by Casey Bond
“It’s so much bigger than it looks on the telecasts,” Mira said in wonder.
Smartly dressed doormen pulled open the two doors a sliver, which was more than enough for us to comfortably enter. We crossed the threshold and stepped onto a stark white floor, whose mirror finish made me suddenly thankful for Mira and the magical clothes and shoes she’d loaned me. My simple dresses wouldn’t have been enough for the floor, let alone the people contained inside these walls.
“Daughter of Fate,” a familiar, deep voice called out. Goosebumps prickled on my skin as the smooth tone slid over me and my title echoed across the arched ceiling. Prince Tauren strode down the hall, stopping in front of me to offer his hand. I reluctantly shook it, but his grip seized my hand. He brought the back to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss onto my skin. As he did, his golden eyes glanced up to mine. “Thank you for accepting my invitation.”
His eyes flicked meaningfully to the men at his side, one of whom was focusing a camera on the pair of us. Uh… he said something. The invitation, right.
“Thank you for extending it.”
He looked me over and smiled. “I would have invited you sooner if I’d known you would arrive looking so beautiful.”
There wasn’t anything contrived about his tone. Though he wanted me to be aware of the camera, he didn’t seem to be acting for it. “Thank you,” I said, pulling my hand away.
“Prince Tauren!” a man called, rushing down the hallway. “Your father is waiting for you.”
Tauren winked at me. “I’ll stop by later, once you’re settled.” He finally noticed Mira and Brecan hovering behind me. His smile faltered just a little, but he quickly recovered. “I’m forgetting my manners. Welcome to the palace.” He shook Brecan’s, then Mira’s hands and hurried after the man who’d come to retrieve him.
The fact that his suit was tailored perfectly for his body did not escape me.
The cameramen turned off their devices and scurried away somewhere.
“You can stop drooling now, Sable. The cameras are gone,” Brecan said sarcastically.
Mira slowly shook her head. “I don’t think we can.”
I could almost hear Brecan’s internal groan.
Our trunks were brought inside and loaded onto a large cart. Two men wheeled the cart past us while another gentleman in a stark white suit asked us to follow him upstairs, saying he would see us to our rooms. We climbed a wide staircase to the second floor, then the third where we were led down a long hallway lined with doors.
“This is the North Wing. Your rooms are situated at the end of the hall. Prince Tauren thought you might appreciate a measure of privacy. The Prince wasn’t sure if you would be escorted, but we prepared rooms just in case.”
“Thank you for your preparedness,” I said to be polite.
He gave me a proud nod, then removed three keys from his pockets, unlocking Mira’s door first and handing her the key to it. “Madam.”
Her room was the color of buttercups. I didn’t walk in, but knew she’d have ample space for all the trunks she brought along, and still have plenty more to move about the room. The bed wasn’t visible from the door, but a plush, white couch with blue pillows was. Mira promised to come help me change soon.
“Why would I need to change?”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s a traveling suit. You’ll need to wear a gown this evening, and I have just the thing.”
I bet she had shoes to match it. I hoped they concealed daggers in their heel, as well.
Our escort showed Brecan to his room and placed the key in his hand.
Brecan walked inside. “At least it’s blue,” he announced, walking farther into the room. “And huge… I have my own washroom.” A few seconds passed before he added, “With running water.”
At least Mira and Brecan were happy with their temporary quarters. The thought settled the nervousness simmering in my stomach.
The gentleman in white unlocked my room, which was situated directly across the hall from Brecan. He handed me the key and gently pushed the door open, holding the handle as I stepped inside. The faint smell of fresh paint filled the air. “Prince Tauren wanted you to feel at home,” the gentleman explained. “He thought you might enjoy this décor in particular.”
The walls were painted black, the trim stark white. A tall vase of red roses sat on a small table in the entryway, along with another wax-sealed letter. I grabbed it and held it to my stomach. The couch was black brocade, a plush red throw hanging over the back with matching pillows. The bed was covered in silky black fabric. Black. My favorite color.
The color I wanted the exterior and interior of my House to be repainted.
He noticed my House…
“He had this painted and decorated for me?” I asked.
The older man smiled. “You must be special to him, Miss Sable. He made no special alterations for any other invitee. In fact,” he leaned in to whisper, “he hasn’t greeted any of the other girls yet.”
I was sure it was just a coincidence. I’d merely arrived at the precise moment he was passing by the door. Nothing more. Mira appeared at my side and nudged me, but I couldn’t pay attention to her at the moment. I was trying and failing to quiet the moths flittering playfully in the pit of my stomach.
“I’ll have your things brought in shortly,” the man promised.
The man left me to stare at the room Tauren had designed for my comfort. Brecan stepped inside and stood behind me, every muscle tense. “It looks like you made quite an impression at the Equinox.”
Mira made a noise and slipped away. I almost tried to grab her arm and force her to stay. Maybe Brecan would leave well enough alone if she were with us.
I pinched my lower lip, unsure of what to say.
“Is he why you won’t hand-fast to me?” he asked bluntly.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “No. He’s not.”
