44. Another One Bites The Dust
44
Another One Bites The Dust
Aliza
M y second session with Mabli was worse than the first. I was distracted, and my brain flitted ceaselessly between worries and memories. Whenever I tried to pin a thought down, it melted away, only to be replaced by something else. I couldn’t find the zing of magic beneath the storm. Couldn’t separate one emotion from another. Their edges blurred and seeped together, leaving me unable to guess if I was heartbroken or sickened or anxious or angry, or all of it all at once. What I did know was that hope glowed amongst the chaos, a fragile little beacon in the dark. I couldn’t help but seize that positive feeling and cling to it.
This, apparently, was not how my magic manifested.
Mabli’s disappointment was evident in her slight frown and the way her lips thinned as she pressed them together, but if she thought I was the worst student in the history of learning, she didn’t mention it.
Instead, she made use of every minute afforded to us, and when the session ended, her voice was cheery. “Don’t worry. Some days it’s harder than others, and we all struggle in the beginning. You’ll get there. ”
My earlier breakfast sat uneasily in my stomach as I returned to my suite. Sunlight streamed through the enormous windows, landing on the stack of photos on my bedside table. I’d tidied up after myself, arranging my most prized possessions in a precise stack. Idris’ note sat atop everything else.
I’d read it often enough since yesterday that I knew the words by heart, but I picked it up anyway, drifting to the window as I read.
Whatever you do next, I remain yours.
As long as life endures.
I pressed the note to my chest, as though it was the prince and not an aged scrap of paper. What would I do next?
The faint pink stain marring the stone wall below the window caught my eye. No amount of scrubbing or magic potions seemed likely to fully eradicate the evidence of Jacques’ loss of control, or my bad decisions. Poor Jacques. What must it be like to be so thoroughly outcast that he and his people were forced to live in caves? No wonder he’d stalked me. Sure, I’d been a steaming hot meal and the key to his salvation, but had I also been the only person beyond the mountains who had treated him as the human he’d once been? Even Idris thought of vampires as vermin. Were they all just ordinary people, like Jacques? Capable of making mistakes, but on the whole, good? It wasn’t fair that they should be banished. As much as I hated the idea of them being in my world, they had as much right to live freely in this one as anyone. If I became queen, would I have the power to change things?
First and foremost, I needed to understand. Jacques was right. A history book couldn’t hurt .
Nairsgarth’s library was located on the ground floor. In all the chaos, I’d never had a chance to visit. What secrets would it hold? The thought of learning something new had excitement fluttering in my belly. Replacing Idris’ note with care, I headed out into the corridor and came face to face with Anwir.
My mood curdled. Even with his short hair, even with their identical faces, I could now tell the brothers apart at a glance. How had I ever found Anwir handsome? It might have been interesting, the way Anwir made my skin crawl while his identical twin was the most beautiful creature to ever grace the earth if I had any inclination to waste a moment’s thought on the male before me.
“You’re in my way,” I said, my voice flat. Come to think of it, why was he in my corridor at all? He’d obviously accompanied Sage to Nairsgarth, but what could possibly bring him to my stretch of the castle?
Horrible imaginings exploded to life in my head. Had Maelgwyn attacked again? Had Idris been hurt, or worse? Had Anwir come to break the news? The blood drained from my head, pooling in my stomach, nauseating and heavy.
“What of you?” he snarled. “Are you in my way?”
That didn’t make him sound like the bearer of terrible news. Maybe he was only here for Sage. My brow knotted. “What?”
“What have you been whispering in my brother’s ear?”
God, was this some petty squabble between siblings? I had no intention of being dragged into it. I was an only child, and though I’d dreamed of having a baby sister when I was little, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Besides, even if I’d wanted to cause trouble, Idris was nowhere to be seen, leaving me quite incapable of whispering anything in his ear.
Rolling my eyes, I sidestepped Anwir. His enormous hand closed like a dog’s jaw around my arm. Had I still been human, his grip would have bruised, but though my body was stronger now, his unyielding fingers pinched the delicate flesh beneath my upper arm.
