by Lynette Noni
“Please?” he said, seeing her indecision.
It was his vulnerable tone that got to her, prompting her to give a slight nod of agreement against her better judgement.
Smiling widely, Aven stepped closer and activated the Valispath. He didn’t say anything as they soared away from the palace, nor did he speak as they rose atop the Golden Cliffs and continued into the Silverwood. It was only when they came to a stop at the edge of Raelia that he turned to her, the last rays of sunlight shining through the canopy and catching his golden mask, creating an angelic effect.
“Do you remember this place?” Aven asked.
More than you can know, she thought, looking around the forested crossroads, but all she said was, “I do.”
“Do you remember what you told me that night?”
That Alex didn’t recall, so she shook her head.
“You said that no one can tell us how we should feel,” he recounted. “As a prince of Meya, I’ve had to live my life by a set of values. I’ve resented that, never knowing if I believe what I believe because I believe it, or because it’s what’s expected of me. My disagreement with my father over the mortals was the first time I felt anything strongly enough to question my family and fight for something I truly believed in. It was a powerful, heady feeling to stand for a cause I considered just, to have others stand alongside me.”
He paused, took a breath, moved a step closer. “Last night, you made me realise how wrong I was.”
Alex’s mouth opened in a silent gasp.
“I became so determined to prove that I could have different feelings, that I could have beliefs that were my own, that I became blinded by my passion for what I considered justice. I wouldn’t listen to reason—my father’s, Roka’s, not even yours. Even when I began to wonder if I was being naïve, if it wasn’t the big deal I was making it out to be, I was then too afraid to change my stance, fearing my feelings again weren’t my own, but rather those that were expected of me. But last night, Aeylia, you helped me see that I was wrong, and that even if I wasn’t, none of it matters.”
He reached out a hand, pressing it against her bare cheek, the tips of his fingers just touching her mask. Too transfixed by his words, she didn’t have the presence of mind to pull away.
“I won’t lie to you,” he said. “I still don’t like the idea of us giving so much to the mortals, since I do consider them inferior, regardless of the parallels you so astutely highlighted with our dependence on the Draekorans. But I realise now that Meyarins far older and wiser than myself have decided in favour of supporting the mortals. Those same Meyarins have listened to my voice and the voices of my Rebels, and now I understand it is time for me to yield to the leadership of our city and have my Garseth stand down. The council will decide what is best for our future, and the future of the mortals. I don’t have to agree with them—you helped me realise that—but as a citizen of Meya, I do have to respect their decision. And now more than ever I’m okay with that.”
Mind reeling, Alex repeated, “Now more than ever?”
A smile touched his lips. “Let’s just say that of late I haven’t been as… dedicated to my own cause as I should have been. Something much more important has been distracting me.”
Oh, crap, Alex thought, noting the meaningful look in his eyes. Suddenly realising just how close they were standing, with his hand still on her cheek, she pulled back, retreating a step.
“Aven,” she said, her voice a whisper.
“Aeylia, surely you must know how I feel about you.”
She put up a hand between them but he ignored it and moved closer, prompting her to edge backwards again. “Aven, please—”
“Everyone seems to know,” he said, appearing both amused and slightly exasperated. “My mother is in raptures. Apparently she picked you for me the moment she first laid eyes on you. She’s been thanking the stars ever since your arrival.”
Alex resisted the urge to groan. She’d thought Niida was just that nice to everyone. But now she wondered how much of their bonding was because the queen saw her as a potential daughter-in-law.
This is so not good, Alex thought, wondering how she was supposed to find a way out of her current predicament and wishing she’d left the ballroom balcony when she’d had the chance.
“Are you going to say anything?” Aven asked, still heading towards her, with them now moving deeper into the dense trees surrounding the clearing.
Alex pushed away a thin, low-hanging branch that poked into her back, snapping it as she continued scrambling backwards through the forest.
