Gabriel shrugged. “Jacobs, I believe. But I have no intention of marrying her. Father is a fool.” Gabriel lowered his voice to a whisper. “Maybe Raven will run away with me. I do not need father’s money.”
Tristan’s heart began to kick at his rib cage. Scarlet? His father wanted Gabriel to marry Scarlet?
How had this happened? How had he known about her?
Tristan stared past Gabriel. “What will become of this Scarlet if you do not marry her?”
“What do I care?” Gabriel shrugged. “She is a peasant who will probably go back to her mundane life without a husband.”
Tristan stood up, his eyes intensely trained on his brother. He spoke low and close to Gabriel’s face. “You must marry Scarlet, Gabriel.”
“I…what?” Gabriel looked astonished.
“You cannot refuse her. You must marry Scarlet and take care of her always.”
“Have you gone mad? Why in the world would I—”
“For me,” Tristan said loudly. He placed a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, lowered his voice and repeated, “For me. Please, brother.”
Gabriel’s look of confusion stayed intact for only a moment.
“Ah.” Gabriel’s face fell into understanding. “This is your girl from the eastern woods, isn’t it?”
Tristan said nothing, his palms sweating. “I might not be back for decades. I might not be back at all.”
“Do not speak that way—”
“I could die tomorrow, Gabriel.”
“You will not die,” Gabriel said. “You are speaking like a weak man.”
“No, I am speaking like a desperate man.” Tristan shook his head. “Scarlet has nothing, Gabriel. She is poor and hungry and cares for her mother by herself.”
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “She must have something. Why else would father make an arrangement with a peasant?”
Tristan furrowed his brow. “He made an arrangement with Scarlet’s mother?”
“Yes.” Gabriel nodded.
Tristan’s head began to spin. Why had Ana spoken to the earl?
And why had the earl agreed to negotiate with her?
Tristan shook his head. “I do not know what Scarlet has, but it is not food or shelter or safety. I need….” Tristan swallowed. “I need you to marry her and take care of her. I need you to protect her. I need you to do this.”
Gabriel exhaled through his nose. “What about Raven?” He looked at his twin. “What am I supposed to do about her?”
Tristan tried not to sound frustrated. “Raven will be fine, Gabriel. Her family has money and power and food. She does not need a marriage to protect her. But Scarlet does.”
“And you want me to toss aside my love for yours?”
Tristan rolled his eyes. “You do not love Raven, and you know it. Raven is a cunning girl with more venom in her heart than love and your affections for her are all to spite our father. She is after power, not your heart.”
Gabriel opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it.
“Be honest with yourself.” Tristan looked at him desperately. “Do you love Raven? Are you willing to die for her? To give up your inheritance and live in poverty with her?”
Gabriel’s eyes looked pained. “Maybe not, but I am not so fickle that I will marry another for the sake of—”
“For the sake of me,” Tristan said. “If you love me, you will do this.”
Gabriel shifted uncomfortably and Tristan took a step back, ashamed of himself for asking so great a sacrifice from his brother. “I’m sorry.” Tristan shook his head. “I am a broken man without escape. I should not ask you for such things. You are more than generous to have even heard my words.” He looked at Gabriel. “Do what you will. Leave with Raven. Live free of our father. Enjoy life. I will not hold your choices against you ever. I promise.”
Gabriel breathed in and out slowly, his eyes never leaving Tristan’s face.
“Enough,” called Tennius, entering the small stone room. “Your father will have our heads if he finds you two spent the evening conspiring. Out!” He pointed to Gabriel.
Gabriel shot his eyes to the guard. “One minute.”
Tristan watched as the guards all entered the small room, their large forms blocking the light from the courtyard and casting shadows across the brothers.
Tristan’s heart filled with darkness in return, all hope draining from its well.
Gabriel put his hands on Tristan’s shoulders and leaned in close to his face. “I will do this for you.” His brown eyes were sincere. “I will marry your girl and love her and protect her like my own. You are my brother and my very soul. I will not let you down.” He swallowed. “I promise.”
Tennius clasped Gabriel’s shoulder and Gabriel righted himself, shrugging off the large man. “No need for force,” he snarled at Tennius. “I’m leaving.”
Gabriel turned his back to Tristan and followed the guard out of the stone room. As he reached the exit, Gabriel turned around one last time.
“Be brave, my brother.” He looked at Tristan. “Come home alive.”
Tristan nodded, trying to look brave.
But bravery and death were almost always companions.
36
Friday night, Scarlet and Heather sat on the floor of Scarlet’s bedroom painting their nails as they talked about boys.
Well, Heather talked about boys. Scarlet half-listened, her mind focused on other, more pertinent, issues.
Nate had been locked in his bedroom—which he referred to as the “cave of concentration”—all week trying to decipher the map to the fountain. Without success. The map was complicated and didn’t match any geographical images Nate had seen before. Had it not been for her father’s journal stating that it was, indeed, a map, they probably would have given up by now.
“I feel like all the boyfriends I’ve ever had were just lame, you know?” Heather’s voice cut into Scarlet’s thoughts. “When you compare them to immortals who fight off Ashmen, they just seem silly.”
“Yeah.” Scarlet finished her left hand and started painting her right. “But I’d take a curse-free relationship any day.”
“Would you?” Heather asked.
“Of course.”
Scarlet’s phone beeped with a text.
Heather looked up. “Is that Gabriel?”
Scarlet grabbed her phone off the nightstand and nodded, keeping her eyes on the screen as she texted him back.
Heather tilted her head. “Gabriel’s cursed to never know love without you, right?”