Free All for a Rose by Jennifer Blackstream Page A

horrible human being. Maribel blinked away tears, furious with herself for thinking of her own sister as a burden. It’s not her fault she is the way she is.
    “If you truly don’t want to leave, then don’t.” Corrine’s voice was a plea. “Maribel, I need you here. You know how much I need you.”
    I need me too. Through the guilt, an insidious hope took firm root, taunting her with images of gardening at the grand manor, feeling the soil in her hands and the sun on her back. Enjoying working with nature without pretending to miss the life they’d had. Maribel stood and retook her place in front of the cooking fire, not trusting her face not to betray her thoughts.
    “Corrine, I can’t let our father take responsibility for my foolishness.” She picked up the abandoned mortar and tilted it until powdered peppercorns drifted down into the soup. “It is only right that I should go.”
    “Maribel, that is not the truth of the matter,” her father broke in. “It is not your foolishness, it is mine. I lost our fortune, I entered a strange mansion. I have brought this on us. It is not for you to fix this. I’m an old man, Maribel, I’ve lived a good life. Let me serve out the rest of my days with this lord, I will gladly be his prisoner if it means you two can stay here together.”
    “We can’t work this farm by ourselves!” Corrine protested, her voice rising until it took on an edge of hysteria. She shot to her feet and stomped over to Maribel. Ignoring her sister’s protest, she yanked the spoon from her hand, flinging hot soup in an arc through the room as she flung it to the table. “Come on. We’ll go see Mother Briar. Perhaps she knows something about this beast, something that will help us escape him.”
    “Yes!” Their father sat up in his chair, red-rimmed eyes brightening with sudden hope. He pointed at Corrine. “Yes, go and see Mother Briar. Ask her if she can help us avoid this horrible choice.” He met Maribel’s eyes. “But if she can’t, then, Maribel, I will go.”
    “No.” Maribel pulled against Corrine, digging her heels into the floor as her sister tried to drag her out of the house. Her heart pounded wildly, a dizzying whirlwind of emotions rushing around inside her mind. She settled a firm gaze on her father, a man who up until now had always been vaguely disapproving of Mother Briar and the magic she wanted to teach his daughters. “Father, it’s all right, just let me go.”
    Maribel’s words fell on deaf ears as Corrine dragged her across the floor with more strength than she’d shown since they’d arrived at their new home.
    “Come on, Maribel. If there’s anyone who can help us, it’s Mother Briar. We’re not going to let you go without a fight!”
    Every word out of their mouths meant to comfort her and reassure her of how much they wanted to keep her with them only fed the flame burning steadily inside Maribel. The flame of hope, of anticipation. She was more certain with every passing second that she wanted to go, that perhaps there was more freedom to be had as a servant of this lord than there was here with her own family.
    As Corrine kept a firm grip on her hand, pulling her forcibly through the door and into the woods, Maribel imagined that every branch that slapped at her shoulders, every bristle that caught her skirt, and every root that stuck up from the ground to catch her feet were all trying to warn her not to seek Mother Briar’s help. In her mind, she was already packed and on her way to the beast’s manor.
    It was strange to proceed all the way up the stone pathway to Mother Briar’s door. Usually the old woman met them outside, and Maribel was usually left to work outdoors amongst the plants while Corrine and Mother Briar retired inside to practice other magical skills. This time, though, Corrine tugged Maribel right along behind her until she arrived at the door. She banged on the thick wood with gusto that Maribel bitterly reflected would