“All we saw from our prison cell was the backyard,” the ringleader said. “They locked us up inside our rooms. We were allowed to roam the halls only at certain times. Even then, we were monitored.”
The middle girl jumped in. “If we asked too many questions, we were sent back to our rooms. And if we talked too long to somebody, the nurses crept toward us. They didn’t want us to have any interaction with other inmates.”
“They were hiding something.” I bit my lip. If only we knew what.
The middle girl wiped the beer foam from her mouth with the back of her hand. “Definitely.”
“We told you all we know. Can we go now?” The ringleader got up from her bar stool.
Lorenzo stepped toward her, and she balled her fists, ready to lash out.
“Please,” he said, “if you can think of anything else, it would be really helpful. We’re trying to help Arcadia, trying to help others in a similar position to yours.”
I stepped closer, as well. “People are disappearing around the city. Widows are aging overnight by twenty years. Something very fishy is going on.”
The ringleader lifted her chin defiantly. “This all sounds like a demon operation to me. How do we know that you’re not in on the scheme?”
The shy girl gasped and tried to cover the sound with her hand, but the ringleader just rolled her eyes. “No need to pretend that we don’t know they are demons. At least those two.” She glanced between Lorenzo and Mikka. “I don’t quite understand how you two fit in.” She stared Tia and me down.
“That’s none of your business,” Tia said, but I held up my hand. Getting hotheaded wouldn’t get us anywhere.
“I agree with you that magic wielders are behind this,” I said. Hoping Lorenzo wouldn’t mind that I revealed so much, I added. “Fae can siphon emotions. It’s a big business for them. They siphon off emotions, bottle them up, and sell them. It’s an ability similar to siphoning off life energy, which makes us guess they’re somehow involved. However, before we confront them, we need to know more.”
“Why do you care so much?”
I smiled at the ringleader. “Because Arcadia is my home and my family. I grew up in an orphanage. The city is all I have. I want to see it prosper. I can’t let it wither away.”
The shy girl touched the ring leader’s arm, and the middle girl joined her two friends. An unspoken communication ensued between the three of them, and then the ringleader nodded. “There’s one thing we know that might help you.”
The room fell so silent once could’ve heard the splash of a water droplet.
The ringleader hesitated, and I was afraid she was playing games with us, but then she said, “The head of the mental institution said to a doctor that everything needs to be ready by the second week of August for “him.” He didn’t give a name, but it was clear that the leader is male.”
I mulled this over. We had a timeline. Less than two weeks and the head of the chaos that was unfolding of Arcadia was male.
“Did the doctors say anything to suggest whether their client or boss was a human or immortal?” Lorenzo asked the question that was on my mind.
The ringleader shook her head, then glanced between her two friends.
The shy girl pulled on her sleeve. “I’m sorry, but that’s all we overheard before a nurse escorted us back to our room.”
The middle girl nodded and poured herself another beer, ignoring Mikka’s and Tia’s scowls.
“Thank you,” Lorenzo said. “I’ll get you a carriage.”
The ringleader’s forehead furrowed. “Where to?”
“Saxen. You should be safe there. I doubt anyone there will recognize you.”
I squeezed his hand, grateful for his kindness to help the girls get away. I doubted the mental institution staff would search Arcadia for a few inmates, but one could never be too careful. With Saxen only a few hours away, the girls could return when Arcadia quieted down.
We said our goodbyes, and I watched as the carriage pulled away. When it was out of sight, I turned to Lorenzo, “What now?”
“I’ll talk to the fae, Abigail. Convince her to tell me the place and time of their council meeting in exchange for the balanced scales.”
Even though I believed Abigail would betray her kind to get the balanced scales so that she could influence the outcome of the meeting in her favor, I didn’t think Lorenzo should be the one to meet with her.
“She might betray us later. She might let it slip that a demon approached her, asking about the meeting. I don’t think that’s wise. Let me go.”
He shook his head. “You can’t. We can’t let them know that you are on to them.”