“Aven, I’m not sure—”
“I am, Aeylia,” he interrupted, his expression fervent as he reached out in a blur of movement, grabbing her shoulders to stop her retreat. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Alex felt like a caged animal, caught in his grip as she was. She shrugged her arms, trying to dislodge his hands, but he wouldn’t release her.
“Take a moment,” he offered. “Think about it and you’ll realise that I’m right. That we’re right. Please, Aeylia—you know what I’m saying is true. Don’t you feel the same?”
Niyx! Alex cried frantically in her mind, having no idea of the etiquette required to carefully but effectively turn down a prince’s unreciprocated advances. Aven’s just told me that he—
She couldn’t finish her line of thought so she shoved the memory of Aven’s declaration through their mental link and asked, What should I do?
Niyx’s response was immediate, a string of curse words in her mind, followed by, I was hoping he’d wait until the festival mania had passed and then it wouldn’t matter since you’d be gone. But there’s nothing for it now—you have to tell him the truth.
Alex’s eyes widened. Are you crazy?
Not that truth, Aeylia, Niyx said. The truth of how you feel about him.
But I don’t like him like that, Niyx, Alex said. You know I don’t.
It’s not me you have to tell, Aeylia. Just be gentle—he’s in a vulnerable place right now.
Yeah, no kidding, Alex thought, but she didn’t project that to Niyx. Instead she focused back on Aven who was still waiting for her response, presuming, most likely, that she was taking his advice to ‘think about it’.
Hands shaking, Alex reached out and placed her fingers over his heart. His face brightened at her familiar action, thinking she was agreeing with him, so she quickly forced herself to quietly say, “Aven, I’m so sorry, but I just don’t feel that way about you.”
Immediately his brightness seeped away, and as if the sun itself was attuned to his emotions, the light faded from the forest as twilight descended. Alex would have considered it poetic if she hadn’t felt so awful.
“You’re a wonderful friend,” she said, not believing she was pulling the ‘let’s be friends’ card, but since her Meyarin dating practices weren’t exactly up to speed, she had nothing else to work with. “I would hate to jeopardise that when I know I can’t return what you feel.”
In a flash, his hands moved off her shoulders and he stepped back, breaking free of her touch. He ran a hand through his honey-coloured hair, unable to meet her eyes.
“At the risk of sounding egotistical, I wasn’t expecting that,” he said, his voice rough.
Alex stepped towards him. “Aven—”
“No,” he said, holding up a hand. “Just—Just no.”
And with that, he spun and strode purposefully back through the dense trees, as if his sole mission in life was to get away from her.
Go after him, Alex told herself. Go after him or you won’t get a chance to say goodbye.
If she let Aven out of her sight, if he had a chance to retreat into his rejection and lick his wounds, she knew she wouldn’t see him again that night. He’d soon take off on the Valispath and disappear. And tomorrow, she would be gone. She couldn’t stand the idea of their last meeting in the past ending with him storming away from her in humiliating defeat.
&nbs
p; “Aven, wait!” she cried, picking up her skirt and running after him, ignoring the branches snagging on her gown as the thick forest resisted her hurried movements.
“Aven, please,” she said, stepping up behind him just as he shouldered his way past a thin overhanging branch.
Because all nature hated Alex, she wasn’t surprised when the branch didn’t snap, but instead it flung back to slap her in the face, causing her to cry out in pain, “Ouch!”
Her startled yelp halted Aven’s retreat and he spun around, his face showing that he hadn’t realised she was so close.
“Stars, Aeylia,” he said, his expression instantly apologetic. “I didn’t know—”
“It’s not your fault,” she was quick to tell him, rapidly blinking her eyes as they teared up from the sting. “I know you didn’t do it deliberately.”
“Still,” he said, bending slightly to get a better look at her face in the shadows of the fading light.
