Chapter 33 Sybil
Sybil
Amale voice boomed from down the street. I turned, finding Edris walking toward us, his yellow eyes bright and observant, taking in each of us who studied Nemain’s image. “Solaris is ready to speak with you,” he said to me once he was closer.
Holding out his hand, I raised my own, but Kieran rushed forward, pushing Edris’s hand away. “You don’t need to touch her to lead her to Solaris.” Kieran moved in front of me, blocking me from the god.
“No, but I do need to touch her to transfer her to Solaris’ quarters—alone,” Edris quipped, raising a brow.
He was taunting Kieran, hoping for a fight.
“If you remember our conversation from last night, Solaris only agreed to meet with Sybil. She does not want anyone other than Sybil there. You and the rest of your group will respect that.”
Kieran growled, his chin lifting to glare down at the God of Fate. Edris returned his stare with a taunting smirk, silently daring Kieran to act. The air around us grew heavy, and my heart lurched.
“You promised Vivi,” I murmured quickly, wrapping my hand around his arm. I tried to pull him back, but his stiff body refused to budge.
“Kieran,” Vivi hissed softly, giving him a whisper of warning.
Kieran snarled, but he stood aside, his sharp eyes finding mine. “If anything happens, call us through the bond, and we will find you.” Without waiting for a response, Kieran looked back at Edris. “If anything happens to Sybil, you’ll be the first thing I destroy.”
Edris laughed loudly, his boisterous voice echoing down the streets. “Don’t worry, storm-maker, we have no ill will toward Sybil. I’ll have her back safely in your tiny arms soon.”
Kieran let out a vicious curse, but before he could make a move, Edris grabbed my arm, transferring us to a large glass room.
I gawked, twisting to take in the sights.
Plants and flowers covered most of the space, soaking up the bright sunlight streaming through the windows.
I quickly realized it was a large greenhouse as thick waves of humidity wrapped around us.
Edris chuckled at my shock and wonder, taking my hand and threading it through his bent arm to walk me along the winding path.
“Solaris loves her plants, and she gets her strength from the sun. Though if I didn’t know any better, I would have believed she said that just so she could surround herself with these flowers of hers. ”
I laughed softly, taking in the sight and smells of the colorful blossoms and the rich green leaves. Sweat beaded on my brow, but the room felt light, almost pleasant.
My hand reached out, brushing against a deep red petal when Edris leaned in close, whispering in my ear. “I know what you truly are. I know what you tried to hide from me when we last met.”
My face blanched, and I fought not to look at him. I pushed down my caution, though my hand slightly trembled. “I don’t know what you mean,” I murmured, my voice strained.
“Don’t worry,” Edris chuckled, patting the top of my hand.
“You being a part of this court changes nothing. In fact, it might even help you. The people here don’t care too much about what happens past the mountains, but if they knew one of their own was in trouble, they could easily be pushed to stand by your side.
However, a word of caution.” Edris paused, his face turning serious.
“Don’t let Ambrose find out what you are.
His past with those belonging to this court is not a happy one, and he will not stop until he sees all of us destroyed. ”
“Can I ask what happened?” I asked slowly, not knowing what else to say after his warning.
“Not yet, but in due time, you’ll come to learn and maybe understand his plight.”
I blew out a quick laugh, unable to believe the words Edris had just spoken. “Do you think a sob story is going to make me forget how he tortured me? How he is forcing me to do unspeakable things against my will?”
“No,” he replied calmly, ignoring my jab. “But I think it will help you better understand what path you should take when the time comes.”
I inwardly groaned, his manner of speaking reminding me so much of Queen Cassia. I opened my mouth to speak again when we turned toward the center of the greenhouse, coming in front of a large fountainhead spouting water in different swirling designs.
“Ah, here she is,” Edris smiled, glancing past the dancing streams.
I followed his gaze to find a tall female with beautiful, long golden hair.
She wore an amber-colored dress that seemed to flow around her like a breeze.
Her lightly tanned skin seemed to glow under the light of the sun.
Facing us, her eyes gleamed like tarnished gold, darkening to a deep scarlet near her pupils.
She flashed a graceful smile our way, ducking under the water as she came forward.
“I’m so glad to meet you finally,” Solaris laughed, wrapping her arms around me in a hug as if we were already close friends.
Blinking, I hesitantly patted her back, not knowing if this was how I should act toward someone so ancient and regal. “It’s nice to meet you as well.” I cringed at how weak my voice sounded, hoping she wouldn’t catch it.
“I doubt it,” she chuckled, ignoring the blood rushing to my face, “but I know we will be quick friends and you’ll change your tune.” Throwing me a wink, she turned to Edris. “You can go now. I’ll call you when we are done.”
“Yes, yes,” Edris rolled his eyes. “I’m leaving; don’t worry.” With a grin, Edris waggled his fingers at me and vanished.
“Great, now we can talk,” Solaris said excitedly, grabbing both of my hands in hers, her grin spreading wide across her face.
Solaris led me around the water fountain, careful not to step on any of the plants or get in the way of the spouting water.
We came to a small table set with plates of fresh cheese and meat.
Little crackers lay in a row beside them, and my mouth watered.
Guiding me to a chair, I sat slowly, watching Solaris pour us some tea in cups made from tinted glass.
“This is one of my favorite teas,” she sighed happily, placing the glass in front of me. “I made it from the petals from my garden. It’s a mix of lavender and rose, and I think it will help calm our nerves a little.”
Bringing the cup to my lips, I inhaled the floral scent before taking a sip. “It’s wonderful,” I smiled, letting the warm liquid soothe my anxiety.