“Get off me.” I twisted, trying and failing to free myself.
He tugged me closer, nose to nose. “Tell me the truth. Do you harbour ideas of taking my throne? Putting Idris on it instead?”
Had Sage shared her plans with him? “You’re hurting me.”
His grip tightened, setting my heart sputtering. My throat went dry. Anwir was tall enough to make me small by comparison. Weak. What if he really tried to hurt me? I’d always considered my height an advantage, a layer of protection that made me a difficult target for predatory men, but next to the bulk of fae males, I was small. Breakable. Was this what it was like for the rest of the female population? Anwir didn’t need weapons or magic. He could kill me with his bare hands.
“Tell me why, after centuries of contentment with our arrangement, my brother is suddenly questioning my rank? Would it have anything to do with you, my sweet little human?”
Idris had what? Did this mean he’d told the truth when he’d sworn he’d take the crown to be at my side? Was Sage right? Hope and fear warred in my heart.
“Anwir, please—”
“He’s not here to protect you now, Your Majesty,” he hissed, and I knew he was referring to Idris slamming him against the wall for laying a hand on me .
The worst part was, he was right. Idris was far from here, from me. The castle was all but empty, the witches having travelled to Tir o Gaeaf. The chances of someone strolling down this corridor and intervening were next to none. Even Jacques wouldn’t be lurking, not with the sun at full strength.
Ice doused my skin, but it wasn’t enough to strangle the thrill of pride that Idris had finally shown a scrap of sense, that he’d questioned the ridiculous swap. Anwir wasn’t fit to rule over a toy box, never mind a kingdom.
I willed calm into my voice. “I’m not going to speak to you until you let go of me.”
“You’ll do as I say. I am your king!”
“That’s funny,” I retorted, my voice surprisingly steady, “because the throne only answers to me now.” For all the good it did.
Anwir’s face reddened, and for a moment, his grip tightened, but then he released me with a slight shove, retreating a step. His voice was clipped and tight as he said, “You are right. Forgive me, I… There has been bad news, and I allowed it to cloud my senses. Idris has been difficult of late, and—”
“What bad news?” I rubbed my smarting arm.
“—the rebuilding efforts after the attack have been relentless—”
“Anwir, what news?”
He ceased his rambling, arranging his face into solemnity. “It appears Granny’s time is upon us. Your presence is requested.”
Shivers cascaded over me. The old hag had grown on me in a masochistic sort of way, with her ruthless yet sometimes oddly flattering observations. Besides, Sage as High Priestess was a formidable idea, one I wasn’t sure I was ready for .
“Me?” I squeaked. “Why?”
Anwir shrugged as though he couldn’t care less.
“They don’t think I can save her, do they?” Hadn’t I already proven myself useless when it came to preventing the deaths of witches? Sage had witnessed it with her own eyes. She couldn’t want me to intervene. Besides, Granny was old. Mortal. Death was the next step, and there was no science that could prevent it entirely.
Anwir appeared to be thinking along the same lines. “It’s rather beyond your skill, I should think. Come along, time is of the essence.”
He hadn’t been in such a rush while he was throwing a tantrum, but I didn’t waste my breath commenting as I fell into step a few paces behind him. My arm still grumbled about its rough treatment, and I had no intention of repeating the experience. Maybe learning to summon flames would be good for me. A few blisters would teach the entitled little prince a thing or two.
“Do you intend to sit the throne?” Anwir broke the tense silence with his clipped tone.
I pressed my lips together, weighing my words carefully. I didn’t want to set him off again, but the truth was, I didn’t know what I intended to do. What I really wanted . “I don’t know how any of it works. All I know is, I want to do good. For now, that means getting rid of Maelgwyn.” Amongst other things. New, half-mad ideas chased each other around my mind like a pack of cats released from their carriers.
“We can agree on that much at least,” the prince grumbled. “Still, I must know what comes next. If we survive this, if we defeat my uncle—”
“It’s not the crown I want,” I admitted.
