Page 9

CHAPTER 9

I startled as I woke to a dress hanging in the open window of my room. The breeze ruffled the fabric, making my tired mind believe it was a person at first glance rather than a gown. Once I realized it was only a piece of clothing, I groaned and covered my face with the sheets. Through the thin fabric, the sound of the door to my room opening caused me to peek an eye out.

“Oh, good. You’re awake,” Katie said, floating across the room in her usual drab attire.

“Unfortunately,” I muttered, but then she grabbed the sheets and yanked them back. “Hey!”

She ignored my protests, moving to the hanging dress. The brisk morning chill wafting through the window ate at my bare legs.

“What could possibly be so important that I have to wear that?” The dress was pure silk, silver lace covering the top half of the garnet outfit.

“You’re going to the city, Auria.”

I froze in my movements to get out of bed. “I’m going where?”

“Silicate. You’ve heard of it.”

“Of course I have,” I said, exasperated. Was this actually happening?

“Oh, Auria,” my maid began, a look of understanding on her face as she regarded me. “Do not be scared.”

“I’m not scared, I’m…in shock.”

That had to be an acceptable reaction for someone who had never been to the city that was only a thirty-minute ride away on horseback. Would I get to ride a horse? Talk to the people who live in the city? Visit Taylin where she grew up?

“But excited, right?”

“Yes,” I answered, finally getting up from the bed. The cold stone seeped through the rug beside my bed, biting into my exposed toes.

“You’ll enjoy your time there, I’m sure. I don’t visit often, but try not to judge it at first appearance. Not everyone is as well-off as your father. Not every place looks like”—her eyes roamed the room—“this.” Her hand ran down the side of the dress, as if her mind was somewhere else as she spoke.

I didn’t expect the town to be lavish and sparkling. Just seeing different scenery than the same stone walls and long hallways would be enough for me.

“The guards will keep you safe, as I’m sure Lander will as well,” she continued, holding the dress out to me.

I froze at the word. “Safe?” Was it dangerous there?

She eyed me hesitantly, like she was debating how much to tell. “You need to be careful outside the chasm, Auria. There could be things—” She stopped herself.

“What things?” I pressed.

She shook her head, pushing the dress closer to me. “I’ve said too much.”

I slowly took it from her, the soft fabric running through my fingers as her warning rang through my head.

“You’re the king’s daughter, Auria. People may not treat you the same as you are treated here.” But the way she said it, it seemed it wasn’t only the people she was trying to warn me about. “Just stay close to them, okay?”

I’d never seen such concern in her eyes, let alone hear it in her voice. Katie was more a mother figure to me than Heidi had ever been, regardless of her title as my maid.

“I will,” I assured her, dropping it. She said I’d be kept safe, and I didn’t doubt that. I couldn’t hold too much fear in this, knowing I was finally getting what I wanted—to leave. “Will I visit the cellars before we depart?”

She shook her head, rearranging various items on my vanity. “You are excused today.”

The shock of knowing I was going to the city was nothing compared to her response.

“I-I’m excused?”

Never in my life had I been given a day off from my time in the cellar. Not even when I was running a fever or down with a stomach bug.

“Yes, Auria.” Hope shone in her eyes as she twisted to face me, like she was just as excited as I was. “You are excused.”

The slight tilt of her lips told me she knew exactly what this meant. I was finally getting what I dreamed of for so long.

My smile mimicked hers, though we both tried to hide them, despite being in the privacy of my room. I felt almost foolish being this excited when it was only a day.

But a day held so much potential. So many possibilities. And soon, I’d be on a three-week trip. Three weeks without duplicating magic, without draining my energy for my father’s benefit.

I wondered what my body and mind would feel like after a day away from using my magic, and how weeks might feel.

Katie dipped her chin. “Right. Well, get dressed, my lady. There are only so many hours in the day.”

I gave her a nod before she exited my room so I could have privacy to get ready.

I’d never stripped so fast in my life.

* * *

I didn’t get to travel by horse like I’d hoped. Even if I only got to see the scenery through the tiny window of the carriage I was currently stuffed in, I was enamored enough with the view of the forest we passed through that it didn’t matter.

I’d take what I could get.

The cart rocked side to side as it maneuvered over rocks and divots in the dirt path, jostling Lander and I where we were seated across from each other.

“Are all rides this bumpy?” I asked. I wouldn’t lie and pretend I wasn’t the slightest bit perturbed, and the uneven ground did little to ease those nerves.

“Have you never ridden in a carriage before?” Lander questioned, cocking his head slightly as he studied me.

I reckoned he didn’t know my situation very well, then.

