When Wishes Bleed

by Casey Bond

  Tauren stared at me, and when I caught the heat of his stare, he ticked his head toward the women. Each and every one was lovely. Each was beautiful and unique. Red hair and pale skin, dark skin and pale hair, freckles and those without a single freckle to be found. All of them, I realized, wore pastel colors.

  Our party was the only one wearing a dark hue… with the exception of the Prince. He also wore black, though a crisp, white shirt peeked out from beneath his coat. His ensemble somehow bridged a gap between them and me.

  Mira was right. All the women’s dresses accentuated their breasts. I was shocked a few hadn’t spilled out of their corsets entirely.

  Before I knew it, Brecan stood beside me. “Let the game begin,” he whispered, flashing me a look I couldn’t read. He wasn’t wrong, though I doubted any of these women were capable of murder.

  With the official greeting concluded, everyone chatted together, most sticking with the familiar and conversing with their escorts. The cameramen looked bored.

  Tauren made his way around the room, stopping on my right side when he reached me and keeping his distance from Brecan, whom he shot a dark look. “Didn’t we agree you would remain in the hallway?”

  Brecan smiled. “My duty is to Sable alone.”

  Tauren let it go. He leaned in close. “See anyone who looks suspicious?”

  “Not in the least,” I replied, looking at the women.

  “That’s what I thought. I’d like you to meet some of the staff after dinner, maybe shake a few hands?” he asked, brows raised.

  “That’s fine.”

  He nodded and cleared his throat, leaning back against the wall and surveying the room. He looked uncomfortable slouching and soon stood up straight again, striding back to the front of the room.

  “I have a small gift for each of you. Well, it’s a gift, but also a way to help me keep you all straight.” The ladies tittered as if he’d told the funniest joke they’d ever heard. Thirteen servants, wearing stark-white uniforms, entered the room, each carrying a white box. Every box was tied with a white bow except for mine, which was tied with a black one. I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Untie them,” Tauren encouraged with a broad smile.

  Every girl tugged at her ribbon and removed the lid to her box, revealing a silver bracelet within each one. Mine was engraved with the number thirteen. “Our sectors,” the redhead from Sector One flirted. “How clever.”

  While the women clamped the bracelets onto their tiny wrists, I placed mine back in the box and waited until they were finished stroking Tauren’s ego. He stood and gave a bow. “I’d like to thank you all for accepting my invitation and formally welcome you to my home. For one of you, this will be your future home.”

  The girls sucked in a collective gasp as if they didn’t already know this. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. When I looked back at Tauren, he was smiling at me.

  “I look forward to spending time with each of you, getting to know you and seeing if there is a spark between us. For this evening, I’m sure you’re tired. It’s been a very long and exciting day. I’ll send a staff member around tomorrow morning with a detailed schedule, so that you can plan for time with me and for your free time, of course. The palace has much to offer, and I hope you’ll enjoy your stay, no matter how brief or long it may be.” He gave a wave. “Good evening, ladies.”

  The girls filed out and met their escorts in the hallway, whispering about how handsome the Prince was and how he’d given them a special smile or pointed them out during introductions, most of which was complete garbage. He hadn’t done anything overtly special for any of them, as far as I could tell.

  Mira, who had obediently stayed in the hall, met my eyes. “You were more beautiful than any of them. I bet Prince Tauren is lamenting our customs right about now.”

  Brecan huffed.

  “Did you see their dresses?” she asked, giving me an I-told-you-so look. “They were practically spilling out of them. You looked like a queen compared to those girls.”

  “I am no queen, and I’m not a slab of meat for sale. I’d prefer to be modest, even if it’s unfashionable.”

  She nodded. “Then we make your fashion the talk of the Kingdom. We make your style exquisite. Everyone will be dressing like you by spring,” she gushed.

  I didn’t think I would ever become a fashion icon, but I let her dream it was possible. I waved Brecan in. “I have to meet with some of the staff this evening. You’re welcome to go back to your rooms and do… whatever it is you do. I can handle the readings by myself.”

  Mira let out a thankful breath. “I’m exhausted.”

  “I’m going with you,” Brecan asserted.

  “No, you aren’t. Not after the way you acted earlier.”

  He snorted. “I was just informing the Prince of your predicament.”

  “All evening you’ve acted like a child.”

  Brecan grinned cruelly. “Is it childish to stand up for you? For our beliefs? Or have you forgotten them because the pretty prince extended a fake invitation so he could use you?”

  My hand twitched at my side. For the first time in my life, I wanted to smack his face. To scream for him to take back his vile words. But how could I, when he was right?

  Mira looked between me and Brecan and then let out a fake yawn. “I’m so sleepy. I’m turning in early.” She grabbed my arm and leaned in to whisper, “If you need me, just knock. I’m not really going to sleep. I have work to do.”

  I nodded and glanced back at Brecan, who had crossed his arms. He looked so strange in black when I was used to seeing him in airy blue. Not only had his garments darkened, but so had his demeanor. Ever since I told him I wouldn’t hand-fast to him, he’d been combative. And now he was jealous of Tauren when he had absolutely no reason to be. Tauren was using me, like Brecan said. Or rather, he was using my abilities. I couldn’t blame him. If I were in his position, and I didn’t want to die a painful, tragic death at a young age, I’d do everything in my power to stop it.