Anwir’ s eyes slid to me.
I sighed, my shoulders slumping. “I have a lot of ideas of how to improve this world for everyone, that’s all. As Queen, I’d have the power to make change. That’s what I want, the chance to help people.”
Hope lit the prince’s face. “Then surrender the throne to me. As king, I could grant you the power to make changes, with my approval of course. You don’t need to shoulder the burden of ruling to do good. There would be a role for you, I’m sure…”
He continued to talk at me, reeling off ideas of how he might trickle some of his unmatched power into my empty dish. I tuned out his words. He was a liar. His promises were good for nothing. He’d say anything to convince me to play into his hands. He didn’t have the good of his subjects at heart, only his own greed and ego. I had no interest in working with him beyond ridding the world of Maelgwyn.
What did Sage see in him? She struck me as a strong-minded woman. Prickly, cold and more than a little devious, but strong. It was easy to picture her ruling the coven well. But Anwir? His likeness to a spoilt toddler grew more apparent with every interaction. What had I ever seen in him?
I shivered at the memory of exactly how pathetic I’d been but was spared having to dwell on the matter.
There’d never been a reason for me to visit Granny’s suite before, but the door looming before Anwir and me was as grand as the one guarding my own sprawling room. If my room was fit for a queen, then this had to belong to someone of equal status. A small cluster of wan-faced witches looked up at our approach. None smiled. Instead, they bowed their heads and stepped back to allow us passage. Anwir reached for my hand, and I flinched away from his touch a moment before my memory caught up. I was still supposed to be his queen. His doe-eyed bride. I’d agreed to continue his deception, but holding his hand was a step too far. Instead, I laid my fingers lightly on the crook of his elbow, barely touching the fabric, so densely woven that it felt like liquid to my heightened fae senses.
Accepting my compromise without complaint or remark, Anwir breezed through the door with me in tow.
Granny’s suite was nothing like mine. Instead of emerging into a sprawling room fitted with open-plan areas for sleeping and daytime activities, we found ourselves in a large but cluttered sitting room. Trinkets and ornaments adorned every highly polished surface, while paintings and tapestries and shelves upon shelves of leather-bound books covered every inch of wall bar the large window. My room overlooked the sea, but Granny commanded a view of the grounds and the valleys beyond. The sunlight streaming through the window bounced blindingly off what looked like a crystal ball perched on the lace-covered coffee table. I craned my neck for a closer look as we squeezed past. Dense white smoke swirled inside the orb. Would it tell me my future if I looked long enough? Reveal the right path? Offer me the answers my brain hid from me?
There was no time to find out. Anwir whisked me across the room and through another door. My steps faltered at the scene awaiting me.
We’d found the bedroom. Though it was every bit as decorated as the sitting room, my eyes went immediately to the old woman propped up on a mound of pillows. Granny had always been doddery and rather frail, but I wasn’t prepared to see her looking as though she would disintegrate under a gentle breeze. Her grey hair fanned over her pillow like wisps of cotton wool, and her breasts, hidden beneath a flowery nightgown, spilt sideways, revealing the sharp rack of her ribs and the hollow of her sternum. Breath rattled from her limp mouth, and her claw-like fingers hung lifelessly from Sage’s hand. Nevertheless, familiar, watery eyes flickered in our direction, and Granny’s gaping mouth twitched into a slack smile.
Sage stirred, tearing her eyes from her predecessor. Her skin was a shade paler than usual, and the moss green of her eyes contrasted with the bloodshot red. The vibrant colours of sorrow made her more beautiful than I’d ever seen her. Anwir stepped sideways, and my fingers slipped from his elbow.
“Thank you for coming, Aliza.” Sage rose to her feet, her insignificant height barely stirring Granny’s hand from the covers. “Granny asked for you.”
“She did?” Why? The old bat had no fondness for me. I’d been a means to an end for her, and everyone else. A tool to be used. As far as she was concerned, I had only one use, and the curse was broken. What else could she possibly want with me?
