Chapter Thirty-Two
Aidan tried distracting himself from his compulsion for compassion by observing the guests of Cinder Fortress, all dressed in their finest, surrounded by entourages.
Women garbed in gowns of scarlet, silver, and sable.
Men wore gilt, furs, rich cloaks, and fine leather boots.
If not for the ominous, ebony fortress, it wouldn't have seemed different from a function in the Starlands.
The glittering parade of guests were all making their way up the lonely rocky slope to the entrance.
Meical nodded to a man with an imposing appearance and an auburn beard. The man's coach harnessed Curse Creatures resembling winged reptiles. As he strode over, little snakes raced after his feet. He smiled and clasped Meical's hand. "I never thought to see you at a Doom Ball hosted by Kieran."
Something that could easily be mistaken for a smile crossed Meical's face. "I didn't think you would come to this Doom Ball ...at least not without informing me. We do have an alliance, Gareth."
"Precisely. An alliance," Gareth said with a chilly smile. "You are not my liege."
"But I do keep our common enemies from taking Python Keep."
"And I provide you with a corral for your beastly army."
Meical frowned. "That beastly army is part of what keeps enemies away from Python Keep."
"Well, you didn't invite me to young Carys' wedding." Gareth folded his arms. "I ought to curse you on principle. It shows respect to invite your allies to a wedding."
"It had to be done quickly." Meical scratched his beard. "Who am I to stand in the way of young love?"
Gareth burst out laughing. "Quite the jest. Love!" His black eyes rested on Aidan. "And this is the young man brave enough to risk his cock with Carys? I don't know how you got this Dalon bastard to make such a commitment."
"I didn't force him at all. We came to a mutual agreement." Meical narrowed his eyes. "How did the news get as far as Python Keep so fast? I haven't sent any of my warriors out on a raid since that day."
"Why would the Dalon prince willingly tie himself to a family that will bring down his own family?" Gareth asked, ignoring Meical's question. He looked past Aidan, focusing on an uncomfortable Carys. "When bathed, she's somewhat passable. But nothing passion provoking."
Aidan tightened his fists at the insult to Carys. Meical remained indifferent, as though it meant nothing to hear his sister described in such a crass way. Carys also showed no reaction, as though she heard those insults before and expected them.
But Meical had told Aidan that he needed to sell his devotion to them.
Aidan summoned his princely courage. "I chose to have the ceremony with Carys."
Gareth smiled smugly. "Aye, I'm sure that you chose."
How could he convince this man? The Law of the Beasts would suggest that attacking Gareth was the right answer. Except Gareth was Meical's ally. So he needed to show a selfish, believable reason for his choice.
"Aye, I chose. I chose it because I was tired of rotting away as a thing.
" Aidan forced all his bitterness into his words.
"So I chose to ally with Meical. Do I like it?
No. But I don't care. My family let me sacrifice myself for them, and they've done nothing to get me back.
I've Seeing Water and have seen how little they've done.
Do I want Carys? No. But I'll do what I must to never be in a weak position again. "
The venom in his tone almost worried him, as it contained too much truth.
Aidan wasn't that good of a mummer. Gareth's smile contained mockery, but he didn't challenge Aidan's assertion.
He and Meical began discussing methods of controlling Curse Creatures.
Aidan's skin crawled as Bradon slunk up behind him.
Meical's right-hand man seldom spoke directly to him.
Bradon didn't speak directly to him, looking into the distance as if addressing the red sky.
"Well done. But don't take dragon shit from anyone.
And, above all, don't show any consideration beyond necessary to Carys.
Since the news of the situation seems to have gotten out, everyone will know that you didn't choose her out of affection. Show her disdain."
"Should I hit her?" Aidan asked with vicious sarcasm.
"If the situation warrants it," Bradon said, with no sense of irony.
Aidan glared. Bradon ignored him, seizing the arm of Shanna while Meical took the arm of Nyx. The horrid pairs began making their way to the fortress.
That meant Aidan had to take Carys' arm, even as he was expected to show her disdain. Summoning memories of Carys' bad actions, he thrust out his arm as if she was the last person he wanted to touch.
She took his arm. Neither looked at each other as they walked up the dark, shadowy slope. His feelings warred inside. He didn't hate Carys anymore and wasn't sure if he ever hated her. But her poisonous past actions tainted everything.
Aidan couldn't help widening the gap between them, even as they had to keep their arms linked. Carys didn't react. Maybe it didn't matter to her. She didn't want this connection any more than he did.
