by Scarlett Kol
“You left, or did he send you away?”
I shouldn’t have said it. As soon as the words rolled off my tongue, regret pooled in my mouth, salty and warm like blood from a fresh wound. Veda’s father laughed. A disturbing cackle not of humor but of vengeance. He stormed toward us.
“Do not speak of things you don’t understand. You were not there to watch the entire kingdom fall apart at the hands of a maniacal king. You did not spend your days cleaning up one mess after another. You’ve never had the sulphuric breath of a beast on your face as you begged for your life, one clawed hand wrapped around your neck the other positioned to shred the skin from your bones.”
The memories flashed through the man’s eyes, everything red and sinister. The scar on my hand throbbed, his image reminding me of my own near-death at the hands of the beast--the beast who was not my father, just a curse that needed to be stopped.
“So what do I do? My father has changed and even if he was the awful person you say he was, he’s not anymore. How can I break the curse if I don’t know what caused it?”
Veda leaned closer, her body shivering in the afternoon heat as she wrapped icy fingers around my bicep, gripping tight. I pulled my free arm across my chest and enveloped her hand with mine, tension draining from her grasp as my palm melted the chill pulsing through her and I bent to rest my chin on her head.
“What exactly is going on here?” Veda’s father bellowed and she twitched beside me, pulling her hand away and straightening her stance.
“Nothing, Father. Just tell us what to do now.”
He ignored her and stepped in front of me, a finger pointed in the center of my chest.
“You are no better than him, are you?” The hatred in his snarl emerged from a deep, dark place inside him. “Take, take, take! That’s all you do. That’s all you know how to do, isn’t it? And then you expect me to help you after you swoop in and try to steal my daughter from right in front of me.”
“I’ve done nothing wrong, sir. I wouldn’t hurt Veda. I wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“Yet.” His stare glazed over, my words falling empty to the ground. “You’re just like your father, and you’ll destroy everyone around you. If you want to know all about it, go ask him yourself. Let them tell you all about their toxic relationship, but keep your family’s poison away from my daughter.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Veda said, tugging on her father’s arm. “Fallon hasn’t done anything to me. I was the one who brought him here. I was the one who told him about the curse. If you are going to be angry with anyone, be angry with me.”
“Well, that was your bad judgment, but I’ll bet he’s the one who orchestrated the whole thing.”
“I did not,” I yelled, stepping up to the man.
He inched closer, but I stood tall, biting down on the inside of my cheek. My words had caused enough trouble for one week, even though they collected in my mouth ready to fire.
“You’ll not get another thing from me.” A spray of spit escaped his twisted mouth and landed on my cheek. “Get out of this sacred place, you don’t deserve to breathe its air.”
I stared back with as much fury as I could muster. He already expected nothing but royal privilege and my narrowed eyes gave it to him. “Gladly.”
I turned on my heel, his hot breath against my neck as Veda took my hand and we started to walk away.
“Don’t think I’m going to let you leave with him.”
She glanced up at me, then glared at her father her hands shooting to her hips. “When did my choices become yours?”
“You’ve always been my smart, strong, girl Veda, but right now you are acting like a petulant child.”
She ground her heel into the dirt, her eyes still locked on her father’s angry expression. “As are you.”
His face exploded into one hundred shades of red, his robes billowing around him as he stuck his arm out and pointed. “You are not leaving this mountain, and that’s final.”
Veda sighed and her head dropped to her chest, quick and sharp like a guillotine blade. Her father spun around and stomped off toward the temple. Not a bird chirped, not a breeze rustled through the air, the world silent as if he’d condemned the universe instead of his daughter.
With a deep breath, life reanimated in Veda and she burst past me toward Alizeh resting on the far end of the temple grounds. I tripped after her, her small frame determined and focused like an arrow loosed from a bow until she stopped abruptly and I nearly fell over her trying to slow my own feet.
“Just tell Ali where you want to go and she’ll take you there. Call her name first, and then give directions so she understands, and remember to speak loud enough for her to hear if it’s windy.”
“Wait, you’re not coming?”
She crossed her arms and looked away, water pooling in her stare but she blinked and pushed it down. “You heard my father. I’m not to leave this mountain.”
“But he can’t stop you. We could be gone before he’d even realize you’d left.” I placed my hand on her chin and turned her face to look at me. “Come with me.”
“It’s not that simple. Besides if anyone should understand about having to stand by their father when they don’t want to, it would be you.”
“I don’t want to leave you here.”
She placed a hand on my chest and pushed me toward Alizeh. “I’ll be fine. He’s angry with you, but once you’re gone he’ll calm down. Plus, if I stay around a while I might be able to convince him to talk to you again, or at least find out if he knows anything else. Now get going before he decides to come back and argue with you again.”
“But how will you get back home?”
She kept pushing me to go, but I held my stance.
“Ali will come for me. I’ll call her and she’ll come.”
I placed my hand over hers and held tight. The look of determination melted and the strength in her stare wavered. I put on my best face. The one Mosa city girls went wild for. But Veda didn’t surrender. “Are you sure you won’t leave with me?”