“It’s okay—it doesn’t even hurt anymore,” she lied, taking in his now agonised features and wondering how much of that look was because he thought he’d hurt her, and how much of it was because of how she’d hurt him. “Truly, I can’t feel it at all.”
Aven’s body was so still. All Alex wanted to do was comfort him; apologise for not returning his feelings; let him know how much she’d enjoyed their time together. But before she could say anything, his eyes caught hers, and she swiftly inhaled at the tormented fire in them.
Then, without another word, he bolted.
One moment he was there, the next he was gone.
Alex blew out a frustrated, sad breath and carefully picked her way back through the remaining forest, realising that the only thing worse than her last sight of him being his humiliated defeat, was his panicked humiliated defeat.
Miserable with her thoughts, once Alex reached the open crossroads she called up the Valispath, but she wasn’t ready to return to the palace just yet, so she guided it to take her to her familiar spot on the edge of the Golden Cliffs.
Standing there overlooking the celebrations in full swing, Alex took a moment to steady herself and then called out to Niyx, You might want to check in on Aven. I’m not sure if my ‘gentle’ was gentle enough.
A mental sigh came as his response. What happened?
Alex showed him, hating that she had to watch it all again, and especially hating the look on his face at the end. Something about it just ripped her to shreds.
Where are you? Niyx asked.
Top of the cliffs, Alex answered, knowing he wouldn’t need any more information, since where she was standing was the place where she’d Claimed him.
There’s no way Aven will want company right now, but I’m guessing you could use it, Niyx said. Stay where you are, I’ll be there in a minute.
She was grateful for his support, even if right then she didn’t feel as if she deserved it. Not when she’d just brought so much distress to his best friend. I’m sorry, Niyx. I stuffed everything up.
Shut up, Aeylia, he said. Just tell me you at least acted grateful when he told you about his surprise gift?
That gave Alex pause. His what?
His gift—His present for you. When Alex remained silent, Niyx added, Didn’t he tell you about his surprise? Why he was missing all day? The favour he asked me?
I have no idea what you’re talking about, Alex said, though she did recall Aven mentioning before they’d left the ballroom balcony that he had a surprise for her.
Niyx made a frustrated sound, though whether it was aimed towards her or Aven, she wasn’t sure. Then you don’t know about the mortals.
Putting the pieces together, Alex replied, Actually, I do. He told me he’s giving up his Rebel cause.
Despite knowing that it wouldn’t last, it still meant a lot to her that Aven had been willing to see reason because of her encouragement.
No, Aeylia, that’s not—I’m not talking about his change of beliefs, though it’s good to see you helped him see reason.
His response surprised Alex, since they’d never before discussed the depth of his affiliation with the Garseth—she’d deliberately avoided the issue given what she knew of his future.
Someone had to open his eyes to how ridiculous he was being, and light knows he wasn’t listening to me, Niyx continued. I don’t know what you said to him, but you did well on that one.
Alex wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to say ‘thank you’, but before she could figure it out, Niyx spoke again.
But that’s not what I meant when I said you don’t know about the mortals. I’m talking about the ones who are here in the city tonight.
Alex jerked violently and mentally whispered, What?
Aven spent all day searching for them, Niyx continued. A small group of traders he thought you’d like to see again, or so he told me when he pulled me aside and asked me to keep an eye on them until you returned. Their invitation was his gift to you—a gesture of his intent to end his rebellion against his father’s policies. It was his way of showing you that you mean more to him than any plan for what he considers justice.
Alex felt as if the ground had just been torn out from underneath her. Black dots blurred at the edges of her vision as words screamed across her memory, words spoken to her months ago from the dungeon where D.C. had briefed her on the history of Meya: ‘The next time a human trading delegation entered the city, they killed them. All of them.’
Aeylia? Niyx called, at the same time as Xiraxus, with the draekon having sensed her distress. She didn’t answer either of them, so lost in her panic as she was.
“Aeylia?”
This time the words were spoken aloud, Niyx having now arrived on the cliffs beside her.