I shook my head. “This is my first time.”

His eyes trailed to my slippers. “You’ll need better footwear for our journey.”

“Won’t I be in a carriage like this one?” I assumed I wouldn’t be allowed to ride a horse then either—as much as I was dying to.

A crease formed between his brows. “You’ll still need to walk, Lady Auria. The carriage won’t simply drop you inside the doors of wherever we’ll be staying.”

I shifted my posture, folding my hands tightly in my lap as I moved my gaze from Lander to the window. “I don’t expect that. I just thought I’d be under orders to stay inside as much as possible.” Did he really think I was that presumptuous to have an entire horse-drawn cart go inside the doors of a home? He was demented if so. But the one thing I had come to like about Lander so far was that he didn’t seem to judge others—at least me—given his guilty pleasures in gambling were far from perfect. It seemed he’d come to accept that people wouldn’t particularly like how he spent his free time, and rather than let that bother him, he chose to not care what others thought at all.

Regardless, he was right. I’d have to let Katie know that I’d need new shoes before we departed.

I turned back to face him. “Have you traveled to the other kingdoms before?”

He leaned back on the bench. “I have. And if you’re wondering, you’re not particularly missing out.”

My brows furrowed in confusion at his response.

“Not much to do in kingdoms full of oppressed people,” he went on.

Puzzlement hit me harder than before. “Why do you say that?”

He studied me a moment, almost like he was gauging if I was serious or not. “Common folk don’t have much to be happy about with trade being the way that it is right now.”

“Is it that bad?”

He shrugged. “In some parts. Some are better off than others, but that doesn’t make anyone particularly happy. Leaders are doing what they can, but with tensions high, uproar seems to be more common than not recently.”

I nodded, my mind at a loss on how to reply as his words did little to ease the nerves building in my stomach. “I haven’t,” I told him, though he didn’t ask. “Been to other kingdoms, I mean. I’m excited to see what’s out there, though.”

He let out the smallest snort. “There isn’t much. Besides, we won’t have time to explore, per your father’s orders. He’s sending us on the quickest route for a reason.”

I folded my hands together on my lap, straightening my shoulders. “Then I guess I’ll do my best to take in what I can as we travel.”

His brows rose as he slowly nodded.

“What’s that look for?” I asked.

He placed his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. “Are you not aware of how dangerous it is outside the kingdoms?”

“I thought you said there isn’t much out there,” I snarked. He was only trying to scare me.

“There are precautions taken inside Amosite’s borders to keep the people safe. The same goes for the other kingdoms, though they don’t have the same benefits of the chasm. The laws that protect you in here”—he pointed to the carriage floor—“will not be in place out there.” His finger aimed toward the window. “So I suggest you put your life before your sightseeing, Lady Auria.”

I inhaled deeply through my nose in an attempt to keep my composure. He wasn’t going to ruin my excitement of crossing that bridge by adding fuel to my reservations. If I died out there, so be it. At least I wouldn’t have lived without seeing some of the world.

“If this trip is so risky, why is my father sending us? Surely the kings and queens seeing the engagement announcement was enough to convince them.”

Lander’s eyes narrowed on me, though more so in confusion than annoyance. “It’s not just royalty that’s angry with your father.”

Of course it wasn’t. “Who else?”

“The people,” he answered like it was obvious. “What he’s done has essentially severed the peace between common folk and their royal leaders.”

I opened my mouth to ask what my father could have done, but before I could get a word out, the approaching city caught my eye through the window. I turned to peer out, excited to see it up close for the first time, but instead of feeling awe, more confusion coursed through me. Silicate didn’t look nearly as beautiful at this distance as it did when I saw it from the castle.

Every building was a different shade of mottled gray, the uneven stone streets reflecting the same trite palette. As we entered the city limits, the driver steering the carriage to where I assumed was downtown. There, the street turned to pure dirt, deep divots worn into the path from years of use.

As we ventured deeper, the social status of certain city folk was clear, as some wore nicer clothes than others, but nothing among the multitude of people compared to the finery Lander and I wore. Most of the townspeople wore fabrics lacking any color, aside from varying shades of white and brown, causing them to almost blend in with the buildings around them. Upon closer look, I realized most of the brown clothing was faded from its original red color, either the sun or age depleting the pigment.

Every few blocks, an establishment would reach three or four stories high, but most of the residences didn’t expand beyond the first floor. They were piled upon each other, not a gap to be found in between the houses.

Once we entered the main square, the carriage jerked to a stop. I braced a hand on the wall to keep from sliding forward onto Lander. The sound of boots hitting the dirt filtered through the carriage, and a moment later, the door was thrown open.

