Page 6 of Petals for Vicious Secrets

“I came to share some interesting news with you,” Ayla went on as they twisted left and entered an enormous room full of instruments.

Lenna halted and moved to face her. “Enlighten me.”

Lenna couldn’t tell if her sister was playing with her or if she did indeed have important news. Ayla played her House Ruler’s noble daughter role so well that usually servants found her to tell her gossips. And she probably always rewarded them generously. “Information and secrets are the keys to power,” father loved repeating every time he had a chance.

“I am very generous in sharing secrets with you, you know? I could keep them to myself.” Ayla moved to a chair in the room and elegantly sat down, crossing her legs and her arms, looking at Lenna defiantly with a half-smile. “My information has a price.”

Lenna chuckled. “You don’t even know what generosity is. But I wasn’t expecting anything different.”

“Oh. And you do?” Ayla’s smile disappeared. “Because you care about all the poor little people that suffer so much in this world and you think you will fix their problems by having a foul mouth and not respecting your family? Let me tell you something: caring about them doesn’t change their unlucky fate or their meaningless lives. They are here to serve us and if you could, for once, use your small brain to understand that, you would make all of us a favor.”

“There’s my very polite sister,” Lenna winked. Ayla’s jaw trembled with rage, but Lenna couldn’t care less. She loved making Ayla show her true personality behind the gentle façade. “I’m late for class. What’s the price of your information?”

“Oh, so you do want to know. The cost was going to be three of your nightgowns, but now it’s going to cost you much more than that,” Ayla said, touching the tips of the fingers of both hands together. “I want you to be one hour late to the Fifth Ceremony next week.”

Shock went through her body. The Fifth Ceremony was the most important event in the life of any House member. It was one of the few occasions the five Rulers of Thyria came together under one roof, and it was for a very important reason: to unleash the powers of the person who had turned twenty-five. After the powers were unleashed, the person would become panom.

“You are out of your mind,” Lenna had heard enough. She started walking towards the other side of the music hall, heading towards the door to go to her class with Leo. What was wrong with her sister? Did Ayla seriously think for a minute that Lenna would even consider being late to her damned Fifth Ceremony, or did she just say that to piss her off?

Ayla stood behind her, opening her hand and turning it sideways. The door in front of Lenna closed with a click.

“Are you sure you want to play this game?” Lenna asked, turning to Ayla and lifting her own hand mid-air. “Do I need to remind you what happened last time?”

“You will hear what I need to tell you.” Something like pain shone in Ayla’s green eyes. If her sister could feel something like that.

Lenna couldn’t take her eyes off Ayla’s. Ayla was many things, but she did not use her magic often, especially not out of anger. She didn’t need to. Ayla had all the words in her brilliant little mind to manipulate people with no need to use any powers. Not that they had much more than sparks, ink and a couple more tricks under their sleeves until their Fifth Ceremony, anyway.

Ayla swallowed. “Raoul was moured to the West House this morning.”

“What?” Lenna said sharply, her expression dropping as if she had been punched in the gut.

“Your friend Raoul is right now at the West House.”

Lenna couldn’t think clearly. “You are lying.” She had to be.

“My sources swore it on the Fifth.” Ayla’s face was serious. No trace of irony or rage on her expression.

“He was discarded. He can’t be at the West House,” she said with a low voice, feeling pain in her chest, tears building behind her eyes. She made her hands into fists so hard her nails stuck to her skin. She would not cry in front of her sister.

It made little sense. It couldn’t be possible. If this was a lie, she swore to herself that she would make Ayla pay. Pay for good.

Lenna stood still for a few seconds before heading towards an open window. They were on the first floor of the North House. It was not a big jump to the ground and the servants’ kitchens were close enough to sneak out of there into the garden passages without being noticed.

“Where are you going?” Ayla asked.

“Where do you think I am going?” Lenna looked at her sister with a very honest, worried face.

“I’m coming with you.”

Before jumping out of the window, Lenna opened her hands as she twisted them, and golden sparks flew towards one door. She didn’t know if it would work, but it was worth trying.

5

Hope

Hope looked around her, inhaling deeply, trying to calm herself. From her safe spot at the top of the tree, she could see all Verdania. When her mother built their home in that tree twenty-four years ago, it was one of the reasons why she chose it. Seeing the lands that extended around them in all directions until the Radel Sea gave them a sense of control.

In a place where control was an illusion, having a sense of it was as good as it could be.

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