Thirty
Ariadnne
Hands grasped at her limbs, pulling and tugging her in all directions.
The air was thick with sobs and cries, her lungs aching from the screams that ripped from her throat as she was dragged from loving, familiar arms. Snatches of faces; dark hair she knew, pale skin she didn’t.
Her teeth sinking into a pale arm and a cruel voice cursing.
‘You knew not to get attached. Be proud. She will be magnificent once we’ve broken her.’
Then darkness. Iron at her throat. Pain each time her form shimmered, trying to break free. Pain until she’d learned to press it down, down. Unnatural. Fettered.
She screamed—
Sunlight streamed in through the window as Sascha flung the curtains wide.
Ariadnne rose from her childhood nightmare with a gasp, clutching at herself.
She was whole; it was a dream. Her sheets lay discarded on the floor, nightgown tangled round her thighs.
Sascha gave her a sympathetic glance; she was well aware of the nightmares that plagued Ariadnne’s sleep.
Nothing helped, no tonics or soothing herbs.
After being turned out of her handler’s rooms, Ariadnne had lain awake for hours fretting over Melixanthe’s safety and how she would interrogate Sol’s company.
From the position of the sun through the window, she had slept in.
She groaned—she should be back with Melixanthe, but her lack of sleep weighed down her eyes, and the idea of rising pained her.
Perhaps she could take a few more minutes—
Sascha didn’t agree.
The maid bustled around as she tried to bury back under the covers. Clothes were set out and yesterday’s things folded and put away as Sascha relentlessly hummed a droning tune that went right through Ariadnne’s skull.
‘Why in nine hells are you humming? What could there possibly be to hum about?’ Ariadnne flung her cover off, anger coiling in her belly. She didn’t know if she was angry at Sascha for waking her, or at herself for sleeping in.
She dragged a hand across her eyes. ‘I need to get back to Melixanthe’s rooms.’
The hint of a smile Sacha threw her way infuriated her further. Her maid shook her head.
‘No, you don’t.’
‘What? Why?’ Fear spiked. What did Sascha know? Was Melixanthe d—
‘She’s fine. Stop panicking.’ Sascha rolled her eyes. ‘Honestly. All rage and fire sometimes… Melixanthe woke up. She’s here, waiting for you in the other room. Seems even a brush with death won’t keep our general from her restday tradition of taking lunch with you.’
Ariadnne’s jaw dropped. ‘Here?’
‘Yes. Here, and she’s getting impatient.’ Sascha looked pointedly at the pile of clothes she’d placed at the foot of the bed.
‘Oh—’ A heady mixture of relief and trepidation coursed through her—they still hadn’t spoken since her transgression.
Melixanthe might be here to dole out further punishment, but equal to Ariadnne’s fear of her handler’s disappointment, she wanted to see her face.
Awake. Alive. She swung her legs round and reached for the clothes, pulling them on as fast as she could.
She found Melixanthe hunched on the couch looking older than she ever had, dark bruises bleeding under her usually vibrant eyes.
Alive.
The sheer enormity of what that meant to Ariadnne hit her like a punch to the gut. She needed Melixanthe and couldn’t imagine life in the Guild without her.
‘Not like you to sleep in...’ Melixanthe croaked, her voice a shadow of that which cried commands across battlefields. Ariadnne bit down on her lip to stop herself running to embrace her.
‘If I’d known you were coming, I’d have been up sooner,’ Ariadnne replied. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘I’ve been better.’ Melixanthe grimaced. ‘That arrow really did a number on me.’
Ariadnne grunted in agreement.
‘They told me you stayed by my side most of the week.’ Melixanthe’s red-rimmed eyes found hers. ‘Thank you.’
‘I…uh.’
‘It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about it. I’m just glad I get to be here to have said that. It means a lot that you stayed.’
Melixanthe leaned back against the cushions, releasing Ariadnne from her gaze.
‘I asked Sascha if we could take lunch here. I wouldn’t miss it, given what day it is today.’
With a jolt, Ariadnne realised it was the last restday of this month—the day they would usually visit Ullieve town together. They had never missed it since their tradition began. But then, her handler had never been this close to dying before.
Melixanthe had been Ariadnne’s handler for barely five months when she’d seen that part of her fifteen-year-old ward’s frustration stemmed from seeing nothing but the same walls each day.
Seeking a way to help her, she had petitioned the Council for permission to take Ariadnne out of the castle, arguing that it would reduce the unwanted eruptions of Ariadnne’s shift.
They had agreed to one day each month. Most importantly, it had laid a foundation of trust between them.
Ariadnne felt a pang as she took in Melixanthe’s pallor, and the tremor lingering in her limbs. They wouldn’t be leaving the castle today. A very real fear gripped her heart that if there was another attempt on Melixanthe’s life, she might not survive.
Sascha was setting her small table with an assortment of olives, flatbreads, and oils. Melixanthe beckoned for Ariadnne to sit across from her as though they hadn’t been at odds and things were the way they had always been.
‘So, how did Josef fare? Leading the training this week,’ Melixanthe asked, reaching for the basket and selecting a flatbread with care. Her hand trembled like a leaf. Ariadnne tried not to stare.
‘He did alright.’ Ariadnne paused, then added, ‘But you were missed.’ A silence fell between them.
There was so much to say about how close Melixanthe had come to death, yet neither of them broached it.
She had almost certainly been poisoned. With a sour twist in her belly, Ariadnne realised that she needed that trip into town—needed the opportunity to ‘bump’ into someone from Sol’s company.
