Free Veiled Innocence (Book One, The Soul Cycle) by Krystle Jones

forearm and gasped. The snow white skin looked almost translucent in the hazy light spilling through the black lace curtains. There were no bruises, no ugly reminder of Orris’ hatred. She stared in wonder at her arm, turning it every which way and noting that the pain was also gone.
    How did she heal so fast? Had she slept for far longer than she thought? Surely she couldn’t have been out for more than a night.
    A sharp rap at the door interrupted her thoughts, and it was immediately flung open by a rather irritable lookin g Grehn. He was the Head House k eeper, and though Lian had minimal contact with him throughout the years, Ursa had complained enough about his famous temper and uncanny ability to spot t he smallest wrinkle in a sheet – which usually resorted in a sharp reprimanding, according to Ursa – that Lian felt almost as disgruntled at seeing him as the housekeeping staff did.  
    He wasted no time and cleared his throat loudly, making his Adam’s apple bob up and down. “ The Lady Ana-Elise wishes you to accompany her to the Marketplace,” he said in a blur, tapping his foot. His graying eyebrows were raised in the same disdainful arch she was used to seeing on his wrinkled face.   
    Lian blinked, startled. “Now?”
    “Yes, my L ady. When did you think?” He snapped his fingers, and a moment later Ursa and another handmaiden – Drenna, she thought her name was – appeared with a basin of steaming water. 
    Once they disappeared into the bathing chambers, Grehn turned to leave.
    “Wait!”
    He stopped, sighed between gritted teeth, and fix ed her with a petulant stare. “Yes?”
    “What day is it?” She fully realized how ridiculous she must sound, but she had to know, had to figure out how she had healed so quickly. “Was the engagement only announced last night?”
    As she expected, he stared at her like s he had lost her mind. “Yes, my L ady. It was only last night,” he replied slowly, as if speaking to a toddler.
    She nodded once, her thoughts more troubled than they were to begin with. Ana-Elise had never shown any inclination of wanting to do anything with her. Though Lian loathed shopping, she was a little excited at the chance of spending time with her half-sister, and her glee erased he r worry. Maybe the look Ana gave her last night meant nothing at all, or maybe she had dreamed it up altogether. As many things that had transpired the past few days, she couldn’t be sure exactly what was real and what she had imagined due to stress.
    Without meaning to, she glanced at the teardrop. Was it faintly glowing, or was it catching the first gray light of dawn?
    She closed her eyes and breathed a hard sigh through her nose. You ha ve to stop imagining these things before you drive yourself mad. Magic and evil creatures are for children’s stories. It’s time to grow up.
    Grehn took her silence as his dismissal and hastily left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
    She looked at her arm again and then at the windows as Drenna drew apart the curtains . The sun was still obscured by the tree line of Dreaka’s Forest, meaning it must be ridiculously early. As if sensing she was being watched, Drenna turned around, bowed, and scooped up a towel and a bathrobe from the back of a chair.
    “Good morning, my L ady,” she said with a curtsey and a small, shy smile. Drenna w as a few years younger than her but already very pretty. Lian remembered seeing her the other  night, flirting with Gabriel.
    Maybe that’s the type of girl Gabriel likes . The pretty ones. Lian scowled and dismissed the stray thought, not bothering to remove the stormy look on her face as she crawled out of bed.
    Drenna chewed on her lip. “Are you, um, are you all right, my L ady?”
    Lian smiled tightly. “Never better.”
    When she said no more, Drenna hastily led her to the bathing chamber where a steaming tub of water awaited. Drenna helped her out of her night- gown and then left her to wash up.
    Lian