by Ainsley Shay
“Aren’t you going to eat anything, my love?”
“No. I’m not hungry.” If I ate even a crumb, I wouldn’t be able to fit into the gown.
“Well, then why don’t you run off and get ready?”
I wanted to ask the Lord where my personal guards were, Blacwin and Chandler, but I didn’t. I stood quickly and the blood-laced wine played with my steadiness. I grabbed the edge of the table until the dizziness passed.
“I hope you’ll give me the honor of having a special dance with you this evening.”
“Of course.” I gave him a hint of a smile and left the room. On the way back to my bed chambers I passed a guard with familiar dark eyes. My heart squeezed with pain. Blacwin did not acknowledge or even seem to recognize me. If the guards who escorted me had not been standing so close to me, I would've turned and rushed at Blacwin, begging and pleading with him to see me for who I was. I told myself it was all a charade, he and Chandler would do anything as long as they knew I was safe and until we could get to the ball and do what we came here to do. I wanted to believe the lies I told myself, over the fear I felt of losing both of them, forever.
Lily was sent to my room to help me get ready. I enjoyed having her around. It was odd being in a room with someone who was so quiet. I was so used to Snow’s rambling and unstoppable chatter, that now the room seemed deathly quiet.
I needed her help. I wasn’t entirely sure I could trust her, but I had no other choice. First, I needed to know why she gave me the vial. When I asked, she shrugged like she didn’t know. She stood as still as a statue, as still as a guard. Lily motioned with one hand to her other hand like she was passing something off. “Someone gave you the vial to give to me?” I guessed.
She nodded emphatically.
I wanted to ask who, but she had already turned away.
“Lily?” She turned from the basin to me. “I need your help.” She nodded and her expression said as much.
I went to the armoire and felt in the back for the sheathed dagger. My heart began to race when I couldn’t find it. Lily came to stand next to me. She nudged my shoulder. Her face was questioning when I looked at her. I reached father back into the armoire and my fingers shuffled over unfamiliar objects until I felt the smooth leather. I slumped forward in relief. As I pulled the dagger out from behind the miscellaneous clothes, I heard Lily’s breath catch. I held the dagger between us. Her eyes widened in horror. I couldn’t imagine what was going through her head.
I took her hand and guided her to the chair at the small desk. “Don’t worry.” Those were a bad choice of words to start off a conversation. I started again, “The only thing I want you to do is hide this somewhere in the ballroom where Lord Darenfys will be near. Then, find a way to let me know where it is.”
Slowly, she nodded. It was clear she understood. Should I tell her what I really came here to do? Were my feelings right, in trusting her, endangering her, or worse? I had no one else to rely on and I needed help. “I’m going to kill Lord Darenfys tonight during the ball.” I whispered and with my eyes as wide as saucers, I waited to see what Lily would do with that nugget of a confession.
A pause, which seemed to last for a very long time ended when Lily took my empty hand in hers. Then, she wrapped her arms around my waist and sobbed.
I pulled back. How could she be upset I planned to kill the monster that fed off her? Was she that loyal to the Lord? Working hard to figure out the features on her angled face as they shifted and deepened, I was no closer to understanding why she cared so much. I wanted her to yell the reasons at me. But, she would never speak again. That alone added another reason to kill the Lord.
Swiftly, Lily took the dagger from my hand. I tried to grab it but she held it behind her back. Panic kneed its way down my spine. She took a step back toward the door. Then, she held the dagger out in front her as if she was gifting it to me and then, she bowed. She was crying when she looked at me. I saw her tears filled with gratitude and joy. I let out the breath I held. She was so beautiful, graceful, and young. And I, nervous as hell, stupidly excited to commit murder, was never more grateful.
