Chapter 32
Esiree
Aknock at the door was followed immediately by the turn of the handle.
Only one person was impolite enough to barge in with such entitlement, so I wasn’t surprised when Mina strolled into our bedchamber as if she owned the very bedrock herself.
I opened my mouth to scold her, but something in her demeanor made me hesitate.
Despite our shared residence in the Heart during these months, I had mostly managed to avoid her, save for those stiff, silent meals in the Great Hall and meetings of the Council.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?” I asked, striving to sound truly disinterested. She was likely looking for her brother, in any case.
Mina blurred toward my drawing table, instantly crowding my space and using her unnatural speed to unsettle me.
I had grown accustomed to the Vampyr by now, but she remained the only one whose motivations still gave me pause.
I fought to conceal the nervous tremor in my hand, pinning it to my lap and clasping the other over it to hold my composure.
“You should know I am watching you,” she warned, her voice a low, menacing rasp.
I met her gaze, feigning a bravery I didn’t feel. “Of course you are. You have no allies, Mina. No purpose other than to haunt the corridors of your own bitterness.”
She leaned in, her eyes intensifying until they seemed to glow. “I have seen my brother broken before. I will not permit it again; and you have come closer to shattering him in months than any other threat we’ve faced in ages!”
The only way to curb Mina was to match her bite.
“You should stick to your ledgers and your cold calculations. Matters of the heart are obviously beyond your limited reach.”
She slammed her fist onto the desk, the crack of wood echoing like a cannon. “I would sooner sever my own arm than let you toy with him,” she hissed.
“What exactly gives you the impression that my intentions are anything but honest?” I demanded, my agitation rising.
“I don’t trust you. I never have, not since the moment I laid eyes on you at the Harvest.” She pulled her fist back, balling her hands so tightly the knuckles looked like white stones.
“You’ve clawed your way into his confidences, exhuming secrets that have been cold for almost a century; simply to buy yourself a place at his side. ”
“And why are you so certain my affections are a ruse?”
“No human queen in the history of the treaty has ever been granted the freedom to galivant across the kingdom. And to see you welcomed at the Privy Council… Well, it was a travesty.”
“Things change, Mina. Even for the Vampyr. Just because you are a hostile relic doesn’t mean the rest of the world must remain as insufferable as you.” I knew I was treading dangerously close to a fight I could not win, but I gambled on her restraint.
“I helped oversee this kingdom hundreds of years before you were a breath in your mother’s lungs,” she declared. “And I shall be here long after you are dust.”
“Not if you starve first.”
Suddenly, Mina’s fangs flared, needle-sharp and terrifying.
I feared I had finally miscalculated my immunity.
But the sound of footsteps at the far end of the room broke the spell.
We turned to see Lailanor entering with a tray of tea.
Mina retracted her teeth instantly, smoothing her features into a mask of cold indifference.
“Heed my warning,” she whispered, leaning so close I could feel the chill of her skin.
As she turned to leave, I called out, “Mina?” She glanced over her shoulder. “You’ll never have his attention. Orin likes a touch that doesn’t draw blood at every turn. You are all thorns and no bloom. Even a vampire grows tired of being pricked.”
She’d never spoken of it, but I had seen the way she secretly pined after the commander.
His disinterest in her was absolute, as clear as it was cold.
Reminding her that she stood alone, and that the one she coveted would never be hers, was perhaps the only blow I could deal that was sharp enough to pierce her icy heart.
Furious, Mina stormed from the room, striking the tray from Lailanor’s hands as she passed.
Porcelain shattered against the floor in a sudden, violent spray.
I rushed to the maid’s side, helping her gather shards and assuring her that Mina’s immaturity was no reflection of her service.
Once the mess was cleaned, I returned to my packing.
I had received only one letter from my family, and judging by the date on the seal, it had been dispatched over a month ago.
Ari had written it on behalf of them both; Father’s handwriting had always been illegible.
The message was short and somewhat cryptic.
