I clutched the letters to my chest and ran inside, ripping apart the envelopes before I even sat down. It seemed Zac had kept them in chronological order. The first envelope held a slightly yellowed piece of paper, and in neat handwriting, I read the first line.
Dearest Olivie,I am getting married.
I dropped the letter and put a hand to my mouth. Something sour was rising.
I have asked Father to host the wedding at the end of your term, but he is keen to have it sooner. I hoped you might be able to come back and be my maid of honour.
My eyes started to water and burn. Behind me, Cassi came in and gently placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Vie?" he asked, and I saw he was gently trying to guide my hands away from the paper.
I flung myself down on them protectively.
Cassi took a small step back, then quietly sat opposite me. I could feel him reading me, trying to understand every shift in my expression.
"Cassi, could you give me a few minutes… I need to be alone," I choked out as I reread the opening of the letter.
"You don't have to read those," Cassi said softly.
"It's from my sister," I countered.
He stood and made busy with his herbs. Juno nestled at my neck, and I petted her absently.
Maid of honour.
My husband is nothing like Father, he is young and loving and everything we hoped for. His father is a rich merchant, and so Father hopes he will receive additional support for his research.I was allowed to choose my own wedding dress, no expense spared. It is the most beautiful garment I have ever laid eyes on, and I chose a matching bridesmaid dress for you in pale green.Please send word as soon as this reaches you.Love, Tails.
I held the letter in my hand for a moment, stunned. Then I flipped it over to find the next one.
Dear Olivie,I haven't heard from you, but I assume I somehow addressed my letter wrong. Please send word back about my wedding as soon as you get this. My fiancé is keen to meet you and hear all your stories, doubtless you will have many.I have sent a copy of the first letter.Your loving sister, Tails.
I found the copied letter and smiled at her nice, neat handwriting.
Then came the next one. The writing was uneven, smudged.
Olivie,I know you wanted me to go to school like you and not follow Father's plans for my marriage. I can understand why you might be angry with me, or too busy with school work to come home.People have said you are your father's daughter.My wedding felt empty without you. One of my husband's sisters was my maid of honour in your place. I look forward to your return to us at end of term.Please write me back as soon as you can. I am starting to worry.Talla.
I felt the tears spill over and I let out a wail of misery.
"Vie!" Cassi rushed to my side.
I now held the last of the letters.
Sister,They all think you are dead… but I feel like I would know if you are. Every night I pray you will come home or write back.I have given this letter to a friend, a boy from our town who has set out for the jungle.The ink had smudged badly after those words.He has promised me he would deliver these should he find you.If you are alive—just one letter. Even if you never wish to see me and Father again. I am heartbroken.Your sister, Talla.
I put the letters down and sobbed. Cassi wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and I sank into him.
"All this time, she's been writing to me…" I wailed. "And I had no idea. The letter I sent… did they not make it to the mainland?"
Cassi stiffened. "The birds will have found a way. I know it."
Something else occurred to me. "I sent them to our home—where Father is. He might have burned them."
My fists clenched. But then something else began to bloom in me—slow and gnawing.
I had vanished.
Talla had waited, written, begged. She'd gone through her entire wedding without me. Let another girl stand in my place. I could picture her walking down the aisle in a dress meant to match mine, only the space beside her was empty.
She must have felt so alone. So abandoned. And all the while, I had been alive. Healing, laughing, dreaming.
I had wanted so badly to be free of Father that I hadn't considered what it might cost her.
Cassi was still rubbing my back gently.
"Cassi," I said, swallowing hard, "I have to go back. Right away."
He said nothing at first. Then, very quietly:"Vie… if you return, you may never find this place—your true home—again." There was pain in his voice. "I would never see you again."
"But Talla needs me," I said fiercely. "She's my sister. She's the only person who ever truly loved me."
Cassi paused.
"She isn't."
I looked up at him, startled—and saw it in his eyes. Devastation. Desperation.
"You belong here, Vie. This is our world. Safe from people like your father, who would play such a cruel trick on you." He cupped my chin gently in his hand. "You know when your father lures you back, he'll do what he did to Talla."
I looked back at the name and felt a fresh spike of sorrow. She wasn't writing 'Tails' anymore. Just 'Talla.' The version of her he approved of. The version he could control.
"He will break you, Vie," Cassi said firmly. "I can't let him break you."
"Tails needs me," I whispered.
"I need you," Cassi countered. Then he leaned in and pressed his lips to my forehead.
I froze. His touch was so gentle, so intimate. No one had ever touched me that way before. I felt a flicker of something dangerous, like lightning caught in a jar.
"Zac," I said suddenly, "He can take news back to Talla. I can tell her everything's okay and invite her here." I was already dreaming again. "He can explain everything. Then she'll know I'm alive and well…"
My words trailed off. Cassi's arms had not moved. But his breath had stilled.