  Mira walked away from us, heading in the direction of the staircase that led to our rooms.

  “I am escorting you,” Brecan insisted. “The Circle gave me very specific instructions, and I will follow them to the letter.”

  “Fine,” I acquiesced.

  His head ticked back. “I expected you to put up more of a fight.”

  “I don’t want to fight with you, Brecan,” I answered wearily. “I just want to figure out who wants the Prince dead and go home. I have so much work to do on the House, and I’ll never get finished if I don’t get started.”

  The tension in his muscles melted away after hearing my words.

  “How do you know you can find this person?” he asked. “They obviously don’t want to be found.”

  “It’s not up to them. It’s up to Fate.”

  He pinched his lips together. “What if Fate wants Tauren dead?”

  I swallowed, refusing to let the visions of him dying surface… “He told me to come here. Why would he send me if he wanted the Prince to die? If he wanted Tauren dead, he would have given me the order while he was in Thirteen on the Equinox.”

  “Maybe he wants you to take the fall for it. Maybe you’ve lost his favor,” he shrugged.

  A deep breath flew from my lungs, deflating me. “Why are you being so cruel?”

  He closed his eyes. “I’m not trying to be. I’m just trying to get you to see what’s right in front of you.”

  Brecan was the only thing in front of me.

  Just then, the door swung open and Tauren strode in, staring between me and Brecan. “Did I interrupt?”

  I said no at the same time Brecan answered yes.

  Rolling my eyes, I walked to Tauren. “I assume the staff is ready?”

  “Yes, but they don’t know what you can do. I asked a few of the other girls
to greet them, so you don’t stand out.” He glanced at my chest where his necklace lay on my collarbone. “It looks beautiful on you.”

  “Thank you. I’m still not sure I should accept it. The other girls are actually competing for you. I’m just here to help.”

  He smiled and put his hands in his pockets. “Then you are the most deserving of all. Besides, I haven’t given any of the other girls anything but the bracelets.”

  His admission sent moths aflutter in my stomach. I had to stop letting that happen. Somehow.

  He looked to my wrist, his brows furrowing when he saw I wasn’t wearing my bangle.

  Brecan patted the pocket of his coat. “It’s safe, Highness.”

  “Right.” Tauren placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me down the corridor. To the right, another pair of doors opened. The expanse of the space was only broken by the strategically placed, stark white columns that supported the ceiling.

  The assembled staff stood in a large rectangle in the middle of the room. All of them wore starched white pants, and either button-up shirts or sweaters to match. The group was very diverse, made up of different ages and races. Most wore a smile, but you could tell in the way they stood up taller when Tauren entered the room that they were proud of what they did. It wasn’t a fear response; it was a desire to please him and prove they were deserving of their positions.

  Two of the other girls were making their way around the room, shaking hands with everyone and making polite, inane conversation. Their smiles were almost as fake as their feigned interest. Tauren lit up at the sight. Apparently, he was oblivious to the fact that these girls couldn’t care less about his staff or being forced to shake their hands.

  As he escorted me around the rectangle, Fate remained quiet.

  I shook hand after hand and held on a few extra seconds to ask them questions about their duties or their family. Most were genuinely happy to work at the palace. Others, though they would never admit it aloud, weren’t happy to work there, but enjoyed the life it provided their families. A few were dissatisfied. I clung to their hands the longest, but found that none of the unhappy staff members were disturbed enough to kill the Prince. And like I’d seen upon walking in the room, even if the person wasn’t happy, they wanted Tauren to be King. They respected the royal family, even if they didn’t particularly enjoy their assigned jobs.

  As I finished shaking the last staff member’s hand, I turned to Tauren, who was standing near the door with the other two invitees. His brows were raised in question, but I shook my head. No one I’d shaken hands with wanted him dead.

  “Miss Sable,” he called out. “I’d like for you to meet the ladies from Sectors One and Two, Rose and Leah.”

  Both women wore silk gloves. Palm to palm was the easiest way to read a person, but skin to skin worked well enough. Instead of taking their hands, I bent in to hug them, my hands clasping gently onto their upper arms.

  “I’m Rose,” the buxom redhead chirped.

  “Sable,” I answered.

  On contact, images filled my mind.

  Rose was famous. Her red hair was always twisted into bouncy, loose curls and she would touch them to draw attention to her face or breasts. It worked, most of the time. Through my mind I saw video cameras following her around, flashes from photographers’ cameras, her pictures in the printed press.

  She was a sensation. Very popular with the core four sectors, and she believed the public was behind her bid to be Princess. She often pictured herself as Queen, but she wasn’t going to sit idly by and leave it to chance. She had her wardrobe planned. When she was given her schedule in the morning, she planned to use it to her advantage and not only make the most of her time with Tauren, but interrupt the time he spent with the other ladies—accidentally on purpose, of course.

  She wanted the crown, but she didn’t want Tauren dead. He was her way into the royal family.

