by Eric Vall
Morrigan turned to look over her shoulder at the redhead and flashed a rare, genuine smile. “You have said that on multiple occasions, especially when we first met and camped out together and it was your turn to do the dishes.”
“I hate to say it, Rana,” I stated in a serious voice, a difficult feat with the smile that threatened to appear on my lips. “You do skip out on doing the dishes or cleaning up your messes.”
Rana’s mouth fell open in shock then snapped shut as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Not you too, Master! I can’t believe you--”
The redhead was cut off by the sound of a soft ringing bell downstairs, a signal to all the guests that the doors to the ball were opening, and if they were going, they should leave now to get inside the packed palace. I nodded to my minions as Carmedy grabbed her small bundles and stuffed them into the pockets of her dress. Surprisingly, the small packets and bundles didn’t stand out against the taut fabric of the dress, and when she turned, she reached out a hand to me. I took her hand, then Rana and Morrigan’s in my other hand before we headed out into the early evening towards the palace and Baudouin.
Though the city of Tintagal was large and sprawled out to the towering walls, it didn’t take us very long to reach the palace and the procession of lively citizens waiting to go into the Lord’s home. As we stood together, I took in all of the palace and the vivid green and silver adornments on every surface. Baudouin’s castle was very beautiful, and I noted the masterful archways as we moved with the crowd towards the massive double doors and the golden light of the inside of the palace. I’d take this castle from him soon, and the flags and colors would be replaced then with the colors of Tamarisch.
Every person around us wore beautiful dresses, and some of them I could even pick out as Jolie’s handiwork. I turned and looked behind us, and for a moment, I thought I spied the seamstress and her apprentice in the lines of citizens, but their faces were quickly swallowed and pushed away so quickly that I couldn’t be sure I had seen them at all.
I looked to my three minions, and they were perfectly calm as we stepped up the long stairs that led up into the palace. I’d molded and trained them into perfect warriors, and this was as easy as stepping into another dungeon like we had done many times before. Once inside, servants and butlers ushered us forward and directed us with their arms towards another open door right ahead of us.
My minions walked with me, and I smugly smiled to myself as multiple male gazes followed after my ethereal women. Each of my minions wore a mask, and each one fit their personalities perfectly. To my left, Morrigan held loosely to my hand, and the mask placed over her delicate pale features was shaped into that of a raven, a twin to the two birds perched on her thin shoulders. The beak of her mask came down into a point below her chin and looked sharp enough to cut with. Her nearly black eyes peered out of the eye holes like an endless depth of darkness, and I could see multiple guests shift away from her gaze intimidated.
Carmedy stood to my right, and like Morrigan, held loosely to my hand as I guided my women through the crowd. The feline’s mask was full and covered the entirety of her face except for her lips and the exposed emerald glint of her eyes. Her mask reminded me of the painted dolls we’d seen carried by children in the street or shop windows, but the paint that Camille had used on the mask looked cracked and splintered over the surface to give it a used look. The fluttering feathers that sprouted from the top of the mask mimicked the same colors that shifted in her dress as she moved. Intricate designs ran over the cracked paint, and sparkling jewels glittered as the edges of the mask as she turned her head to look at me.
Rana took up the back as she followed up, but she kept close behind me. Her mask almost looked like carved wood, and long pointed antlers sprouted upward from the forehead like a deer’s. Small cherry blossoms and vines wrapped around the horns, and her bright red ears twitched above the mask as she listened intently to the sounds all around us. The mask went along nicely with her forest green dress, and she looked as if she was a forest spirit given mortal form as her paws held tightly to the folds of her dress. Just as I did, the fox’s alert eyes shifted quickly to examine each person we passed.