I scoured the parchment numerous times, certain there was some hidden meaning to be uncovered, but all I could surmise was one thing; they had not succeeded.
Dearest Es,
We both miss you dearly, and Mes sends his regards.
We eagerly await your arrival when your tour brings you home to Leto.
Father’s shop has seen a sudden influx of trade, keeping him at his bench until the candles burn low.
His standard stock of salves and tonics, while sufficient for the usual complaints, has done little against the more stubborn ailments currently moving through the district.
He remains confident that with further study and the right resources, he will find the answer.
While the necessary elements have been easier to procure of late, he insists they must be handled with the absolute greatest caution until they are properly balanced.
We hope your time at Eventide has been comfortable, but we know you will relish a meal at our table where we might speak freely of all we have missed.
All our love,
Father and Ari
I did not mention my encounter with Mina to Vastion.
Though I was eager to see my home, the prospect twisted my insides into a ball of guilt and dread.
On some days, I tried to convince myself that my family’s efforts were futile; on others, I recalled the venomous, bloodthirsty way we had always spoken of our enemy.
Hatred had been our only common language.
My own heart had been softened by an intimacy I never expected, but I could not expect the same of them. I was safe within the bedrock of the Heart, while they still lived in the shadow of the Watch, sentries stationed at every gate. And with good reason.
“Ahem.” Vastion cleared his throat. We sat across from one another in the silence of the private dining room.
“I need to share some news with you. I do not mean to cause you alarm, truly.”
“What is it?” I asked, my pulse quickening at his somber tone.
“We’ve received word that Leto has fallen victim to a siege by the Forlorn. There have been losses.”
“My fath—”
“Your family is safe. I have been assured,” he said quickly. “But others were not so fortunate. And your family may still be in peril.”
“Then we must go! Now!” I cried, rising so abruptly my chair nearly toppled.
“Please, sit down.”
“No! We have to leave. Tonight.”
Vastion rubbed a hand along his brow, looking exhausted. “We are bringing reinforcements—an entire additional ship of sentries, but…”
“But what?” I demanded, his lack of urgency feeling like a physical blow.
“It will take us another day to ready the fleet. We had not planned for a force of this size. We need time to supply and arm them before we set sail.”
“Then tell them to work through the night,” I ordered, the desperation of the circumstances making me forget my place.
“If it were that simple, Es, I would have done it already. I understand the terror this must cause you.”
“No, you don’t!” I lashed out. “You have never feared for your life like a human. You have never been prey. To the Forlorn, we are nothing but lambs led to the slaughter.”
“Es, please.” He reached for me, but his comfort felt hollow.
“Our weapons are a farce, Vastion. You know the humans only draw their swords to feel less like victims. Without your sentries, we are as good as dead.” Tears blurred my vision. “How many have died? How many will even be left by the time your reinforcements arrive?”
“Please, stay calm.”
“If you truly loved me, you’d make them ready the ships immediately!” I screamed.
The words hung in the air, vibrating with a weight I hadn’t intended. Vastion stared back at me, his eyes wide with a shock that bordered on disbelief.
“Do not say such brash things. You know I—”
“Prove it,” I interrupted before he could sear my heart any further. I turned my back on him and fled to our bedchamber before my traitorous tears could fall.
The silence of the following morning was pierced by the blaring of horns echoing through the Heart, signaling our departure.
Vastion had heeded my plea, however reckless and selfish it had been.
At the mouth of the Eventide’s inlet, a ship sat waiting for us to board, while another already labored through the narrows, its massive hull cutting a path toward the open sea.
I once prayed for sunlight to reclaim our lands; now, I prayed for a heavy shroud of clouds to grant us swift passage to my home.
I stared at the hazy coastline for hours, searching for the first glimpse of the shores nearest Leto.
I was too consumed by nerves to converse with anyone, Vastion included.
Aside from a quiet word of thanks when he brought me a cinnamon stick, we didn’t speak at all until nightfall settled over our first day at sea.