Chapter 13
Seda
As Seda and Cahir walked out of the Medical Wing, he wore a stern expression and remained silent, refusing to engage in conversation when she tried to talk to him.
“That went well,” she tried.
“Mhmm.”
“Would you like to see the wall I found?”
“Not now,” he snipped.
She had no idea what had caused his attitude to shift. She attempted to hold his hand, but he gently pulled away when her hand grazed his.
They walked home side by side, step by quiet step.
When they entered their apartment, Seda said her prayer to the portrait, and Cahir went straight to the bathroom, shutting the door roughly behind him.
Why is he avoiding his prayers?
She went into the kitchen and opened the cabinet to see what food was left to eat. A bag of rice and some canned beans were the only options remaining.
Great. So much for that honey cake.
Her mood was souring like a forgotten cup of milk. She removed a pot from the cabinet and went through the process of cooking the rice, watching as the water gradually started to boil.
She heard the bathroom door open and looked over. Cahir stepped out, freshly showered, with a towel wrapped around his waist.
She had never seen him like this before.
A warm, shameful feeling spread low in her stomach as her eyes traced down his muscular build to the area hidden beneath the tied towel, where a prominent bulge was visible.
He didn’t look at her as he went to the bedroom, and guilt heated her cheeks and ears.
She shouldn’t be staring at him like that. That was definitely a first.
She had spent the day thinking about what had happened this morning, hoping that maybe it was actually something. She felt bad for reacting the way she did this morning. He didn’t deserve to be treated like that. She knew he had a tender heart and would never hurt her.
But it had to have been just a coincidence, an accident. Cahir didn’t really feel for her that way.
She was shattered, weighed down by her own emotions and memories, and Cahir couldn’t possibly want that. He wouldn’t desire someone so broken and unlovable.
They were just friends.
Why would she even look at him like that?
She took a deep breath to calm herself and absentmindedly stirred the rice, even though she wasn’t supposed to.
Stupid woman! You’re mad at him anyway!
Her irritation slowly simmered again, matching the rice. She was angry with herself for looking at him, for hoping for something she didn’t deserve, and for his silence toward her.
When he finally stepped out of the bedroom fully dressed in his pajamas, she angrily said, “Listen, I don’t know what I did to deserve your silence, but I’m now frustrated. Just talk to me. What did I do wrong? Why are you so upset?”
“Not everything I feel is about you, Seda,” he retorted.
How dare he!
She threw the rice spoon she was holding across the kitchen in a fit of anger. It clinked, and the rice clinging to the spoon stuck to the wall. She didn’t care. Let it be messy. She flew into a rage and stormed out of the kitchen.
“Oh, great. Now the little rice we have left in this fucking hellhole is stuck to the wall.” He flung his arms up in frustration.
Seda paused at his comeback and replied curtly, “Good, I hope it dries out and crusts over, and I hope you scrape yourself on its sharp edges when you walk by!”
They both froze and locked eyes.
His lips curved into the beginning of a smile, and he quickly covered them with his hand, averting his gaze from her and focusing on the rice on the wall instead.
Seda thought about what she said.
What a stupid comeback.
For a brief moment, the air hung heavy with silence, but then they both erupted into laughter.
“What kind of wish is that?” Cahir asked her, laughter slipping out as he fought back tears.
“I don’t even know. Who even gets cut up from rice? Not you. You don’t even get cut up by swords.”
Cahir’s laughter died, and he looked at her in confusion. “How did you know that?”
“Because that one time you caught the sword from that stupid Rozzer who tripped.”
“Oh, right. I forgot that happened.”
They both quieted down. Cahir opened his arms to her. “Come here. I’m sorry I’ve been in a bad mood. I really do not like that place. I’m not upset with you.”
She stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight embrace, feeling the warmth of his arms around her.
She reminded herself that they were friends, and he was her best friend.
Wyrd sirens blared out, their pulsing beat reverberating through the air. For a moment, the tension between Seda and Cahir was palpable as they locked eyes, their faces a mix of confusion and shock.
“I-It can’t be…” she gasped, her mouth falling open, her heart pounding as if it had missed too many beats.
“It is…”
“But it hasn’t been six months, and the curfew is about to start!” she shrieked.
The alarms continued blaring.
With Seda’s nerves on edge, she rushed back into the kitchen and immediately forgot why she’d gone there in the first place. She spotted the flames from the stove and quickly turned them off. Cahir promptly went back to the bedroom and changed into regular clothes.
