Page 7 of Petals for Vicious Secrets

Of course, her mother could have lived with most villagers in the small towns that were distributed on five sides of Verdania, but mother did not like being surrounded by so many people. She said there was no way to differentiate a common villager from an undercover member of the Roix, the military organization that acted on behalf of the Rulers.

Nobody dared talking about the Roix because if roixers found out, or if another villager reported you to the Roix for talking about them, you would be in deep trouble. But the Roix was present in every single small town, in the Trading itself, around Verdania, and even in some parts of the woods. They made sure no one stepped out of line or voiced their opinions too much.

Villagers could live, but could not become inconvenient.

From the wooden platform, Hope could feel calm coming to her. Her definition of peace was being surrounded by nature, hearing the rustling sounds of the leaves and the chirping noises of birds and small animals looking for food. This was exactly what she needed to unwind from the events that took place over the past couple of days and digest everything that had happened.

“Hi there, little buddy.” Hope smiled as a red-feathered bird flew and landed at the end of the platform. “I forgot to bring you food today. My apologies.”

The bird looked at her, moving its head to the side. Funny how Hope had seen this little one since she had memory and still hadn’t picked a name for her long-term visitor. Fireball seemed far too aggressive for such a beautiful thing, even though it perfectly matched the red tone of its wings with golden specks at the ends. She did not know how long this species usually lived, but it had definitely exceeded any expectations she had.

Hope undid her two identical plaits and left her dark, long hair loose. She couldn’t remember when she cut it last. It had probably been years, considering the tips reached the end of her back. Time passed by fast in this place. Days became nights before one could realize. When they were not picking fruits from the woods or tending to their vegetable patch, they were hunting or training how to defend themselves. When they were not cooking, they were fixing furniture for their treehouse. The days became weeks, and what truly made them acknowledge time was Trading Day. No week in the entire year was exempt from that.

“Is it okay if I join you?” Nina asked, her head appearing on the ladder that led to the platform. A ruffle of wings and Hope knew her feathered friend was gone before she could even turn to Nina.

Hope felt tension shooting to her shoulders. She still had not gotten used to seeing Nina in places that mother and she never shared before. Places that were sacred to them and kept them safe from the Roix, from the Rulers, from the dangers of the woods and Verdania.

“Sure.” She moved to one side to leave space for Nina to sit next to her.

Nina reached the top of the ladder and looked around, whistling in admiration. “This is beautiful.”

Hope smiled. It wasn’t just beautiful. It was marvelous.

Nina remained standing for a few minutes, going in circles to admire the views from that special spot in Verdania. Hope started plaiting her right braid while thinking maybe it was nice to talk to someone other than mother, the animals in the woods, or herself. The treehouse was a safe but lonely place to live.

“I’m glad your mother is feeling fine now,” Nina said while sitting, the wood cracking a little to adjust.

“Me too. I couldn’t imagine her being sick or…” Hope swallowed, not finishing her sentence. She had not allowed herself to think about what could have happened if the vial full of blue medicine hadn’t worked. She should have probably kept some of the healing liquid for another occasion, just like Nina did when she took a few drops and healed her leg, but saved some to fix Raoul.

Raoul. Hope still couldn’t wrap her mind around what happened to him in that cave the other day.

After seeing the Thyrian Rulers’ symbol carved on the wall of the cave, all Hope’s inner alarms had gone off. She had pulled Nina’s arm until Nina seemed to come back to reality and started running next to her, not merely being dragged by Hope. Hope leading the way through the well-known woods she had spent years in. They only stopped running when they reached the treehouse and climbed to enter.

“I didn’t know people lived in treehouses in Verdania,” Nina said. “But I can perfectly understand why.”

“I knew some villagers live in caves, but I had never been to one until the other day,” Hope said, making a knot at the end of her long plait and braiding the other one.

“We only moved there recently,” Nina said. Hope had a curious look, inviting Nina to tell her more if she wished to. Nina sighed, her blue eyes following a black bird flying across the sky. “My brother lived in one house in Cralia until I found him a month ago. I thought he was dead for years, but someone heard rumors he was here, and I came looking for him.” Nina looked at Hope’s dark eyes.

“Why did you think he was dead?” Hope asked quietly, finishing her second plait, and putting her hands on top of her legs.

“He was discarded from Thyria two years ago,” Nina’s worry was almost palpable.

“Oh.” Hope knew most people arrived at Verdania after being discarded from Thyria. Sometimes because they committed a punishable crime, sometimes by a specific order from the Rulers themselves, sometimes there was no explanation at all. Hope’s mother told her once that they both arrived at Verdania after being discarded shortly after giving birth to Hope. Mother didn’t enjoy talking about it and usually went silent for hours after any conversation related to Thyria.

“Raoul told me he never found out why,” Nina explained, as if knowing what Hope was thinking. “When I heard he might be alive, I figured it was worth the risk, and I got myself discarded, hoping to be sent here.”

“You were discarded on purpose?” Hope said, lifting her brows. Hope couldn’t imagine anyone would want to be dumped at Verdania for the rest of their lives.

Nina nodded in silence. “I didn’t know another way to get to him,” she said. “But I was scared that people would start talking about us, as we look so alike, and with the Roix so close, I didn’t want them to realize I had been discarded on purpose to reunite with him. It felt like cheating the Rulers.”

Nina and Raoul looked very similar indeed. They both had white wavy hair, very pale skin, and they were stunning. Hope hadn’t seen Raoul’s eyes as he had them closed when she briefly saw him in the cave, but if they were anywhere near as beautiful as his sister’s ocean-blue eyes… She guessed villagers would have talked about them even if they were not seen together.

“You are very brave,” Hope said.

“It was useless. The Fifth only knows what they have done to him now.” Nina exhaled deeply, trying to hold her tears back.

The symbol carved on the cave next to where Raoul vanished couldn’t be the sign of anything good. Hope felt a weird feeling down her spine by thinking about it. The four-petal mark was the emblem of the Rulers. But why would a Ruler come to Verdania, to a cave, and get a young man?

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