The drawbridge was lowered, so they made their way over a pit that dropped to the scarlet sea. Aidan supposed that only Curse Magic could dig through the rough, rocky ground to make such a pit.
After all, Curse Magic was destructive.
Light hit Aidan's eyes before he even crossed the threshold of Cinder Fortress.
It took a few moments for his eyes to take in the sight of the main hall.
The light wasn't coming from lanterns or torches, but from pits of fire in the floor.
The flames leaped in unnatural ways, a sure sign of mystically conjured flames.
The green hue of the flames was also a pretty good sign they weren't natural.
Emerald light and the shadows cast an eerie ambiance over the massive room.
The shadows of the guests looked positively demonic, a mass of monstrous dark shapes moving with a little too much independence.
A haunting tune played in the background, dark notes of an organ, the delicate strings of a lute, and an unsettling fiddle tune.
As they stepped further into the hall, Aidan located the source of the music.
"Carys?" He struggled to sound disinterested. "Are those skeletons playing the music?"
She glanced over at a stone podium that served as a stage for the apparent band. A rotted skeleton gently plucked the strings of the lute, a skeleton missing the top of the skull, carefully played the fiddle while another played the organ with impossible speed and ferocity.
Carys gave a half shrug. "Kieran has adherents who dabble in necromancy, although I should think this is a rather big waste of such magic."
"I don't know," a crystalline voice said. "I find it rather curious myself. Music is such a great part of life. Hearing music that the dead play can be quite the marvel."
A young woman approached them, her footsteps concealed by the chilling music. She didn't appear much older than Carys, but with delicate, fairylike features. Dark flowing hair matched her black eyes. Her pure white gown with flowing sleeves of lace wouldn't have been out of place in the Starlands.
"It's music." Carys shrugged. "I hear no difference."
"But it doesn't," Aidan said. "The notes are right, yet it sounds almost..."
"Hollow," the newcomer supplied. "Missing the spirit, I suppose."
"I suppose the dead are the only ones willing to work for Curselord Kieran," Carys said roughly.
"It's more that there is no escape from Curselord Kieran's service. Not even death." The young woman gave a grim smile. "But I am being rude. I am Mona, daughter of Curselord Kieran."
It took Aidan a moment to collect himself. "I wasn't aware that Curselord Kieran had a daughter."
Mona clasped her hands together. "People think the most monstrous things of my father. But I suppose we can all agree that no one in the Curselands is good. Surely you know that by now... Prince Aidan."
He kept his face still, like the revelation meant nothing. "It's not a land for the decent."
She tilted her head. "Indeed. May I offer my congratulations on your alliance with Meical?"
He gritted his teeth, determined to show her nothing. "You may," he said with forced indifference. "I am quite satisfied to have an alliance with Curselord Meical."
Mona smiled, as if doubting his words. He refused to look at Carys, refused to show a good opinion of her.
He shouldn't have any good opinion of her.
Mona smiled as if she understood him and moved away to meet another guest. Once again, Bradon came close, and once again, Aidan's skin crawled.
"Even the enchantress Mona knows of this arrangement," Bradon said in an undertone. "She sought you out right away. That means Kieran wants contact with you."
"No one can ever be straightforward here, can they?" Aidan asked.
Bradon shook his head. "This was open for a Cursedblood. Kieran wants us to know that he approached you. He is trying to say something."
"Then he should very well say it and stop resorting to trickery." Aidan rolled his eyes. "We're here for a reason and not for his games."
"If you want your original goal for attending this ball, you should cultivate Kieran's interest," Bradon said. "You are not to bring any dishonor to Curselord Meical, of course."
When Bradon walked away, Aidan rolled his eyes. "He might as well ask me to grow the sun out of my blood. How am I to get Kieran's interest and not make Meical look weak?"
Carys let out an exasperated huff. "The best way to trick someone is to make them see what they want.
You have to make Kieran want you and show no true sign of disloyalty to anyone else.
Ofttimes it's easy for people to see what they want, like when you believed I was a weak maiden, being attacked by Curse Creatures.
Someone else might have seen the truth. A spider laying a trap. "
"But what was true?" Aidan narrowed his eyes. "I always thought you were the spider."
"Aye." She nodded. "You indeed thought that later."
"If I hadn't rescued you..." He swallowed. "What would have happened?"
"I suppose I could have died," she said quietly. "And you never would have been caught in my web."
Was it the same with their ceremony? Aidan was so certain that Carys didn't want the ceremony. What if he was once again seeing her as a fragile victim?