Chapter 19
Nineteen
The further I get away from the palace, the lighter I feel.
The crushing weight of new responsibilities lifting with each step I take, the oppressive gaze of the king slowly fading.
However, that feeling doesn’t truly leave, even when I’m alone.
He is like a phantom, stalking the corridors of my mind, there, but also not.
I refuse to allow him so much space in my mind, so I push that feeling away any allow myself to absorbed the peace the gardens offer. The air is perfumed with the scent of roses, hydrangeas and lavender, all delivered on a gentle breeze that dances along my skin.
Despite the calming scents and beautiful sights of the flowers, my mind quickly slides back to everything that has happened today.
What am I expected to do now? Am I simply waiting on the King’s order, to perform like a circus animal on demand?
How is that going to work? I cannot simply summon Kit every time the king snaps his fingers.
The consequences of it being discovered that not only do I not have magic, but am using a demon to help me deceive everyone would be catastrophic.
Ella is safe now, and I cannot do anything to jeopardise that.
Following a wall of rose bushes, I enter a small patioed space.
A domed arch covered in climbing flowers sits over a bench, offering shade to its future occupants.
In the centre of the space is a circular pond.
Even from here I can spot flashes of orange of the fish darting around in its water.
Lillies and reeds surround its boundary in the manicured way that is supposed to look natural, when really it takes hours of maintenance.
The hight of the rose bushes around the area closes it off and gives the feeling of privacy, the space small and intimate.
Ignoring the bench, I walk over to the pond and sit beside it. The water is clear and I cannot help but marvel at how much water the palace seems to have. Children in the Gutter are dying because they cannot get enough clean water to drink, and here they have so much they build ponds and fountains.
Part of me had always wondered if, perhaps, the king didn’t know what was happening in the city, particularly in the Gutter.
He never visits, and the city officials visit him at the palace.
Would those males tell him the truth about the squalled state of the Gutter, or do they lie to make themselves seem competent?
However, I don’t believe that a male as smart and scheming as his wouldn’t know what was happening in his own city.
Besides, he mentioned dilapidated buildings and starvation when he was trying to convince me to accept his terms, meaning that he knows.
He knows that his people are starving, that parts of the city are falling apart, about the crime that is rife within the Gutter. He knows, and does nothing about it.
Anger burns deep in the pit of my stomach.
By accepting the king’s deal, am I betraying the people of the Gutter?
Leaving them behind and accepting a new life here?
Huffing in frustration, I shake my head.
They abandoned me just as much as everyone else did when I was sullied, they don’t care about Ella or me.
I am doing what I must to keep my sister safe.
Besides, I don’t trust the king. If there is an opportunity for us to break free of this deal, then I will.
I know there is nothing I can do to change anything yet, and that ember within me continues to burn.
Dipping my finger into the water, I create patterns in the ripples on the surface, trying to release some of my frustration.
Without realising what I am doing, I slide my free hand into the pouch of gems I insist on carrying with me.
Instinctively I reach for amethyst, a calming, gentle stone, yet that is not what I find.
Lifting my fist toward the sky, I open my fingers to reveal a polished piece of Labradorite that sits in the palm of my hand.
The greyish stone might not look like much, but twist it in the light and it reveals a gorgeous rainbow within.
Technically a mineral, many people overlook it because at first glance you might not always see the beauty within.
It is a powerful gemstone in its own right, without being loaded with additional magic.
It hums at my touch, the cool surface helping to ground me.
This was exactly the stone that I needed.
Labradorite is all about transformation and self-discovery, as well as offering protection from negative energies.
Seeing as the atmosphere I am now living in is heavy with tension, this is something I desperately need.
Rubbing my thumb across the smooth surface, I take several deep, calming breaths, letting the stone clear my cluttered thoughts.
I wish I had someone to talk to, someone who can help me make sense of this and guide me.
There is too much at stake here for me to be blindly fumbling around.
My heart suddenly flutters in my chest and I feel a slight pulling sensation.
What was that, and why does it feel familiar?
Closing my eyes, I focus on the feeling and follow the thread within myself.
Kit. It is my bond with Kit that I am feeling.
Is he calling me, messing with my mind? Or did my mind reach for the only being that fully understands the situation I am in.
Snorting, I shake my head at the irony of the situation. Kit is one of the major reasons I am in this situation, and now he has become the only person that I can speak to. I cannot quite believe that I am about to do this, but in this moment, I need guidance.
“Kit, what do I do?” I ask quietly, tilting my head back as I speak aloud, looking up at the sky. I have no idea if he is listening or not, but I pour my confusion and need into my words. “I feel so lost.”
“Talking to the gods?”
A voice sounds from behind me. Startled, I spin and find not the demon I was talking to, but Prince Amir.
A dozen contradicting emotions flash through me, with the strongest being both fear and relief.
There is no time for me to examine them though as the prince is waiting for my response.
Pressing my hand to my chest I release a startled laugh, my cheeks flushing. “Your highness, you startled me.”
“I apologise.” His smile is apologetic and he watches me closely as I get to my feet. “Are you okay? This must all be such a shock to you.”
The urge to laugh at his understatement is fierce, but I manage to wrangle it back under control.
I am still trying to calm my racing heart from the near miss that just happened.
If Amir had been just a few moments later, he might have heard enough to incriminate me.
They might accept magic, but a female who consorts with demons?
They would execute me before I could even scream for Kit.
“You could say that,” I reply wryly. “I don’t know who I am any more, or what I am supposed to be doing here.
” Frustrated, I gesture widely, being far more open with the prince than I should be.
Speaking to him so casually and without deference could land me in the stocks, yet somehow I know he would not do that to me.
There is something different about him that makes it easy for me to pour my heart out.
“Why is everyone acting like I’m something special?
” My voice breaks and I cut myself off. Most people would want to be special, to be seen, but I have spent most of my life trying to avoid notice.
“Because you are special, Kiara.” Stepping forward, he reaches out to touch me. Realising what he’s about to do, he hesitates. It is only for a second, and then his fingers brush against the skin of my arm.
My breath comes out in a rush and I only just now realise that I was holding my breath.
Both of our gazes are locked on the point where we touch, neither of us saying anything.
Should I be speaking? Should I pull away?
Do I want to break the contact between us?
Shockingly, the answer is no. I want his touch, his skin against mine.
His eyes track down my arm and he notices the stone in my hand. Gaze turning thoughtful, he lifts his head to smile at me. “Gems shine brighter in the darkest places, Kiara. You have had many dark moments and you made it out the other side, strong, beautiful, and the key to helping us survive.”
His words shifting something within my, breaking the stone barrier around my heart.
What is wrong with me? Someone says something nice and my hard-wrought barriers are brought to the ground.
This isn’t just anyone though, but the prince of Rune, one of the most powerful men alive.
However, he is nothing like I would have expected the crown prince to be like, and I find myself wanting to get to know him better.
Against my better judgement, I actually like him.
Somehow, he has managed to remain kind and strong in a palace of lies and greed.
However, I have more questions for him and I am determined to get answers.
“That doesn’t explain what I am doing here.
What have you told the court? The way they watch me is…
” Trailing off with a shudder, I notice the shift in his expression.
He seems disapproving, a slight frown pulling at his brow, yet I get the feeling it is not aimed at me, but the subject of the conversation.
“Only a select few know that you possess magic. The Chosen are telling the Gutter that you are a goddess reincarnated. Most of the nobility believe that you are a royal from a distant land and you are here to help us prosper.”