Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
The High Priest is safe, and none of your concern.
—Correspondence from General Calvus to Lord Pavel.
The twelve-year-old version of my brother winked as he trotted past on his gelding, my father clomping alongside me on his black stallion. I squeezed my old mare into a trot, heading toward the summer solstice celebration along the streets of Aedrialis.
“Stay with Aeriden, Badger,” my father called.
A look at his guard and I knew I’d have an unwanted escort, but even at elven years old, I could outmaneuver them.
I launched the mare into a lope, weaving between carriages and wagons until I caught sight of Aeriden sneaking into an alley. I hopped off my mount and slunk into the side of the building, where he thrust an oversized shirt and a pair of trousers into my hands.
“Hurry up. Van and Drys will be here soon,” he whispered, ushering me behind an unused cart.
I swiftly changed clothes and pulled my hair into a little cap. Aeriden smirked when he turned around.
A tall, lanky form rounded the corner and skidded to a stop, his mouth spreading into a wide grin. “Tynan’s Hell, you look like a boy!” Vander exclaimed.
My cheeks reddened at the curse, but I tucked it away for use during my training with the young colt my father had gifted me.
“Shut up.” Aeriden punched his friend playfully in the shoulder as Drystan’s dark head bobbed around the cart. His lips stretched into a broad smile.
“I didn’t offend her. Right, Lyvi? You’re tough.” Vander’s bony elbow caught me in the ribs.
I suppressed a giggle.
The four of us snuck through the winding avenue of carts that led to the sectioned-off avenue housing the traveling festival. A large man with a bristly beard stepped in front of us, raising a brow.
“We’re ‘ere ta muck the stalls,” Aeriden said, pinching his words with a dialect of the slums of Aedrialis.
“Nag master din’t say nothin’ ‘bout a buncha urchins comin’ this way.” The man’s mustache twitched as he looked us over, eyes narrowing on the stray strands of long black hair poking out of my cap.
“Who else is gon’ shovel their shit?” Aeriden clapped back as he took a step forward, shoving me to the side.
The man took a long drag of his pipe before jerking his head behind him. “Three streets down,” he growled. “And if I catch your snoopin’ eyes or sticky paws anywhere else, I’ll box yer ears.”
“Yes’sir,” Van mumbled as the four of us scooted past the barrier.
Festival workers lined the street, all dressed in an array of costumes and painted faces. Drystan and I chased after Aeriden and Vander, who shot past the horse stables and ducked into an alley. Aeriden paused and placed a finger to his lips, lifting the flap to a large tent.
I stifled a gasp as we stepped inside. Rows of elaborate wagons and cages lined the great tent. Bleating, roaring, and hissing sounded from all around, the potent scent of shit, piss, and loamy musk surging into my nostrils.
We crouched behind a water trough, and Aeriden’s sapphire eyes darted between the various cages, searching for the infamous bear. He pointed to a set of cages in the corner draped with long black curtains.
“One of those,” he signed to the three of us.
A spike of excitement buzzed in my veins as we crept along the tent’s edges. Aeriden stopped before the first cage, pulling the back of the curtain to peer inside.
“Let us see!” I whispered, doing my best to shove between the two older boys.
Aeriden elbowed Van to make room for me and Drys.
“It’s just a box,” I murmured.
My heart leaped into my chest as mumbled talking reached us. I whipped my head around to spy three workers rounding the corner.
“Dammit!” Aeriden whispered. “Quick!” He fumbled with the latch on the cage for several long seconds as Van shoved him aside.
“Let me do it!” Van grumbled. A small pick appeared in his hands, and he slid it into the large lock, wiggling it around enough until there was a solid click.
“Hurry!” Aeriden whispered, urging us into the darkness of the cage.
We stumbled over each other as Van swung the door shut and whipped the curtain down as the door latched in place.
We crouched low in the darkness as the footsteps grew louder. My breath caught in my lungs as the festival workers passed, keeping my hand on Drystan’s arm. Aeriden let out a sigh of relief as the sound of their footsteps disappeared into blended animal bleats.
“That was close,” Aeriden whispered as he laughed, “Come on, let’s—”
A soft clatter bit through his words, the rattle echoing through the darkness, and I tightened my grip on Drystan.
“What was that?” Van breathed, still as death.
A soft hiss slipped through the space, and something thudded from the center of the wagon.
“It’s a snake,” I said in a shaky whisper, not needing to see Aeriden’s face to know it had paled.
“Shit,” Van whispered as he backed away from the center of the cage and bumped into the bars lined with a lattice of wires.
I signed to Drystan in the limited light, and his body went rigid.
