by A Lonergan
Ifrīt rolled her pale eyes. “We don’t tell mortals that.”
“What if I’m not a mortal?” I was completely bluffing, but I was genuinely curious to see if they had sniffed out my plans yet.
“We’d be able to scent it. Besides a witch intermingling with your family generations ago, you are as mundane as any mortal out there.” Marîd said. She dusted off the banisters and the window sills before we continued onto the next room. Something was off about her words but I couldn’t place it. It didn’t seem to be the truth.
When we got to the next room Ifrīt paused. “But, I can sense other things about you.”
“Oh?” I continued on into the bathroom and opened the door to a person yelling. Too late had I realized that we had gone into Prince Adder’s room. I swallowed hard and slammed the door shut behind me. I deepened my voice, “I am so sorry, My Lordship!”
Ifrīt lifted a pink brow curiously and rushed our cleaning cart out of the room. “You’re hiding something.”
I didn’t say anything immediately.
“That man must know you or you wouldn’t have acted that way.” Ifrīt grinned like she had figured me out.
“I was embarrassed.” I tried to recover. “There was a lot more going on in there than what I would like to witness.” I cleared my throat. “I have never done anything like that before.”
Which wasn’t a lie either, my life didn’t have room for romance or men. Plus, there had been too much going on in there for my sheltered eyes. Prince Adder had been in a very interesting position with another young woman, though I hadn’t seen her face, I had seen everything else. Then there were two others rolling around on the floor with various objected. If I hadn’t known better, I would have assumed they were in combat.
“You’re still hiding something,” Ifrīt turned away from me and walked to the next set of rooms. “I could sense it the moment you showed up at the castle gates. You’ll tell me eventually. Everyone gives up their secrets, eventually.”
“Everyone has secrets, Ifrīt,” Marîd whispered, almost as if she was reminding her of something. Something like a secret they had. Ifrīt didn’t reply and we continued to clean in silence.
That night when I laid in bed, I couldn’t sleep. Who else had been able to sniff out my plans? Who else had been able to sense that something wasn’t right with me and my objective? Who could pick me apart? Could they tell I was lying or that my papers had been lies too? I still hadn’t seen Princess Claudia, but would Prince Adder stay if something bad had happened to his sister? I hadn’t heard her name muttered once. It was like she vanished into thin air.
I sighed and pulled the scratchy blankets up to my chin. I was frustrated that I wasn’t able to get out and explore, but the safety of the girls around me was more important. Especially now that the guards weren’t being posted. Even though some of them were corrupt, the others would have kept us safe. After just about everyone was sound asleep, snoring, the girl closest to me rolled over and whispered, “I’m scared.” I could barely make out her features as she gravitated toward me. Her little button nose was scrunched up, and her doe eyes were wide. Her eyes seemed to be too big for her face, and her cheeks were hallow. She looked like she needed a good meal.
I swallowed and tried to keep myself from getting emotional. There weren’t many things that made me lose it, but this was one of them. She couldn’t be older than thirteen and yet, here she was working and having to be an adult. An adult in a world that was very scary.
“I am too,” It was the truth. I was terrified for the young girls sleeping around me and the control I didn’t have. The details hadn’t been released on the girls that had slept in here with us, but I had a feeling that it was a serial killer and rapist. I could feel it in my gut and I knew that was why they were keeping it from us. They didn’t want us scared. People that were scared tended to do stupid things. “What’s your name?”
“Finley, but I go by Fin.”
“That’s a pretty name, I’m Willow.”
“I’ve heard about you. You stood up to Duke Kailor.” She sounded excited and no longer afraid. I perked up, this was a good start.
I nodded in the dark. “I did, and I would do it again.”
Her voice got small. “He hurt you, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” I kept my voice strong. I knew that this was the story that would get her through these dreadful nights of not knowing what tomorrow would bring, especially after I was gone. “And the King offered to heal me himself.”
“No way!!” Fin gasped, her blankets rustled as she scooted closer.
“Yes, and I told him no.” I giggled with her like a young girl would, like I hadn’t had to grow up myself years ago. I had to give her hope somehow. I was sure that if the rumor got around it wouldn’t be good, but I had to give her something to get through the night. I had to pretend to help get her through.
“You denied King Cal?!”
“Of course, you have every right to deny anyone you want, I don’t care who they are.” I said into the darkness. “It’s your body, Fin. Don’t ever feel like you have to do anything you don’t want to with it.”
“My mother must not have known that.” Fin whispered back, and her voice broke.
Oh, no. What had I done? I had broken open a damn that I didn’t know was there and I didn’t know how to put it back together. I could hear her sniffle.
“Do you want to scoot your bed closer to mine?” I asked, finally, unsure of how to proceed. I wasn’t good at these things, but I had to try.
“In the morning, will you help me?” Her voice sounded so small. It choked me up and I almost wished I didn’t have to reply.
“Yes, I will.”
I had never had to deal with attachment when I had my other assignments. I had never had to deal with this kind of feeling growing inside of my chest. Sleep didn’t come easy.
