Chapter 41 Sybil
Sybil
Ahand brushed against my face before gripping my shoulder, gently shaking me awake.
Groaning, I forced my eyes open and looked up.
Samian stared down at me, his face ashen and filled with alarm, his breathing coming in short pants.
I made a move to sit up, Samian reaching out to help me.
As soon as I was up, Samian threw his arms around me, squeezing me tight.
I wrapped my arms around his waist, my heart dropping as I felt how his body shook.
“What happened?” I asked, my throat feeling scratchy and sore.
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” He pulled back, his gaze roaming my body, looking for any wounds. “What do you remember?”
I sucked in a breath and looked past him, but Hale’s body was gone.
“Don’t worry, he is okay for now. His pulse was barely there, but Daelan took him to Aster.” When I looked back at him, Samian cupped my cheek. “Tell me what happened.”
“Ambrose used the bargain to force me into telling him what I knew about the rebellion, but I refused. When he learned Hale was involved, he tried to kill him for answers—and when I still wouldn’t give him what he wanted, he told me to die, leaving the bargain to finish the job.
I remember breaking through his command and going to the place Solaris showed me, with the vines killing off the trees, and—” I stopped and winced, the memory of that ice searing my skin flashing across my mind.
“I tried to break the bargain, but it hurt. It was the worst pain I have ever felt. I didn’t think I was going to make it. ”
“And you almost didn’t,” Queen Cassia scoffed, her soft face full of anger. “You were so close to death, you foolish child.”
“I was just following your orders,” I snapped back, inwardly cringing at my harsh tone. I knew it wasn’t her fault, not to mention she was still the queen.
“Solaris explained how to know when the time was right, did she not?” Queen Cassia raised her chin, peering down at me. “Did that feel like the right time to you?”
I sighed, letting my back fall against the stone wall behind me.
Pebbles crumbled, falling to the floor. Looking around the cell, I noticed cracks that weren’t there before.
I pressed a hand to my chest, struck by the strange emptiness left behind where the pain had been.
“I’m sorry, you’re right,” I murmured, my shoulders sagging.
“It wasn’t the right time, but I didn’t care.
I wanted to end this and destroy Ambrose for what he had done—for what he had made me do. ”
A deep sadness filled my heart, and Samian’s eyes flickered, confusion filling his gaze.
“I-I killed Vivi,” I whispered through the bond.
“Ambrose sent the command through the bargain, and I tried to fight it—to break the command—but some male attacked me. I was defending myself.” I stopped, swallowing thickly.
“But Vivi came out of nowhere to block the male from me. I couldn’t stop in time. ”
A mournful look lined Samian’s face, his jaw clenching. “It’s not your fault. I’m sure she understood that.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I hissed. The sound of steps echoed through the dungeon, our heads snapping to the outside of the cell. “Go before they find you. I’ll be fine.”
The muscles in his jaw feathered, but Samian nodded and disappeared from sight. My eyes collided with Queen Cassia’s, her face still tight with anger. But she limped back to her bed, settling in before Ambrose stepped into view.
“So it’s true, then,” he scowled, his gaze flicking to the bloodstained spot where Hale had once lain before returning to me.
“You broke through the command.” Ambrose waited for me to speak, but I curled my nose in disgust, my lips remaining sealed.
“Fine, I’ll figure out your secrets in time.
As for now, you can sit and rot in here.
I’ll be busy for the next few days cleaning up the mess you caused.
You can use this time to reflect on your actions and consider whether the consequences were worth it. I’ll fetch you in time for the ball.”
Ambrose lingered, his face twisting with revulsion before he left without another word. I relaxed against the wall and closed my eyes. My body felt weak and exhausted. It was all I could do to keep myself from falling over.
“Sleep,” Queen Cassia said sharply, her eyes focused on the book she was holding.
“Do you have someone bring you different books, or do you have to reread the same one?” I said it as a joke, hoping to ease her anger, but when her piercing gaze cut to mine, I winced.
“Sleep,” she repeated. “You’ll need all the rest you can get.”
I fell over on my side, hissing at the chill of the floor. My eyelids felt heavy as I closed my eyes, but my thoughts wouldn’t settle. I forced them open and stared at the stone floor instead. “Why won't you let Samian help you escape? Or let him heal you? Are you afraid someone will find out?”