“You’re both right,” Tia said before I could protest. “I’ll go.”
“No!” I shook my head, but she just smiled.
“I’m the only human. If I wear a hat, I’ll conceal my most memorable feature, and the fae won’t have any idea who sent me.” She pulled her blue hair out of her face.
“She’s right,” Mikka said. “But she’ll need backup in case things go wrong.”
Lorenzo nodded. “We’ll go, you stay at the bar. You’ve already created a diversion at the mental institution.”
Mikka gave a wicked smile. “Those morons had no idea what hit them when my icicles took them out. And by the time they awoke, the weapon had melted.”
A cold seized me at her calculated words. The barely five-foot demon, a predator through and through.
A half an hour later, Tia strolled ten feet ahead of Lorenzo and me toward the market. The sun was just rising on the horizon, bathing Arcadia in a gentle light.
“Thank you for letting me come along,” I said.
Lorenzo tilted his head. “Why wouldn’t I?”
I shrugged. “I thought you’d see me as a liability. I’m glad you treat me as an equal even if I don’t have your abilities.”
Lorenzo gave me a long look. “We complement each other.” His attention wandered straight ahead toward the market that Tia had almost reached. “She’s here.”
Even though the slender woman’s features were hidden by a cloak, there was no doubt she was a faerie given the ethereal grace she moved with.
As Lorenzo and I inched toward an alcove, I prayed Tia’s exchange would run smoothly.
The faerie didn’t even turn around as Tia called her. Thus, my friend touched the faerie’s shoulder to get her attention. I groaned, knowing from experience that fae didn’t like to be touched, especially by humans.
As I had expected, Abigail wasn’t too happy. She whipped around, her beautiful face marred by annoyance.
Thankfully, Tia didn’t show her feisty side. Her lips moved slowly, and she tilted her head slightly, making her look more agreeable.
After what I presumed was Tia explaining why she was here, Abigail glanced both ways, probably to check that nobody was watching them.
With bated breath, I stood ramrod straight, praying the faerie wouldn’t spot us in the alcove and resisting the urge to make any sudden movements that would alert her fae senses. Next to me, Lorenzo stood just as still.
Finally, Abigail turned back to Tia and asked something. The two exchanged a few words, and then, Tia pulled out the velvet box that held the balanced scales.
Longing shone on Abigail’s face, and she reached out a hand, but then snatched it back as if she had been burned. Her lips moved rapidly before she left.
I wanted to scream, run over to her, but I couldn’t. Tia went after Abigail, but I knew she would fail to convince the fae on her own. My friend needed help. I opened my mouth.
“Accept the balanced scales. You know you want them. Accept the balanced scales. You know you want them.” I sang loud enough for Abigail to hear me, yet quiet enough so that the notes were in the background, influencing her, but not drawing her attention to our hiding spot.
“Accept the scales. You need them. Accept the scales. They are the solution.”
Lorenzo smiled encouragingly, clearly a
pproving of my strategy.
Tia’s hand hovered over Abigail’s back when the fae pivoted around. Tia dropped her hand to her side, her eyes wide at the sudden change in the faerie’s demeanor. Abigail said a few things, and Tia nodded rapidly. Then she held out the velvet box once again. Abigail practically snatched it, opened it, and gazed inside.
Satisfied that Tia wasn’t cheating her, Abigail said a few things to my friend before disappearing into the crowd.
As agreed earlier, Tia made her way back to the bar. Lorenzo and I watched her leave and monitored the market to ensure no one followed her. When it became clear that her exchange with Abigail hadn’t attracted anyone’s curious eyes, we, too, returned to the bar.
I had to force myself not to run but walk normally, my heart pounding with excitement.
Not a second after the heavy front door of Daydream fell shut behind us, I hurried to Tia. “What did she tell you?”
Tia grinned like a cat. “Nice job with the singing.”
That brought me to a stop. “If you heard it, does it mean Abigail was aware of it as well?”
