That word, wife, unlocked a door in her mind that had been stubbornly jammed.
She saw it. Hands joined together, before an altar. Then, against a bed frame.
She saw months of suffering with guilt for having killed so many innocent people. She saw herself begging Grim to take the memory of what she had done away. She saw him refusing.
Memories fluttered, until they snagged on one last moment. She saw herself wearing her Centennial dress. She watched Grim take a necklace out of his pocket and present it to her. One with the biggest black diamond she had ever seen. “In Nightshade, instead of rings, we give necklaces,” he said. “I should have given this to you before. It’s a sign of our commitment. Once I put it on, it is on forever. Only with your death will it be released.”
She saw herself smiling and telling him to put it on her. She saw her move her hair, clearing the way.
Instead of clasping it forever, she saw him slip it back into his pocket. She heard him say, “Please, heart, forgive me for this.”
She watched understanding come over her face as she said, “Grim, no
—”
But it was done.
She watched him take her memories away, return her starstick, and send
her back to the Wildling realm.
Isla knew what happened next.
