My father laughed, a malicious, cold sound. And then turned and throttled me. His grip tight enough it almost cut off my breath. “You will tell no one. And if you do, you’ll wish you were never born. No one will believe you. I help protect this kingdom. What do you do?”
I believed him. My father had earned his place. He was a valuable asset to the king… a friend even. And my father would make my life even more miserable than it already was if I challenged him. “Go see King Corbin yourself.” I choked the words out.
My father released me. I coughed and rubbed my neck where I could still feel his fingers imprinted on my skin. I strode back down the pathway to our home and marched straight to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me.
Chapter 4
I got over my anger quickly. Claudia and her father meant nothing to me. I had shown strength. Even if it was a lie, I had passed my father’s test.
As for Claudia, I barely saw her after Demonte’s death. She was too busy taking care of her little sister now that they were orphans. I found out from the whispers of gossiping courtiers their mother had left them when Claudia was still a child. When I did run into her, she eyed me with loathing and disgust. I brushed her off like the insignificant fly she was. And I never told anyone my father had planted that letter.
I peered up at the cherry tree in one of Terra’s orchards. The only way anyone could tell what season fell on Terra was by the cycle of the orchard trees—that or by counting the full moons. The temperature was always warm, except in summer when it was stifling hot. The barren fruit trees told me winter was currently upon us. The rest of Sarantoa would be cursed with bouts of rain or snow right about now. I had never seen snow. I could barely imagine a land so cold the rain fell frozen from the sky. I shivered as I pictured myself being pelted with pieces of ice.
I wished it was summer, hot as it may be. I’d have given almost anything for a fresh cherry at that moment. As if the tree I stood beneath could read my mind, the impossible happened; it began to bloom. Pink flowers erupted from the branches and transformed into the small, garnet fruit. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had to pluck a piece of the fruit off a branch and pop it into my mouth to convince myself what I’d witnessed was real.
I had always blamed the vines growing in my bedroom on pure coincidence. Now, I was sure I had some sort of earth magic running through my veins. But how? And why? I knew I couldn’t go to my father about this. He hated magic. There were a few who were said to be witches in the kingdom, but I didn’t trust them. I didn’t trust anybody, really. Besides, the witches were outcasts. I didn’t want to be seen associating with them.
I grabbed a handful of cherries and left the orchard. I hoped the tree would go into slumber again before anyone saw it and started asking questions. No one will know it was you, I told myself.
If anyone had noticed the tree full of fruit, they didn’t say anything. I stayed clear of the orchards after sating my craving for cherries.
At some point during the winter, my seventeenth birthday had passed. I never knew the exact day of my birth. My father hadn’t kept track and had said it was foolish to celebrate such a thing. I counted each winter to keep track of my age. It was important to me, even if it wasn’t celebrated.
A few people disappeared before winter turned to blooming spring. We hadn’t found their bodies or any suspects. King Corbin had the kingdom meet in the courtyard one full moon away from Noctis de Celestia. Terra was to host the celebration that spring. Whispers had spread about Noctis being cancelled due to the unsafety of the kingdom. King Corbin was about to put a stop to those rumours.
“Good people of Terra,” the king dressed in green velvet robes boomed beside his queen from the raised platform at the center of the courtyard. “Some of you believe Noctis de Celestia will be cancelled this spring. I am here to tell you this is not true. It is important we honour our goddess, especially during these difficult times.”
A few murmurs of approval ran throughout the courtyard surrounding the rulers.
“I know some of you have lost,” King Corbin continued with sympathy, running his thick fingers through his wavy brown hair. “I am sorry for those losses you have suffered, but we will not show weakness to these traitors. We will not yield!”
Cheers rang from the crowd. It seemed everyone was in agreement with him on that matter.
“Terra isn’t safe! You’re risking us all!” a woman dressed in a puffy pink gown cried out.
Maybe not everyone.
Two guards moved to grab hold of her arms.