9
Lily left my room with the dagger hidden under her tattered tunic. I stood just inside the doorway, waiting to be escorted to the ball. When the guard knocked, my heart hammered against my chest. This was it. The moment came for me to do what I was born to do, commit murder. Up until this moment, I’d imagined in my head a thousand times over how tonight would go down. Blacwin being my date at the ball was not in that plan. It also proved to be someone’s sick sense of humor; on the way to the ballroom there wasn’t even a second that we were alone, that I could try to talk to him. The castle was bustling with servants, guests, and guards. Everyone I passed bowed down to me. I felt like an awkward impostor who would crumble at any given second. For the first time, I was grateful the dress was so tight, I felt like the tight fabric was holding me together.
Blacwin said nothing as he walked me straight to the entrance of the ballroom. It reminded me of my nightmares when he had been so silent. It was like we had regressed to that time period again. I stopped in the corridor a few feet behind him. He glanced over his shoulder before whispering something to the guard standing by the ballroom door. When I saw it was Chandler, hope blossomed in my chest. They were conspiring. Both of them had played their parts so well to get us to this point. They had to know this was where I planned to carry out our plan. Chandler opened the door and announced that Lady Iris Catherine Leigh-Thorn had arrived. I took a few steps into the room. A servant holding a tray of food scurried by. She kept her head low but I was sure there was something familiar about her.
Blacwin led me through a parted crowd. Each person I passed bowed down to me. Lord Darenfys was seated on his throne. Penemuel was on one side of the Lord and Blacwin took the other. The Lord held out his arms to me. It mortified me to envelope myself in them, but it was what everyone here had come to see; The Lord to take a bride. I didn’t know what I had expected, but there were a lot more people here than I had anticipated. An unnoticed stab through the heart was not going to be easy to accomplish. I needed a distraction, one that would draw most of the guests to the other side of the room, including Penemuel.
I scanned the room for Lily. I prayed she’d had a chance to accomplish the task of hiding the dagger and finding a way to let me know where. Without that happening, none of the rest of the plan could happen. Someone gently touched my hand. I looked up and saw the servant I had noticed when I first came in. I knew I had recognized her. Adelina’s slick knowing smile fell exactly into place on her perfect lips. Her long flowing hair was pulled into a tight bun and the fiery torch color of her hair was dyed an unnatural shade of midnight. It was as if she’d morphed into another creature who had lived centuries ago. There was no denying what she was trying to do. After the Lord was killed, she would gladly take her place as ruler of Skelside.
She made no obvious moves in front of the Lord. Her death would no doubt come sooner than his if she was recognized as the Carving Witch.
Adelina looked directly at me, lifted a slender finger to her full lips and mouthed the word, “Shhh...”
My first thought: she could be the distraction; second thought: I needed her blood and I needed to do whatever it took to keep her safe until I could get it. She grinned and then disappeared into the crowd of the dancing guests.
Lord Darenfys motioned for a servant to come to him. I had assumed he needed his blood fix. When I saw Lily come in our direction I immediately stood in between the Lord and her. The image of him latched onto her neck took over every other thought. She refused to make eye contact with me, which I desperately wanted. I needed to know where she hid the dagger. Not knowing if Blacwin and Chandler were on board and playing it off, and with Adelina now in the mix, I wasn’t sure what was supposed to happen next. Planning a murder was very different than winging your way through one, which I had no experience with either; especially since I had no idea who
m I could trust. The door through which we had come was farther than I thought. Making a run for it seemed like my best option at the moment. I mean, who was I kidding? I never even took karate lessons before, and now I was to fight and stab someone, a fallen angel no less. My thoughts were boomeranging back and forth in my head.
The Lord reached for my hand and I let him take it while I worked to get my head straight and think of what to do next.
“Iris, my love, you know sweet Lily, don’t you?”
“Yes. She’s been very helpful.” I hoped my words would be the hint to let me know where she hid the dagger. But still, she made no eye contact.
“Do you know why I call her sweet Lily?”
