Chapter 33 #2
“We will search until we find them or the kingdom is consumed by gloam and we’re all dead.” He says it in such a cold and final way that chills skitter down my spine.
Before I can argue further, we stop alongside a tall thick hedge, which has a solid wood door embedded in its growth.
“If there’s anyone you can trust, it’s Ikar.” He looks hard at me, as if willing me to believe it.
I offer a weak nod, prompting a heavy sigh from him.
He opens the door for me to walk through. “I’ll be waiting here when you finish.”
He shuts the door after I enter, abruptly ending our conversation. I try to ignore his disappointment, reminding myself that Rhosse didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know… but to hear how determined they are to find the Tulips is chilling enough that goosebumps have risen across my skin.
I distract myself by taking a moment to soak in my surroundings as I approach the bathing pool.
The moonlight from the two moons that have risen shines brighter here than I’ve ever seen, their light reflecting off the water before me in an ethereal way.
I don’t generally like dark water; in fact, with the dangers that usually lurk there, I tend to lean toward terrified.
But here, the water glows luminescent, and it’s so clear that I can see every pebble at the bottom with the way the moonlight shimmers through its surface.
The magnificent waterfall completes the stunning picture, the mist and foam at the bottom appearing to sparkle with magic.
Small waves lap at the shore, which is covered in small pebbles so smooth and round they could be pearls washed up from the depths of an ocean.
One side is the canyon wall from which the waterfall flows, and the other three sides are blocked in by the thick hedge.
I spot Rupi’s tiny white form soaring over the top, almost glowing in the bright moonlight as she bobs happily through the air.
She lands on the round pebbles as I quickly remove my clothing and place the bundle just out of reach of the gently lapping waves.
Goosebumps rise across my body as the air whispers across my bare skin.
Rupi has already begun to hop in the smallest waves, cleaning her feathers and chirping contentedly.
Her fuzzy feathers begin to dampen and cling to her body, making her appear even smaller.
I take a breath and remind myself that this water is safe—nothing lurks in its depths here with the nymphs.
I take my time searching for a spot to enter that’s not too deep, since I’d prefer not to drown tonight.
Even the thought of Rhosse, Darvy, or Ikar running in here to my rescue without a bit of clothing on is mortifying.
I wade into the water, and my tense muscles relax immediately—it’s warmer than most baths I’ve taken, and I laugh with surprised pleasure.
My toes brush the bottom, filled with more of the smooth pebbles, and I’m reassured I won’t drown.
I waste no time cleansing the many layers of velvet widow gore, my own blood, and the caked-on dirt and grime from my body and hair.
I’m left feeling invigorated, and when I’m finished, I take time to enjoy this beautiful pool, dragging my hand through the water and creating splashes and waves that sparkle.
Does all water in this small piece of lucent heaven sparkle and glow?
I’ve never seen a healthy magical river or pool in my life.
I stare at my hand beneath the surface and catch sight of a small fish that darts away from my feet, and as each tiny wave crests toward the shore, a small spray of sparkling water bursts into the air.
This little bit of forest is what our kingdom could be like again.
No excess gloam, no monsters. I feel my hardened heart soften the smallest bit toward Ikar and his mission.
I know he wants this too. He’s good. I know he is.
But he’s not infallible. What about his future opinions?
What about the future kings and my Black Tulip sisters?
Their safety is in my hands, just as the kingdom is in his.
I keep my hand just beneath the surface and turn in a fast circle, sending a spray of sparkling water into the air, interrupted when another, quieter voice in the back of my mind that I locked up when Rhosse and I spoke, finally frees itself and questions me about the lives of people who are dying from gloam. What about them?
I tentatively lie back, attempting to float on the gentle waves as I feel another thought coming to mind. My first instinct is to beat it back into submission, but it feels as if the magic in this warm water, the peace in this beautiful and perfect piece of forest, coaxes me to acknowledge it.
What if I told Ikar I’m a Black Tulip?
Instinctive, deep-rooted fear shoots through me, sending me sinking beneath the surface, flailing until I gain my footing and stand upright again.
I wipe plastered strands of hair from my face as images of the dead Tulips in my nightmare come to mind in horrid succession.
I waste no time trudging toward the shore, using my arms in the water to speed my escape.
No. Tatania’s words echo through my head. The Black Tulip oath. We will never reveal our Black Tulip identity. We will never bridge with kings. How many times have I repeated that? I promised. How could I even consider breaking that and betraying my Tulip sisters?
