Chapter Nine
This time I fall into consciousness with a crash, my body cracking through the icy surface of reality with a violence that makes my skin sting. The sensation of salt in my mouth entices a disgusting amount of saliva from my glands.
My neck is stiff as I raise my head from a wooden table, the numbness in my cheeks indicating that I have been face-down on that wood for a good while. Anger bubbles like acid in my veins as I open my eyes. He stole me from the conscious world once again. Umbrian bastard.
To no surprise, I am in another dimly-lit room, and judging by the long dinner table I currently sit at the head of, I think it is safe to infer that this a dining room.
The dark-purple walls by either side of me are long and come to a narrowed half hexagon shape at the furthest wall, closing in like a coffin around me.
They are lined with extensive serving tables which I expect usually hold trays of food – potatoes as Calli mentioned – currently lie empty, save for one large black pot of something hot enough to send steam twirling from the rim of the lid.
The only light source in the room are the three gold candelabras on the table that hold flame in their wax hands, mocking me. How quickly I got used to the conjuring of flame, and how fast I became useless without it.
My feet throb beneath the table, restricted. I peer down at them and find brown leather boots, a size or two too small, holding my feet captive. I had been barefoot when the king sent me unconscious for my brazenness.
A clicking of footsteps approach from the door behind me. ‘Ah you’re awake,’ Calli says before appearing in front of me, a sheepish smile tugging at her mouth.
I poke one foot out from under the table for her to see. ‘I’m guessing these are courtesy of you?’
She nods, biting her lip. ‘How do they feel? Too small? It took me the better half of an hour to ram your feet into them, and it didn’t occur to me until afterward that I wouldn’t have had to struggle so much if they were the correct size.’
I give her a weak smile despite the pain. There’s no way I am going to be the one to deter this girl from her relentless acts of kindness. It is difficult to distinguish, however, if Calli does these things out of pure generosity, or if she does so out of a desperate need to please.
‘They will do nicely, thank you.’
Picking at the thread of her sleeve, she lingers awkwardly at the corner of the table, as though unsure whether to sit down or not.
‘I would ask you to join me here,’ I say, with a gesture towards the nearest chair. ‘But I am unsure whether I am partaking in an afternoon nap or a dinner party at the moment. It is not quite clear.’
Calli winces, wriggling as though she may either wet herself or projectile vomit across the room, and I cannot tell which one I would prefer. Something is fighting to escape her regardless.
‘Please don’t hate Eliaz for what he did,’ she blurts. ‘I have thought for a while now that he was losing his restraint, that his better nature was beginning to be overthrown by his power, but now…’ she trails off, looking to the head of the long table opposite me.
‘I’m sorry but you must understand how things look from my perspective.’ I shrug. ‘He has been most unkind, cruel even, kidnapping us and messing with my mind until I cannot know anything with certainty.’
Embarrassingly my stomach growls. I can’t even be sure how long I’ve been here, never mind when I last ate.
‘Oh! You must be starving, let me.’ Calli jumps at the chance to be of use, plucking a bowl from a setting on the table before bringing it over to the black, cauldron-looking pot. She uses a silver ladle rested on a cloth by its side to scoop out its contents.
‘I do not know what has him so riled,’ she says as she places the bowl down on the table in front of me, pulling a spoon towards me from its place in the setting, the utensils pushed aside from my head during my reluctant sleep.
The bowl is full to the brim with a beige sludge I can only hope is porridge.
Although, it worryingly smells more like mould, stale bread and… sadness.
I look at the red-eyed girl as she takes the nearest seat to my left, raising an eyebrow. ‘What happened to the meat and potatoes?’
She doesn’t smile. ‘Our cook won’t serve you anything but that. She is not as open-minded to the people of Reyhen as my brother and I am.’
My eyes widen and it takes all my restraint to stop my jaw from hitting the table. I turn faint, the walls closing in on me as I try to make sense of it. I mean of course, I was idiotic not to have realised it sooner.
Eliaz. Brother.
I scan her for any similarities, her skin flushed with more life and colour than his, her face less angular and sharp.
I mean her eyes can’t count for anything, and I’m yet to ask what caused their darkness.
That is a question for when we are better acquainted.
Her hair though, is not braided in the crown on her head as it was earlier.
No, it falls long and wild down her shoulders, stopping at the bottom of her ribcage, and the roots – the same frosted white as the King of Umbra himself.
