much of a choice in the matter and with her status, she surely felt compelled to obey him, but Lilith couldn't have her faltering now. "Tell her what happened. Nae one will send ye away, ye have me word. Ye willnae be punished fer this."

The maid looked between Lilith and Freya several times, her hesitation and fear palpable in the air around them. Freya simply sat on the couch, arms crossed in front of her and face impassive, as though she already knew the maid would have nothing to say.

"Please," Lilith urged her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She needs tae ken the truth."

"I cannae believe ye are involvin' the maids in this," Freya said with a sigh. "Are ye askin' them tae lie fer ye?"

"I'm nae!" Lilith insisted, but the maid still refused to speak. Lilith couldn't help but wonder if Evander had threatened the woman like he had threatened her and Aaden, if he had told her that he would be personally responsible for her demise if she spoke. "How can ye be so blinded?"

"How can ye be so cruel?" Freya spat back. She sprang up from the couch and walked over to the maid, her gaze scrutinizing as she took in her fair features. "Well? Is there somethin' ye wish tae tell me?"

Finally, the maid spoke, but it wasn't what Lilith wanted to hear. "Nay, me lady," she said. "I dinnae ken what it is that I should tell ye."

"Very well," Freya said. "Thank ye. Ye may go now. Please, forgive me sister's behavior."

The maid fled out of the room without another word and when Lilith was left alone with Freya, her sister turned to face her, triumphant. There wasn't just the pleasure of being proven right in her expression, though; there was also a grief behind it, and profound disappointment.

"Why dae ye wish fer me tae be alone?" Freya asked. Lilith would have preferred her anger over this quiet sorrow; it would be less jarring, less cruel. "Is it because ye cannae find happiness fer yersel'? Dae ye wish fer both o' us tae be alone?"

For a moment, Lilith was stunned into silence. She could hardly believe that was how her sister saw her: a sad, desperate woman who wished to make others around her miserable because she didn't want to be the only one who was unhappy. But Lilith wasn't unhappy, at least not until the suitors began to show up at her doorstep.

"If that is what ye truly believe, then I have naething tae say tae ye," she told Freya, her expression hardening. "I only wish ye would find a good man. Evander isnae a good man. There are so many others ye could have chosen over him. There's Cameron, who adores ye an' ye dinnae even see it."

That seemed to catch Freya by surprise, as though she truly didn't know about Cameron's feelings. Her surprise was soon eclipsed by indifference, though whether it was real or manufactured, Lilith couldn't tell.

"Cameron an' I are only friends," she said. "Good friends, but naething more. It is Evander I want an' he wants me, too, Lilith."

"Simply because ye want him, it doesnae mean he is a good choice," Lilith insisted. "Ye should ken better than that."

"Why cannae ye be happy fer me?" asked Freya, her bottom lip trembling just slightly. "Maither would be happy. She would want me tae wed someone who brings me joy."

At the mention of their mother, Lilith's face hardened and she gritted her teeth to keep herself from saying something cruel, like pointing out their mother was long gone. It infuriated her that Freya would try to use their mother as leverage, especially when Lilith knew she, too, would agree Evander was far from a good match.

"Maither?" Lilith scoffed, shaking her head. "Ye truly think ye can use Maither tae convince me?"

Freya undoubtedly sensed the rage in Lilith. For a few moments, she froze, blinking owlishly at her, her mouth opening and closing as though she couldn't decide what to say. Lilith only stared at her with her arms crossed, waiting impatiently, as though anything Freya could say at that point would be helpful.

"I didnae mean tae…" Freya's words trailed off, silenced by the anger in Lilith's eyes. She took a deep breath and tried once more. "It isnae what I meant."

Lilith was about to respond and undoubtedly start another round of their argument when Cameron walked into the morning room as if summoned. When Freya saw him, she flinched, hand flying to her chest with a small chuckle.

"Ye scared me," she said, though her peering eyes told Lilith something different. She was trying to see if Cameron had heard any of their conversation, but he didn't show any signs of it.

"Ach, forgive me," Cameron said. "The laird told me ye wished tae visit the town, so I came tae accompany ye."

"Ye dinnae have tae come with me," Freya said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm sure ye're busy. I can take a guard."

"Nay, nay," Cameron insisted. "Yer faither asked me an' besides, I'm happy tae come."

The hesitation in Freya arose not from her concern for Cameron's schedule, Lilith knew, but rather from the conversation they had just had about him. Perhaps she would see him differently now. Perhaps she would look for signs that Lilith's claims about his feelings were true.

Perhaps it will be enough tae change her mind about Evander.