I shake my head and climb out of the water to dry myself. Minutes later, as I cinch my vest tightly beneath my bust, I look over the water with narrowed eyes, wondering if, perhaps, it truly was the magic water that messed with my mind tonight.
I sit back on the round pebbles, waiting for my feet to dry before I shove my boots back on.
Rupi looks like a soggy wad of cotton as she hops toward me, then with one quick flutter, lands atop my thigh, leaving small wet spots on my trousers as she hops and flaps her wings.
I smile at her antics, but it slips when my thoughts return to Odella’s…
advice? The seer vision. I’ve only heard rumors of the first one that got the Tulips killed, but this one seemed eerily similar.
Then she tells me to be careful who I trust…
Trust who? Ikar or Tatania? It has to be Tatania, my Black Tulip sisters, but how does that help restore lucent for our kingdom?
That’s why I asked Rhosse if there was another option, but he’s certain there isn’t.
Why didn’t Odella just tell me what to do? I groan, feeling stuck.
“Vera? You decent?” Darvy calls over the hedge.
“Decent,” I shout, wondering when he showed up.
The door flings open, and Darvy strides through, followed closely by Rhosse, grins on their faces and spare clothing swinging in their hands.
I wiggle my clean toes once more, still reluctant to put my boots on my damp feet. “You kicking me out?”
Rupi’s feathers are almost dry, her fuzz beginning to fluff up and become soft again, but now clean and even brighter white.
“Unless you’d like to stay for the show.” Darvy winks with an incorrigible grin.
Then Ikar saunters through the door with a grin to match theirs. “Did you bring my things?”
Darvy tosses a small bag of items at Ikar, which he catches easily as he comes closer.
I know it’s time to leave—I’ve taken up most of the evening here anyway.
And also, they don’t appear to have the patience to wait for me any longer.
A shirt lands near me in a puddle of fabric, and I quickly grab my boots, unwilling to look up to see whose it was or what other pieces of clothing might have already come off.
I hurry toward the hedge door, enjoying the mossy coolness of the path now that I’ve left the pebbles.
I pass Ikar on my way and meet his eyes. “I didn’t expect you to be here; I thought you’d still be speaking with Odella.” I hate how breathless and jealous I sound.
He glances over my shoulder, and I can tell he’s as eager as I was to use the pool. “We just finished.”
“She’s interesting.”
My comment captures his attention once more, and one side of his lips turns up into a smile. “She is, but also very gifted. She doesn’t see something for everyone. It’s an honor to have her share with you.”
“I just don’t understand what she meant.” I look down and rub a toe through the cool moss beneath my feet.
“Whatever your first impression was, that’s it.”
I don’t have to think hard about it. The moment she said Lucentia and duty, I thought of my duty as a Queen of the Night. But betraying my oath and my Tulip sisters and potentially putting them in danger can’t be the right way. It can’t.
I offer a one-shoulder shrug. “I’ll have to think about it.”
“Don’t think too hard. First impression.” He casts a knowing glance at me and then looks back to the pool.
I can’t agree with him because my first impression is wrong, so I laugh instead. “Go. I’ll head back on my own.”
It’s torture to stand this close to him and speak as if my magic is behaving normally when really it’s frantic with want, racing through my veins.
He looks toward the pool again, where I hear Darvy shout, followed by a large splash. “We won’t be long…”
“Don’t rush on my account. I’ll be fine. I won’t fall through any holes, okay?” I intend it to be a joke.
But he looks back at me, his brows drawn together into a frown. “It’s not funny. Be careful.”
I wave away his concern. “Go bathe; you need it.” I make a face and brush past him.
It’s a lie. Somehow he smells and looks as tempting as ever.
As I walk away, I hear another giant splash and whoops joining with the roar of the waterfall, and I can’t help but smile.
The three of them are as close as brothers by blood, and their boyish energy tonight leaves me smiling…
until I remember how Ikar looks without a shirt on, and it’s definitely not boyish. Stop it.
I trip up a few steps and wipe all thoughts of Ikar from my mind so I can keep my promise to safely reach my room.
“They’ll be so pleased to see I made it here alive,” I mutter to Rupi sarcastically as I scoop her from my shoulder and place her on the table.
She picks through the tray of food that was left there, chittering to herself as I ready for bed.
I take time to rebraid my clean hair, and fall into the surprisingly comfortable hammock.
It swings gently beneath me and cocoons me in its center.
I snatch the cozy blanket and easily begin to drift off.
I’m not sure if I dream in the night that Ikar ensures I sleep soundly, or if the scent of him always hovers around me, but I feel safe.
I sleep better than I have in days.