“No,” Lorenzo said. “The individuals you focus your gift on don’t know that you’re influencing them. Tia was only able to discern your involvement because she’s aware of your gift and knew you were nearby.”
My shoulders sagged with relief. Tia said, “According to Abigail, the meeting is tomorrow at six in the evening. As for the location…” Tia hesitated, and my heart sunk in anticipation that Abigail hadn’t given a concrete destination. Tia glanced at Lorenzo. “It’s in the forest. At the second tallest oak, there’s a cave. Abigail said that there are no directions, and whoever I was getting the information for should be able to find it.”
Lorenzo’s face was set with determination. “I know where it is.”
Given the lack of relief in his voice, I asked, “But?”
“But, it’s a magical place, where time flows differently, meaning my astral projection time will be halved.”
I swallowed hard. “So we’ll need to be very precise with when we do it to ensure we hear the most important part of the conversation.”
Mikka stopped drying the glasses behind the bar and joined us. “That’s almost impossible and relies too much on luck. Once Lorenzo astral projects, you’ll have to use your voice to influence the direction of their conversation.”
I blinked. “How? Won’t they notice my presence?”
She shook her head. “It will be like you did at the market. You’ll have to be far enough away to not hear them speak, yet close enough that your singing reaches them on a subconscious level.”
Lorenzo shook his head. “It’s different from the market situation. Halia has never attempted to manipulate a group of fae. If her gift isn’t strong enough, our cover will be blown.”
“But if she doesn’t try,” Mikka persisted, “the chances of you getting the information are five to ten percent, maximum.”
As scared as I was to fail, I had to agree with her on that. “Please,” I said, “let me try.”
Lorenzo’s face didn’t budge, so I interlaced my fingers with his, not caring about displaying this much affection in front of Mikka and Tia, even though I hadn’t had the chance to confess my feelings for Lorenzo to my friend yet.
“You can trust me,” I said. “Please, let me try this. I want to.”
“It’s not just that your powers might not be developed enough for that.” Lorenzo sighed. “There’s another problem.” He stared above my head, refusing to meet my gaze, so I glanced toward Mikka, searching her face for an answer.
“Astral projection is dangerous.” She tugged on her white hair, a nervous gesture I wasn’t used to from her. “Anyone can assist with it, but it’s much more likely that the demon will return into his body unharmed if he’s tethered to this world properly. You would be a much better tether than I.”
My stomach cramped. Lorenzo’s mind could be harmed if I failed to guide it back into his body successfully after the astral projection.
“Then I’ll stay with you,” I said. “I take back what I suggested before.”
Lorenzo shook his head. “No, you and Mikka are right. We need you to use your voice magic. Without it, we won’t get the information we need.”
“I’m not leaving you alone!”
Lorenzo’s violet-green eyes burned into me. “You won’t. You’ll do both. It’s tricky but possible.”
4
1st August
I yawned as I pushed the last letter into the mailbox. After working for six hours and barely getting any sleep last night, I was ready for my post office shift to be over.
After deciding that I would use my voice to hurry along the fae meeting today to make Lorenzo’s astral projection a success, I had practiced my influence singing on Mikka and Lorenzo all of last evening. Exhausted, I had tumbled into bed after midnight, but my wired mind kept me up, twisting and turning throughout the night.
My tiredness evaporated as I dropped off the bike at the post office and realized I had less than an hour until my royal singing competition interview. I’d been given only one shift because of the interview which helped me greatly
I hurried home, grateful that I could relax while Mikka and Tia worked on my hair and makeup and decided what I should wear. As much as I loved to perform in front of a crowd and write songs, I hated figuring out how to make myself presentable.
If it was up to me, I would’ve left my hair unbound or put it in a simple braid. Not big on makeup, I only bothered with it when I went out in the evening. As for my clothes, I liked them lightweight and non-restrictive, especially in the summer.
