“What? That he’s a lunatic who will kill everyone I love until he gets what he wants?” I ask, raising my chin to hide the tremor in my voice.
“And even once he gets it. He’ll never stop.” He steps forward, placing a careful hand on my arm. “Not until somebody comes along who is strong enough to make him.”
“Oh, Bates.” I sigh, hoping to cover the heaviness of his words. “It’s a wonder you and Darcy didn’t get along better when you first met. You both have such a flare for the dramatics.”
“As do you,” Bates says with a wry twist of his lips, and even I can’t argue otherwise.
Perhaps he’s onto something.
“But that wasn’t the reason I had Sireen fetch you at this forsaken hour,” I counter, waving his insults away with my hand. “Actually, if we’re going to make it before sunrise, we’re going to have to get moving pretty quick.”
“Get moving where pretty quick?” a muffled voice asks from behind, and I whip around to find a half-woken Vivi slowly arising from the dead. She lets out a violent huff, throwing back the covers from her legs and sitting up in a stewing form of heat. “Wait. Please don’t tell me you’ve brought that traitor back into our midst. I thought I made it clear when I said we can’t trust the old man.”
Rather than recounting her agonizing hours of silence, in which she did not once utter a single word about that old man, I rush back to the bed, taking her hands into my own and offering the only ounce of peace I have left. “It was all a simple misunderstanding, Vivi,” I soothe, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. “You must believe me when I say Bates is only here to make it up to you. He has something he wants you to see.”
“I do?” Bates questions from the door, a heavy line indenting his brow.
“Yes,” I fuss. “Now, come on. We’ve got to go before anyone sees us.”
Vivi’s tired eyes dart to the floor, and the softest of moans leaves her lips. “Well,” she pouts, “I don’t even have my boots on at this hour.”
“Then latch onto my back!” I squeal, quickly losing patience as the darkness begins to fade. Vivi must catch something in my eyes, because her bare feet hit the floor without another word. Marching to Bates’ side, she places her hands on her hips, daring him to tell us where to go. Bates spares me a single glance, only to turn on his heels and lead us out into the moon-soaked halls.
“It’s best if you don’t say anything,” I whisper, following Bates’ silent form.
“So I’ve gathered,” Vivi murmurs, grabbing for my hand. The feeling of her fingers wrapped within mine sends an instant rush of relief through my weary bones.
We’re still all right.
Even sooner than it took us the first time, Bates finally stops beside the latched door, a look of unease flashing in his eyes. “I’ll stay down here to keep watch. You two go ahead, but remember, we don’t have much time.”
Vivi responds with a solemn nod, still not sure where I’ve planned to take her next, and pushes ahead through the door Bates has propped open with his foot. I watch the wild curls of my little sister’s hair bounce along her back and reach out to take Bates’ hand in my own. “Thank you,” I say, even as his head starts to shake. “No. I mean it. Thank you. Not only for this, but for her. I know you won’t admit it, but she never would have made it as far as she did without you.”
Bates’ jaw tightens, and even in the dark halls, I can see the blooms of red that rise against his cheeks. He doesn’t have to ask of whom I speak. He knows it just as well as I. From the very moment Bates took me into these walls, I knew there was more to him. More to his story. And the deeper I looked, the clearer it all became.
Bates was in love with my mother, and in her absence, he cherishes us.
“I’ll always fight to protect the three of you. You have my word,” he says, touching his hand to his heart.
“As you have mine,” I say, copying his gesture with my hand. And rather than embarrass him more, I lower my head, scooting through the door and shutting myself away in the dark. “The last time I was here, Bates had a torch,” I say, remembering the way the flames cast shadows against the walls. “This time, I’ll have to make our own.”
Holding my hand out, I will the magic to bubble to life, breathing in the burn as the fire slowly builds within my palm. Small, but bright, my magic bends to my request, hovering mere inches from my hand. Afraid to risk upsetting the flames and losing control, I call out to Vivi, who leads us up the winding stairs two at a time—her bare feet slapping against the metal steps and lighting the rare happiness within my heart.