OH God! No! Not here! She had been trained well and I was mortified when she leaned in close to the Lord as if to hear a secret. Our hands were still joined underneath her. I tried to pull it free but he held on tight. He gathered a fistful of her hair in his other hand and pulled her closer. He opened his mouth just above her neck. I noticed sharp K-9 teeth for the first time. He smiled at me before he bit into her flesh. Her eyes tightened, and as hard as he bit her neck, she bit her lip. A drop of blood had seeped from between her lips. The Lord’s eyes glowed as he sucked her blood, all the while staring humorously at me. I tried to pull away again, but he refused to lose contact.
I looked up at Blacwin, wanting him to do something but he wasn’t even watching the horrifying event that was happening right in front of him. The Lord released Lily and she stumbled back. Another servant was there to catch her, and took her to get cleaned up.
A male servant handed the Lord a cloth. He wiped his mouth. “You should taste her, she’s very sweet.”
I yanked my hand as hard as I could from his, and finally I was free. The need to kill grew so strong. Bringing this monster down and putting an end to all this madness was what I intended to do. Exactly then, I did everything opposite of what I wanted. Holding onto the last of my composure, I tried to direct all of my anger to completing what I came here to do. I shifted strategies. When events happen you’re not sure how to deal with, you do whatever it takes to get to the next level; the level you strive to be on. I stood and turned toward the Lord. “Dance with me.” I glanced at Blacwin who stood to our right. He neither protested nor gave a look of surprise. I knew then, I was in this alone. He was part of Skelside. It had claimed the rest of his humanity and turned it against me.
Lord Darenfys rose. “It is I who should be asking you.” Hand in hand we walked to the dance floor. I hadn’t heard the music until all of the guests stopped dancing and moved off the floor. There wasn’t a person in the room whose attention was not on us. We danced. All of those times Mr. Yves had insisted I learned the fundamentals of “real” dancing were very appreciated now. Even through the switchblades in my stomach, the attention from so many people, and still only with a half-assed plan to commit murder, I wasn’t too bad on my feet.
“My dear, you have the grace of a butterfly.”
“Thank you.”
The Lord waved his hand and other guests joined us. As he spun me, I scanned the room for Lily. Humiliation had to be vibrating through her. It was bad enough he got his fix from a goblet, but getting it from the vein, and in front of at least a hundred people... The odd part was no one seemed to have noticed, except me. Guards and other servants had been a shield in front of his sick event, so he must have been out of sight.
“My dear, why don’t you go mingle with your guests and let them get to know you?”
“Sure.” I watched him make his way through the crowd. The guests respectfully moved out of his way and bowed as he passed. I wondered if they really knew what he was and what he was capable of.
“You, little one, have not planned well.”
I turned to see who had spoken to me. Adelina stood so close I could smell her. She held a tray up as if she was conveniently asking me if I wanted a roasted garlic chicken wing. “I thought you would have had more sense of what you were walking in on. Did you not think Chandler and your beloved Blacwin would be taken and programmed to be one of his slave guards. It’s easier than you think, since his blood is what made them what they are, loyal to Lord Darenfys.
“Isn’t it dangerous for you to be here?”
“I’m risking everything to make sure you carry out what I want you to do.” She glanced over my shoulder and tsked. “That poor girl.”
“What girl?” I thought of Lily. “Is he—”
“Oh yes, and enjoying every drop.” Adelina chuckled. “I’m not sure how there’s any left in that tiny body.”
I hadn’t dare looked. “I want this to be over as much as you.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
I was embarrassed to say the next part but what did it matter at this point? “I gave the dagger to Lily, the girl he... and she was supposed to hide it somewhere here in the ballroom. Don’t know—”
“Where.” She finished for me. Adelina grinned so beautifully she could have been on the cover of Vogue Magazine. She had been waiting for this moment for hundreds of years. Now that it was right upon us, she was anxious and impatient. And there wasn’t anything or anyone stopping it from happening. “Then it’s quite a good thing I do.”
My heart sped up when I realized what she was saying. “How?”
“Why does that matter? Let’s just say, your little servant friend is quite clever. Besides, the question you should be asking is where.” She lowered the tray until it was directly between us. “You’ll need your strength, take one, and I’ll seek you out in a bit.” She handed me a napkin and I took an hors d’oeuvre. She bowed, not out of respect like the other servants and guests, but as not to draw attention, and walked away.