Lively music blasted out from the open doors and from where we walked, I could see people dancing inside already. Though we were here for one reason only, I could feel Carmedy’s bubbling excitement from beside me as we stepped through the huge doorway and into the party. I moved my eyes over the crowd and spied a familiar face through the mass of people as she walked deftly through the crowd with a tray of sparkling drinks. Annalise’s eyes caught mine, and instead of speaking, she gave me a slight bow without toppling any of the glasses on her tray. Her eyes stayed on me for a long while and took in my dashing appearance. I wished more than anything she could be with us, but we all knew if she had been, everyone here including Baudouin would recognize the High Queen immediately.
We couldn’t risk that.
The swordswoman turned, and I noticed that she had a scabbard strapped to her waist, much like the rest of the other servers. I assumed it was part of their given costume, but as she moved away from us, I saw the flash of emerald at her hip and knew that Bloodscale sat in that sheath, not whatever fake blade the servants were given. I felt a bit better knowing that she would be able to protect herself if someone were to recognize her. I knew she could handle herself on her own, but I still worried about my strong-willed minion. When I had first met her, she had been impulsive and hadn’t thought anything through before she acted. I’d worked with her, and she’d improved, but there was no telling what could happen in this strange place, especially with Baudouin sneaking around somewhere.
The orchestra played a lively song that I didn’t recognize, but Carmedy’s face split into an excited smile. She tugged my arm towards the floor where the rest of the party-goers danced.
“Come on, Master!” the feline called, and from the other side of me, both Morrigan and Rana pushed me onto the dancefloor. “Dance with us!”
I moved my head to take in the other revelers as they danced around us. I didn’t recognize any of the moves they did, so when I turned back to the petite alchemist with her pleading eyes, I didn’t know how to answer or tell her that I hadn’t danced with anyone in thousands of years. It seemed that Morrigan was the only one who caught on to my hesitation though.
“We can teach you,” the elven woman whispered softly in my ear. I smiled to her gratefully as I finally let the feline pull me out to the middle of the dance floor.
“I know how to waltz, and the last modern dance I learned in the heavens was the contra dance, but none of this is familiar to me,” I admitted to all of them.
“Lucky for you, times haven’t changed much in the ways of dancing and this a mix of both of those!” Carmedy grinned up at me as the people whirled around us. “Just watch for a moment, this is one of the easiest ones I’ve seen, but Canarta has a whole bunch of much harder dances that I can teach you! I know Haruhi would be impressed if she saw you dancing one of our native dances.”
I looked down at her out of the corner of my eye, and the feline looked back up at me with red cheeks and a knowing smirk. I moved my eyes over the dancers as I took in their movements and attempted to memorize them before my minions thrust me out onto the floor. The groups of people moved together, took three fluid steps forward, then turned together in groups of four, found a partner, placed their palms together and swung twice. The dancers moved again, split apart in a line, took three more steps forward and repeated the movement of finding a partner until they reached the end of the dance floor. The performers turned in a straight line towards the opposite direction and turned each time to dance with a different partner. It looked easy enough, and I nodded to my women once as I saw an opening for us to join.
Carmedy and Rana swooped into the dance with relish as all of us took three fluid steps forward, our hands outstretched at our sides and the backs of both the feline’s and the fox’s paws in my
palms. Morrigan stepped beside Rana on my left, and when it came time to pair off, they were in my first group of four. Carmedy was the first to touch palms to mine, and we smiled at each other as we turned. The music quickened, and my heartbeat followed with it as we dove back into the line and stepped thrice. The dance moved onward, and I soon noticed that despite the reason we were here, I enjoyed dancing with my three gorgeous minions as they swirled around me, each with a different partner. The dance was nearly finished as my last partner touched my hand to hers, and I stared down into the strange eyes I’d seen a few days prior.
