by Casey Bond
A cluster of round tables was arranged around the space in a curling pattern. The royal family would sit at the center table, where the Kingdom’s palace was located. From there, each girl and her escorts were positioned at the table representing the location of her sector. We made our way to the farthest table, representing Sector Thirteen.
Brecan pulled my chair out and then Mira’s. She sat to my left and he sat to my right. “Why such large tables?” he grumped.
Mira evaluated each girl’s gown, hairstyle, and accessories, as if each one was my competition. Each wore a different color, some still clinging to the pastels they’d been wearing, while some donned bolder hues. She ultimately dismissed each one as inferior, and when she’d finished her perusal, gave me a satisfied smirk.
The room went quiet as the royal family was announced.
Tauren entered the room behind his father and mother, Knox walking a step behind him. Tauren’s eyes found mine, holding them for a beat too long before looking around at the swirl of tables and the women they held.
My cheeks stung as if reality had backhanded me. He was the Prince and I was a witch from The Gallows. Not even Fate could change that.
The women would be culled, just as I suggested, but now I hated myself for doing so because it brought him closer to choosing one of them; one step closer to marriage and binding himself to one of these women until death parted them.
Like his father, he would love the one he married. He would give her his heart, his life, and his energy. I didn’t know who she would be, but couldn’t help but hate her for it. Tauren had claimed to be jealous, but he hadn’t seen the bold shade of green my envy bore.
The royals encircled their table. Everyone in the room stood as they took their seats and sat again once the King gave a nod. Tauren didn’t touch the drinks poured for him, but when his meal was brought out, his eyes found mine. Brecan’s hand found my arm and I spelled the room, slipping away from his touch and moving toward the Prince.
Bitterness filled my mouth and cascaded down into the pit of my stomach, which began to spasm. Poison, Fate whispered.
A cold sweat pebbled across my skin, along with a blanket of goosebumps.
I sniffed his plate. It was untainted, but his wine was not. Someone had slipped nightshade into it. The sickening flavor was almost able to hide within the woodsy aroma.
I took his wine glass and glanced around, catching movement in my periphery. A girl with sandy hair pushed out the door. I removed the pendulum from my pocket, along with the map, and ran after her down hallways, through doors, until I spilled into one of the gardens where nightshade grew.
She’d disappeared.
There was no way she had worn the boots that left the prints in the Prince’s bedroom.
She was petite like Mira, but she was lithe and fast.
I let the pendulum swing over the map, the wind rattling the paper. It turned circle after circle, searching for her as I commanded, but never found her. If she wasn’t in the Kingdom, where was she? The Wilds?
Or did she perform a blocking spell to conceal her whereabouts, so I couldn’t drag her and her little friend back by their throats?
17
These witches were powerful. No one had ever evaded me before, not for this long. And certainly not two of them. Fate rumbled inside me, making his aggravation about the matter clear. But if he couldn’t use me to catch them, what would happen? Would Tauren suffer the consequences?
My stomach dropped.
The witches were somehow immune to my spell, and I’d left him frozen. Unguarded.
I whispered an incantation and spirited to him.
He was fine. I blew out a pent-up breath and scanned the room. Brecan and Mira were still in the same positions. Everyone else was, too. Nothing was out of place.
Though I only smelled the bitter poison in Tauren’s glass, I refused to take the chance that the witch might have poisoned an entire bottle.
I took all the wine glasses away. Someone would notice, but I couldn’t risk anyone drinking from them. Nightshade would kill anyone who consumed it. The poison was potent, and whomever drank it would wish themselves dead long before they actually died. It would tear through even the largest man’s system and leave nothing untouched. Every organ would suffer before it finished the person off. I knew, because I’d used it before. I’d watched someone die from it because Fate commanded it.
I removed glass after glass from the room, carrying them to the kitchen just down the hall. I emptied the glasses into the sink, leaving them for someone to wash. When no wine bottles or glasses remained, I reentered the room and made my way around the frozen party, taking my seat once again.
I took a steadying breath before un-spelling it.
Brecan’s hand fell through the air where my arm had been. Confusion marred his face for a moment. “You could warn me before you— what’s wrong?”
I locked eyes with Tauren. He took one look at me and stood up. I spelled the room again. How was I going to admit to him that I’d once again let the witch who wanted him dead get away? His parents were right. I couldn’t protect him.
Un-spelling only him, I stood as he approached, his mouth gaping as he took everyone and everything in. “This is…”
“Time is stopped. When I ask it to begin again, no one will feel the loss of the moments I’ve stolen.”
His mouth parted slightly as he surveyed the room. Then he focused back on me. “What happened?”
“A witch. She poisoned the wine with nightshade – which I learned you grow in abundance in your gardens, just outside.”
“She got away?”
I nodded, again berating myself for not being fast enough.
“Thank goodness you weren’t hurt.”
I wasn’t physically hurt, but my pride stung badly. It made my alternate plan more crucial to execute, though I’d have to be careful. A spell that powerful required a heavy concentration of magic. I’d worked them before, but not with so much at stake. It had to be performed perfectly, and it had to be done quickly.
