Chapter 12
Twelve
The sun is setting over the palace grounds, the gardens awash in a gorgeous pink light.
Fresh air fills my lungs and I take a deep breath.
The air is so much cleaner here than down in the Gutter where factory smoke hangs over us like a permanent cloud.
Everything here is lush and green, the flowers blooming is a rainbow of colours.
For the first time in days, I am able to see the beauty in something.
I need to learn to enjoy the moments that I have, as I have no idea when Kit is going to call his favour.
Prince Amir leads the way, taking me to meet his father.
I don’t know if he is just taking a different route to the King’s study, or if we are meeting in a different location.
I suppose it does not really matter; I am just grateful for this moment of peace.
The Prince is acting differently today. He is much quieter, his body language closed off as he leads me through the palace grounds.
Something has happened to change him from the confident, open male I have seen in our previous interactions.
I take note of his change of attitude, but really I am fine with the silence between us as it gives me more time to think.
My mind is reeling from what I just handed away to Kit.
There was no other option and I was out of time to negotiate.
Anger bubbles inside me. He knew what he was doing, and he pushed me to the edge so I had no other choice.
I should be paying attention to where the prince is taking me, but instead, I am reliving the moment I lost my soul.
“Deal.” My voice is impossibly loud, and seems to echo around us and the flash of triumph in Kit’s eyes makes me realise what a stupid thing I have just done.
Electricity fills the air, pricking at my skin and making the fine hairs on my arms stand on end.
His eyes glow and he throws his head back, power radiating from him.
Everything seems to move in slow motion, his movements slow and precise. The crystals sing from the corner of the room and I know that he’s fulfilled his part of the bargain. The metallic sound of the lock clunks behind me and will swing open any second now.
Kit winks at me.
“I will see you soon, little gem.”
His voice sounds in my mind. How is this possible?! He’s speaking to me, inside my head. I’m stunned and my expression must show it, as he winks at me the moment our eyes meet.
I want to ask him what just happened, and why he can suddenly speak to me without saying a single word, but he disappears before I can even open my mouth, the cell door swinging open behind me.
Deal. I promised my soul to a demon. What does that even mean?
That when I die, I belong to Kit? Am I now facing eternal damnation?
My insides churn and I feel sick to my stomach.
If the gods didn’t hate me before, they will now.
What have I done? Black spots appear in my vision and I realise I’m holding my breath.
Breathe, Kiara. I cannot afford to pass out in front of the prince.
When I’m next alone, I can break down then, but for now, I have to be strong.
Besides, Kit promised that he would teach me magic.
That will completely change my life, hopefully for the better, and despite his warning about not trusting males in power, I can feel the oath that now binds us.
It is unbreakable, on both sides. He has to live up to his promise.
“I thought you might enjoy a walk through the gardens. I always feel better getting out of the palace for some fresh air.”
Prince Amir’s voice snaps me out of my spiralling thoughts.
My head jerks up and see him looking back at me with a small, polite smile.
It is nothing compared to the smiles I received from him originally, but it is a step up from his solemn expression that he had when he collected me.
I get the feeling this might be more about assuaging his guilt over not being able to have me released from the cells before now, rather than how I am feeling.
If he really wanted to know, there are many things that I would enjoy right now, and none of them include walking through the gardens.
I just want to be free, to return to Ella.
However, in comparison to where I was minutes ago, this is a step up.
Not by much, thought. After all, I am on my way to see his father, who only wants to use me for his own gain.
I won’t say that though. Amir has been the only person to show me kindness since I arrived here and I want to keep him as an ally.
Taking another deep breath, I force a tight smile. “It is a nice change from cell walls, your highness.”
He glances back at me in surprise, although I don’t know what he was expecting from me in response.
As the prince, he is probably used to people tripping over themselves with gratitude.
However, there’s no reprimand in his expression, and he slowly hums, looking thoughtful.
“My father was insistent on keeping you in the calls to make sure everyone was safe and to ensure you weren’t working with anyone else. ”
His father could not care less about the safety of anyone but himself. Locking me up was a power move to show he was in control. Amir’s comment about making sure I was working alone makes sense too, they needed to know I wasn’t a charlatan. If only they knew the truth of it.
There is much I could say in response to this, but something is bothering me about how despondent he seems. When did I start to care about what the prince feels?
“Thank you for the furniture.” Out of everything I could have said, this is pretty tepid, but his resulting smile tells me it has hit the spot.
“It was the least I could do. I wish I could have done more…” He trails off, his attention turning to the manicured garden path ahead, and sighs deeply. “Everything will change now.”
Wait, that sounds ominous. Frowning, I pick up my steps until I am shoulder to shoulder with him. “What do you mean?”
He smiles at me again, but this time there is a sadness to it.
“I felt the magic in those crystals. You have done what he commanded and proved yourself. Things will change now,” he repeats.
Why would this make him sad though? He was trying to make the king treat me better, and from what he’s implying, this is about to happen, so I don’t understand why he’s acting this way.
We turn a corner and the back of the palace comes into view.
Glorious red roses grow on trellis’ that line our path, creating a canopy of petals above us.
The smell of the flowers is beautiful, but I cannot enjoy it as up ahead I can see a group of people gathered by the ornate doors at the back of the palace.
A stone terrace with an ornate parapet is built out so they can enjoy the gardens without having to actually enter them.
Twin stone staircases are built into either side.
Amir leads me to one of these and climb to meet the gathered group.
Most of them are males, but I notice that there are several women in the group.
The Queen is even here. Surprise rocks me for a moment and I have to pause for a moment.
The Queen has not been seen publicly for over a decade.
In fact, there were rumours in the Gutter that she had died.
That is clearly not true, but as I watch her, I can see something is not right.
Her smile is too tight and her eyes flit around the space as though searching for something.
Her son, perhaps? Or, from the way she rings her hands, perhaps she is looking for an escape. Perhaps we should team up.
Snorting to myself at my little joke, I suddenly feel the weight of Amir’s eyes on me. He has paused two steps above me and is watching me with a questioning smile. “Is everything alright?”
“Oh, yes, sorry.” I apologise and hurry up the last couple of stairs, stepping onto the stone terrace.
Everyone is dressed in their finest court clothes, the traditional one-armed tunics and capes all showing of their gold and silver bands.
The ladies’ dresses are ridiculously opulent and, in this weather, they are probably suffering from the heat.
Their eyes seem to turn to me as one and I am suddenly feeling very under dressed.
Several of the nobility step back to allow us space and reveal the king leaning against the parapet. He smiles the instant he sees me, gesturing wide as though I am an old friend. “Kiara, welcome.”
His whole act is slimy and makes me feel uncomfortable, like I need to wash his scheming from me.
What is behind the sudden change in his- a glitter catches my attention and I see a pile of gemstones that sit next to him.
They are full of magic, the magic I just sold my soul for.
I can only just hear their hum over the chattering of the gathered nobles, but it confirms what I thought, they are the stones from my cell.
One of the guards must have collected them for the king while the prince led me on the scenic route through the palace grounds.
My body stiffens up, fully aware that I have not washed in days and my hair has not seen a brush in weeks.
My borrowed dress, while good quality, is nothing like that of the other ladies gathered here.
It seems I am to be paraded in front of another group of courtiers.
They are watching me like a prized possession and not a person.
I am not ready for this. I lift my foot, fully intending to retreat, but a warm hand appears on the small of my back and gently steers me forward.
The only person close enough is Amir, and as I glance to the side I see I’m right.
I shoot him a quick look of betrayal, and take a sick sense of happiness as he winces.