When we finally reach the door, I extinguish the flame, and I barely catch a glimpse of Vivi’s affirming smile as she admires the new power that this magic can bring. Reaching for the handle, I turn toward the sound of Vivi’s soft breaths in the dark and prepare her for the amazing view she’s about to take in. “This was Mother’s favorite spot, Bates said. Her reminder of the light that shines so bright in this bleak world. I think she never took you here because she didn’t want you to be harmed by Knox’s wrath, but now, I think it’s the one thing she wouldn’t want you to leave Orien without getting to see.”
Without another word, I open the door to a brilliant sky of a million stars, each one twinkling and moving about this never-ending ocean of hope. Vivi’s breath catches, and she stumbles through the door, not knowing where to turn her head next. The lights of Orien cast hazy sparks throughout the city below, and the tall trees around us arch and bend in the smooth wind’s wake. Vivi’s eyes dart around, taking it all in, until she finally falls to her knees, obviously overcome with the closeness of our mother, yet the mounting distance from her all the same.
“Where?” she asks, her eyes catching mine for the first time since we’ve soaked in the stars.
Without having to ask, I know what she wants. What her very heart yearns for the most. “It’s over there,” I say, pointing toward where I saw the blooming flowers burst into the sky. “Theron’s right over those trees.”
Vivi stills. Her eyes take in the distance as if she can feel our mother through the dark. Then, without another word, she reaches out her hand. The slightest of tremors traces her fingers as if she could touch what she so desperately needs to see.
“And she reaches back,” I soothe, knowing the words to be true. “She always reaches back.” Then, before I know it, my steady hand rises with hers.
Later, when the sun begins its slow rise over the city, and we finally descend the stairs, Vivi bounds across the floors to open the door—full and ready to pound Bates into the warmest of hugs. Except when she opens the door, her tiny steps come to a quick halt.
Our Bates is nowhere to be found.
Thirteen
“Do you think we should have heard from him by now?” Vivi asks as Sireen tugs my hair into a tight braid down my back. She paces the room, her tiny nails all but chewed to pieces. Sireen’s knowing eyes catch mine in the mirror, but our silence remains thick.
Yes, they say. Of course we should have.
And I couldn’t agree more.
“Nothing to worry over, Vivi,” I answer, hoping she can’t hear the strain in my voice. “I’m sure he’ll show up soon. Knox did promise one last traumatizing experience in his chambers, and someone will have to escort me there.”
“Yes, you’re probably right,” she says, though her tight jaw and pursed lips tend to disagree. “He must be out running another one of Father’s wretched errands at this very minute.”
“Oh, I’m quite sure of it.” This time, Sireen’s careful gaze evades mine altogether.
“At least Sireen will be coming to Theron with us,” Vivi allows, thankfully changing the subject. “That’s one bit of good news that should ease our fears.”
“A blessing, through and through.” Sireen squeezes my shoulders, smiling into our reflections. “And above all, it’s important to focus on the good, no matter how insignificant it may seem. For it is in the good that we find our hope.” He
r eyes turn glossy with the last of her words, and she gives my braid a light tug of seldom affection, before stepping away to busy herself with our packs.
“Sireen,” I call, pushing back from the mirror and moving to kneel by her side. “Are you alright?”
Small tears run the length of her cheek, and though she refuses to meet my eye, her voice somehow manages to come out strong when she speaks. “I’m the very best of fine, Princess Brave, and I’ll continue to be so long as you can promise me one thing.”
“And what is that?” I whisper, hoping against hope that Vivi has yet to notice her tears.
“That you must never forget the good.”
Her words have hardly registered when the door to my chambers flies open, the ornate wood nearly torn from its hinge. “You’re needed, Princess,” Hammel snarls as he pounds his way into the room. Startled, I jump to my feet, swiping my dagger from my boot along the way. Even if the man had knocked, his presence alone would have come as a shock. I haven’t seen his face since the last time I stepped foot outside of these walls, and if I can recall correctly, we weren’t too fond of each other then either.
