Chapter Thirty-Two
The Caged
I’m quiet as I follow Nithe down the hallway and staircase I first went up.
He doesn’t say anything about the slower speed I force us to walk, or the limp that’s present.
He stays silent. He almost grabs my arm to guide me as we reach the bottom floor and go down another expansive hallway lined in pale wood, but he stops himself.
We reach a room, a room that is familiar.
I stop as I look at the wooden table and the graying man sitting at the head of it.
A sight I’ve seen before.
“I saw you. I saw all of this when Tobias was sewing the crown to my head.” My hand slowly reaches up out of habit, my fingers brushing the cold metal.
The man I am assuming is the Labisian King is just staring at me.
His dark eyes are set in stone, set in cruelty.
His aging face is wrinkled, his brows permanently furrowed.
He’s gripping a glass of amber liquid tightly in one hand, his yellow cloak almost covering every inch of his skin.
“Sit.” Is all he says, his voice loud and commanding. I do as he asks and slowly sit down in the chair in front of me. I stare at the man from across the table just as intently as he stares at me. “You seem better than I thought you would be.”
“What did you expect?” I respond just as sternly.
“I expected someone broken without a shred of sanity.” He says with disdain as if the idea of me not being a mindless troll is disgusting to him. I squeeze my sweaty hands under the table, willing myself to be strong.
“Sorry to disappoint.” Nithe clears his throat loudly, covering up a snort as he sits in the chair next to me.
“There is a lot we must discuss, but first,” he holds out his hand and a man appears with a large piece of parchment.
The page is bright, crisp as he looks it over, as if he is reading through it one more time.
I glance to my right to see Nithe’s hands tighten into fists.
Where is everyone else? Enzo, or Kassius? Why is it just us three?
“Father, must we do this now? So soon? Shouldn’t we talk first?” Nithe asks and I nearly jump. Father? Nithe is the Prince of Labisa? My eyes widen and he looks over at me, his face twisted up into a pained expression. As if what is coming next also affects him.
I was right. I guessed he had to be of noble birth, but this?
This isn’t what I expected. I was told that the true heir, the Labisian King, was the one who sent those men in the woods.
Does Nithe know about that? Was he in on the plan to murder me?
Panic courses through my veins as everything clicks into place.
As every fear and every bit of anger starts to fall into place.
“What is that?” I ask, my nails digging into my palms as they fidget on my lap. I try to hide the fury in my voice, but they can hear it. I know they can.
“This, princess , is your marriage certificate.” My eyes widen even further, and my mouth falls open as he looks up at me.
I watch as he stands and makes his way over to my side of the table.
The king places one of his hands on my shoulder as he leans in close, setting the certificate in front of me.
I want to flinch away from his touch, but all I can do is stare.
My eyes are fixed on my signature at the bottom, Tobias’s right next to mine. The Noterran crest pressed into red wax. This truly is our marriage certificate.
“I don’t understand.” His fingers flex, digging into my skin and I shift nervously. I glance up at Nithe, whose eyes are focused on his father’s hand, his pupils darkening.
“Father Reynolds is a close personal friend of Rakushia, of Thelonious . After your marriage to Tobias, he brought this certificate to us.” Tears well up in my eyes as I push the parchment away from me.
“What are you going to do with it?” My voice wavers as I speak.
“Elaenor,” Nithe speaks up. “This is the only copy. If we burn this, your marriage is annulled. You will not be wed to Tobias anymore.” I open and close my mouth, words failing me as I process what he’s saying. I won’t have to be his wife, his property anymore?
“But why? Why are you doing this?” I ask, my voice cracking. I clear my throat and take a deep breath before speaking again. “Why do you care who I am married to?”
“Because, princess , I want you to marry my son.” His fingers flex on my skin and I close my eyes, trying to ignore the warmth soaking into my flesh.
“But, why ? You tried to kill me.” I ask again. His hand slides off my shoulder, almost hesitatingly, as he makes his way back around the table.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” He says slowly as he smirks.
“The men in the woods, that was you.” I saw slowly.
“What are you talking about?” Nithe asks.
“And when I crossed the border last year, men in cloaks ripped me from my horse. Drugged me—”
“These accusations—” He cuts me off.
“Are not accusations! They are facts. Those men told me who sent them. Who they were supporting. Why would you do that? I had done nothing to you.”
“You were supposed to be brought here. Safely.” He retorts. I can feel heat spreading through my veins. Heat ready to defend me .
“I don’t believe you!” I yell.
“Father, what did you do?” Nithe stands, his voice loud and commanding.
“You belong to us, Elaenor! And it was only a matter of time before you arrived.” Belong ? I belong to no one.
“You are deranged !”
“You are not just the heir to Chatis, child ! You are not just the once-queen of Noterra. You are the heir to it all, and if you want my support, my armies, you will ensure my bloodline is the one flowing through your children’s veins.
” This conversation triggers a sense of deja-vu as I stare at the king.
As I stare at yet another jailer. A jailer who never cared about my safety, just my presence.
“I don’t know who you think I am—”
“Do you know who your father is?” He snaps. His hands digging into the wood of the table.
“Viktor, he is my fa—”
“No, he isn’t, stupid girl, and you know that. You know who he is, you just haven’t admitted it to yourself.” My palms tingle and I can feel my pulse quicken.
“Don’t speak to me—”
“Think!” He yells as he cuts me off again. My vision turns white in my peripherals and his eyes widen. I can’t help the tingling spreading through my veins, igniting my limbs. I can feel the scream building in my throat, the scream that will ignite everything in this room.
“Little witch.” Nithe warns and I look at him. He reaches for my hand, but his eyes snap up to the space above me. A warm, callused grip wraps around the back of my neck and the tingling fades, the light going with it. I gasp as everything dissipates, taking my anger with it.