As though in answer to my unspoken questions, Granny turned her head agonisingly slowly. “Give us a… moment, Sage, dear.”
Sage pressed her lips together in a grim smile, patting Granny’s hand before releasing it and aiming for the door. “With me, Anwir.”
To my immense surprise, the prince obeyed like a well-trained dog, following his lover silently from the bedroom he’d only just entered. The door clicked behind them with all the finality of a last heartbeat.
“Aliza, dear…”
The faint rasp of a voice drew my attention back, and my feet carried me to the bedside. The old witch grasped with a chain around her neck, retrieving a large locket from where it had fallen to the pillows. Her knobbly fingers fumbled unsuccessfully with the clasp.
“Help me, girl.”
I sprang into action. The locket was stiff, but after some resistance, it cracked open, revealing a tiny, ornate key in a bed of silk.
“There’s a chest… on the mantle…”
As though controlled by puppet strings, I crossed the room. Sure enough, a mahogany box engraved with leaves and vines nestled amongst a collection of figurines, each depicting an elegant woman in a beautiful gown. Taking care not to set the whole display clattering to the hearth, I retrieved the surprisingly heavy box and carried it back to the bed. What did this have to do with me? Surely Sage was the obvious choice for rifling through the old woman’s memory box?
I placed the box on the mattress. “Do you want me to open it for you?”
Granny gave the barest nod, as though weakened by her efforts.
The little key felt as though it would snap as I slid it into its home and turned, but the lock clicked. I lifted the lid.
A rock, identical in its unnerving colouring to Sage’s warp stone, sat in a nest of velvet. Compared to the crystal, absorbing all the light, the black fabric was positively vibrant. The similarity to Sage’s trinket ended there. This one was easily three times the size, and whereas the smaller version was uncut, this one had been chiselled to perfection, though no light gleamed on its precise edges.
“A warp stone?” I asked, surprise lilting my voice. I’d expected secret love letters, or a collection of keepsakes, or even a miniature portrait of a handsome man, not… a rock .
Granny gave another weak nod. Her breath came heavier, but she inched her hand over the covers and patted my fingers with her rough palm. “For you. To take you… home.”
Despite the futility of the gesture, I smiled. “Thank you. It’s wonderful.” Never mind that I had the magic to take myself home whenever I fancied, once I’d mastered my control. Maybe Granny didn’t know of my powers. Maybe Sage had decided that she was too frail for any surprises, not that I could imagine Granny caring either way. Still, to give me a warp stone… she’d thought of me, of my incessant desire to return to my own world. I didn’t know how the stone worked, or if it could be spelled to return me to my parents’ house as Sage’s returned her to Nairsgarth, but there was thought behind the gesture.
“Put it away, girl,” Granny breathed. “No, not the box… pocket…”
I hesitated, the warp stone hovering over its velvet bed, before slipping it into the pocket of my hoody. “Shall I put the box back on the shelf?”
The witch didn’t so much nod as twitch her chin in assent. My throat tightened. Time was running out. With a slight tremble, I locked the empty box and hid the key inside the locket with a snap. My legs were hollow as I returned the box to its home amongst the dancing ladies.
Granny’s eyelids fluttered, fighting to remain open. I didn’t bother returning to her bedside.
“Sage.” I tugged the door to the sitting room open.
Anwir sprang away from the witch, but not before I’d seen her encircled in his arms. Not before I’d seen her clinging to him as though there was a shred of goodness somewhere within him, capable of offering comfort. She blinked, setting tears streaking down her cheeks as she lifted her chin, proud and determined. My soul lurched at the sight, the world rocking beneath my feet.
There was no jealousy, no anger inside me, only bone-deep sadness. Emptiness. Longing. As strange as it was to envy them, I wanted something of what they had.
“You should come back,” I said, my voice soft. “Be with her.”
