Chapter 58
Ghoul
Aurelia’s Bungalow
Seven years ago
Ifelt you before I saw you.
In my early days of serving as a trainee in Mace Naga’s court, my favourite thing to do was to head out into the shadows of the night.
There were many secrets to see when the world fell under darkness, and I travelled above it all, watching for my own amusement.
It soothed my violent animus after a day’s harsh classes with the young generals in training.
Now I have to live with them in a secret boarding school and learn their ways.
Now the classes are fourteen hours long, five days a week, and we’re forced to learn everything from proper hygiene to literature to combat.
But one night, somewhere in the quiet under the stars, I feel a presence that’s somehow both old and new.
It draws me in, and I point my shadows toward a familiar neighbourhood.
I know Charlotte Naga’s house like the back of my hand, because I lived there when the slab went down.
But where I expected to land in the shadows of the tiny house, I find the warm lights on within.
Falling to the ground like I’ve practised many times in class, I creep forward, the grass silent under my boots.
Hunched low, I’m surprised to find a dome of power around the house, humming with awareness.
I regard this new, strange shield with raised brows, cloak myself in my own dark protections, and breeze right through.
Undetected, I crouch against the bushes beside the front door to find out what manner of order could have produced such a thing.
I saw you sitting on the threadbare couch, a thin blanket around your shoulders as you watched TV.
Your cheeks were wet as you dug into the cup of two-minute noodles, and you sniffed as the lights flickered across your teenage face.
Never before have I felt the urge to blast into the room and scoop a person up, take you into my shadows and keep you safe from the harm that made you cry.
My frown deepens as I watch you wipe your nose on the back of your hand, then wipe your hand on your track pants.
Mace Naga has put another creature in this house, and instead of feeling possessive over my old house, I want to help you.
Are you like me? Is Mace Naga training you to join his army like he trained me?
Torturing you like he’d done to me? But my nose is telling me the cupboards in the house are bare.
That the fridge is on its last legs and the leak in the roof has returned.
Are you a prisoner? Is this…some punishment?
This house was worn down after I’d corrupted the place and left it for boarding school.
So there could be no other reason for you to be living here unless you’ve displeased the serpent king.
And I’m very interested in people who displease the serpent king.
But as I observe you over the next few nights, I see that you’re just a child.
A child who misses her family like I once did.
A child who’s alone, like I once was. There are bags under your sad eyes, your smiles were scarce, and sometimes you forgot to brush your teeth before you go to bed.
And no one ever comes to visit you like they did with me.
So on the third night, when I return just after sunset, I steal into Charlotte Naga’s house and put some of her spaghetti and meatballs onto a paper plate, cover it in foil, and leave it on your doorstep, making sure I trigger your shield on the way out.
I watch as you suspiciously open the door, wrapped in a blanket, peering out with your eyes like brilliant jewels in the night. I can’t help my grin as you smile and pick up the plate. You giggle like it’s a good day.
From then on, as often as I can make it, I steal food from Charlotte’s house and put it on your doorstep.
You think it’s your Uncle Ben, never realising that he’s too cowardly to take food from his regina and give it to you, the exiled girl of serpent court.
Ben sees the food on your doorstep and thinks his regina is feeding you. Imbecile serpent.
I got my revenge for that eventually, of course, because Ben is now dead.
He needed to die for not helping you more.
And you need to know that it had always been me.