“Why didn’t you wait for me?” Enzo snaps as his hand releases my neck. I take a slow deep breath as he steps around the chair to my left. The veins in his right hand are white, glowing through his skin, and I watch as they dull until they are gone.
“What did you do to me?” I whisper, my voice barely audible.
“I don’t owe you anything, boy.” The king bellows, both of them ignoring me. Enzo says something before Nithe pipes up from my right. My eyes are flicking back and forth from Enzo’s hand and the parchment as they all yell at one another, their voices drowning out into a dull buzz.
This is too much. I can’t handle this. Too many people. Too many voices. My palms are slick against my leggings, and I can feel the sweat dripping down my neck. I close my eyes willing the paranoia, the panic , building in my chest to dissipate, but it doesn’t.
I need to get out of here.
I shoot out of my chair, knocking it over, and run out of the room. The hallways are filled with too many people. They all stare at me, stuck between awe and fear. I want to scream.
I want to explode .
My breath comes in quick pants as I try to navigate my way outside. My shoes slap the stone floors as I turn and see an open door. I bolt towards it, relishing in the cool air as it flows across my skin. I keep running until I am near the palace walls.
I scream. The sound strained, and pathetic, but with the scream comes a release of power. Lightning shoots off my hands, hitting the stone. Sparks fly all around me, coating the dew-covered grass. I scream until I run out of breath and then it stops.
The light.
The power.
The pain.
Whatever it is, it just stops.
I place my hand on the stone in front of me, and then my forehead. It’s silent, aside from the sound of birds chirping, wind rustling leaves, and the chatter of people walking about. But it’s silent besides that. No loud noises. No fighting. No sound of swords slamming into armor.
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this.
“You came here a few times when you were younger. Do you remember that?” Kassius speaks up from behind me and I take a deep breath.
I step back from the stone wall and turn to face him.
The little girl that was with him earlier is gone, leaving the two of us alone.
His eyes are soft, expressionless. His hands clasped behind his back.
“I remember coming with my father once.” I respond, out of breath.
“You came here with me and your mother quite a bit. You and Emery played when you were little. I think Nithe was here a few times too.”
“Was Enzo?” I ask, wondering if I ever met him before.
“No, not when you were.”
“I was told I spent a lot of time in Noterra as a child, that I grew up with Theo and Tobias, but I don’t remember it.”
“One of the gifts your mother had, as well as you I am assuming, is memory alteration. She took those memories from you. She was afraid Viktor would use them against you.” My mother took my memories.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“There is much you don’t know.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.” He’s silent for a second as he walks closer. His gaze snags on my hair and he reaches up slowly, fingering a lock in between his fingers.
“What would you like to know?” He says after a second.
“Why is my hair white?”
“Do you remember your mother’s hair before she died?” I swallow the lump in my throat. Oh gods.
“Am I dying?” He smiles softly and drops his hand.
“Her hair wasn’t white because she was dying, it was white because of her aether.” His hands clasp behind his back again as he stares at me.
“She had the lightning too?” I ask .
“It’s not lightning, Nora, it’s starlight . What you are harnessing may look like lightning, but have you seen how it sparkles? It’s starlight.”
“Starlight.” I mimic softly.
“Your mother had moonlight. It manifested like a mist or a wave of aether, not like yours.” He shakes his head.
“How does that turn my hair white?”
“When you are at your strongest, your aether will manifest in different ways. For you, and your mother, your body slowly succumbs to that magic. It isn’t a bad thing; it just means you’re strong. Very strong.” He smiles again.
“I don’t feel strong.” I mutter.
“I know Enzo appeared to you a few times, but do you remember his hair?” He tilts his head to the side, watching me.
“It was black, with a white streak. Was that his aether?”
“He doesn’t have aether, but what you two have is a bond. That aether was being funneled into the bond instead of through you. It was turning his hair white instead of yours.” He explains softly, but without prejudice. He doesn’t sound irritated about my questions, he seems understanding.
“I don’t understand. It’s black now.”
“Because you aren’t connected anymore. Nora, when you are in danger, or when you are weak, you can channel Enzo, and he can channel you. When that bond breaks, or if you don’t need to channel his strength, you can use your aether.” He walks around me to lean against the wall.
“But how did our bond break?”
“Do you remember a piece of glass shaped like an arrowhead you found while in Chatis?” I nod.
“The one Theo made into a dagger.” I recall quietly.
“Yes. It’s sirenstone. It was made using his blood and a special crystal you can only get in Vodia. When you bled on it, it allowed your bond to become stronger. He could appear to you as if he were standing there in front of you. When the stone broke, it weakened your connection to one another. ”
“This is so confusing.” I groan, defeat and resignation filling my mind.
“I know, it’ll be a lot to absorb.” We are both quiet for a second. “A few months ago, the white in Enzo’s hair disappeared. We thought you were dead. We didn’t know, or even think, that you were strong enough to not need him.”
“How could I have possibly been strong? I was being drugged and tortured—” My voice cracks and my eyes widen as I turn to face him.
“Tobias. He said that he was replacing my cells, healing me every single night with his own magic. He said he was constantly remaking me to be whole again.” I admit. It can’t be…
“He’s young, and inexperienced. He probably was making you stronger every time he did it.” Kassius says matter-of-factly. As if the idea of Tobias healing me isn’t at all shocking.
“He didn’t even flinch when I snapped.” I say softly.
“Your starlight isn’t enough to hurt him.”
“What is he?” I ask, almost hesitantly. I don’t know if I want to know.
“He’s cursed.” He offers, saying it as if I’d know what that means.
“What does that even mean?” My voice is little more than a whine, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He steps away from the wall and holds his arm out, gesturing back towards the palace.
“Come, there are some things that I have to share with Enzo, too.”