Tonight.
After dinner and the play, I would meet him privately and work it.
“I removed the wine and glasses. People will notice.”
“How long until time resumes?” he asked.
“Until I command it to.”
“Would you help me? We could open new bottles and pour new glasses. Then no one would be the wiser.”
I nodded. “Of course I’ll help.” I’d been too upset to consider pouring new glasses for everyone.
He wanted to split up, but I refused to leave his side. “The witches who are behind this, and there are two – a male and female – have somehow warded themselves against my spell. It’s how I found the girl. If she’d kept still, I wouldn’t have known she was there at all.”
“What was she wearing?”
“White servant attire.”
We retrieved several bottles of wine from a nearby storage room and then fetched fresh glasses for everyone. Tauren was quiet as we placed them and began to pour, a pensive look on his face.
When he was finished, he turned to me. “Thank you again. You saved my life.”
“I did no such thing,” I scoffed, shaking my head. “I almost got you killed. I should never have left you alone and unguarded. I should’ve woken Brecan and Mira. I’m messing this up. I thought it would be easy to find the person who wanted you dead when I left The Gallows, but I also expected the person who wanted you dead to be human, not a witch. And certainly not two of them.”
I paced the floor as I ranted, tears pricking at my eyes. Fate intervened, a feeling of cool serenity flooding over me. I took a deep breath and apologized again.
“Sable, no one else could have detected the poison. You saved me. You’ve saved me in more ways than one. I’m just not sure how to re
pay you for your services this time.”
“This isn’t about my services. I don’t want payment, Tauren. I want to make you safe. I want to make the witches behind this pay for what they’ve tried to do to you.”
He approached slowly and reached out, as if asking permission to take my hand. I slid mine into his waiting one. “You’re trembling.”
More than my hands were trembling. I was quivering from head to toe.
He pulled me to him and held me against his body, wrapping me in his arms, infusing me with his warmth, steadiness, and strength.
“We can’t –”
“Shhh.” Tauren’s eyes searched mine. The corner of his lip curled upward. “I believe you owe me a kiss.” I was about to protest, but then the tip of his nose brushed my cheek and his lips raked across mine, completely undoing me. I pushed forward, pressing my lips to his, a shuddering breath escaping as I pulled away.
I kissed him.
I kissed Tauren.
The trembling born of fear transformed into shivers of need, and his chest swelled against mine as he fought to regain his composure. I was glad I wasn’t the only one affected. This… whatever this was, it was as glorious as it was dangerous – for both of us.
He held me for a long moment and finally relaxed his hold on me. The room’s cool air rushed around me, chilling what he’d made warm. Then I remembered where we were and what had transpired, and the weight of the world returned all too suddenly. Tauren walked me to my chair and held it out for me, pushing it in as I sat down. He silently walked to his own and took his seat. We both looked around to make sure everything looked right. As far as I remembered, it did. When he nodded, I un-spelled the room.
Brecan’s eyes raced over to me. “Something happened.”
“I’ll tell you later,” I said, a warning lacing my tone.
Mira straightened in her seat, then nodded to the Prince. From his seat, Tauren stood and held his wine glass up. The room went quiet.
“Ladies, again, I’d like to thank you for traveling to the palace.” Rose beamed at him, playing with her hair. She didn’t catch his eye, though. “I know it’s customary that the first pick come much later, after every lady has been here a while and has spent ample time with me, but it seems very clear to me after the past few days that there are only a few with whom I feel I would be compatible, and who I feel would perform the duties as Queen in a way befitting the title.”
Murmurs rumbled through the room, but Tauren continued his speech. “Tonight, I will narrow the choice to five so that I can focus on the women I’ve felt a spark with, and see which of those sparks might produce a flame.” His eyes locked on mine for a beat. My face heated and I looked away, noticing Brecan stiffen beside me.
“After tonight, only five ladies will be invited to remain at the palace. I appreciate each and every one of you taking time out of your lives and spending it with me. That being said, if you find a raspberry on your dessert plate, you are welcome to stay. I’d like to get to know you better in the coming days.”
Mira grabbed my hand. “You are so getting a raspberry.”
I rolled my eyes and bent to whisper in her ear. “You know I’m staying. He already said he needed me here.”
Her gray eyes met mine and she gave my hand a squeeze through the glove. “You can’t believe it’s the only reason, Sable.”
It was.
It had to be.
I stared at my fingers and pictured the stain that lurked beneath the silken gloves, feeling pinpricks of pain from the contact with her. Mira sucked in a breath. “Did I make it worse?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did I hurt you?”
I shook my head. “It tingles.”
“What does?” Brecan asked. He looked to my fisted hands. “You’re defying Fate, Sable?” His voice was loud enough to draw attention from the group from Twelve.
I swatted him. “Shut. Up. I’m not defying him. I’ll explain later.”
His eyes narrowed on my lips, but I stared him down. They weren’t blue. I wasn’t sure what this was, but it was no punishment from Fate.