Queen Cassia exhaled; her annoyance was hard to miss. “I have my reasons, reasons that I must keep to myself.”
“Because of your visions?”
“Yes. My magic is similar to Edris’s, though it’s a touch different. However, we still must follow the same rules. I can only provide bits and pieces—never the whole of what I see. So, I keep what I see mostly to myself, to keep others from asking too many questions.”
I huffed at the slight in her tone. “Why did you tell me about my death, then? You had to know I would ask more about it.”
The book Queen Cassia was reading slammed shut, though she was quiet.
Finally, she said, “You came to this palace so lost in your despair that you were acting foolishly.
You were naive, not listening to the warnings fate sent you.
I know what it's like to be lost in the confines of your mind. I know how messy your thoughts can become, and how easy it is to believe every terrible thing those dark thoughts whisper to you. Your fear set you back. It brought all of your juvenile anxieties to light. You needed a push in the right direction.”
“And?” I asked. “Do you think it helped?”
“I guess we shall see. Now, go to sleep.”
The rest of the days went by slowly. Queen Cassia eventually tossed me a book from her stash after growing frustrated with my questions.
I was reading about Nemain, an ancient goddess of death and war, when I felt a tug from my center before Samian’s voice echoed in my mind.
I closed my eyes, letting his presence calm me.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly. Loneliness seeped through his tone and into the bond between us.
“I’m okay,” I murmured back. “The queen gave me one of her books, saying I was grating on her nerves and disturbing her peace.” His deep laugh rumbled down the bond, making my toes curl, but I swallowed, hating how anxious I felt about my next question. “How’s Kieran?”
“He is as good as he can be,” Samian sighed. “He will be fine, though.”
“Have you heard anything about his plans for helping Queen Cassia escape?”
“No, the rebels are…” Samian’s voice trailed off, as if he didn’t know how to word the rest. “They are in disagreement about how the mission should go.”
I hesitated but knew I needed to know. “What do they want?”
“They want to attack the palace. They are angry about what happened at the colosseum and are pushing for revenge. They want to attack the palace, not caring about who gets harmed in the process.”
I sighed, my heart clenching as I understood the reason for their anger. “Do it,” I said back, my back straightening with determination as I stared at the queen, quietly reading. “Have them attack the palace.”
“What about you? Ivara and Daelan?”
“We will sneak away before they do anything to help Queen Cassia escape.”
The day of the ball finally dawned. Two female servants and a guard came to take me to my room.
Their noses wrinkled at my smell, and as soon as we entered the room, they forced me into a bath, scrubbing my skin raw to wash the dirt from my hair and body.
I grimaced, hating how they wouldn’t let me take care of it myself, but settled into a quiet resolve as they shoved me into my dress and laced up the back.
My fingers gently slid down the deep green fabric that was beautifully mixed with gold, while one servant curled and pinned my hair, and the other one pressed powder onto my face.
Once they finished, I stood in front of a mirror, blinking at the sight in front of me.
The bodice of the gown was fitted tightly, plunging into a deep V.
Vines and leaves were embroidered along the fabric, trailing down to my hips.
From there, the skirt flared, layers cascading over one another as they flowed to the floor.
The sleeves mirrored the same vine-and-leaf detailing—fitted at my shoulders before gradually loosening down my arms, billowing around my wrists until they felt more like a flowing cape than sleeves.
Stunned, I studied myself in the mirror.
I looked enchanting, the deep green pairing nicely with my skin tone, matching my now fully green eyes.
Stepping closer, I looked for any hints of the brown that had been there before, but found none.
I released a breath, not sure how to feel about the change, knowing that my human blood was probably nonexistent at this point.
A knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts, and I backed away from the mirror.
A servant opened the door as Ambrose stood on the other side, his disgusting grin curling up his face.
His eyes dipped down my body, seemingly impressed.
I swallowed down my resentment and met him at the doorway.
He held out his hand, waiting for me to place mine on top.
I gingerly gave it to him, holding back my grimace as his fingers curled around my hand, guiding it to link with his arm.
“Is there a problem?” Ambrose asked as he led me to the ballroom.