Alira #2
Is there something out there that they aren’t telling their people about?
The civilians seem to be living life as normal, from what I’ve observed.
If there’s any reason to keep my sanity and not panic, it’s that.
Although King Achill doesn’t seem like the type of ruler who would tell his people anything up until the last hour.
When it’s too late for anyone to escape.
“If there are issues with the dragons, you know I can help. You saw how they reacted to me that first day here. With a little training, I know I can get better at communicating with them. It would keep the majority of the knights out of harm’s way and—”
“No, the king would never allow it,” she says sharply, her ruby eyes flashing before she remembers herself and takes a deep breath. The golden scales that line her hair bristle for a moment before lying back down against her skin.
It’s fear in her eyes, not anger.
I hold her gaze for a few seconds before slowly looking away back to the garden. I’m not sure what to say, so I settle on saying nothing.
It isn’t as if I thought she would trust me so quickly, or at all, for that matter, but I was hoping she would have warmed up to me a bit more by now.
Especially in a moment like this, when we are one on one and no one is lurking or listening.
The fact that she’s still so short only makes me more concerned that something truly is the matter.
And it isn’t the dragons—the veil keeps them at bay—this is something worse, I can feel it. So why lie?
Nikolai is a healer, and if they’ve pulled him from my guard, then many knights must be hurt. I picture familiar knights I’ve grown to recognize bleeding out in the snow and Nikolai running himself ragged trying to heal them all.
More horrific scenes play out in my mind for the rest of the afternoon and keep me plenty occupied during this otherwise uneventful day.
Today, the same mundane routine I’m starting to get used to drags out the hours.
I have lunch alone, since Tessa stands guard at the far corner of the room.
Then it’s a walk around the palace, admiring the same paintings and architecture I look at every day, small chitchat with the staff, and an afternoon lesson on demon etiquette.
In this afternoon’s lesson, I learned that every species of demon has an anti-form of a demigod.
When a new demigod is born, Pluto creates an equal counter in Mortem.
It’s the same vice versa. When I ask how the demons even escaped Mortem in the first place, I’m given a very strict pat on the head and told it’s rude to ask.
“I was just curious. It’s fascinating to know that demigods and demons each have an opposite out there,” I say sweetly, trying to fix my mistake ungracefully.
My instructor, Jin, sighs and nods. She has dark-blue matte horns on each side of her head that curl back like a mountain goat’s and soft pink eyes that are always so calm, even when her sharp tongue isn’t.
She dresses like many of the humans who work in libraries: big ruffles of cream cloth for the sleeves and floor-length plain skirts.
“I know. You have much to learn. It’s not as if you are trying to be rude.
” She makes it sound like I’m utterly insufferable to teach. I puff out my cheeks and glower.
It’s not like she would learn the demigod customs so easily either. I don’t dwell on it long. I rather enjoy Mrs. Jin’s company and teachings. Her class is one of the only highlights of my days anymore.
After Jin’s class, I have tea with the royal ladies who visit me to chat about their respective palaces and high-standing husbands.
They come by for an hour each day thanks to Kalel’s advisor, Hammond.
He thinks it’s best if I learn and adopt their way of life.
Hammond caught me sneaking down to the kitchen for a late-night snack in the first month and was appalled enough to make these arrangements.
As much as I hate to admit it, he’s not wrong. I’ve already learned so much about the customs of my new kingdom and their way of life through them. Like a few hidden shops and wine sellers that aren’t easily found.
The ladies are fun to listen to, though.
They frequently share drama and secrets, much like the demigods do.
Secrets are a form of currency, and there’s nothing like a little blackmail of someone’s dark secret to keep them in your pocket.
It’s a passage of trust to some. Tell me your sins and I’ll tell you mine.
Lady Gretchen slips up while she jabbers on about what her husband has been up to in the king’s cellars.
Apparently, King Achill has him cleaning out an old storage room as punishment for speaking up during a recent meeting.