My suspicions were accurate as I stared at Camille. The tailor’s apprentice wore a mask made from lace, and I was able to see all of her features through it. Before at the shop, she’d looked plain and uninteresting, but the bizarre eyes had changed. Instead of the gray with hints of violet and amethyst, they were now entirely a mix of the two shades as her eyes bore into mine. Her face had changed behind her mask as well, and she looked beautiful now. Ethereal and otherworldly even…
Camille wore a tight-fitting dress similar to Carmedy’s but in a light peach color. Her frizzy and tangled hair from before was gone and instead the dark locks cascaded down her front in waves of auburn. Camille turned her head, and I squinted down at her as I concentrated on the strange aura floating around her. My eyes widened then narrowed on her face as she moved her strange violet eyes over the crowd. It’d been difficult to pick out, and if I hadn’t come into direct contact, I wouldn’t have noticed but at this moment, I felt the godly beating of her power though it was much weaker than any other we’d encountered.
“Not a god but not a human either,” I murmured to her, and her violet eyes narrowed on my face as we moved together. “You must be a demi-god then, poor thing.”
“Better to be a demi-god and still be allowed in the heavens than be a god cast out of the heavens,” Camille answered in a low, alluring voice as her dark eyes moved over my whole ensemble. A vicious smile spread over her beautiful face as she tilted her head to me. “But I wouldn’t know, why don’t you tell me?”
“Why are you here then?” I asked as we turned away from each other. She looked away through the crowd, and my eyes followed hers. “I thought the gods detested demi-gods more than humans.”
“That may be true, but we’re still useful to them… apparently. I shouldn’t even be speaking to you but…” Camille shrugged her shoulders lazily as we stepped together three times. “As you said, I am of no worth to the gods. Why should I give a fuck what they want?”
“What do they want from you?” I inquired through a smile as Camille went against the dance to snub a man who held out his hand to her. Instead, she gripped harder onto my own, determined to stay and speak with me only.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Camille snarked as we turned together in the dance and I glared down at her. That broke her smug smile, and she sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Gods cannot detect the powers of demi-gods like they can with other gods. Who better to spy on them right under their noses?”
“So, you’ve been watching me, have you?” I chided through a smirk as we spun together once more.
“Your arrogance is astounding,” Camille purred to me through pursed lips as she reached up and stroked the mask she’d created and given me.
No one spoke to me in such a tone, not even my minions when they were upset, and it surprised me for a moment. A split-second later though, I could only chuckle darkly at her impropriety. Camille was so small, even if she attempted to strike out at me, I’d defeat her in an instant.
“Not only you but a few others,” she added. “I’m sure you’ve heard, but the Sanctum is now open, and a few of your friends managed to scurry out before the gods could close the gates again.”
“Ruituri, Bellum, and Domor, correct?” I questioned as we both stopped at the edge of the dance floor and the rest of the group moved on without us.
“Ding, ding, ding, you get the prize,” Camille whispered in an alluring tone, and I gazed down at her in amusement. “But it seems your little Canartian kitty-cat was unable to find the final name for you. So sad.”
“It doesn’t really matter to me what their names are,” I stated as I broke my eyes away from her and gazed out at the rest of the party. Camille shifted angrily on her feet and tugged at my sleeve to get my attention once more. “What else do you want from me then?”
“I may be a spy, but I am here with a warning,” Camille uttered in a firm voice as she stood as tall as she could with her short stature. Each word that rolled off her tongue came with a certain feeling of finality that I didn’t expect from the petite demi-god. “Tuzakeur will fall. The Holy Band of Mages will fall. I don’t need to speak these things, they are something you already know. The heavens, Kazama, they are watching though, and they will not bend at the knee for you as easily as these others will.”
“So you say, but look at the countries and gods that have fallen to my power. Do you really think it’ll be hard for me to rip the heavens down from its golden pedestals?” I questioned through a deep chuckle.
Camille only raised her eyebrows, puckered her lips, and shrugged nonchalantly.
“I gave you a warning, it is your choice to follow it or not.” The small demi-god sighed in annoyance as her violet eyes moved from mine and scanned the room. “I won’t be there to witness it if something in your plan goes awry.”
“It won’t,” I growled as I gripped onto her bare shoulder.