I looked to Lander, not sure if that meant I was supposed to get out.

He gestured to the door. “My lady.”

Using the wall to balance myself, I pushed off the seat, bending slightly at the waist so I wouldn’t hit my head on the ceiling. My excitement nearly made me rush, but I forced myself to slow. I set my hand in the waiting palm of the attendant outside the carriage and stepped down the two wooden steps, taking in our surroundings as my slippers hit the ground. I was barely aware of it as my hand slid back to my side, my mind trying to wrap around what I was seeing.

Lander exited as well, stopping beside me as the guard closed the door behind us, then stood post next to the wheel.

One glance around the square at the feet of the civilians told me enough. What looked to be compost sat in small piles littered about. Children had dirt-stained cheeks, mothers greasy hair, and men’s hands were caked with oil and littered with untended cuts.

But all the healing vials I produced… The water magic. Was none of it being sent here? Were they not able to bathe?

“Is it what you were expecting?” Lander asked as he meagerly attempted to straighten his button-down.

I swallowed, not sure how to respond. I never would have expected this was the reality of Silicate from my view at the castle. Taylin had told me stories of the city, but I guess I didn’t think it was this bad.

“Not quite,” I admitted quietly.

“Don’t hate that castle on the hill so much now, do you?” he asked, working on the top button of his shirt.

If anything, the sight before me made me hate my home more. Seeing Amosite’s people living in such conditions, with dogs wandering the streets, piles of manure stacked high behind buildings, and trash littered about. No one seemed bothered, as if this was normal to them. It almost made me…angry.

My father was sitting up in his castle, hoarding resources and hosting lavish parties, all while his people lived like this.

Did he purposefully hide this from me thinking that if I knew, I’d demand he do something about it?

I could help these people. I could replenish more magic if they needed it. Why would he keep it from me, knowing I could do more?

But worst of all, why was he okay with these conditions?

I didn’t give Lander a response, for if I told him the truth, he might take the information back to my father. Or worse, word could get back to my stepmother that I was ungrateful.

“Care for a stroll?” he asked, holding his hand out to me in offering.

Right. That was what we were meant to do. Show our presence, and look happy doing it.

I nodded, adjusting my skirt before placing my palm in his. We began walking side by side through the dusty street, the feeling of his skin on mine for so long foreign to me. The rocks hidden in the dirt threatened to pierce through the bottom of my slippers, quickly proving Lander right. I’d most definitely need better shoes for the journey.

Three Amosite guards trailed behind me, while two others stuck closer to Lander, their hands at the ready to grab their swords if they needed to act fast. I could feel the magic flowing through their weapons like my very own heart beating in my chest. Blacksmiths crafted daggers and swords with the ability to hold vials of magic in the pommel. Once a vial was placed in the compartment, its power would flow through the steel. If they inserted poison, it would infect whoever was cut by the blade. If they chose fire, the weapon would light with flames as soon as it was unsheathed.

I’d sometimes steal a quick peek at the guards training on the fields behind the castle, but I’d never seen them use magic during lessons. I could only feel magic being used from a certain distance, depending on the strength and type of power, but when it was amplified through steel, it was easier to detect.

We passed mostly empty carts of various fruits and vegetables, but what was left on display was either dirty or near rotten. Though what remained didn’t look appetizing in the slightest, people still milled about, making trades to purchase the foods so they’d at least have something in their stomachs. All the while, townspeople sent wary glances our way, rightfully confused as to why we were here.

Nausea rolled through me just thinking of how these families were living. How they must feel to live in fear of starving or wilting away from improper conditions. I hated that they had to endure such things. This wasn’t right .

As we continued on our way, Lander never strayed from my side. He stayed close, as did the guards. Being the king’s daughter, I was sure they were afraid someone might try to harm me, but for some reason, I didn’t carry the same fear I had felt a sliver of in the carriage.

The people had a right to hate me.

I caught a few glares as we made our way through the main square. Who we were went without question. Word of our engagement had probably already traveled, but now they had proof. It didn’t help that our means of transportation was so unnecessarily flashy that one glance and even a fool would know it held someone of royalty.

My focus snagged on a dark-haired man walking past us in a hurry, some kind of black ink traveling up his exposed arms in swirls and shapes I’d never seen before. I wasn’t aware people had the ability to stain their skin in such a way.

Beside me, Lander tensed a bit, dropping my hand as his eyes narrowed on the man passing an alley. Suddenly, the stranger switched direction, turning right back around as two city guards came out from a shop. They wore a different sort of armor than that of the castle’s guards, more silver weaved throughout with only accents of garnet.

