20
K athrine watched the bustling day in Antambazi from her room’s window while braiding her hair into a triple plait.
Thoughts of the new Oracle surfaced, and her fingers immediately began fumbling with the braid.
She let her hands fall, allowing her hair to cascade over her shoulders.
She had once believed her secrets were buried with the old Oracle.
But did Amelia’s emergence mean the resurrection of those hidden truths?
The Queen’s reticence during the last couple of weeks only worsened Kathrine’s restlessness.
Since Sevar’s return from Earth, their leader had gained a secretive demeanour, veiling her plans.
It wasn’t the first time she was keeping them in the dark, but as every other time, Kathrine’s guilty thoughts surfaced in the quiet.
Her gaze drifted over the stony paths of Antambazi.
As a young girl, she would spend hours observing the streets, hoping to catch sight of Sevar’s confident stride on his way to the palace.
The moment she spotted him, the harsh, rocky contours of the realm seemed to soften, taking on brighter, happier hues.
She glanced over her shoulder, eyes trailing Sevar’s sleeping shape.
Last night, he’d collapsed in bed, still in his suit and reeking of witch’s scotch.
The drink was illegal on Antambazi, but for Sevar, it was child’s play to obtain it.
Kathrine despised the liquor. It had destroyed her mother, turning her from a caring single parent into a desperate drunkard who’d beat her daughter every time she’d felt low.
Yet, Kathrine didn’t hate her mother for ruining the first eight years of her life.
The only thing she’d never forgiven her for was hiding her father’s identity.
Kathrine pushed her past in the suburbs aside and frowned.
She was still wearing the black satin lingerie from a luxury shop in the human realm.
Sevar hadn’t even spared her a look before falling asleep.
The clothing had been a pathetic attempt to close the chasm that had opened between them since his failure to bring the Oracle.
Katherine knew him well and understood that his massive ego was likely still bleeding from the lost battle against the manticore.
When Sevar was hurt, he distanced himself from everyone.
Kathrine disposed of the lingerie, thinking about the night she’d left her mother’s home for good.
It had been the night of her eighth birthday.
That same night, she’d encountered the Queen’s carriage.
The Queen had taken her off the streets, giving her an education and status.
But most importantly, she’d provided the maternal protection her own mother had never cared to give.
The Queen’s methods were often harsh, but how else could a single being bring an entire species to its knees and set out to conquer other worlds?
While she was getting changed into a shirt and pants, shifting sounds came from the bed.
“We have a task.”
Kathrine turned around, facing her fiancé, who was already sitting in bed. She straightened up, a wave of relief surging through her. If the Queen had given them – her – a task, it meant she didn’t know about the betrayal, and everything was back to normal.
Sevar raked a hand through his dark hair, stretching his long legs. “We’re to be witnesses to the butcher’s daughter’s wedding in three months.”
“Sorry?”
He bared his teeth. “For some reason, the butcher’s brat and her idiot of a lover are receiving special treatment.”
Kathrine mirrored his grimace. The butcher was a respected citizen of Antambazi, a guest at every special event in the royal palace.
Still, two Chosen as witnesses for his daughter’s wedding was an exorbitant honour.
Especially since the girl was marrying Branko – a man of little education, built like a granite boulder, and far too vulgar in his speech.
Kathrine still couldn’t fathom why years ago the Queen had made him one of her Chosen.
She held her fiancé’s gaze, an unspoken agreement passing between them. They were soldiers, trained for fight and danger. This last errand from the Queen’s equalled degradation.
Kathrine approached him. “Do you have any explanation for her odd behaviour?”
A dark curtain fell across Sevar’s face, concealing his emotions. “Even a snake waits for the right moment to strike.”
She clenched her jaw. Something was off with the Queen.
and once again Sevar refused to acknowledge it, although he’d noticed it as well.
“All our lives we’ve been prepared to conquer the species who’d erased the memory of our existence on Earth, and when we’re on the threshold of doing so, she does nothing? ”
“Stop questioning her, Kathrine.” Sevar rose, his towering demeanour emphasising the palpable threat in this tone. “Only a bowed head is not cut by the sword. And you’ve always been one to search for answers.”
She didn’t flinch. “Why aren’t you?”
Sevar pursed his lips, fingers unbuttoning his creased shirt. Without saying another word, he walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
Kathrine put on her boots and headed to the training hall. In moments like these, the memory of her throwing the old Oracle from the helicopter didn’t weigh as much as it usually did. She had crushed the clairvoyant to pieces, thus giving her the freedom.