“Not by you, I’m not,” I retort, prompting Vivi to stand protectively by my side. Meanwhile, Sireen, the smart woman, busies herself with the pack as if this massive brute hasn’t caused all of our hearts to skip beats.
He barks an ugly laugh, causing his long, stringy hair to slide across his shoulders and back. “Oh, I think that’s something we can both agree on, Princess, but I’m not the one who’s requested a little chat.”
“And if I refuse to come along?” I prod, daring him with my words.
“Then I have my ways.” He snaps his fingers, lighting a red flame on their tips. Heat floods the room, whether from his magic or my own, I haven’t a clue. A cruel grin marks his face, and satisfaction oozes from his pores. He thinks he’s won. He thinks he’s had his way, but he doesn’t know this new Brave. No… he hasn’t met her yet.
Without another thought, my boots move forward as Vivi’s hand narrowly misses latching onto my arm. When I stop by his side, my fingers reach out, swallowing his flames within my palm. Instantly, the heat goes out, a heavy steam rising in its place. Hammel’s eyes widen with fear, and his lips sputter to work as he yanks his cooling hand from my grasp. “As do I,” I say, dropping my icy hand to my side and tucking my dagger back into my boot with the other.
Not caring to draw the moment out any longer, I move toward the door, determined to face my father with every ounce of courage I have left. “I’ll be sure to tell Knox you said hello, Hammel,” I call, with nothing but the sound of Vivi’s applause to carry me like mighty wings out into the hall.
ↄ
I know the very second I step into my father’s meeting room that today will be different. That this time, I will not leave this place unchanged. I can sense it by the heat of the recent fire that still leaves its thick, lasting smoke billowing from the base of his throne. I can also tell by the lone figure, lying chained to the floor at the foot of the steps, who is curled into a useless, protective ball.
My boots can’t move fast enough.
“Ah, daughter, you arrive at last.” Knox’s voice echoes through the room as he descends the few steps to where the curled captive awaits. “And here I thought he’d perish before you got here. What a waste that would be.”
My eyes dart around at his words, shamelessly searching for Aras, though I know in my heart that Knox would never harm him. At least, not yet. When I finally spot him, a silent specter hiding in the dark shadows of the throne, my breaths escape in a choking mess, causing my steps to falter as I make my way to the chained prisoner. A prisoner, who, without a doubt, might mark my end.
If the next sight alone doesn’t kill me, then perhaps the smoke will.
“Your despair betrays you, child,” Knox says as I come to a hesitant stop by the robed figure’s side. “There still may be hope for him yet. If you’re up for the challenge, that is.”
Ignoring him, I reach down, placing a gentle hand upon the warm, black robe. The form below shudders under my touch, and a scarred face peeks up from underneath a fallen hood. “Bates,” I breathe, his face only recognizable by the red, bleeding river where his mustache used to be. His lash-less eyes blink back at me; his graying, dark hair now but patches across his burned olive skin. Hesitantly, I touch a cooling palm to his cheek, allowing my mother’s blood to provide him with the only comfort I have left. But as I feel his body shake against my icy skin, I know it is of no use. Not now… not when I’ve already caused so much harm.
My only friend in a growing world of enemies and I’ve somehow managed to ruin him, too.
“I’m so sorry,” I say as my vision blurs with tears.
Slowly, and with all the strength he must have left, Bates’ hand rises to his cheek, taking my hand in his own. His enflamed skin consumes my palm, scalding me with its touch. “You mustn’t be sorry,” he whispers, forgiveness already shining bright in his tired eyes. “You must be brave.”
“Bates?” I whimper, confusion lining my voice. I start to question his words, but the roar of a new fire floods my ears.
“You see, daughter,” Knox’s voice calls out, yanking my chin to where he stands at the end of the long, red carpet that leads to the doors. Giant, black flames dance in his outstretched hands, lighting the cruel pleasure that spreads across his face. “If you think you can defy me, if you think for one second you can win, then you must embrace the darkness of your heart. The true power that rules from within”
His words light a match. A river of fire that burns across the floor as it twists toward where I kneel by Bates’ side. The red carpet sizzles and smokes as the flames snake along their relentless path, and just as the fire nearly reaches us, just as I feel the heat against my flesh, the words of Bates finally carve their way into my soul. A truth I can understand.