The man’s clear attempt to avoid their attention failed as the guards drew their swords.

“Stop!” one of them shouted at the man.

Lander put a hand on my arm, halting me where we stood.

The man had to be barely twenty feet from us now.

He immediately took off in a run, the city guards following suit as one of their swords lit with flame.

My three guards quickly surrounded me while Lander’s did the same, ushering the two of us toward the nearest building to keep us out of the way. The one with a bald head and dark red beard grabbed my upper arm, yanking me against the wall. I let out a small gasp as his fingers dug into my skin, but my attention was too trained on the man with ink running down his arms to do anything about it.

“I said stop!” the guard shouted again as he sheathed his sword and yanked a firearm from his hip. It had a curved wooden handle with gold accents, the worn tip long and narrow.

My eyes widened at the sight of it.

Why would the guards in the city need to carry firearms? I’d only ever heard stories of them being used in battle, their magic bullets much more effective than close combat with a blade.

As if in slow motion, the guard’s thumb pulled back the hammer, his finger adding pressure to the trigger, and it fired.

An ear-piercing boom echoed off the stone buildings, the sound traveling down every nearby street.

I didn’t think to cover my ears, and as a result, ringing filled my head as my eyes trailed to the man now lying in a heap on the street, his blood seeping into the dirt like water breaking through an unstable dam.

“Get her out of here,” Lander instructed as the guard holding my arm yanked me closer to him. “Now!”

My body felt numb as I was rushed back to the carriage, my mind spinning with questions as the ringing subsided.

Why did they shoot him? What did he do to make himself a target?

Why did he have ink running down his arms?

Did the shapes mean anything?

In a flash, I was being shoved inside the carriage. My skirt caught under my foot as I stumbled inside, and I braced my hands on the bench to keep myself from face-planting.

Lander stepped in behind me, helping me into my seat with a steadying hand on my waist.

I plopped onto the cushioned bench, yanking my skirt away from my feet. I hated all this damn fabric.

“Are you okay?” Lander asked as he took his spot across from me at the same moment a guard slammed the door shut.

“What just happened?” I hadn’t realized how out of breath I was until I spoke.

His eyes searched my face. “They were trying to arrest a citizen.”

The carriage jerked forward as a whip sounded, but this time, I didn’t have time to catch myself. Lander set his hands on my shoulders to steady me, and I scooted back on the bench.

“Why? What did he do?”

A crease formed on Lander’s forehead. “You saw his tattoos.”

I shoved my hair away from my face, suddenly feeling hot. “Yes, and? That doesn’t tell me why they needed to shoot him.” I didn’t say what we both knew came after the shot. That he was dead.

Lander was silent a moment, studying me like he couldn’t figure out if I was being honest or just snippy. “The ink means he stole.”

“Stole what?”

“Magic.”

I shook my head, more questions arising than before. “You’re telling me someone etched black swirls into his arms and hands because he stole magic ?” It didn’t make any sense.

“Are you testing me?” he asked, his tone accusatory.

“What?” How would I be testing him ? None of this was logical.

He dropped the question, finally taking me at my word that I had no clue what the fuck was going on. “Magic stains people when they steal it with ill intent. It’s not a…pleasant process. But it’s basically just a blaring sign saying they’re criminals.”

I blinked rapidly, trying to process what he was telling me. I truly thought I knew everything there was to know about magic, given that I worked with it every day. “So because he took magic against the law, it inked him?”

Lander nodded, though the rocking of the carriage made it hard to notice.

“And he deserved to die for that?” I asked.

His features softened a bit before he said, “It’s your father’s law that thieves are to be killed, Lady Auria. Magic inks for its own reasons, but he uses it as a way to rid the land of criminals. Other kingdoms follow the same rules. Your father is just a bit more…strict about it.”

My mind whirled as I tried to process his words, the unstable movements of the coach churning a sea of nausea in my gut.

It all hit me—how much I truly didn’t know. Being stuck in that castle might seem like a luxury to those on the outside, but it was my own personal prison. I knew nothing of the real world, and yet, I was expected to travel throughout the entire continent in just a few days.

Maybe Lander and Katie were right—Serpentine was dangerous. Not only for me physically, but mentally as well. Once I got a taste of the world outside of my father’s walls, I feared I wouldn’t want to go back. I wouldn’t want to be locked away again, forced to do the same draining tasks every day until I died. I wanted to know these things I’d learned today. To know…more.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what else I was blind to when I’d already found out so much in the small amount of time we were in Silicate.

There had to be a way to convince my father to let me have a sliver of freedom outside of the castle after my return from our journey through Serpentine.

I just had to figure out what that was.