She shook her head, the lost look in her sad frown stinging in my chest. I pulled her to me and she rested her hands at the base of my neck as I held my arms tight around her waist. I let myself breathe her in. Taking every last opportunity to create a memory to carry back home.
“When this is over, come to the castle and look for me.”
Veda unclasped her fingers and twisted out of my grip. She took my hand and walked away, her skin lingering against mine until the last second before the link broke to let her go. The small smile she offered me dying as the space between us widened.
I pulled myself up on Alizeh’s back and watched Veda shrink in the distance, a piece of me following behind and leaving me painfully hollow.
Moonlight cut through the valley illuminating the castle like a beacon calling me home. As we approached, the city grew larger, spreading out beneath us with its shops and taverns and familiar smells. But the closer Alizeh flew toward the castle grounds, the less I wanted to get there.
"Alizeh, the ridge on the left."
The bird obeyed sweeping around the city to a flat peak, just big enough for us to land. She ground her talons into the earth as dust spit up around us kicking in my lungs. She lowered her head and I slid off assessing the blissfully vacant ridge. A stand of trees lurked dark ahead of us, but without a proper pathway up the mountain, I doubted any danger hid beneath the foliage. I looked down at the castle again. The brightly colored flags flapped lazily from the tops of the turrets in the calm night. The gardens twirled in loops and curls among the flowers, a labyrinth to get lost in, which I’d done so many times. My chest tightened, the familiarity of home luring me there, but the fear of the unknown driving me away.
If it was even really my home. Veda's father didn't give me the answers I wanted but even after the hours of flight I still didn't know how to put words to the questions I needed to ask. Or maybe I really wasn't ready to hear the truth.
<
br /> "Looks like will be camping here tonight, girl."
I pet her beak and she cooed softly as she lowered herself closer to the ground and pulled her wings in close. I lay on the dusty ground and stared up at the sky and its speckling of stars. Home lay just below me, and the truth lived at a temple on the highest of peaks, but I sat stuck in the middle, terrified of either option. As I closed my eyes, the stars smeared and I wondered if somewhere up there Veda was looking at them and thinking of me.
7
26th May
“Did Dad kidnap you when he was cursed the first time, Mom? Oh, and did someone abandon me on your doorstep as a baby? Just wanted to check. Okay. Thanks.”
I shook my head. No. Not like that. I had to ease in to the concept gently. If I came at her like a firing squad she’d never tell me the truth. She’d probably just get defensive and shut herself up in her library. Maybe Griswold knew? He’d been around the castle the longest out of anyone, I’m sure he knew things that he’d been sworn to keep quiet in exchange for a notable position.
Alizeh landed with effortless grace in the front courtyard of the castle just beyond the gates of the city. Seamlessly, she slid in between the gardens and the fountains. An impressive talent for a bird her size. Guards immediately flanked her, not like they would be any match for a creature of her size although they were paid to try.
“Stand down,” I called as I dismounted Alizeh and stroked the feathers near her beak.
Each of the guards dropped to one knee, their heads bowed. I approached the closest guard, a well-decorated soldier, and he rose to his feet, his head still tilted toward the ground.
“Send someone to the stables and get something for my friend to eat.”
He nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“And tell them, she is not to be harmed or mishandled in any way. She may also come and go as she pleases. This bird is a guest in our kingdom and should be treated as such. Understood?”
He nodded again. “Yes, sir. Permission to address His Majesty?”
“Of course, speak freely.”
He finally dared to look at me, the heaviness of my position weighing down between my shoulders. “The queen has been looking for you, sir. She has been worried.”
“I’ll see to her right away. Thank you.”
I gave Alizeh’s wings one last stroke. “Take care of yourself.”
Alizeh clucked and nuzzled her beak against my chest. I leaned into her. “And take care of Veda too.”
Straightening my hair and tugging my shirt into place, I let out a deep breath and headed toward the castle. Time for the truth.
As I approached, the castle doors flung open, the locks thundering as they unbolted and the hinges squealing to let me through. Mom rushed into the courtyard, nearly barreling over me in her haste, a row of guards parading behind her. Slim pants covered her legs, her hair pulled tight behind her head in a thick braid. Odd. She didn’t even wander around the castle without at least a casual dress. Something had happened.
“Fallon.” Her glare widened, eyes dark and watery from crying, and then she flung herself at me squeezing her arms tight around my chest until I could barely breathe. “Where have you been?”
I studied the row of guards and dropped my voice. “I’ve been up in the mountains. But I really need to talk to you.”
“Not right now. Your father—” her eyes welled up and tears streamed down her scarlet face, “He’s escaped. I left to get him something to eat and when I returned, he was gone.”
“Are you sure? Maybe he’s just hiding inside.” I darted around her, scanning the foyer just beyond the doors.
She grabbed my arm. “He’s not in there. We’ve searched the entire castle. He’s gone.”