A duke cleaning a storage room is the nail in Gretchen’s coffin, one would think, by the way she pouts.
But the curious part is that her husband found a passage through the king’s palace that leads out of Devicit in the cellar.
He told her that it’s the only other exit in the veil.
My eyes widen at that bit of information. There’s another exit?
She’s quickly shushed, and I pretend not to notice that she even said it. But I store the information in my mind in case I need it someday. Do the others know about it? They don’t seem very surprised.
I take supper alone as usual, with the exception of a few maids. Nina, my favorite maid, is among them and she makes an effort to at least talk for a few minutes before having to return to her duties.
Occasionally, Nikolai sits and eats with me, but tonight it’s just Tessa and me. We’ve not spoken since the awkward conversation in the garden this morning. I’ve been paying attention to the way her eyes keep skirting toward the windows, as if she’s waiting for someone to leap inside and attack us.
My jaw tightens as I decide to confront Kalel about what’s going on beyond the veil when he returns. I won’t be kept locked away in his palace to be ignorant of what’s happening any longer. It’s no better than the time loops. It’s no better than being a caged bird.
He promised I wouldn’t be his prisoner.
A soft sigh escapes my lips as I walk across the long corridor leading to my chambers.
The cool evening air spills around my ankles from the gray arched stone windows that open to the gardens below.
Beautiful green birds often peck at the grains of sand that wedge between the stone slab floors before returning to their nests in the trees at the edge of Kalel’s palace grounds.
For some reason, they only stay near the trees.
I don’t see them ever hopping around in the flowers or looking for insects there like most birds did in Alzhor.
I make a note to add that to my journal to ask in class with Jin. There’s so much to remember that if I don’t write it down, I’ll forget.
The moon is already nearing the midpoint in the sky. It’s blurry beyond the shimmer of the veil, but I can still make out where it is up there. The sun set a few hours ago, and Kalel still hasn’t returned.
I look across both hallways at the intersection leading down to the gardens before making my way to the stone steps to the wooden door at the bottom.
It’s not like I’m forbidden to explore his palace.
I can even leave and walk the streets of the kingdom if I’d like, but only if I’m with a guard.
Tonight, I find that I’m in great need of solitude.
Tessa is chatting with another knight a few rooms down from mine, so it’s easy to sneak out. An hour alone is all I need. Then I’ll pop back into my room as if nothing happened.
One final hesitant glance over my shoulder gives me enough reassurance to step onto the gravel pathway that weaves through the garden. It’s so quiet out here at night that I swear I can hear the petals whispering in the slight breeze.
A meek smile pulls at the corners of my lips.
It’s rather silly to think of such impossible things.
Flowers do not have thoughts. Nor wishes.
Nor hope. And yet the energy these ones put into the air is dramatic and all-consuming.
Perhaps it’s my gift from my goddess mother, Venus, that allows me to be linked closer to them.
But why do these ones seem louder than the rest?
There must be something special the veil does; it’s the only explanation.
I think of all the demons that I’ve turned into flowers. Do they leave traces of themselves behind? Do they whisper? I wonder.
I sit at a bench shadowed by a pink willow tree, where I know no one can see me from the palace balconies because I’ve checked a hundred times.
Part of me has feared having a moment completely alone, without even a guard.
The gods always seem to find me when I am away from others.
My eyes trace the veil once more—the shimmering sparkles that move like waves across the bubble-like form are so beautiful.
Surely even the gods cannot pass through such odd, arcane magic.
It’s been three months since I last spoke with a god, and I’m glad they can’t seem to reach me here.
Their tricks have already done more than enough damage.
Mercury sending me that wisp on the journey back and his warning still make goose bumps pebble on my arms.
The demons truly have found something so unique and powerful. I close my eyes and let the cold from the stone bench seep into my fingertips. At least they found a power to use for protection, not as a weapon.
Gravel crunches beneath a heavy boot as someone steps around the hedge and approaches me.
I don’t open my eyes. Instead, I let a loose grin pull at my lips.