Thankfully, the girls took my preferences into account. As Tia and Mikka worked on my hair and face, I closed my eyes trusting their judgment completely after they had done such a great job last time.
I must’ve dozed off because Tia shook me gently back into awareness. “All done, sleepyhead. Now you just need to put this on.” She handed me a white dress embellished with gold thread. It was tight at the top and flared out from its high waist. I put it on, liking how the weightless fabric flowed around my body, but unsure about the message my outfit sent. “It kind of looks bridal,” I said. “Very innocent. I don’t want the judges to think that I’m an easy target and attack me with questions.”
Tia shook her head. “Nonsense. If it impacts their questions at all, I’m sure they’ll give you easier ones.”
There was a knock at the door, and Mikka called, “Come in.”
Lorenzo’s face brightened as he took me in, and I knew that Tia and Mikka had worked their magic.
“Great choice,” he said, his gaze caressing my curves.
I wanted nothing more than to press my lips against his, but couldn’t after what had happened last time, and also because Tia and Mikka were still in the room. Instead, I distracted myself by throwing a quick glance in the mirror.
The makeup was light, mostly consisting of a bronzer that gave my skin a healthy sun-kissed appearance. My hair was braided sideways, a few loose strands pulled out. It all came together, and the dress no longer made me feel like I was a bride.
“Ready?” Lorenzo held out his elbow, and I slipped my arm around his.
As we headed down the stairs, my nerves kicked in.
“What if I don’t have an answer to the questions of the judges?”
Lorenzo gave me a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine. You’re good at thinking on your feet. Plus, I don’t think they’ll ask you any difficult questions. They probably just want to get to know the candidates and give the audience a feel for the different personas.”
I bit my lip. Would they attach the poor orphan girl persona to me? Not wanting to think about that possibility, I asked, “What if I just blank?”
Lorenzo brushed his fingers against my shoulder. “You’ll be fine. If you blank, make a joke, say you weren’t prepared for the question, and then talk about your music. When in doubt, bring the attention back to your
music. Maybe even start singing.”
I pulled on the strap of my dress. “I don’t want to do anything that would influence my odds of winning unfairly.”
“You won’t,” Lorenzo replied softly, his lips inches from my ear. “But it’s all right to set your intention on progressing further. Not only have you got the talent, but we need you to get far enough in the competition to talk to the king. With his and our knowledge combined, we can piece together what happened to Queen Ella and bring her back.”
I sighed. There were so many ifs, so much that could go wrong. Even if I got to talk to the king, there was no guarantee he would believe me or know something helpful.
“If you feel guilty, remember that your competitors are using illegal magic for selfish reasons,” Lorenzo added.
“But I don’t want to become like the Fontaine sisters. I don’t want my power to corrupt me.”
“It won’t,” Lorenzo said. “Like I told you before, you have light magic, which makes it impossible for you to use your magic for ill purposes.”
“Completely impossible?”
He hesitated. “If light magic wielders want to go dark, they can by performing a blood sacrifice. Then they can use their magic for nefarious purposes.”
I shuddered. The world was filled with wonders and horrors.
We reached the market square much too soon. In its center, a stage had been erected, and around it, half of Arcadia stood expectantly, ready to judge us, the twenty-five contestants. Only weeks earlier, I would’ve found it unfathomable to perform in front of such a big audience, whereas now, the idea gave me a pleasant adrenaline kick. However, the speaking part worried me. What if I stuttered? What if they didn’t like me?
Lorenzo brushed his shoulder against mine. “You’ll be fine.”
I nodded weakly and studied the performers, waiting next to the stage. Some of them had gone all out for hair and makeup, while others had chosen a more understated look.
“Wish me luck,” I mumbled, not looking at Lorenzo. If I did, it would make it only harder to walk off on my own. But Lorenzo didn’t let me go. He caught my hand, twirled me, and pressed a peck against my lips. “You’ll be fine,” he repeated. “You are Halia Bright.”
Halia: Daughter of Cinderella Page 21
