Chapter 24 Kinda Awkward
Kinda Awkward
We were gone at first light, as soon as the night terrors were safely disappeared.
“It’s so early,” Carl-One complained, rubbing his eyes groggily. “Why couldn’t we just leave tomorrow? It’s not like the challenges will start without you.”
“I want to be as far away from this nightmare kingdom as possible,” I told him sternly, already walking off.
I was still on edge—whether that was from my conversation with Tarran last night or the kiss, I didn’t know.
She was doing an excellent job of pretending nothing happened, and that was exactly what I should be doing.
“So grumpy today,” Carl-Two mumbled but followed along anyways, his brother trotting behind him. Tarran stepped in beside me without a word. Her hand brushed my arm just briefly, and we both took a step apart.
We walked in silence, boots on stone and then dirt, the chaos of the Twin Kingdom left behind us. The foggy haze that surrounded our path thinned by the hour. The road ahead, though still littered with gnarled trees and jagged hills, slowly gave way to more palatable scenery.
Carl-Two walked with his hands behind his back, like a professor about to give a lecture, deep in thought.
Carl-One was eagerly collecting any shiny pebbles he could find, stuffing them into an already bulging pouch slung around his hips.
They chattered back and forth, meaningless observations and silly musings as we went.
They were comforting in their own weird way, and I once again found myself grateful they were on this journey with me.
Tarran, on the other hand, was silent. Not moody, not upset, just…quiet.
She stayed just a step ahead or a step behind, not walking beside us directly. I chewed my bottom lip. Had I ruined everything last night? I shouldn’t have kissed her, but in the moment, it was what I’d wanted. And I hadn’t forgotten that she’d kissed me back.
Tarran began to hum under her breath, a tune that shifted constantly, never quite deciding on a rhythm that made sense. When I finally caught up with her and bumped her arm gently, she looked at me like she’d forgotten I existed.
“You okay?”
She tilted her head, contemplating my words. “Define okay.”
“Um…not, like, seeing ghosts or talking to the flowers?”
Her eyes twinkled, and for a moment, she came back to me. “That’s oddly specific.”
“I never really know what’s going on in that head of yours. Specific seemed like a good option.”
Tarran pursed her lips, and I tried not to stare at them, tried not to remember the feel of their warmth against my own. It was a futile task. “My mind’s a wardrobe, Liss. Sometimes, the coats are in order, and sometimes, they aren’t.”
I blinked. “That’s not…helpful. And makes no sense.”
She shrugged. “A lot of things make no sense, but they still are.”
“I’m worried about you Tarran. Ever since the Silent King, you’ve been having these episodes more and more often. Is it….is it because of last night?”
“I’m fine. It comes and goes, and there’s nothing I can do about it.” Her tone was bitter, the acrid taste of her words burning my throat. “As for last night…we will forget that ever happened.”
“Miss Liss, you should leave it alone,” Carl-Two warned, his brow furrowed. “She might—”
I ignored him. “I just want to make sure you’re going to be okay.”
“Of course, I’m not okay!” she snapped. The Carls sighed in unison, but I didn’t dare look away from the burning pair of mismatched eyes currently directed at me.
“It’s easy for you to come in and make all the judgements you want.
But at the end of the day, you’ll get your keys and you’ll leave.
And where does that leave me? Leave us? Nowhere, because we don’t exist. We will never be anything beyond the pages of this story. So save your pity for someone else.”
She stomped away, her steps heavy with the force of her anger. I moved to follow her, but a Carl each grabbed one of my arms, holding me back. “No, no,” Carl-One said, gripping me surprisingly hard.
“She’ll get over it,” Carl-Two added, giving me a sad eyed smile. “Eventually. Just give her some space.”
“I need to smooth it out. Apologize or something.” It hadn’t occurred to me that she was so…self aware. My heart was aching for her, sad this was a reality she’d never get to see the other side of.
“Later,” Carl-Two said. “There isn’t anything you can say right now. Not unless you can make her a real person, with a real life and a future that isn’t just escorting girls around to impossible tasks.”
My protests dried in my throat, because what could I really say? He was right. I couldn’t promise her a future, couldn’t give her a life. The best thing I could do for the both of us, the only thing I could do, was get the keys and get back to where I belonged.
Without her.
***
The gnarled trees soon gave way to soft, rolling hills, the fog a distant memory as we emerged to a much more pleasant scenery. In the distance, a city horizon sparkled.
It looked like a dream.
Towers made of ivory and gold caught the late afternoon sun. Marble staircases curved through gardens so perfectly pruned, they could have been a painting. There were winding streets lit with intricate streetlights and music drifting on a breeze. It was like it was straight out of a fairy tale.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“The Kingdom of Radiance,” Tarran said. The rest of our journey had been mostly in silence, and it seemed she’d resigned to not mention anything of our earlier conversation, which I was grateful to accept. The sooner I could get out of here, the better. “Ruled by King Adonis.”
“Adonis?” My eye twitched, and I placed a finger against it to stop. “Like the Greek god?”
She blinked at me blankly. “Greek?”
“Never mind.”
Carl-One sighed dreamily. “I’ve heard he’s very pretty.”
“Too pretty,” Carl-Two added solemnly, crossing his arms across his chest. Over the past few days, I’d come to believe Carl-Two had just a little bit more of the braincell they shared, and he was often more skeptical and hesitant. “It’s suspicious.”
“Let me guess,” I muttered. “He tests you on your beauty and grace. Oooh! Or better yet, the trial is to not fall in love with him?”
Tarran didn’t answer. Instead, she plucked a pristinely pink flower from a nearby bush and held it up to the sun, watching its petals as they shimmered, almost like a greeting. “They’ll be watching,” she murmured. “All of them. Even the shadows here listen.”
At the city gates, we were met by a man dressed head to toe in silver. He looked like he’d been carved straight from moonlight, his smile so perfect, it almost hurt to look at it.
“Welcome, brave travelers,” he said, bowing deeply. It was the warmest welcome we’d received so far, and immediately, it made me grit my teeth. “My name is Relick, the King’s most loyal servant. The King is most pleased to receive you.”
I was already squinting. “And when will that be?”
The man’s smile didn’t falter. “The King requires your presence in three nights’ time at the Royal Ball. There, your challenge will be revealed.”
“A ball? That’s new.”
“The King is very gracious,” he said. “He wishes you to be…at your most radiant. Anything you need, he will provide. It is not often we have guests.” I didn’t miss the way he looked me up and down. I made a face, and Tarran stepped forward.
“We’ll need lodging,” she said. “And clothes.” She looked at me then back to Relick. “Makeup too.”
He waved a hand, and two attendants appeared out of nowhere, their arms laden with shopping bags in various shapes and colors.
“This way,” he said. “To the Rose Quarter.”
With minimal hesitation, we followed.