Adrenaline flooded my veins. The words of Veda’s father rushed at me again. He didn’t know my father like I did. Didn’t know how he’d changed if he was ever the devil Edwin believed he’d been. But what if there was some truth to his story? What would that mean if he were set free? I pulled out of Mom’s grip and grabbed the back of my head, pacing across the impeccable tile work of the courtyard.
“And it’s worse,” she continued, “he isn’t himself anymore. The curse has taken over completely and I don’t know if he’ll listen to me anymore.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know where you were. And we’ll discuss that later, but right now I have to find him. Stay here in case he comes back.”
“Are you kidding? I can’t just wait here. I’m coming with you.”
“Thank you, Fallon.” The shadow of a smile crossed her lips and died. “Griswold.”
The old man rushed out the open castle door to my mother’s side. “Yes, my queen.”
“Keep watch in case the king returns. He may simply be lost and then try to find his way back.”
“Of course, madam.”
She pointed at a group of guards on the left. “You six, stay here at the castle and make sure if the king returns that I am notified immediately. Do not try to stop him, just guide him back to the west wing and wait for further instructions. Do you understand?”
The nodded in unison and turned sharp, marching to their posts within the castle walls.
She took my hand, her quivering fingers betraying the display of strength and control she put on for everyone else. “Now, we should split up. You take half the guards and head towards the center of town and I’ll take the rest towards the forest and the outskirts of the city. I think he’ll try to avoid a scene so I doubt you’ll come across him. If you see anything, send someone for me.”
“Are you sure this is safe for you to be chasing after a beast?”
“Probably not, but I won’t let anyone else handle something this important.” She gripped tighter. “He’s my heart, Fallon. I can’t let just anyone take care of it.”
I hugged her, giving her a second to compose herself before leading her army into the unknown. “Don’t worry, Mom. We’ll find him.”
She raised a hand above her head and pointed toward the thick trees leading up the mountain range. The guards fell in line and followed her out, the rest staying back waiting for my instructions.
I jumped up on the edge of a fountain and scanned the guards’ faces. Every one of them hung on my words. Every one of them willing to go into battle for me and my family. If only they knew the real truth, would they still be so honorable? However, this wasn’t the time to cast doubt in their calling.
“Search every place, no matter if you think you won’t find him,” I called out to my team. “And try to avoid alarming the civilians. They are not to know what we are looking for.”
“Yes, sir.” They bellowed in unison.
I jerked my head toward the city and crested the golden bridge to Mosa, wishing with every ounce of strength I had that we weren’t the ones to find him.
The sun beat down on my back, my shirt clinging to my chest as I searched every back alley and public place in all of Mosa. The people stared, but I didn’t care. They didn’t know they were all in danger, and I needed to keep it that way until we found my father. If we found my father.
I wiped my sleeve across my brow, the salty taste of sweat on my lips. We’d turned over every inch of this city, and hadn’t uncovered one clue as to where my father might be hiding. Mom was likely right, he’d avoid the crowded streets and head for the cover of the trees. Maybe she was having better luck.
I pushed my way between two buildings into a small secluded courtyard but found nothing. The light didn’t penetrate the high walls of the Mosa buildings back here and the shadows hung long and dark upon the walls. I fell against the cool brick wall and let the darkness soothe the burn in my skin. This mission started to seem hopeless.
A hand grabbed my arm and I jumped as my pulse quickened.
“Sorry, sir.” The guard let go of my arm and put his hands behind his back, widening his stance at attention. “We’ve finished sweeping the north side of the city, sir. No sign of
the king.”
“Thank you. I’m starting to think we won’t be the ones to find him.”
“Keep strong, sir.”
I patted him on the shoulder. A good soldier.
“Tell your men to do one last look in the south then head back to the castle. I’ll have the cook prepare something special for your efforts.”
“Of course, sir.”
So this was it. We’d searched everywhere and he’d just disappeared. Maybe he didn’t want to be found? Maybe somewhere deep down he understood what he’d become, even if he wasn’t able to communicate it back? If it had happened to me, I don’t know what I’d do. Would I run too? Or would I just hide like a coward waiting for it all to be over?
A single scream ripped through the sky. I jerked my head in its direction and slid back out of the courtyard into the street. People rushed toward us, clambering up the hill as fast as they could.
More screams echoed, bouncing between the buildings. I closed my eyes and listened for the source. They seemed to be coming from the center of the city. The market. No. Too many people who could get hurt. Too many people who might see my father for what he’d become.
“The market. Go. Now.”
I thrust my arm down the main street and the guards rushed past me, swords drawn and prepared to fight. I chased downhill after them, citizens running against us, like salmon swimming upstream. Their shrieks resounded in my head as they ran. Windows and doors shuttered around us. Children were yanked from the streets, their parents shielding their eyes to avoid the horror.
Grrr!
A loud growl pierced through the crowd. My legs pushed harder, faster, trying to get to my father before he caused any damage.
I reached the market. Dad stood in the center of the square, his arms outstretched to the sky, with a row of guards surrounding him a circle. Citizens hid behind the market stalls and watched the drama unfold. My father reared his head back and let out a guttural roar. The guards shuddered then doubled down for an attack.