Kenyon had held her pain all this time. But she had still held desperately onto the Lord’s love. It was in her eyes when she looked at him. The hatred in her glare as he suckled Lily’s neck was unmistakable. It seemed her agenda had changed and instead of me being the weapon, I was the bait.
Several minutes had passed and I desperately wanted to be able to breathe in air that wasn’t filled with perfumes, the smell of food, sweat, and blood. I quickly walked to the entrance where Chandler stood. As soon as my hand touched the handle of the door, he held out his hand and guided me back into the ballroom. “No one leaves until the Lord announces it.”
“I am not just anyone—I’m—”
“I know exactly who you are.”
My heart leapt and landed on the floor. He was playing his part in all this. Which made me believe Blacwin was, too. Knowing I had them at my side when I plunged the dagger into Darenfys was all I needed, to see this through. “Thank God. You had me worried.” I wanted to hug him but didn’t dare. “Chandler—” that was all I could say before his eyes shifted, and he looked directly into mine. I saw nothing but a shell, a void, where nothing of the Chandler I had grown to love existed anymore.
“My Lady, it will be wise for you to return to the party.”
Panic. Hopelessness. Abandonment. I wanted to escape. Bathroom. I looked around the room—where was the freaking bathroom? The servant who was closest to me held out a tray of drinks. Ignoring them, I asked where the restroom was. He pointed to the far corner of the room. As quickly and as elegantly as I could, I rushed in that direction. Expecting a line, because that was a prerequisite at a party, I was pleasantly surprised there wasn’t one. When I came around the corner, Adelina was waiting for me.
“You’re not trying to run away, are you?”
I was in no mood for her games. This game of hers was out of control. “To where? Kenyon’s house to hang out with Snow?”
Her laugh was taunting and cruel. “You can hang out with whomever you want after... That is if you’re not caught.”
“I’ll gladly stab the dagger into my own chest if I am.” I saw a cloth under the tray she held. “Is that it?” I nodded to it. She held it out to me. I took it. It was heavier than I remembered. “Are you going to be able to wa
tch the love of your life die?”
Adelina flinched with the blow of my words. “Watch yourself, girl. If everything goes as planned, everything will be as it should be by the end of tonight.” I didn’t like the sound of that. She tilted her head and gave a brief nod. “Go now, it won’t be long until it’s time.” She glanced over my shoulder. “I’ll be kind and give you a moment to get to your station.” Adelina winked. “See you on the other side.”
I turned and walked to where Lord Darenfys sat. He wiped his mouth with the stained cloth. A loud crash on the other side of the room caused everyone to look in the direction of the noise. Adelina was on her hands and knees cleaning up the tray, the distraction. Penemuel had stepped away from the Lord’s side to see what the ruckus was. Lily was weak but somehow managed to know I needed help. She fell onto her knees in the path of Penemuel. He fell over her. He scrambled to his feet, dragging Lily up with him.
“You stupid girl!” He held her up by her tunic.
Another crash came from behind me. Glass shattered. Guests screamed and chaos broke out. Blacwin stepped down from his post. I didn’t have a chance to look at Chandler. This was the only moment I would have.
Penemuel turned on Lily and drew his sword. Her eyes met mine. There was no fear or regret shown in them, only pride and self-respect. Her mouth curved into a sweet smile that was made just for me. He raised the blade in the air. She set her sight on Penemuel and looked directly into his eyes as he brought the blade down and sliced her throat.
My anger spawned into pure rage. Adelina, the Lord, and his pawns had fucked with me, and everyone I cared about and loved. I drew the dagger from its sheath. The torch light glistened off the blade. In all of the commotion I rushed Lord Darenfys. Another crash of dishes and glasses came from behind me. I raised the dagger over the Lord and brought it down. I felt the blade pierce his chest. Wet pooled around the blade. Triumph, shock and a million other emotions rushed through every cell in my body. I stood frozen.