“I think we should go ahead and get started. I assume Edris and Zarina already told you part of the story of the phoenix?”
I nodded, setting my cup down. “They did. They said they didn’t have the full story, but that she was forced into a bargain, and was able to break free from it.”
“That’s right! Though it did take some time. I had to wait until the right moment to act.”
I blinked, my mouth drying. “That story was about you?”
“It was,” she said, nodding. She turned toward her flowers, overcome by a deep, quiet sadness.
Thick silence surrounded us, and my words stuck in my throat. I looked down at my cup and ran a finger along its rim. “How did you know? That it was the right time, I mean.”
Solaris sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye, and turned back to me. “There are different ways; some are physical that you can see, and others you must feel. Do you mind if I look at your markings?”
Wincing, I swallowed, but forced my hands to move, pushing the sleeves up my arms. Ever since that terrible moment, I’d carefully kept the black bands hidden from view.
Sickness churned in my stomach at the sight of them, and I wanted nothing more than to make them disappear.
Shame coursed through me as I showed Solaris the marks, waiting for her lips to dip in disapproval.
However, she gently wrapped her delicate fingers around my wrists, turning them to study where the marks disconnected.
Her face remained the same, not even showing an ounce of reproach or disgust. My throat tightened with emotion, and I finally looked down, my eyes widening in shock at what I found.
“The break is bigger,” I breathed, my chest beginning to rise and fall quickly.
“That is one of the physical changes that you can see as time goes on. Edris told me you were once human. Is that correct?”
“It is,” I said, pushing away thoughts of my past home.
“I was born in Mide, but Ambrose brought me here after unbinding my magic. Ever since then, I’ve been…
” My voice faltered, not knowing how much I could say.
Only a few people knew what was happening to me, how I was becoming less human, but I wasn’t sure if Solaris could be part of that few.
“Becoming more seelie?” She finished for me, smiling at my uncertainty.
“It’s okay, I know what you are. I’ve been helping Zarina find more information about the abnormalities in your blood.
We know that being part of the royal family is making you less human, though we have yet to find information on the pulsing blood cells. ”
Releasing a breath of relief, I relaxed at her touch, her fingers still moving along the markings.
Solaris smiled gently at me before continuing her questions. “I’m going to assume that you are more seelie than human now. Because of your growth in magic and strength, your abilities are likely stronger than Ambrose’s now. How has he been acting recently? Anything strange as of late?”
“Strange is an understatement,” I snorted, shaking my head. “He is hearing voices in his head and has been spiraling. He is killing anyone who speaks against him, even in front of witnesses. His servants are looking to escape from the palace because of it.”
Solaris brows pinched, her gaze finding mine. “Have you heard any voices?”
Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “I was visiting Queen Cassia to see if I could find out more about my fate when Ambrose showed up. I heard it for a moment, and it told me it wasn’t the right time yet.”
“You’re getting close then,” Solaris sighed, finally releasing my wrists to lean back in her chair.
A sad look crossed her face, her eyes growing distant with memories.
“I was young back then when I met him, the male who I thought loved me.
He would visit me every day, always bringing me gifts or making me laugh.
We wanted to run away together at some point, but my parents told me to leave him.
“I told him what they said one night, and he walked away, leaving me alone in a field. I cried myself to sleep in the grass and flowers that night, and when I awoke, I returned to my home, finding my parents dead, murdered by the male I loved. He came from my room, holding on to my little brother, telling me to make a bargain with him or else he would kill the rest of my siblings. I was so distraught, I agreed without hesitation. Without even letting me say goodbye, the male took me away, locking me in his home. But the magic of the bargain backfired, and he slowly lost his mind. That’s when I started noticing the physical signs that the bargain was crumbling. ”
“What did you do to break it fully?” I asked, my heart pounding hard against my chest at her story. To have someone play with your emotions in that way, to force something so cruel on someone, I knew that feeling all too well.
“It’s a little hard to explain, but I believe I can guide you through it. If you’d like, that is.”
“Anything to help me escape from him,” I nodded quickly. An immense hope bloomed in my chest, and I fought the burn behind my eyes.
Solaris sat up, straightening in her seat. “Were you taught how to sense your magic?”
“I have. Samian taught me on my first day here in Nemos.”
“Good, that’s what you need to do. Close your eyes and return to the place of your magic. Focus on what you see in that place and search, not just for his commands, but search for the bargain itself.”
Nodding, I closed my eyes, focusing on the core of my magic, breathing into the power that whirled beneath my skin.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed into that feeling, my mind falling into that sensation until I found myself in the middle of the vast field.
The sun beamed down on me, gently warming my soul as the wind made the tall grass and wildflowers dance playfully.
All I wanted was to fall back, to lie in the grass and let the peacefulness settle over me.
Yet, Solaris’s words kept me going. I needed to find the place where my bargain rested.
I walked mindlessly through the field, letting my heart guide me to where I needed to go.
As I walked, the grass grew taller and thicker, coming just over my head.
I panted as I pushed through, my heart thumping wildly in my chest from wariness.
It was a struggle to squeeze through the dense hedges.
Forcing myself through the last of the thick bush, I stumbled into a wooded area, my heart stopping. Black and diseased, the trees and plants sagged as dark vines smothered everything around them, reaching out, crawling to cause more destruction.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I lurched forward, grabbing the closest vine to rip it off the trees. As soon as my skin met the stem, pain laced through my hand, and I screamed, jolting me out of my trance.
My hands shook when I glanced at Solaris, horror washing over me. “What the hell was that?”
“That was the bargain,” she said sadly. “Eventually, it will destroy everything it touches. However, you will know it's time to break it once you can withstand the touch of it.”