She turned woodenly to him and opened her mouth, unable to respond, let alone get her thoughts together.
He reached out a hand, touching his fingers to the space just beneath her eye, right near the edge of her mask. “Stars, what happened to your face?”
Lost in her panic, Alex barely heard his question.
“Wait, is this…” Niyx trailed off, frowning in concentration. “In your memories…” His face paled. “Aeylia, is this where the branch hit you?”
Numb with fear, she struggled to draw air into her tight chest. “It’s nothing, Niyx,” she wheezed. “We have a much bigger problem right now.”
It didn’t matter if the humans weren’t in the city tonight to trade—they were still a trading delegation who had entered the city. D.C.’s history report may have been wrong with its implication, but the horror of the remembered words struck Alex much worse than the sting of any branch to her face. If that version of history was correct, Aven’s Garseth were going to massacre the humans—tonight.
“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Alex said out loud, her eyes remaining unfocused even when Niyx whispered her name in a strangled sounding voice.
Ignoring Aven’s recent change of beliefs, there had been no evidence as of yet that he exhibited any desire to kill mortals—just to end the trade agreement. There was no way he was going to take off on a murderous rampage tonight that would see D.C.’s words come true. For that to happen, he would need something impossibly drastic to push him over the edge. Something that—
“Aeylia,” Niyx whispered again, his horrified tone piercing through the haze of her mind this time. “Please tell me Aven didn’t see your face.”
Before she could lose her thin grasp on her panic and break her promise by ordering him to forget about her face, he pulled his hand away, holding his thumb up so she could see the reason for his stricken expression.
Blood.
Deep red blood.
She slapped her hand to her cheek, feeling the thin welt just beneath her eye and the trickle of blood on her skin.
“No,” she gasped, remembering the agonised look on Aven’s face, the fiery torment in his gaze. That hadn’t been his reaction to her rejection—it was his reaction to seeing her blood. It was his reaction to reali
sing that he’d been lied to by a mortal, betrayed by a mortal… That he’d fallen for a mortal.
If there was anything that could send Aven over the edge of reason and turn him into a cold-blooded murderer, Alex knew that could do it.
Another memory came to her then, one that had eluded her when she’d tried to recall it weeks ago upon realising it was a valid warning from the Niyx of the future: ‘With the lashing of the branch, the time will be at hand. All will change… Or rather, nothing will.’
Eyes welling with terror, Alex didn’t wait a moment longer. She took a running leap off the cliff and ignored Niyx’s startled yell as she summoned the Valispath around her, heading straight for the palace.
Thirty-Four
It was the screaming Alex heard first, her Meyarin ears picking up the sound long before her eyes caught sight of the reason for it. Her mind blanked at the frenzied cries, causing her to relinquish control on the Valispath, which dumped her unceremoniously a few streets away from the palace.
Feeling as if she was moving through a fuzzy haze, Alex hurried her way through the masses of Meyarins until a space opened up at the base of the palace where a group of armed Zeltora were trying to calm those who couldn’t get away fast enough. It seemed surreal to think that just minutes before they had all been laughing and dancing. And now they were screaming.
Unlike the stricken Meyarins trying to escape, Alex pushed her way forwards, her eyes trained on the grizzly sight in front of her.
They were all there. All six of them. Bensie Hayes and her fellow humans. Alex couldn’t remember the names of the others, but she recognised their faces. Aven had found them and invited them to the festival—as a present for Alex.
A present he and his Garseth had slaughtered in an act of blind rage.
Walking on deadened legs, Alex moved close enough to squat down and pick up Bensie’s beret, ignoring the splatter of blood on it as she pressed the cap tight to her chest, heedless of the stain it was leaving on her dress.
She heard a whimpering sound and looked around only to realise the noise was coming from her. She pressed her quivering lips together, but the sound continued inside her head, like a high-pitched ringing in her ears.