King Corbin turned his eyes to the noble woman. “I know your son has disappeared, and I’m truly sorry. If you or anyone else does not wish to attend the celebration, you won’t be judged by me or by the goddess. Celestia understands your pain. But for those who wish to stand strong, join me in showing this kingdom—all the kingdoms of Sarantoa—that strength.”
The crowd roared. Lords and ladies waved their arms in the air.
The woman shrugged the soldiers off and left the group of gathered courtiers. One more joined her—a man whose wife had recently disappeared. Everyone else stayed and applauded the king.
Queen Nicola stood proudly beside her husband in a matching green velvet gown with white roses embroidered on the bodice. She was a young queen, but stood beside King Corbin in every decision he made. Her unwavering support a rock he could lean on. Most people loved her for her kindness. The Redeemers accused her of being weak and unfit to rule. If she cared what others thought of her, she never showed it in public.
“The theme of this spring’s Noctis is animals of the earth. Do your best to impress me with your costumes,” King Corbin said. “I bid you all farewell until then.” He then descended the steps of the platform and departed down the carpeted lane back to the palace with Queen Nicola at his side, dismissing us all.
Immediately ladies and lords began discussing outfit ideas, claiming the animal they would portray before someone else stole their idea. Others kept their ideas secret.
“King Corbin loves his theatrics,” my father scoffed from beside me.
“Are we taking part?” I asked him.
“We have to. King’s wishes,” he grumbled, leaving me behind to ponder what type of animal I wanted to be.
I clasped my silver brooch shut to hold my grey cape in place over my brown doublet with silver buttons. I’d purchased grey breeches to match. My father had given me enough coin to find something suitable for the night of our goddess. The mask I pulled over my face was a beautiful piece of silver and grey art made by Evette D’etiou, the kingdom’s renowned seamstress. My father put less effort—and coin—into his own outfit.
He came out of his room wearing a black cloak and a raven mask with a long, shiny black beak. I was sure he’d scare all the women away in his ensemble. He never cared about impressing anyone. I had never even seen him flirt with a woman.
The courtyard was filled with carriages from other kingdoms. Each was painted a different colour and had different emblems upon their doors, depending on which family the carriage belonged to. Everyone of importance from across Sarantoa was invited to join Terra on this night.
We climbed the wide stone steps up to the palace’s main entrance. Vines climbed the walls and spiraled around the bars of the windows framing the golden filigree door, which was opened by a pair of guards dressed in their finest green livery. Their boots and sword hilts had been polished until they gleamed against the glimmering torchlight.
When we stepped into the great hall, the herald recognized our faces and remembered our names without having to ask like he would of the guests. “Cedric Lequerc of Terra and his son Sepheus Lequerc.” A few turned their masked faces to us. Those who didn’t know us went back to their idle conversations. Those who did averted their eyes, their fear of my father a tangible thing as we swept passed.
The regents of Solis, Aquila and Ventosa sat together in splendor at a table near the front of the hall. Their high-backed wood chai
rs reminded me of miniature thrones. The rest of us sat on benches, of course. Two seats at the regents’ table remained empty for King Corbin and Queen Nicola. They would be the last to enter as custom dictated.
The elderly queen of Solis wore the mask of a red dragon—odd considering dragons hadn’t been spotted for centuries. She spoke with animated hands as the queen of Ventosa listened intently from behind her snow owl mask made up of pearls and white feathers.
The hall’s floor was green marble swirled with white. The white walls were painted with golden filigree, much like the doors to the entrance of the palace. Various types of flowering plants with draping branches stood in clay pots around the hall. All of the tables were draped in emerald and gold linens and covered in golden dishware and tapered white candles. The domed ceiling was my favourite part of the great hall. It depicted paintings of vines and animals in a symmetric style. At the center of the design, an iron and gold chandelier hung, lit with dozens of tiny candles. The flames shifted with the movement of the hall’s occupants.