  “My name is Leah,” the girl from Two stated. “Nice to meet you, Sable.”

  I shook Leah’s hand and read from her touch… Leah from Two, with mocha skin and hair, was beautiful in a way that Rose wasn’t, yet Leah was the girl who wanted to be like Rose. People in the Kingdom knew who she was. She had the occasional article written or telecast taped about her philanthropic projects, but in the end, she wasn’t as outgoing as Rose. Her personality was dry, and though the Kingdom liked her, they didn’t love her. She was jealous. A little bitter. But she wasn’t upset with Tauren.

  Rose? She hated Rose. She hated everyone who stood in her way. Even me, apparently. She smiled sweetly and shrugged my hand off, taking a step back.

  “So nice to meet you,” Rose said, flipping her fiery red locks over one creamy shoulder. Tauren’s eyes caught the movement.

  “Yes, so nice,” Leah parroted with slightly less enthusiasm. “I’m glad they included Thirteen this year.”

  No, you aren’t, sweetheart, but whatever you want to say to make the Prince like you…

  “It truly is an honor,” I replied obediently.

  Tauren’s eyes twinkled with orneriness. “I didn’t think she would accept my invitation, to be honest.”

  Rose turned to him and put an arm on his chest. “A woman would have to be a fool to reject you.”

  He smiled at me. “Well then, I’m grateful that Sable isn’t the least bit foolish.”

  Her hand curled away from his chest at the sound of my name.

  Rose turned and gave me a half smile. “Absolutely.”

  Leah waited, her hands clasped meekly in front of her. “Thank you for introducing us to your staff, Prince Tauren.”

  “They are very important to me. Without them, the palace would crumble.”

  Rose scrunched her nose. “That’s a bit dramatic.”

  “No,” he said, “it isn’t. Things run seamlessly because of their dedication. It would be important for any queen to not only know, but appreciate those who help support us every hour of the day.”

  Rose swallowed and pasted on another artificial smile.

  Leah pounced. “A king is only as good as the people who lift him up.”

  Tauren grinned. “Well said, Leah.”

  Leah won that battle. I wondered who would ultimately win the war, and Tauren’s hand in marriage.

  Mira was right. The battle would be an entertaining one to watch. The minxes’ claws had already come out.

  “It’s getting late, ladies,” Tauren announced. “I’m sure your escorts are ready to relax a little.”

  In the corner of the room next to Brecan stood two middle-aged women, both dressed in pastel pantsuits that matched their charges’ gowns. Neither had a hair out of place. Their posture was straight and tall, while Brecan slumped against the wall, hands in his pant pockets, watching me intently.

  Rose and Leah said their goodbyes to the Prince, who kissed each of them on the back of their hand and promised to spend one-on-one time with each very soon. I thought the girls might fake a swoon, but they remained composed.

  Rose paused at the doorway. “Do you want to walk with us, Sable?” she asked sweetly.

  Her eyes flicked between me and Tauren, but he answered for me. “Actually, I have a question for Sable about Sector Thirteen. If you wouldn’t mind offering another moment of your time to answer, that is,” he added, bowing to me.

  “I’d be happy to.”

  Rose’s fake smile fell away. “Then have a good evening, Prince.”

  “You too,” he threw over his shoulder, already dismissing her from his mind.

  Leah and Rose whispered as they left the room. No doubt they’d spread a wildfire of rumors. By morning, the whole palace might be reduced to cinders.

  “You felt nothing?” he asked.

  “From those two? No. They want to be Princess, not ruin their chances by killing you.”

  “Then maybe it’
s not one of the invitees,” he mused.

  “It wouldn’t be likely,” Brecan interjected, pushing away from the wall and walking toward us. “I’m sure you have enemies outside these walls, though. Anyone you’d like for us to seek out?”

  “None that would be safe for Sable to meet with.”

  “I assure you that Sable and I can handle her safety,” Brecan asserted.

  “I won’t place her in harm’s way. Besides, the groups of dissenters we know of have wanted my father and me dead for years. They want to bring democracy back to the Kingdom, and aren’t shy about their desires. Their threats come weekly; sometimes we receive several a week.”

  “Then who’s to say it isn’t one of them?” Brecan argued.

  Fate finally showed up to the party. A bitter, horrible taste filled my mouth. “It’s someone closer...”

  Tauren’s brows furrowed. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  I fastened my attention on the flavor… “I don’t know that it’s an invitee, but it’s someone within the palace. Do me a favor and let me smell anything you eat or drink.”

  Fate took the bitterness off my tongue. The person who wanted Tauren dead would strike soon. Perhaps with poison.

  10

  Tauren turned pale. “You can’t be with me all hours of the day or at every meal. And how are we supposed to be discreet if you need to taste or smell my food?”

  “And drink,” I added. “I can spell the room.”

  “Spell the room?” he asked.

  “She would pause time,” Brecan explained, giving Tauren a condescending look.

  Hopefully, Fate’s presence tonight meant he would help me find the person who would poison the Prince. Fate wanted me here. He hadn’t yet called for Tauren’s death, so Tauren was meant to survive this. I hoped.