With a brief nod, Sage strode past me, leaving me staring at Anwir. The witch’s voice, low and soothing, drifted to my ears, but I couldn’t make out the words as golden-green eyes burnt into mine. My heart sank like a stone drifting to the seabed. I saw only Idris, but he wasn’t there. The love shining in those eyes wasn’t his, and it wasn’t for me. However alike the twins might be to look at, this one was no substitute for the other.
“It won’t be long,” I whispered, edging out of the doorway. “Go to her.”
We both knew I didn’t mean Granny.
I didn’t wait for a denial or an argument or a pretty lie. As I left the suite with the warp stone weighing down my pocket, I didn’t bother to look at the crystal ball. I already knew where my path would lead.
Nairsgarth’s impressively stocked library was every bit as fascinating as I’d imagined. So much so, that when footsteps stirred me from my studies, I was surprised to find my nose inches from the page, the light having failed around me .
My spine cracked as I straightened, and I squinted at the glare of the single candle Sage carried. She set it down on the table, casting an orange glow over my books. “It is unwise to linger in the shadows.”
The witch’s features were dragged down by sorrow, her eyelids puffy. My heart sank like a stone.
“Granny is dead.” Sage’s voice was quiet, whether due to grief, or merely out of respect for our surroundings, I didn’t know.
Though I’d been expecting the news, a wave of sorrow rose inside me. The ghostly weight of the warp stone was heavy in my lap, even though I’d rushed it back to my room and hidden it amongst my clothes hours ago. The old hag’s first and last gift to me. Granny was gone, but her worldly possessions remained. I always found it surreal when a pet died, leaving only a collar to go home in its place. This was weirder still, and just as sad.
“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?” Not that I could bring back the dead, but maybe I could do something useful for the coven. Something to ease the burden Sage had shouldered. Not that she deserved my help, but still.
Sage slid into the seat beside me, her eyes skimming over the stacks of books littering the table. “Everything is well in hand. I did not have you pinned as a reader.”
That was probably because she’d never spared a thought for me as a person, just as a means to an end. She didn’t know the first thing about me.
“History texts,” she mused aloud, leaning forward to peruse an open book.
“There’s a lot to learn from history,” I said, watching her carefully, “if you read between the lines of the victors. ”
Bloodshot eyes met mine. Was that impressed surprise I found in them?
“Nicely put. Have you found anything of interest?”
Why did she care? I was used to the brisk, disinterested Sage, not this curious, girl-power version. It was… unnerving.
“Plenty.” I nudged my stack of hastily scribbled notes. Titbits that seemed important, that I wanted to come back to. I’d cited the book title and author next to each note, along with the chapter, page and line number. Even if I’d had access to a highlighter, I wouldn’t have dared deface these dusty old tomes. They were definitely older than I was, and the pages had grown thick and stiff. My notes were scattered jigsaw pieces. I couldn’t fit them together yet, but eventually, I would. Then I’d see the full picture these books hinted at.
Sage picked up a sheet of paper, examining my barely legible scribbles. I could read them, and that was what mattered. One day, I might copy them neatly, but for now, this was a study in learning, not presentation.
“There appears to be a theme,” the witch observed. Her eyes shifted to mine. “Vampires.”
I held her gaze. She was High Priestess now. Whether or not I took up my crown remained to be seen, but that wasn’t going to stop me. I had a plan, and I needed the support of someone of rank. Someone with sway over Anwir. I needed Sage.
“I’m stuck in this world, and you had a part to play in that. You owe me a favour,”
Sage’s lips twitched as she leaned back in her seat. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, it is. You were supposed to send a team to guard the Blood Gate. ”
“I did.”
“Then do you mind telling me why humans are being used as living blood banks by the vampires?” Even the words sent chills down my spine, but I didn’t let myself shiver. Now was not the time to show weakness.
Sage raised her pale eyebrows. “Perhaps a better place to begin would be if you told me how you came by this information.”
I wasn’t ready to reveal my hand just yet, but it was time to play my best card. “What if I had a way to swell Anwir’s army?”
“How do you propose to do that?”
I smiled. “Let me show you.”