The people who filled the space before me all wore elaborate costumes of different species of animals that made mine seem plain and boring. All were competing for King Corbin’s approval. A lady dressed as a speckled cat pranced by with a man in bright colours only a parrot could claim. My father, who hadn’t wanted to draw attention to himself, failed to do so. He stood out stark against the rainbow of colours in his dark costume of death. He growled at a servant passing by with a tray of Sanguis. The servant hurried away, the glass goblets rattling a little on the tray he cradled.
I picked a grape off a tray from another servant, tossed it into my mouth and went to find better company. A cute fawn crossed my path. I smiled at her. She smiled back until she realized who was behind the mask. She turned her back on me and found another man to flirt with. Obviously she knew who I was and what I did for work.
“Sanguis for the wolf?” A servant wearing a simple brown and white uniform asked.
I accepted the tiny goblet of the sacred drink named after the blood of our goddess. It was only enjoyed on Noctis. I finished the sweet, fizzing liquid in one gulp and frowned at the empty goblet, setting it on a table. I’d never been one to indulge in the pleasures of drinking. My father didn’t keep wine or ale… or any kind of spirit in our house. He’d said it ‘only dulled the senses and made one stupid.’ I found two more goblets of Sanguis and downed them. Last Noctis had been my first, and my father never let me out of his sight. This Noctis I was going to enjoy not being supervised.
After my fourth goblet of the dark red drink, my senses indeed dulled. I shoved some cheese into my mouth and was about to find a place to sit when the herald announced Terra’s king and queen.
Everyone halted their conversations to stop and stare at the kingly lion and his lioness. King Corbin’s gold silk robes trimmed with cream fur draped over his short, bulky form. He adjusted the lion-shaped mask edged with gold filigree and emeralds on his face. Queen Nicola’s costume was made to compliment his. Her dress was the same colour as her husband’s robes, her mask the feminine version of the king’s. A gold choker with emerald and topaz gemstones rested against her bronze neck, blinking like stars in an endless night sky. King Corbin’s hair was fluffed and styled to resemble a lion’s mane. His queen’s was pulled back off her face. The pair walked painfully slow, with heads held high, to their seat at their table, allowing all to relish…or envy their presence.
I found an empty spot beside a brassy-haired rabbit woman from Solis who was already chattering with a man dressed as a stag with towering antlers beside her. I didn’t have to wait long for King Corbin to begin his speech, fortunately.
“People of Sarantoa, Terra thanks you for journeying here to our kingdom to celebrate this night with us. May each of you live a healthy and bountiful life these next seasons. Our goddess, Celestia, smiles upon us. Happy Noctis!” Short and to the point.
“Happy Noctis!” Everyone shouted in unison then we downed goblets of Sanguis, which had been placed before us by servants during the king’s speech.
Trays holding bowls of hot, steaming soup with warm, soft bread were brought out first. Once our bowls were mostly scraped clean, we were served carved up roast with a rich, creamy sauce. We finished our meal off with pudding and tarts baked by the best bakers Terra had to offer. Any left-overs would be given to the palace staff.
The effects of the Sanguis were wearing off due to my gluttony. Musicians had taken up a tune with a quick, choppy beat. I stood by a tray of Sanguis, watching the animals dance with each other. My father had planted himself by our king and queen, always ready to serve and protect, even though he was no soldier. Still, he had what most others didn’t—the king’s ear.
“Arg. I wish there was something other to get drunk on than this sickly sweet Sanguis,” a feminine voice complained.
I turned my head toward the lilting voice. It belonged to a woman with dark brown hair and the mask of a lynx. The tanned skin on her bare arms told me she most likely hailed from Terra.
“I might know where we can find something else to indulge on.” My lips curved up mischievously.
“You do? You must take me there.” Her forehead inclined over her black, cat-like mask.
I glanced in my father’s direction. He and King Corbin were in deep conversation. I was invisible to everyone except the lynx-woman. “Follow me, my lady.” I led her from the hall.
We stumbled down the corridors covered with sage coloured carpets and lit dimly with a few torches set in brackets along each wall.