Shouting made us jerk up from our cleaning duties. I was no longer paired up with Ifrīt and Marîd, they had promised the King that they would try to sniff out the killer, but they told him that there were no promises and that their magic didn’t exactly work that way. He told them that it didn’t matter as long as he used every arsenal he had. They told me that he said he was desperate and that he couldn’t look at the bodies anymore. That they would haunt him. The two girls cleaning the bathroom poked their heads out and gave me a curious glance. I shrugged my shoulders and continued to pull the blankets from the massive bed. I hadn’t caught their names and didn’t care to, I couldn’t get attached any longer.
“What do you mean there’s been another one?” the king shouted from down the hallway.
My heart stopped. Who was it this time? I abandoned my work, and pulled the door open and stuck my head out. I needed to know, there was some invisible hand guiding me and I no longer cared about my position. I gravitated toward the sound of his voice.
Guards were racing down the hall and the King eventually passed by the door I was coming out of. He was wearing a bright blue tunic and dark pants. He had stubble on his face and dark circles under his eyes. In all my time working for the Emperor I had never seen the man disheveled like His Majesty was in this moment. It was endearing, in an odd way.
“Who was it?” I whispered.
He whipped around toward me and his eyes grew sad. “I don’t know her name, and I don’t think any of the other girls can identify her. Can you come try for me? I can’t do this anymore than anyone else can. I feel like a failure.” he whispered the last part and I almost missed it.
I didn’t want to, but there was that invisible pull once again. I nodded my head, even though I would have rather run out of that castle and right back home to Arinal, to face my death than do this. Dread had taken over, and it was the only thing keeping me moving.
He swept his hand forward and let me walk in front of him. I looked back for a moment to see the two girls I had been working with, pop their heads out of the chamber and give me a frightened look. I lifted my chi
n and turned back around. I could practically feel their judgement leaching it’s way down the hall.
I could smell the death in the air as we neared the morgue. I tried to steady my breathing, but it was no use. I hoped that the King just chalked it up to being nerves, and not what was actually going through my mind. I wasn’t doing okay.
The fact that no matter where I went, no matter what continent, no matter the kingdom, death all smelled the same and I had the pleasure of knowing it too well. It curled around me, and cocooned me in its tight, nasty embrace.
He paused at the door and pulled his hand down his face. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea. Madam Colver might be able to identify the body, I don’t know if you should be exposed to this.”
I looked at him with sad eyes. “Madam Colver has identified all of the other bodies, correct?”
He nodded his head. Sadness flashed across his eyes.
“And you didn’t have her identify this one for that reason, correct?”
He nodded again and I pushed past him, right into the worst smell of death I had ever experienced. The mortician pulled the sheet back from the girls face and I fell to my knees. The stone bit into my knees, but I couldn’t feel anything. There was no feeling but grief left. I fought the tears that filled my eyes. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It wasn’t supposed to be her. She had been so young. I could no longer smell the death as I pulled her little hand into mine. Her little pale hand was a stark contrast against my dark skin. Even though she was gone, she was still beautiful.
“You know her.” It wasn’t a question.
I nodded my head. I couldn’t breath. Her skin was cold, unlike the previous night when she had held held onto me till she had fallen asleep. I stood up and pushed my hair away from my face. I needed to get out of this kingdom, this rutting cursed place. This place that was making me feel in ways I didn’t want or need to.
“Her name is Finley,” I choked on the words. “She has no family, her mother passed a few years ago I think.”
The King passed his hand under his nose and nodded. “Thank you,” He went to say something else, but I pushed past him and exited the room of death. I tried to run, I wanted to. I wanted to run and never look back.
The mortician raced after me. “How dare you! His Majesty excuses you! Not the other way around!”
The King must have stopped him because he didn’t continue to pursue me. I ran right past all the guards and outside of the castle walls. I didn’t listen to the shouts or the yelling, I just kept running. I started to trip on the long skirts around my legs, and just hiked up the dress higher and ran until there was nothing in front of me but abnormally colored grass and rolling hills. I collapsed against a boulder and just laid there in the Sun until I knew I was going to burn into a crisp. My eyes leaked for what seemed forever, and I just wanted to quit.
“You made quite an exit,” Nico said beside me. I didn’t open my eyes. “The mortician is mortified by it, my king doesn’t understand it and yet, here I am not at all surprised.” I opened my eyes then and watched him. “I talked to Ifrīt and Marîd.”
I nodded my head. Of course, he was here to get me on account of treason. “I will go with you willingly, I won’t fight you.”
He looked taken back by my statement. He blinked a few times before he spoke.“I’m not the killer.”
I met his gaze. “I didn’t-”
He didn’t know who I was and what I was here to do. He was talking about something else.
“What do you want from me?” I asked.
