PROLOGUE
As I knelt in the pool of her blood I knew that all of my choices had led us to this moment and that I would never see her blush again, never see her beautiful cheeks turn rosy in the sun. She would never again know the joy of her morning ritual or the delight of a perfect cup of coffee.
My fingers, coated and sticky with the blood that wept from her multitude of wounds, caught in her hair as I tried to brush it from her face. I only succeeded in smearing the gore.
Her arm flopped to her side limp and lifeless.
The love of my life was dead.
Heartbeats had been ringing through the family's home for days. A quiet promise for the future I had been sure I'd lost.
I'd taken to counting them. Beat, 1, Beat, 2, Beat, 3… it skipped.
Did you hear that? Someone spoke. I didn't care.
Beat, 1, Beat, 2, Beat, 3, Beat, 4… another skip.
I'm going to get the mirror!
The breath in her chest released and didn't rise again.
The Letter
Friend,
This is the last letter I will be able to send. The patrons have caught on that someone has told you all. They are aware of the death of their favored scout.
I was able to discern that she was sent to find you. Her mission was to discover the nature of Carlisle's army. Should the rumors prove to be true, she was to eliminate you if she could or call for aid from Italy if she could not.
Since neither of these happened, they have pulled their scouts from the field to regroup. I know not what they plan.
I fear further reports will put us all in peril.
These past months of our correspondence have been some of the brightest in my life. I hope that I can look forward to more happy letters in the future.
For now, stay quiet. Stay safe. I will find you if I can.
X