Page 41 of House of the Beast

I could see the way Sevelie wavered. Despite her grievances with her future husband, she was still loyal to House Avera, and to her duty.

But then she froze. Curious, I followed her gaze back to Kaim, who had finally lost some of his dark demeanor.

At his side, quietly taking Sevelie’s place, was Fion.

He placed a discreet hand on Kaim’s arm and Kaim leaned into him like a flower into sunlight.

Sevelie turned back to Darantha with a smile. “Thank you, Auntie, but I’m worried about Alma as well after what happened with Uncle Maximus. Someone should watch over her, wouldn’t you agree?” She left a flabbergasted Darantha and came over to me. “Come on, Alma—let’s go home.”

***

IN MY HEAD, I HAD PREPARED ALL THE QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ask Aster when I saw him again, rehearsed them silently on the carriage ride back to Sevelie’s home.

What I had not prepared for was for him to tackle me in a flying hug the moment I set foot through my bedroom door.

“Aster!” I gasped as I was swept fully off my feet and twirled around. My stomach swooped. “Put me down!”

He didn’t seem to hear me. “You were amazing!” he crowed, still spinning me, his robes fluttering around us. “Alma, you’ve made me so happy!”

I managed to struggle out of his arms and slammed the door shut in case anyone were to come along and see me floating through the air untethered.

My heart was still pounding—I had never seen Aster so full of joy.

It almost made me want to abandon my senses and share in his celebration.

But I needed answers. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I turned to face him again, ready to grill him about my uncle’s actions—only his enthusiasm had not dampened at all, and he took hold of my hands, beaming.

My metal hand was still crusty with blood, but he didn’t seem to care.

“What’s with you?” I asked, still trying to get my bearings. “Why are you so happy?”

“You felt it, right?” he said breathlessly. “The moment we truly connected. At long last.”

There was no doubt in my mind what he was speaking of. The light still tingled in my metal hand, a lingering warmth that had never been there before.

“I felt it,” I confirmed absently, the memory of it threatening to drive me to distraction. It had been overwhelming, almost like I was losing myself—but despite that, I had felt safe. I had known with certainty that no harm would come to me.

His hands came up to cup my face. He leaned in, eyes aflame. “I wish you would let me kiss you right now.”

Flushing furiously, I shoved him away. How could he be so blithe after what had happened? “Stop distracting me,” I snapped. “I have questions for you—like what the fuck my uncle was doing there, and why he wanted to kill me!”

“He didn’t want to kill you,” said Aster, catching at my hand. I ripped it away, but he continued on unfazed, eyes still burning into mine. “It was a test.”

“Were you responsible for this test? Did you know what he would do?” I demanded, blood boiling again. I deserved some clarity after what I had been through. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

“I didn’t know!” said Aster, now backing away with his hands held up in surrender.

He seemed to have finally realized how pissed I was, the joy dissipating from his expression.

I felt a twinge of guilt for being the one to drive it away, but reminded myself that now was not the time to be soft.

“I didn’t know what he was planning, Alma. I swear.”

I did not let him go far, dogging his steps with my own. He was not going to shimmy his way out of this confrontation. “Then why did he say we were vessels for a greater struggle? Was he not referring to you?”

“Ah,” said Aster. “Yes, I suppose he was referring to me in a way—but I didn’t put him up to it.”

My eyes narrowed. I jabbed a finger into his chest. “He said I was going to be the one to bring them all to ruin. How does he know that, if you haven’t been talking to him?”

Did Maximus know of my revenge? Would he tell anyone?

“He’s married to Darantha. Of course he thinks a bastard daughter is going to ruin House Avera.

He must have wanted to pit himself against you, to see which of you was more suited to be First Hand of the Beast. And of course, you won and proved yourself better than the most fearsome swordsman in Kugara.

Our bond was stronger than his,” he finished warmly.

His praise had always been difficult to resist. And it seemed my anger would not erase his good mood, no matter what. I shoved at him helplessly. “Stop that,” I said. “I’m furious at you.”

He sighed, no longer backing away but bringing his hands up to hold me comfortingly by the shoulders. “I know, Alma. I’m sorry for how this happened.”