He doesn’t want to see my courage—he wants to see me. Brave. The girl with both a curse and a blessing. The girl of fire and ice.
Except I’ll never let my fire outshine my heart.
“My true power has never come from you,” I scream, rising to my feet and throwing my hands toward the rushing flames. “It comes from my mother!”
At my words, the black flames sputter to a stop, and the coolness of my hands licks into the air, coating the space around us with an icy layer of silk. Dark tendrils of smoke and fire boil near my boots and rise up like vicious snakes lashing out against my shield. Behind me, Bates’ low moan fills our fragile bubble, causing my shoulders to jump. The shield flickers, and a hot spark of flame slices through, catching me on the chin before our safety is formed solid again. Smoke rises from my face, clouding my eyes, and the pain changes from one of heat to ice.
Assured they won’t find another break, at least not yet, the flames shift, lowering their height and circling us in a relentless cage of fire. The black strands of smoke and heat claw at my feet, waiting for the next slip in my strength, but rather than giving in, I hold my head high, keeping tight to the only power I have left that might be enough to save us all.
For if I fail, the flames will devour us whole.
“My, my,” Knox murmurs, all but a prowling cat as the flames part for his approaching form. “Aras predicted you’d have a strong reaction, but I never dreamed you’d show this much enthusiasm. If I had known, I would have killed him earlier.”
“You haven’t killed anyone,” I growl, trying hard not to flinch at his words. At the mere notion that Aras could be any more involved in this than he already is. That he knew Bates was in trouble, and he didn’t stop it, but encouraged it. It’s an idea I can’t even begin to process. Not when I’m so close to falling apart.
His cruel face lights up with a laugh, and, for a moment, pity lines his dark eyes. “Oh, Brave. You know it’s only a matter of time. After all, no battle was ever won with defense alone. It’s Theron’s downfall. Their curse. Those powers can only take you so far, Brave,
until they’ll lose their strength. Just ask your mother.”
Before I can speak, a wall of fire slams against me, and I’m thrown onto my back. The flames rain down and steal my breath. Bates yells out as the fire nips at what’s left of his clothes, and I roll over to fling myself on top of him, desperate to heal his burns and stop the fire from tearing him apart. Ice surges through my veins, and my hands reach out, soaking us in a cooling mist. The fire bangs against our shield once more, fighting to break its way in, but I haven’t given up. I won’t give up.
Even if my very blood turns to ice.
“You see, child,” Knox mocks, bending down until his face is level to where my chin rests against Bates’ cooling back. “My fire won’t stop. It only hungers for blood. And though you can help him now, you won’t be able to do so forever. Eventually, your power will tire, and you’ll only have enough strength left to save yourself.” Slowly, he reaches out, watching with careful eyes as he passes through my weak shield and the heat turns to steam on his skin. Grabbing my chin, he pulls my head up, his fingers digging into my flesh. “It’s a shame, really, that my fire alone can do you no serious harm. I can feel the way it calls for you. The way it hunts for your blood. If only I could let it win. Perhaps it will have to settle for your sister.”
The change is like a switch. A sudden wave of desire, a surge of heat. And in a blink, I’m upon him. Never has he felt the force of my magic—the fire which burns deep. Not like this.
I slam my shoulder into his chest, and he rocks back onto the floor, the black flames of his fire extinguishing without its master’s control. My heated fingers grab the collar of his red tunic, and my elbows dig into his chest. Orange flames catch on the rich fabric, edging closer to his perfectly bearded cheeks. My stormy eyes flash to his, frantic rage burning deep within my heart. In his churning pools of black, I expect to see anger. A flash of defeat. But all I’m greeted with is a sick swell of pride and a wide smile that cuts too deep.
The Darkest Night Page 8