“Don’t be so sure.” Camille snarled as her purple eyes rolled up to my face in irritation. Right as I was about to speak once more, a loud voice from above tore my attention away from the short woman.
Camille and I both looked up to the balcony, and I got my first look at the man named Baudouin. The Lord stood next to a woman dressed all in white, and I was quick to deduce that this was his fated bride. Even from far away, I could see the fear in her tearful eyes. Baudouin smiled widely down at his guests as he called once more and clapped his hands vigorously for our attention.
Lord Baudouin wasn’t what I expected when Annalise and her brothers spoke about him. In fact, I’d imagined him as a tiny, fat weasel of a man, but I was quite wrong. The Lord was tall, not as tall as me, but above average. His sweeping blonde hair came to his shoulders and shone as he talked animatedly to the crowd. He was handsome, as a lord should be, but his eyes told a different story as they swept through the crowd and eyed some of the more beautiful female guests. His bride wasn’t even dead yet, and he was already scanning the crowd for his next victim.
“Good evening, lords and ladies, citizens and travelers alike!” Baudouin shouted down to us, and I glared up at his shining face as he smiled wolfishly down into the crowd. “It’s wonderful to see all your familiar and unfamiliar faces in my humble home. My bride and I would like to thank you for coming to celebrate not only our wedding but also the union of Tintagal and Delarian territories since… well, my last bride decided to run off to who knows where and never return! Good riddance, I say! We push out the old and usher in the new!”
The stab at Annalise and Tamarisch was swift, but I did not miss it. My gaze intensified on the Tintagal bastard as he went on to babble on about the unity of their countries and the good that would come from it. Once the lord finished, he stood on the balcony with his frightened bride and moved his eyes through the crowd once more.
Suddenly, Baudouin’s head turned, and for a second, I thought his eyes were on me, but I turned and saw that Camille was staring intently into the Lord’s eyes instead. In a flash, Camille’s eyes moved from their intense connection with Baudouin and flitted to me. I realized what she did in that moment, she’d given Baudouin a silent warning about my presence. Lord Baudouin’s face hardened, and his jaw set as he gripped onto his bride’s hand and pulled her away into the shadows. I knew it was time to break away from the merriment of the party and go after the Lord like we’d planned as I turned and glared down at Camille. She didn’t look at me
as she smirked hatefully.
“Clever, working for more than the gods, are you?” I snarled as I reached out for her, but the demi-god phased in and out of existence as she leveled her violet eyes on mine.
“I’m a spy. My loyalty lies with no man or god. I have no friends nor any allies, only enemies. Kazama, I thought you would’ve learned that lesson already.” Camille laughed haughtily and then, with a loud crack, the demi-god was gone, but her giggling voice remained as it echoed in my head. “You better run, or that little bride is going to lose more than just her virginity by the end of this gloriously horrendous night.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
I reached out with Nergal’s power and called my minions to my side through their minds. All of my women came to me in an instant, and I looked down into their eager faces sternly. My eyes fell on Morrigan then to the two black ravens on her shoulders. The birds turned their beady eyes to me as they tilted their heads in unison. I smiled to them as I formulated a plan and the ravens squawked uneasily under my eye.
“Morrigan,” I uttered sternly, and the elf raised her eyebrows to me. “Send Fea and Macha after Baudouin. We’ll follow along after them once they make sure that the coast is clear.”
The white-haired elf didn’t even have to speak before Fea and Macha lifted into the air as the crowd gasped.
As the black birds moved in slow circles around the ceiling, I could sense something different about them, and when they turned their heads to look down at us, I saw that their beady black eyes were now glowing scarlet as they searched out Baudouin and his frightened bride. After a moment, both Fea and Macha cawed loudly then swooped down through an open doorway just below the balcony Baudouin and his bride had just been standing on.
I didn’t speak. I only looked to each of my women, and they knew what I needed them to do. We took off together through the startled crowd, and I was the first through the doorway.