Dinner was served. My stomach still roiled over the details of the evening. What if the witch had poisoned the whole bottle, and someone else drank from the bitter wine? What if they blamed illness or death on me, or on Brecan and Mira?
“Are you well?” Brecan asked. “You’re suddenly pale.”
“I’m always pale.”
“Paler than usual, then,” he corrected with a smirk that didn’t meet his pale purple eyes. The girl from Eight caught his eye, blushing and looking away when Brecan didn’t avert his.
I stifled a laugh. “You’re popular with the invitees, I see.”
“Unfortunately,” he replied, straightening his back and toying with his silverware.
The conversations from the surrounding tables were about the girls’ chances of receiving a raspberry. I wondered who came up with the idea to use such a tart fruit to indicate who was staying, and a dessert devoid of it for those who would spend tomorrow morning packing their things and leaving the palace behind them.
The girl from Twelve was literally in tears. She trembled, unable to control her nerves. Her eyes caught mine and she scowled before turning to her escorts for comfort.
I couldn’t help but wonder what was so bad about her life in Twelve that she would have this sort of reaction about returning to it. Tauren saw that she was in distress. And while I could tell he felt empathy for her, he was right not to have chosen her. If this miniscule amount of pressure was more than she could handle, she would never handle the decisions that being a Queen required.
Steaming plates of food were unveiled in front of us. The three of us checked our plates by inhaling the aromas lifting off them. Mira clutched my forearm, staring into the steam. “What is it?”
She shook her head. “A message. I need a clearer picture. Excuse me,” she stood, the backs of her knees scooting her chair out. Mira hurried from the room, returning with a troubled and grim expression – one I’d never seen on her normally cheerful face.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
Mira looked from Brecan, who was leaning forward to listen to what she said, to me. “Priestess Ela is dying.”
My brows furrowed, and a tumult of emotions washed over me. The woman’s unabashed hatred of me, the way she opposed my trip here, and how she’d aged so much in hours the day of the Equinox all flooded my mind.
“How is that possible?” Brecan softly whispered. “I mean, I know what Wayra said, about her power waning when yours came to its fullness, but why would it kill her?”
“It isn’t killing her. It’s just her time. How long has she held time’s hands? Witches aren’t immortal,” I replied.
“I know that, but Ela – she seemed youthful until…”
Mira and I answered at the same time, “The Equinox.” The Equinox, a moment no one who witnessed would ever forget. And my birthday…
“Who will be Elevated to Priestess?” he asked Mira.
She shrugged, her sleek hair sliding toward her pointed chin. “The House will nominate witches for the position, and the Goddess will reveal her choice to the Circle.”
“How?” I asked.
She blew out a tense breath. “I’m not sure how it all works.”
“Sable,” Brecan said tentatively, “do you want to see her before she passes?”
I swallowed, twisting my napkin into a tight coil. “She wouldn’t allow it.”
“She may be too weak to prevent it,” he mused.
What would happen to the House of Earth in the meantime? Would they place her in the hallway and usher the witches from the other Houses through before she was buried in the soil she loved, or were the rites of Priestesses altogether different?
My plate was removed before I could
savor and chew even one bite of the decadent pasta. The tension in the room thickened as dishes were cleared and the dessert plates were carted into the room.
While everyone watched the cart roll toward the royal table, I spelled the room and checked all the plates just in case the witch attempted to poison him or anyone else again. She would suspect I would check, but would she think I assumed the danger had passed? I couldn’t take the chance.
Staring at Tauren, I realized how tense he was. His back was a rigid line. His lips were pressed tightly together, and I’d frozen him while tugging on his collar. The room was cold, but nervousness raised a person’s body temperature a few degrees.
I wanted to touch him, to take my silk-covered finger and trail it down the back of his hand, just to offer a small measure of comfort, but I couldn’t do that to him. With things on the brink of a drastic change in Thirteen, I had to stop this – whatever it was – and focus on finding the witches behind this and getting back to my House. This might be my chance to claim a position on the Circle.
It might be my only chance for years to come. Bay, Ethne, and Wayra were all relatively young. Ela was the eldest, the shrewdest, and some would argue the wisest among them. While she was staunch in her views, they had preserved our way of life amidst an ever-changing Kingdom. No one could fault her for that.
I made my way back to my seat and listened to squeals of delight from Rose and Leah, a girl from Five named Estelle, one from Six named Tessa, and finally… a server placed a raspberry punctuated plate in front of me. I smiled and pretended to be as surprised and overwhelmed as the other ladies, but tried to remain graceful. Surrounding each of us were ladies who didn’t make the cut, and their emotions ranged from disappointment to heartbreak to devastation. The girl from Twelve sobbed openly beside us.
Surely there was a kinder way to have done this, cameras and telecast be damned.
Tauren glanced around at each of the invitees and gave them a nod, pursing his lips. Did he also disagree with the way this was handled, or had he chosen the method himself?
“You haven’t eaten a bite,” Brecan noticed beside me.