Brecan made a noise to indicate he didn’t believe me, then turned on his heel and left the room, letting the door snap closed behind him.
8
The note was simple, written in Tauren’s hand. It instructed me to look under my pillow. There, I found another box. This one was larger than the one he sent to my house. I untied the black silken ribbon and lifted the lid to find a necklace nestled inside.
The word necklace didn’t do it justice. This was a silver and black work of art. Two knocks came at my door before Mira pushed her way in, her arms full of gowns. She gasped as she peered around at the décor and then looked at my hands. “What is that?” she asked, her eyes lighting up. “Please tell me it’s jewelry.”
“It’s jewelry,” I deadpanned.
Mira squealed as she rushed toward me, throwing the gowns on the bed and grabbing the box from my hands. “It’s exquisite.”
A few of the gowns slid to the floor. I gathered them while she held the onyx gems up to the light.
It really was exquisite. And far too much. “Of course, I can’t accept it.”
Her mouth fell open. “You most certainly can. You are one of the invitees, a potential wife of Prince Tauren.”
“I can’t marry him.”
“He doesn’t know that yet, does he?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer. I thought I’d made it clear that my acceptance of his invitation would be purely for the purpose of helping him determine who wanted him dead. But this necklace was too much. A gift like this was ridiculous.
“He probably gave one to every invitee,” I hedged. Mira was too transfixed by the facets cut into the stone to push the issue further.
Fate had been oddly quiet. I called out for him in my mind. Guide me to the one who’s trying to hurt Tauren so I can go back home, please.
I felt hollow. Fate, it seemed, wasn’t ready to reveal the culprit. Perhaps they weren’t in the palace… How long would I
have to stay here?
“You can’t refuse the Prince’s gift,” Mira said with finality, shoving the necklace toward me. “That necklace was meant to be yours.”
It is pretty… I looped it around my forearm while she prattled on, hanging the dresses on a rack set up in the corner and chattering about how amazing the palace was.
Mira wondered if her sisters had seen her on the telecast as we arrived, or if they might later tonight. “Bay is going to let them watch nonstop while we’re here! He has high hopes that your presence and participation will show the sectors how vital witches are to the Kingdom; that we are more than just conjurers and potion makers.”
“How am I supposed to convince the people in the sectors that witches are good for it, when I don’t even fit in among them? I’m afraid his faith in me might be misplaced.” My grandmother’s words had taken root in me, and I wanted to pluck them and leave them in the sun to wilt.
“What do you mean you don’t fit in?” she asked, her hand stilling on a garment. “You’re the one we all look up to.”
I shook my head. “That’s absurd. The Circle hates me.”
“Ela does, though I’m not sure why…” she trailed off. I knew she was thinking about our bloodline and how easily Ela had come to hate my mother, and by extension, me. “The others don’t hate you, they just don’t understand your magic. And things we don’t understand are scary. Right?”
“Sometimes,” I admitted.
“I look up to you, and I’m not the only one, just so you know,” she admitted. “Because I’m different, too. That’s why Bay sent me to help you.”
My brows kissed. “You’re different in what way?”
She smiled and ticked her head toward the selection of gowns. “How do you think I made all of these for you so fast?”
“Wait – you made them? For me?”
“Of course. They fit you perfectly, right?”
They did. I opened my mouth to speak, but she continued. “In addition to a water affinity,” she began, “I have an affinity for creating things. Well, I make helpers that actually bring my visions to life.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled something out. Uncurling her fingers, she glanced up at me nervously. Two glass spiders sat in her palm. “They weave for me.”
She whispered a spell and the spiders’ legs uncurled. They crawled up her arm as she twisted it to see them.
“You have the power of animation,” I marveled, watching the spiders skitter across her collarbone.
“We aren’t the only witches who are different. There are a few others. You are the only diviner of Fate, though.”
“You animate the spiders and command them to weave… gowns?”
Mira smiled proudly. “Among other articles.”
Just then, someone knocked at my door.
Mira’s eyes widened. “Do you think it’s him?”
“It’s probably Brecan.” I crossed the large room and cracked the door open.
Prince Tauren greeted me with a lop-sided grin and a “Hello.” Hands in his pockets, he rocked back on his heels. “I was hoping I could speak with you and your escorts before dinner.”
My heart fluttered. “Sure. Mira’s already here. I’ll go get Brecan.” I squeezed by the Prince and knocked on Brecan’s door. He yanked it open, still sullen from our conversation. “The Prince would like to speak with us before dinner.”
He narrowed his eyes and glanced over my shoulder at Tauren. “Very well.”
We filed into my suite. Brecan made himself comfortable sitting on the arm of the couch. Mira sat in an adjacent chair, her leg bouncing wildly. I stood between them, and Tauren stood across the dark rug from me. He cleared his throat. “The other invitees don’t know that a girl from Thirteen will be among them. I assume you’ve told your escorts why you’re really here?” he asked me.
I shook my head. “I haven’t, but now is as good a time as any.” Brecan straightened his back, curious about the sudden turn in conversation. “Tauren came to The Gallows for the Equinox. I performed a reading for him, and it became apparent that someone—in the very near future—will try to kill him. He invited me here to try to determine who it is.”