“I know that you aren’t who you say you are. I don’t believe that you actually apprenticed under Master Ren at his inn and I don’t care what you say. I have spoken to him and I can feel the wrongness in his words, but he’s a master at many things and I know he’s hiding something too.” Nico bit the inside of his cheek. “But our king is overrun with the murders happening within the castle walls and I can’t bring this to his attention. I saw the way you ran from the castle. I’ve never seen an untrained woman run like that. I was winded trying to catch up with you.”
“And?” He wanted something from me, I could feel it. He was heading into a dangerous territory.
“And I want you to help me find the killer, like I know you can. I’ve heard the rumors about your scars from the other girls. I know you aren’t here to be a serving girl.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Aren’t you perceptive.”
“I know a lot more than people give me credit for.” He crossed his arms over his leather chest piece. “If you help me find the killer, then I will turn a blind eye to whatever it is you are doing here.”
My heart sank. I was going to have an agreement with the Commander of the King’s Guard. But, if he knew what I was really here for, he would never turn his back on it.
“Okay,” I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll need a weapon, and I will have leave to do whatever it is I please throughout the day. No more wasting my time cleaning.”
“Sounds fair enough, you will need time to find the man that is doing this.” He held his hand out for me to shake in agreement. “All I need is your word that you won’t harm the king.”
I could have asked him then. I could have asked him about Claudia Hildiguard, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, no matter how much I knew I should have. So I slid my hand into his and shook it. I could feel the magic winding around my hand inside of his and I knew that I was putting myself into a compromising position with this agreement. I had too many oaths I needed to abide by, and now this one. I was still a rutting idiot.
“How will we do this without looking suspicious?” I asked. I needed to know his plan.
“I don’t like to say it, and I don’t want to, but you will become my consort.” I let out a snort and he scowled.
“That’s not happening.” I shook my head. I would have to sleep in his chambers if I agreed to that. There was no way I would agree to such ludicrous terms. How ridiculous. I would not parade as a whore.
“Then what would you have me do?” He shook his head, causing his red hair to flop into his eyes.
“I don’t know, but I will come up with something.” I smiled then, but not at all a real smile. This was me baring my teeth as a predator about to claim her prey. “I’ll have to die.”
Chapter Ten
The King
“This is absolutely preposterous!” By the look on Nico’s face, he hadn’t been planning to tell me. But after Willow had flown from the castle at a speed that no servant would be able to, I had followed behind Nico. I had known he knew something I didn’t. I had a lot on my plate, yes, but I could make time and I would have to figure out the woman that had piqued my interest the moment I met her.
Nico rolled his eyes. “It’s actually genius.”
“Genius?! The woman wants to fake her death and you think she’s going to be able to just sneak around and find the one responsible?” I threw my hands into the air. This was truly ridiculous.
“I have a feeling that she’s a lot more resourceful than what we give her credit for. You did see her fly out of the castle, right?” Yes, but my mind was on other things.
I thought back to the whipping incident and how she had said no to healing her. Her face had been slack of all pain, and then there were the rumors of the scarring on her body and her abusive master, whoever that was. I was trying to figure her out, but I couldn’t and now she wanted a rutting weapon. I swore. This was too much. Some stranger from another kingdom wanted Nico’s respect and loyalty and he was willing to give it to her! Why? Because she was beautiful?! I groaned.
“She’s more than just a pretty face, Majesty.” Nico shook his head, like I should know that by now.
“Go talk to Master Ren, I want to know as much about her as I possibly can.” I crossed my arms over my chest and threw myself onto the throne.
Nico bowed and was gone.
I waited a few hours and called for Ifrīt and Marîd. I knew those weren’t their real names, but I
humored them. To know a genie’s real name gave you power over them like no other, not even the ones that held their lamps.
They bowed in unison. Their smiles were all knowing and for a moment, I wondered how old they were. I enjoyed their company when they were around and I didn’t want to push it. They were here because of my sister and I tried to make life as easy as I could on them, without restricting their bonds. I wished I knew their real names, for I would set them free, but that was a risk they weren’t willing to take. I had told them that one day they would learn to trust me. I would probably be on my death bed before that happened.
“You both worked with Willow, right?”
Ifrīt eyed me. “What about her? Spit it out.”
These two were the only ones that would ever get away with that tone, so I chuckled. “I want to know what you know about her.”
“She doesn’t feel pain, she doesn’t have fear and her knowledge surpasses her station.” Marîd said.
Ifrīt gave me a side glance, like she wanted to say something, but she didn’t. She just shook her head before she spoke. “Her secrets are her own.”
“You would tell me if it threatened the kingdom, right?”
They both nodded, but I felt hesitation. “She is not here to be a serving wench, she has a bigger destiny than that.”
“What do you propose I do?”
They looked at each other, then looked back at me. “Get to know her.”
They sounded like Wyna, but I didn’t see why I couldn’t humor them. All these women did was play matchmaker with my life.
Willow served at dinner, but she didn’t look my way. She kept her eyes on Nico when she got the chance and I wondered why she wouldn’t look in my direction. I wondered if she was interested in the man beside me and that was why she had been willing to work with him. She definitely didn’t know that I was in on all of this.
“Do you like her?” I asked him after dessert had been served.