Seda paced around the room while she waited for Cahir to finish, which was only about thirty seconds, but felt like an eternity.
They immediately headed toward the Palatium, both forgetting to say their prayers, walking as quickly as they could. Anxiety crept through Seda’s spine like static electricity gripping her nerves. Everyone else around them was moving in the same direction, their faces mirroring the confusion.
Birds flew high in the sky, cawing loudly amid the pulsating alarm, an eerie warning of what was to come. The garnet sun was low on the horizon, and the sky was darkening rapidly. They quickened their pace and started jogging.
As they walked through the gates, more and more people gathered inside the stadium, with confused conversations echoing through the crowd. Seda and Cahir found a safe place to stand and waited for the alarms to stop.
Ten minutes of ear-splitting alarms finally ceased.
The stadium lights flicked on and illuminated the stage.
The Palatium door swung open, and Teivel stepped out, wearing a nervous expression.
His robes were disheveled, and his usually clean-shaven face now had a bit of a beard.
He hurried on his short legs toward the podium.
Seda watched with anxious curiosity as she bit her nails.
“Thank you all for coming on short notice,” he said. “We have a special event for you tonight. Due to recent events, Lord Mordred would like to speak with everyone collectively.” He extended his arm toward the Palatium door and bowed at the waist.
Lord Mordred stepped out, his scarred face looking stern under the bright stadium lights against the darkening sky.
Everyone in the crowd dropped to the floor and bowed.
Silence ensued.
“Rise,” he commanded as he waited for the crowd to settle. “As you all know, we have seen increasing Jotnar attacks lately, and because of that, our food supply has decreased significantly.”
Someone in the crowd yelled, “Stop lying! We’ve seen the papers around the city.”
Lord Mordred nodded to the nearest Rozzer. The Rozzer stepped forward and struck his baton against the man’s head, knocking him to the floor and dragging his body into the cell. Everyone else stayed silent, watching in stillness.
“Would anyone else like to interrupt me and spew lies?” His words hung in the air, and the eerie silence of the crowd echoed around the stadium.
“There has been an increase in misbehavior and people going to the Camp as a result. We have kindly asked for your cooperation in this matter as we work to resolve these issues. But…” He paused and looked over the crowd.
Ten seconds, fifteen seconds.
“As punishment for these recent acts, we have decided to host a very special series of Wyrds—a reminder as to why we’re here to begin with. Our continued growth is essential to our survival,” he said.
No! No! No!
The crowd all murmured at once. “Now, now. Do not fret. This Wyrd will be smaller. We will host these events weekly until we see a change in behavior around the city. Teivel, bring me the list.”
Teivel rushed forward and nearly tripped on his robe as he handed the scroll to the lord.
“Today and all the Wyrds moving forward, until we get full cooperation from everyone, we will select ten citizens who have yet to complete their duty and prove their love for our society. These ten will have a chance to redeem themselves with our specialists at the Camp.” Lord Mordred looked back over the crowd.
This can’t be happening. Please, please, please.
Seda’s legs gave out, and she fell into Cahir’s side. He quickly wrapped his arm around her, stabilizing her.
“Mary Jones. Jessica Blue.” Both women slowly walked forward and were registered for placement in the cell. The lord continued calling names until he reached the last one. “And last but especially not least…”
As Lord Mordred’s eyes blazed a deep red, he locked his gaze on Seda. Seda’s heart plummeted into her stomach, and her vision faded to black.
“Seda Arbor.”
The birds attacked.
They swooped through the air and attacked the Rozzers; they cawed loudly and scratched at Lord Mordred, their focus entirely on the people in charge. The Rozzers fired at them, and black bundles of feathers fell from the sky.
“She is over there! Get her!” someone yelled at the Rozzers.
With a swift move, Cahir grabbed Seda, hoisting her over his shoulder, and sprinted toward the nearest exit. The panicked crowd all rushed in the same direction. Birds plummeted from the sky and crashed into people as they fled. Two Rozzers stepped in and tripped Cahir, yanking Seda from his grasp.
She spun around to face them, and fear seized her chest.
Michael and Alexi had her in a tight, painful grip, and memories of that day came flooding back to her.
“Not again. Not again. Don’t hurt me!” she shrieked as she clawed at them. “Please don’t hurt me. Please, please, please.”
As Seda broke free, Michael and Alexi pounced, tackling her to the ground. She shook with fear and let out a blood-curdling scream.
“Shut up! Call off these fucking birds. The last time they almost killed us!” Michael shouted as his rancid spit hit her in the face.