I brought us to a set of stairs leading down to the kitchens. We had to cover our mouths to silence our childish giggles to avoid being discovered by the staff. After we passed the kitchens and the larder, I snatched a torch off the wall and unlatched a wood door. I allowed the lynx-woman to enter before me, pretending to be a gentleman.
“The wine cellar,” the woman exclaimed, turning around to take in the many casks around the fair sized, cool room. “Marvelous!”
My lips twitched. “We’ll surely find something here that suits your tastes.” I pulled the lid off one of the wooden casks and cupped my hands to drink from it. I scrunched up my face at the bitter taste. “I’m not sure this is good wine.”
The woman slurped and moaned. “Oh, yes. This is much better.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the pleasure in her voice. I pulled my mask up. “How refreshing. You’re so different than the others.”
She slurped more wine out of her cupped palms and then licked them clean. Lynx indeed, I thought. She was so strange, but for some reason, I liked it.
I tried more of the wine. It was still bitter, but the sense of warmth from within it gave me was welcome.
“So tell me,” the lynx-woman in a black and silver gown that didn’t leave much to the imagination began, “How do you know your way around the palace so well? Do you live here?”
“Not in the palace exactly, but near. My father… he’s close with King Corbin so I’ve spent a lot of time inside these walls.” The wine caused the words to fall easily from my lips. I stepped closer. I wanted to know who this mysterious woman was.
“How interesting.”
We were so close I could feel the breath from her painted ruby red lips as she tilted her head up. “Is it?” I reached to pull off the mask covering the top half of her face, but a scream from the kitchen tore me back to reality.
The moment I turned my attention away from the lynx woman, I felt a sharp point jab into the skin between my ribs. I looked down to find her holding a simple dagger with a short, flat blade to my side. She knew exactly who I was.
My next move was a result of two things; I noticed the way her hand shook—she didn’t want to hurt me. And the wine had given me more courage than usual. Or perhaps it made me more foolish. I used my forearm to knock the blade from her hand. She gasped, not expecting my reaction as the dagger clanged to the floor. Before she could try to retaliate, I shoved her back
against the stacked casks of wine. Her head hit one of the casks with a thunk and she fell to the floor. Red wine dripped on her from a broken cask like blood gushing from a deep wound.
“Filthy traitor!” I spat at her unconscious body.
I sprinted toward the kitchen and found a man wearing the mask of a snake yanking a dagger from a cook’s chest. It all seemed to happen in slow motion… more effects of the wine. Burgundy stained the cook’s clean, white uniform like a blooming flower. His eyes were already lifeless.
A couple of servants ducked behind cupboards or under tables. I moved closer to the snake-man, ready for a fight. But instead of fighting, he shrank away and then bolted from the scene. I ran after him, meeting a pair of guards in the corridor. There were no carpets in the lower levels of the palace. The walls and floor were made of stone.
“Wine cellar,” I huffed at the guards, slowing a little to get my message across. “The lynx-woman inside is a traitor.”
The pair of guards glanced at each other gravely and nodded. “We’re on it,” one of them assured me.
Satisfied, I took off to catch up to the snake-man. I could still hear his footsteps echoing from down the corridor. He couldn’t be far.
It was so dark. Barely any torches were lit in that part of the palace at this time of night. I spotted movement up ahead and picked up my speed. The wine had slowed my senses, but the whole ordeal was sobering me up.
The snake-man shoved the door to the servants’ back entrance open and was heading for the Temple. If he thought I wouldn’t hurt him in a place of our goddess, he was sorely mistaken.
Citizens who weren’t invited to the palace and were waiting for their turn to thank the goddess inside the temple gawked in horror at the man who sprinted past them. He disappeared through the pair of large wooden doors with peaked tops and into the Temple with pointy columns and stained glass windows.
“Out!” I ordered the priestess who’d been shaken by the killer’s sudden appearance as I entered the Temple.
The Elemental Diaries - Complete Series Page 49