Chapter Twelve #2
Everything beyond this is outside of her protection, and aside from Netharis, the biggest threat to my freedom lies directly across the courtyard.
Near the temple, the space is wide, open, and tiled with moonstone.
But toward the center, a large fountain featuring yet another statue of my mother stands.
Beyond that, small thickets of trees, flowers, and shrubs—all carefully tended by the looks of them—speckle the space.
They make the temple feel out of place.
The temple interrupts the natural wildness of Ollora.
It’s too perfect, too pristine for its surroundings.
Through the clusters of moss-trunked spruce and hemlock trees I can make out some of the castle wall, the castle gate, and the silver-armored guards standing duty.
Past the fountain, the moonstone tile shifts to gray cobblestone, matching the rest of the city streets.
Lifting my gaze, I’m greeted with Castle Erus.
The home of the royal family.
It’s a profound structure, dwarfing the Moon Temple. The last time I’d been here, stood here, it had been at night and I didn’t get the chance to simply stare. Right now, in this daylight, the castle is an unbelievable sight.
Vines climb along the stone, a deep leafy green stark against the gray of the weathered stone. The towering spires reach skyward, trying to touch the heavens. Massive gates, adorned with golden gilded accents and black wrought iron fencing embrace the castle entrance.
Two fae guard clad in silver armor stand on either side, watching dutifully. It’s hard to decipher from this distance, but I assume they’re watching us—seeing as they’re facing this direction.
Despite the beauty, the entire courtyard is empty. The sounds of the city float on the breeze, but this entire space is left deserted.
Why?
“Is it not beautiful?” Cora asks gently, stepping in beside me.
With a quick glance to my right, she greets me with a smile.
I’d gotten out of my lecture with Artemise relatively unscathed. Eve, on the other hand, remains in her office still. My ‘punishment’ for using my innate against a sister—mortals claiming other unrelated mortals as family strikes me as odd—is helping Cora with her daily tasks.
If Opal hadn’t robbed me of my emotions, I would have rebuked. But instead, like a gods damned fool, I simply remained silent and accepted the repercussions of my actions. Were Netharis ever to learn all it would take to control me is an emotional vampire, I’d be damned for eternity.
“It is,” I answer, returning my gaze to the spires of the castle. “But I wonder why such a space is empty. Do mortals not find it beautiful? Do they prefer other spaces over this one? Are they not permitted here?”
Cora laughs, her smile genuine. “No, people are welcome here. But out of respect for the Sovereign King, they do not frequent it.”
My face pinches with confusion. “You avoid your king?”
She laughs again, and I can’t help but notice the delicate band of freckles over her cheeks and nose.
“Yes and no,” she says, staring up at the castle. “We tend to give him the privacy he prefers when he’s here. In the castle that is. If he ventures out into the city, that’s an entirely different matter.”
All I can think of is the court of the hells anytime Netharis makes an appearance. The sycophantic smiles, the watchful stares, and false pleasantries. I hated every moment having to walk behind him and being subjected to those things.
A shiver crawls down my spine as a cooler breeze sweeps through.
“It looks like it may rain after all,” Cora says, sadness lacing her voice as she turns her sight upward. She catches me glimpsing at her in question. “Sunny days, like this morning, are rare here in Ollora. I hope you like rain, Vestaris, because we get plenty of it here.”
Darkened clouds have rolled in, hiding away the blue sky and sun. The gray of the clouds reminds me of the veil, and how the sky in the living realm appears through it. The air has become cooler, and I can feel the tingle of electricity on the breeze.
“Ves,” I say, craning my neck to look at the sky. The expression on her face becomes slightly concerned. “Only my father calls me Vestaris. Please call me Ves.”
One of the most beautiful smiles I’ve seen on a human spreads across her face. “I can do that, Ves.”
Cora is what I’d imagine innocence and naivety to look like. A youthful, warm, kind creature that stands beside a demon with a pleasant smile on her face. How such a human has come to pledge her life to the goddess of deceit is beyond me.
“What else should I know about this fae king?” I ask, pursing my lips. “How am I supposed to avoid a mortal I don’t know? That I’ve never seen?”
Cora’s cheeks turn a subtle shade of pink. “Well, he’s a private individual. Took the throne out of obligation, not because he wanted it. He’s quiet, and kind, and not at all the flashy sort of royalty—the Sovereign King of Sol comes to mind.”
As Cora continues, the crease between my brows deepens.
“He’s tall, dark hair, warm amber eyes—”
“Are you in love with this mortal?” I ask, my nose wrinkling with evident disgust. “Aren’t you mortals the pairing type? Or am I mistaken?”
Cora stammers, the color on her face becoming brighter. “Not in love, no. But admire, yes. And as for your other questions, people are varied. Some prefer pairs, others include more in their relationships. Traditionally speaking, most fae seek a single partner because of the mate bond.”
Huffing a quick ‘hmph’, I nod. Again with people.