Aeriden’s hand gripped my gangly arm as a soft swishing whispered from the box, followed by a light thump as the snake slithered out.
“Van, get the pick,” Aeriden ordered, pulling me behind him.
“I don’t—” Van’s boots scuffed as he scrambled around the back of the cage, feeling along the floor. “I must have dropped it!”
Aeriden cursed and scooted along the edge of the cage, putting space between himself and the rest of us. “Spread out,” he murmured, eyes wide enough I could see the whites of them in the darkness.
The spiraling form of the snake shifted as we moved, its heart-shaped head swiveling to watch us.
It stopped as it landed on Aeriden, and the little forked tongue that escaped its mouth flicked twice as if it could taste my brother.
The snake’s head lifted off the ground, coiling the center of its body in toward itself as it did so, poised to attack.
“I found it!” Van whisper-yelled from opposite the cage, where he fiddled with the lock pick. Metal scraped as rattling and hissing built into a threatening crescendo.
Van swung the door wide as the snake lunged for Aeriden.
He dodged to the side the same moment the heel of my riding boot slammed on its rattling tail.
Aeriden surged toward me as the snake retracted, coiling in on the pain before it whirled to face us.
Aeriden’s hands were on my back, shoving me out of the cage.
We tumbled out, tripping over the steps, and landed in a heap.
I stared at the gold and white topped tent as we lay on the ground for a heartbeat before the booming voice of Lord Pavel, my father’s confidant, reverberated through the small space.
“I thought I’d find you here. You’re in for it, Aeriden. Your father’s not happy. Your sister is missing—”
“You don’t have to tell him,” Aeriden pleaded as he jumped to his feet.
Lord Pavel opened his mouth and paused as his eyes landed on mine, recognition and a speck of amusement dancing in them.
“Sisters spare me,” he muttered beneath his breath. “Come on.”
Lord Pavel slipped a few gold coins into the hands of the beast master as he turned around. We trudged out of the tents, heads hung low, knowing we’d return to Cantor Manor and straight to the stables for chores instead of the Sun Dance.
Aelius’s shattered morning rays shifted, bouncing off the diamond-shaped mirror hanging in Isla’s guest room and landing directly on my sleeping eyes. I cursed and threw the downy pillow over my face as Isla sprang the door open.
“Happiest Awakenings, Lyv!” she sang as she bounded across the room.
I groaned and rolled over.
“Get up! We have minutes to get ready for the celebration.”
I tugged the blankets over myself. “This is the one day I get to sleep. Leave me alone.”
She ripped the blankets off, and I reached blindly, swatting at the air.
“We are headed back to war soon. Who knows where we’ll be for next year’s Awakening, or when we’ll be back here. I am not letting you miss this.”
She dodged the pillow I chucked at her face and crossed her legs beneath her as she plopped onto my bed. “Wake up. We have twenty-four hours to get utterly smashed. And drunk Lyvi is my favorite.” She winked.
I rolled my eyes and flipped her a vulgar gesture, murmuring, “Happy Awakening to you, too, Isles.”
“We leave all our worries behind today. Celebrating only.” She waggled her eyebrows. I let out a tight chuckle, nodding before reluctantly climbing out of bed.
“Oh! And something came for you. Maybe a surprise from Bayne?” She led me through the twining halls of her tree and stone house.
A large red box with white ribbon gleamed in the sun on the table in the kitchen. Butterflies danced in my stomach. I opened that channel to him to send a little sprinkle of feeling his way. Love. Longing. Happiness.
That familiar sense of him returned, faster than expected. Anticipation. Determination.
I loosened the velvety ribbon and lifted the lid to the box. A small square paper lay in the center, and my stomach dipped as I glanced at the signature.
“This isn’t from Bayne,” I murmured.
Isla peered over my shoulder and let out a sound of disgust.
Happy Awakening, Bonder.
We all must look our best on the brightest day.
—Queen Antares
I crumpled the paper and tossed it aside. My fingers slid over the slippery material as I held up two pieces. The top was a skimpy, corset-like vest with lacy sleeves that hung over the shoulders. The billowy pants came together at my ankles in thick cuffs with golden thread.
Isla let out a low whistle.
It was beautiful. And in the appropriate fashion for the Awakening, according to Isla.
But this was from the queen. And black as night.
I knew from conversations with the others that everyone would be in bright colors for this event.
This was a beacon for me, a way to distinguish myself from the others, to make me easily identifiable.
As if Tiberius’s presence wasn’t enough to do that already.
Isla pinched the fabric between her fingers.
“Agh, slippery. It’s meant to keep the nebulis off you.” I raised my eyebrows in question. She returned it with a grin. “Nothing to worry about. We can work around that,” she added, her grin turning wicked.