It would be another month before her next sanctioned trip.
She didn’t have the luxury of a month, not when there was a very real risk of something happening before then.
A sigh slipped past her lips, stomach tightening with nerves at what she was about to request.
‘I can’t believe it’s restday already, and our day at that.’
She purposefully didn’t look at Melixanthe, instead filling her plate from the spread before them.
Melixanthe’s brow furrowed. ‘I know, but I’m sure you can appreciate I’m not in any state…’
‘Oh no. I wasn’t implying you should take me anywhere!’ Ariadnne sat back. ‘No. You need to rest. Do you know how much you scared me this week?’
‘I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to see me like that,’ Melixanthe said softly. ‘They shouldn’t have let you in.’
‘I didn’t give them a choice.’
Melixanthe’s eyes creased. ‘Oh, I’m aware.’ She looked away, her hand drifting to the pendant at her chest.
Ariadnne met her brown eyes and saw genuine gratitude there. It made her feel warm. She cleared her throat.
‘Listen. I know you need to rest, and in all honesty, you should probably be in your bed.’
Melixanthe protested but Ariadnne shot her a sharp look.
‘You look like death. You should be in bed.’ She exhaled, summoning the courage for her next words.
‘But… I was wondering… later, maybe another knight could accompany me into town?’ She hurriedly added, ‘It’s just, it’s been a difficult week, and my dragon has been restless, I feel like a walk outside the walls might settle her.
’ She felt bad using her dragon as incentive.
They had worked so much on Ariadnne maintaining her control—if Ariadnne hinted that she was struggling, Melixanthe would take it seriously.
As she had guessed, Melixanthe’s eyebrows knitted in concern. ‘Have you slipped? Has anyone seen?’
‘No, no. I’ve kept a handle on her. But you know… sometimes it’s hard.’
Melixanthe gave her a long look, her eyes settling on the way Ariadnne’s hand was clenched in her lap.
‘Let me think on it, okay? It’s not a no, but we’ve never done that before. I need to consider it.’ She dipped her bread in the oil and leaned back, wincing slightly.
‘Of course.’
Ariadnne let herself be hopeful. She knew it might be harder for Melixanthe to allow after the trouble she had caused, but surely she could see that Ariadnne was sorry.
She knew not to push the subject, so changed it.
‘I’m not sure the healer was right, you know—about why you got so sick. They said that it was a bad infection, but I’ve been thinking. I’m worried it wasn’t an accident. This time, or the last.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Melixanthe frowned.
‘Poison. I think the arrow was poisoned.’ Once the words started tumbling out of her, Ariadnne couldn’t stop. ‘Each time you’ve been injured, Lucius’ company was there. Sol has been acting strange—more so than usual. It’s obvious how much he hates you, and me.’
‘Ari!’ Melixanthe stopped her. ‘Enough about Sol! He would never hurt me. We’ve trained together since we joined the Guild and fought side by side in more battles than I can count.’ Her nostrils flared. ‘And you are wrong, about him not liking you. Don’t judge him when you barely know him.’
Ariadnne recoiled from the warning flashing in Melixanthe’s eyes.
‘Okay, okay.’ She raised her hands. ‘Just, please, promise me you’ll watch yourself around him.’
Melixanthe rolled her eyes. ‘Fine, I promise.’ She looked annoyed that Ariadnne had pushed her to promise such a thing, before her features softened. ‘Look, I know this is coming from a good place. You’re worried. Know I’ve got things under control, okay?’
‘Under control?’ Ariadnne didn’t know what she meant by that.
‘Leave it alone.’ Melixanthe’s tone was firm. Ariadnne bit down her frustration. Why wouldn’t she trust her? Why hadn’t she told her sooner that the Council was watching her actions?
What was she hiding?
They ate in silence for a bit, then as if making simple conversation, Melixanthe asked,
‘How are things with Nieve?’
Ariadnne almost choked on an olive and had to wash it down with a glass of water.
‘What? I... uh, I told you. It didn’t come to anything.’
Melixanthe gave her a pointed look. ‘I’m assuming that’s who you want to go into town with? I’m not blind. Don’t think I didn’t notice it was her people we went gallivanting off to save last weekend.’
Ariadnne swallowed. ‘I mean... I enjoy her company, but as I said it’s not anything. Really.’ The words tasted like ash on her tongue.
‘Hmm.’ Melixanthe could see right through her, Ariadnne was sure.
The general leaned back, an appraising look in her tired eyes.
‘Look, if I let you go, you will take someone else too. Kayla perhaps. I need you to be on your best behaviour. Honestly, Ariadnne, I mean it when I say you need to be above any suspicion. After this recent debacle, the Council is watching. You heard Leth. He wouldn’t be above forcing you to do something you really wouldn’t want to assert his control over you. ’
‘I got that impression,’ Ariadnne growled. ‘I promise, I just want to get out of the castle. Enjoy a change of scenery. Nothing else.’
‘Okay. I’m trusting you, Ari. I’ll send word for them to come and get you around two.’
Ariadnne’s wanted to jump up and hug her handler but restrained herself, settling to finish her meal in companionable silence.
Nieve. She hadn’t dared to hope Melixanthe would allow her to escort her. The idea of spending the afternoon with her filled her to the brim with anticipation, but she couldn’t forget the purpose of the trip. With any luck, she would run into someone who might have some answers.
Sol had been her only suspect until now. If Melixanthe was right, and it wasn’t him, then who else could be doing the Council’s dirty work?