“Do demons—”
“No,” I answer, not letting her finish.
“But you don’t even know what I was going to ask.”
“I don’t care to,” my reply is cold and swift.
Something flashes across Cora’s face—disappointment? Hurt, maybe? Either way, I’m not here to establish friendships without benefit. I cannot afford such a concept. Creating and maintaining a relationship with an innateless human as one of my first in the living realm would be foolish.
Working her lips into a fine line, she huffs a small resigned sigh. There’s something she wants to say, but she remains silent.
“Are you aware your partner is damned?” I shatter the silence with the blunt question.
Her eyes race to mine. “It’s not an arrangement I agree with, but it’s what she’s chosen and Celesta has given her blessing.”
Here’s to hoping not all mortals are as foolish as these appear to be.
Eve did not simply sign a contract with a demon. She’s bonded with her. Eve made it clear by her display earlier that a channel has been opened between them, connecting their minds. A mortal signing a contract with a succubi is dangerous enough, but bonding with one?
The standard succubi contract terms include providing a mortal the use of hellfire within the living realm, and an enhanced ability to persuade, seduce, and intrigue nearly any listener. In exchange, the mortal offers seven years service or seven years off their expected life span.
Many mortals opt for the service, believing it to be the safer choice.
It is not.
The service does not begin at the time of signing nor is it continuous.
It is the time when the succubus has control over the mortal’s body that counts toward contract fulfillment.
Becoming a vessel for the demon to walk in the living realm, the mortal is forced to spectate from a darkened corner of their own mind.
They lose autonomy, completely.
Sometimes for seconds, others for years—the contract will sit unfulfilled for decades, centuries if the mortal is fae. Oft times, seconds is all it takes for a succubus to ruin a mortal’s life. Only to leave when most convenient and return later to do it again.
“I have to report to Sybille for today’s duties,” Cora says quietly, pulling me from my thoughts.
And I’ve been tasked with assisting her.
My ‘punishment’ for my earlier transgression.
The thought nearly causes me to laugh as we climb the stairs to return to the temple.
?????????????
Because Cora is an innateless human, I followed her up four flights of stairs. During the climb, she talked. Rattled away on how she’d been assigned to her favorite tasks this last week, with the new week starting tomorrow in their rotation.
All temple members partake in upkeep of the temple and work on a revolving week-long schedule. Tasks such as cleaning, cooking, laundry, bookkeeping, leading prayer, tending the garden, and spreading the word of Celesta were a few of the things she mentioned having to do as a Priestess.
As we reach the top of the stairs, I have to stop for a breath.
My legs are burning, my chest is heaving, my face feels warm.
I hate it.
“The next time you seek to come up here and I have to come with you, we’re ferrying,” I say, leaning against the cool marble wall.
Cora’s eyes light up with amusement as she stops, turning to face me. “I’d like to experience that, I think. I’ve never been ferried. Eve doesn’t know how to ferry, and I’m used to walking everywhere I need to go.”
I point at the towering doors ahead. “We’re going in there?”
She nods.
Taking the couple steps between us, I grab her arm firmly and shadows shoot up around us. She gasps and the shadows vanish, leaving us in the center of a brightly lit library.
“Ves,” she whispers, her eyes wide as a dozen faces turn their eyes to us.
But I don’t see them, I see the space we’ve entered and fall into complete awe. The mild irritation and exertion I felt climbing the stairs vanish along with my shadows.
A sprawling white room, lit by hanging magelights in silver chandeliers, filled with rows of shelves stacked with books.
We stand between two dark wood tables near the center of the room, underneath yet another stained glass window in the high vaulted ceiling.
Yet rather than depicting the night sky, this round window is entirely a soft white.
It takes me a second, but I realize it’s meant to be the full moon.
Like the rest of the temple, much of it is white. White marble walls, white marble bookshelves… The only true color in the room comes from the tables and the books themselves.
Letting my feet carry me, I begin down one of the multitude of passageways between bookshelves, letting my eyes linger on titles and gilded spines that catch my attention.
Cora follows. “You read?” she whispers in hushed tones.
I nod as I continue to move. “I spent a lot of time in a library,” I say and her eyes widen with panic.
A finger rushes to her lips, and my face pinches with confusion.
“We keep our voices quiet here,” she says in a breathy whisper. “Many who come here do so to study.”
My eyes dart down the aisle toward the tables, seeing a few with their noses in books. I purse my lips and nod.
“I know Artemise says you’re to help me,” Cora whispers, “but, I’d rather you take the time to yourself. Find a book, settle in, and I’ll come get you when I’m finished.”
Arching a brow, I meet her stare. “You’d risk angering your High Priestess to let me read?”
Cora smiles. “She’ll be fine. She’s not the one who just escaped the hells.”
As she retreats down the aisle, I’m left alone with the books.
It doesn’t take me long to lose myself among the vast array of titles.