I found myself leaning into his touch even as I stared at the blood crusted between the grooves of my metal fingers. At the time, plunging my sword into my uncle’s chest had felt like a triumph. Now the memory of that feeling sickened me. “I didn’t want to hurt him. I just—”

A knock at my door halted my words in my throat. “Alma?” came Sevelie’s voice.

Shit. There was no way she hadn’t overheard me.

Aster’s expression turned venomous. “She’s interrupting. Tell her to go away.”

I almost did, not wanting to have to explain myself.

But I remembered the way Sevelie had chosen me over Darantha at the banquet hall, keeping her word about giving me a place to stay even though she had reason enough to abandon me.

Even after I had treated her coldly, she was trying to uphold her end of the bargain.

I could not tell her to leave, just like that.

Another, more petty part of me wanted to answer her simply because I was also still angry at Aster.

He had not come to my aid until my greatest moment of desperation, and I could not forget my helpless fear just because he had said it wasn’t his fault.

And now as I was trying to confront him about it, he had wormed past my defenses again, and I had let him.

I should leave him hanging—just a little bit.

Ignoring my protesting companion, I went to the door and cautiously creaked it open.

“Yes?” I answered.

“Is someone in there?” said Sevelie, trying unashamedly to peek around me.

“No.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I heard you speaking.”

“I just finished commune.”

“Commune,” she repeated slowly. She wasn’t an idiot. She may not have been part of House Avera, but she had grown up around vessels of the Dread Beast. She knew what commune looked like.

Silence, darkness, peace.

Not shouting at the empty air.

“Was there something you needed?” I asked to distract her. She was still peering past my shoulder into the dark bedroom beyond as if expecting to find someone there. I could sense Aster behind me, probably staring back obstinately, but she would not be able to tell.

Still, she looked away, disconcerted, as if she had sensed his ire somehow.

“I just wanted to make sure you were all right,” she said, and met my eyes.

There was genuine worry in her expression, which surprised me.

I had thought that she might blame me for what happened tonight, just like Darantha.

“It must have been harrowing, to go against Uncle Maximus like that in front of all those people. I saw you trying to talk to him. And then he—” She paused, shuddering at a memory.

“Well. I know Kaim and Auntie Darantha are upset, but it seems no one’s asking how you are. I just wanted to check in on you.”

Her sincerity took me aback. I could not remember the last time someone had worried about my feelings. Not since my mother, at least.

“I’ve been better,” I said, surprised at my own honesty. She had caught me off guard. “Uncle Maximus left me... shaken. But I will be fine.”

“Good,” declared Sevelie decidedly. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Right. Was there something else you—”

“You really can hear His voice, can’t you?”

I hesitated, eyeing her cautiously. She continued, “You always look like you’re paying attention to something that’s not there.

Like on the train, or before we entered the banquet hall.

I didn’t think the rumors around the estate were true—they have a tendency to be quite cruel, after all.

But you were talking to someone just now.

You see something Kaim and Lord Zander can’t. Don’t you?”

Her expression was carefully neutral. Her tone, I thought, was more curious than judgmental.

I had never told anyone about Aster before—but she already knew more about my “madness” than the others.

After tonight, it would not have been too much of a stretch to admit to the rumors.

Maybe it would even help my case, if I were to be questioned again.

It seemed my Uncle Maximus would be excused from interrupting the ceremony and murdering a dozen men tonight for the same reason.

There was no reason not to take advantage of that. “Yes,” I said. “I do.”

Her fingers clutched at her skirt. “What’s it like?”

I stared at her. I had expected horror, or discomfort. Not the interest shining in her eyes. “Sorry?”

Her expression turned wistful. “I used to want to be a vessel more than anything. They always seem so gallant in the stories, you know? I suppose that was why I had been so excited to find out I was to marry Kaim. If I couldn’t be a Hand of the Beast, I could at least be close to one.

Though I know now it’s not quite so romantic, especially after what happened to Uncle Maximus.

” She smiled, rueful. “So, what’s it like, talking to an elder god?

It sounds like such an affair—like this whole ritual you have to do, with rules and acts of obeisance and all that.

But you don’t seem too bothered with it all. ”