Mira’s mouth gaped open. “The Circle doesn’t know that…”
“No, they don’t,” Brecan seconded.
“They can’t,” I said pointedly. “No one outside this room can know.”
“Why is that?” Brecan stood, crossing his arms over his chest.
I swallowed. He wasn’t going to like what I had to say. “Because Fate hasn’t revealed who the person is.”
Brecan scoffed at the idea. “This is why we keep to ourselves. We don’t get involved in kingdom politics.” He brushed his long, pale hair over his shoulders and turned to me. “It’s not a witch.”
“You’re probably right, but I want to be sure.”
Tauren pinched his lips together. “I appreciate your help…” he paused, suddenly aware he didn’t know my true name.
“Sable,” I finished for him.
He smiled. “Sable. It suits you.”
Brecan let out a mirthless laugh. “You didn’t even know her name? That’s rich. You send this invitation, pluck her from her home and cause a huge disturbance within our sector, and you didn’t take the second it would require to learn her name?”
“I have it now,” Tauren asserted. He turned to me, tension melting from his shoulders. “Everything happened so fast the night of the Equinox, I didn’t know what to do. The next morning, I had the idea of inviting you to take part in our tradition, but I didn’t mean to cause you trouble,” he said, staring at me with eyes full of apology.
“So,” Mira cut in, “the other girls have no idea a witch is crashing the party?” She grinned from ear to ear.
Tauren returned her smile. “None.”
“This will be interesting to watch.”
“My parents see your presence as an opportunity, for many reasons of which I’m sure my parents will bore you with very soon. Unless you can unravel the mystery quickly, I’ll need you to stay until I make my final decision,” Tauren apologized. “Which means you’ll be among the last to leave the palace.”
“Exactly how long does it take a prince to choose a wife?” Brecan asked.
I gave him a scathing look. If he didn’t want to escort me, he should’ve stayed home. As a matter of fact, he can go back there now, if he wants.
“Usually the process takes a few months, but the given circumstances require a quicker decision. I hope to choose within a few weeks, at the most. My parents hope that by doing so, more people throughout the Kingdom will tune in and their interest won’t fade so quickly. When my father chose Mother, ratings were high in the beginning when the invitees were presented, but people soon stopped watching as it took him several months to decide amongst the women. Ratings peaked again when he announced his choice, and then fell away again until the wedding. In recent months, Father’s addresses to the Kingdom have gone largely unwatched.”
“Perhaps what he’s saying is boring,” Brecan suggested, looking from the Prince to me.
I ignored his snide grin. “I’ll have to read a lot of fates in a very short period of time…”
Tauren nodded. “Does that adversely affect you? Reading that many so quickly?”
“Not exactly,” I hedged, not wanting to explain the residual effect left by the reading of fates.
Brecan stood and strode toward Tauren, who met him in the center of the rug, standing toe-to-toe with him. Mira clutched her chest in alarm as they squared off.
“You do understand that she cannot marry you?” Brecan snapped, his eyes flashing.
Tauren looked at me over Brecan’s shoulder, his golden eyes locking with mine. “I wasn’t aware she was interested.”
Brecan took a side-step, putting
himself in front of me. “She isn’t. And even if she were, she’s bound by the Circle’s rules. Witches do not marry. They hand-fast, and only to their own kind.”
“Brecan,” I said sternly. He turned to face me. “You have no right to speak for me.” I turned my attention to Tauren, sighing. “But he’s right. Hand-fasting is our custom, and I am bound by it.”
The muscle in Tauren’s jaw ticked as his eyes flicked between me and Brecan. “You mentioned the custom the night of the Equinox, Sable. And, of course, I will honor your traditions. But can you please keep that between us as well, at least for the time being? If the other ladies catch word of it, they’ll question why you’ve been invited and why you’re allowed to stay when your custom prevents us from marrying.”
Soon, he would choose someone else, and I would be at his side to protect him, watching the happy couple embark on a life-long adventure with one another.
“We won’t reveal it,” I promised Tauren. Brecan would adhere to my vow, or I’d send him back to The Gallows. “Though I can’t promise someone won’t already know.”
A clock chimed from outside the room, its weighty vibrations making the vase of roses by the entryway scoot across the tabletop. Tauren waited until it was finished. “Dinner will be served in one hour.”
“Will I be meeting the other invitees?”
He shook his head. “Not tonight. Tonight, my parents would like to invite you and your escorts to dine with us privately.”
I wouldn’t meet his future bride tonight, but would dine with the King and Queen of Nautilus. At that moment, I wasn’t sure which would be worse. Not that I got to choose. When the King and Queen asked for an audience, there was no option to politely decline.
“I’ll leave you to get ready,” he said, stepping around Brecan to get to me. Instead of shaking my hand, he placed his on my upper arms and leaned in, gently pressing a kiss to one cheek and then the other. My pulse quickened.
Brecan’s eyes blazed from the intimate gesture, while Mira’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.
Tauren gave me a wink before striding out of the room. When the door closed behind him, Mira squealed.