‘Eliaz is your—’ His name is bitter and acrid on my tastebuds, and I can’t push past it enough to finish my epiphany.
‘He is my brother, yes. I thought you knew that already.’ She bows her head, picking at a hangnail on her finger.
I shake my head in disbelief. ‘But you’re so nice.’
She exhales a laugh. ‘Believe it or not, I get my kindness from him.’
A single silvery tear rolls down her cheek and lands on her hand, which she wipes off with her sleeve. ‘I understand now, why you think Lillienne’s condition is all his doing. Eliaz has lost control of himself – I see that now.’
I place a hand on her arm. She dips her head to look at it and then blinks up at me, as though she cannot quite believe I would offer such a gesture towards her.
‘Tell me why I should not fear your brother.’ I avoid his name, not quite ready to use it again so casually.
‘I can’t begin to feel hopeful about the possibility of Lillienne recovering from this, if nobody is willing to tell me why he brought us here in the first place.
Please, Calli, tell me what your brother is doing with her. ’
She smiles sadly. ‘Of course, I do not see whatever nastiness Eliaz sees in you. You are a bright person – and not unkind.’ She places her hand on mine. ‘But before I tell you anything, I must show you something.’
I stare at her blankly. Gods, these Umbrians sure love speaking cryptically.
‘Now?’ I question.
‘Well, you should eat something first.’ The sister of the king gestures to the bowl of Olca slop. I grimace, pushing it away from me.
‘I think I’d rather try my hand at convincing your cook to give me something more meaty and… potatoey.’
Calli giggles in the same girlish way she did upon our first meeting.
I welcome it.
Because the gods know that I need it.
‘Stop grumbling, Cole. Eliaz already knows that she’s in my company. And I quite frankly give zero damns about what he has to say about that right now.’
The raven-haired man has interjected on our walk to wherever it is Calli is leading me. I trail behind as Calli marches away from Cole, who sends a side-eye my way in regular intervals. I scowl at him in return.
‘I just wish you’d listen to me, Calli.’ He quickens his step, but she just walks faster. ‘She isn’t as harmless as you think she is.’
‘And I wish you’d stop talking about me as if I’m not walking directly behind you,’ I chime in, earning me yet another dirty look.
‘Eira is yet to inflict any damage upon us, and I would think you of all people would be openminded about a controversial stranger arriving in Umbra in need of assistance.’ Calli doesn’t look back to see the effect of her blatant gibe.
Cole doesn’t bite, struck by a pensive silence.
I wonder over what her words mean as we round a corner, heading towards what appears to be the back entrance of this unknown building.
Moonlight pools through the tall doors of glass, projecting onto the flooring in slanted rectangles of silver.
Calli pivots to face us, but her crimson gaze only lands on me. ‘I know I’ve seen what drives you to sickness, but how easily are you creeped out?’
Amusement tugs at my mouth and I tap my fingers on my chin thoughtfully. ‘Hmm. I’d say I can keep it down unless there’s any arachnids present.’
She laughs and Cole shifts his weight, crossing his arms tightly over his chest, discomfort stiffening his lips. It seems his outward mask of gallantry does not exist any deeper than his skin.
‘If there’s any untoward creatures lingering, I don’t doubt Cole here would jump to our rescue.’ Calli bumps her shoulder into his, receiving a breathy grunt, then steps to link her arm around mine. I can’t help but smile at the friendliness of it.
‘Where are we going exactly? I’m beginning to worry that I’m being led into a trap.’
A flash of sadness cuts through her humour, her eyelid giving a faint twitch. ‘I’m taking you somewhere that will help you understand things better.’
I nod, sensing by the cryptic tone of her voice that she’d rather show me than explain here.
Leaving a disgruntled Cole behind, we push through the glass doors and out into the gardens.
They are well tended, from what I can see in the darkness, rose bushes line the divide where the gravel meets grass, large spindly branches beckon us, skeletal hands outstretched above the opening of a pathway.
A veil of silver casts over each flower and tree, creating the illusion of a garden of ghosts.
A phantom underworld created in the likeness of our own.
Gravel crunches underfoot as we walk down the narrow path, an archway winding overhead, creating a tunnel of vine and wildflower that blocks the light of the moon. I can’t see a single thing ahead of us. Still linked by our arms, I lean closer into Calli.