Page 22 of Of Night and Blood: Special Edition

By the time I went to look for Nicola, she had already finished with her wedding planning for the day. Her hair was left down, her curls wild. Her blush dress had long, loose sleeves and a flowing skirt, which she had paired with a white cloak. My gold gown hugged me closely, threatening to prevent me from breathing.

Together we walked the long path from the palace grounds, stopping at the golden gate. The guards, wearing black armor with the fae sigil etched across their chest plates, looked at us and immediately opened the gates. Two more guards came from inside their small station, following us as we walked down the tree lined path.

When we came upon the market, a surprising pang of sadness hit me. I was well aware that Bellamy had misled me yesterday, though where I had been taken, I was unsure. Still, I enjoyed my time with him, as well as seeing the market there and meeting the vendors.

Those who held booths rented them, traveling by day to get here, and leaving at night, causing it to be a cold and calculated place. Sellers did not talk to, laugh with, or befriend one another, but rather sold their product and left. Their booths were luxurious and large, painted gold like the rest of The Capital. Each vendor also dressed in elegant finery, adding to the emptiness of it all. Talent was rampant among them though, making for a fantastic shopping trip every time.

When the market closed in the evening and the booth holders left, the silence became a living entity. Sorrow and hopelessness often found their way to me in the night, especially as of late with Nicola constantly away with Kafele. Only certain fae were permitted to remain on the center island, including my family, the members of the fae council, The Capital guards, and the students at Academy. Which meant Farai and Jasper were often not allowed to visit.

The council consisted of the Primes and the Royal Court, an exceptionally large group of fae that loved to argue and give me headaches.

There was a Prime for every need of the realm—coin, trade, military, agriculture, and diplomacy. Since no living fae was powerless, we chose those most qualified, regardless of their faction. They would be offered residence within the palace.

Our Royal Court contained a representative from each sub-faction, which was what we called the groups who possessed each power type. This meant that one Healer, Multiple, Single, Yesterday, Tomorrow, Air, Earth, Fire, and Water would live within the palace as well. Only the strongest candidate from each sub-faction would be offered the position. Though, offered seemed to imply choice, and there really was not one.

Whoever was chosen to sit on the fae council had to be married, therefore unlikely to fraternize. This also meant their families would live in the palace, too.

I recalled saying how confusing it all was when Xavier first tried to explain the inner workings of the council to me.

“We must be diligent in maintaining the safety of our realm, Ash. That means allocating jobs to others. I sit at the head of the council because I rule the realm, I cannot also worry about how much coin we have or speak on behalf of the needs of those in the Fire Lands. I must know my own limitations, which means a very large fae council.”

It made some sense, and anything that allowed Nicola to remain with me was brilliant in my eyes.

Nicola’s father took over for my mother as the Royal Tomorrow after her death, which was why we had been joined at the hip for so long. In fact, we only separated when she would travel to Isle Reader to visit her fiancé.

She became betrothed to the Warden of the Yesterday Lands after visiting Reader River and seeing him across the way. From what Nicola has shown me, it was love at first sight.

Kafele was named Warden due to his ranking within his sub-faction. His strength as a Yesterday was second only to Ulu Kekoa, who held the position of Royal Yesterday—the title granted to the representatives of each sub-faction on the fae council— and lived in The Capital with his family.

I cannot recall how many times I had asked Nicola to think the memory for me when she came home with the happy news, the beauty of it a thing of rarity. Despite him technically taking her away from me, I did adore Kafele. It would be difficult not to like the male that loved and cherished my best friend.

When we got to the open cobblestone square, the small buildings bordering it like a fence, my chaotic mind had at last slowed. Nicola must have noticed, because I heard her let loose a breath, as if she had been holding it in for some time. “Are you going to tell me what it is that happened?” she asked.

I had gone back and forth all morning on whether or not I would tell her. On the one hand, I knew Mia would be against anyone knowing. Actually, she would be furious if I risked the marriage by spreading the tale, even if just to Nicola. On the other hand, I was breaking. If my mind rested for even a moment, I would feel rough hands gripping me and hear a harsh voice in my ear. Thinking of having her to shoulder some of this pain with me, to hold me, it would make all the difference this next month leading up to her wedding and then her permanent move to Isle Reader.

Instead of speaking, I grabbed onto her hand and pulled her to the edge of the market where a booth remained empty for the day. When we stopped, I turned to face her, making eye contact as I projected the memory into her mind. She was used to me doing this, speaking to her without talking, but at the violent memory, her entire body stilled. Tears ran down her face as the scene played out from my view. I was unable to stop my own sobbing while I relived the violent attack. By the time Sterling walked away in my memory, I was shaking uncontrollably, my arms wrapping around my torso as if to hold in the wretched pain. To hide it.

Nicola replaced my arms with her own when the memory faded as Tish put me to sleep. I latched onto her, knowing that I would receive no such comfort from the female who was, for all intents and purposes, a mother to me. In my ear, Nicola whispered, “I will find a way to save you, Asher.”

I nodded, but we both understood she would not be able to. Nothing and no one could save me now.

II

Act II

~ Anger ~

Chapter Fourteen

Eight days after…everything, Sterling finally caught me. It followed an especially long council meeting.

Each member of the fae council, along with myself and Xavier, attended the weekly meetings. We all sat at a long wooden table that had a map of the entire world carved into it, with Xavier at one head and myself at the other. As the future queen, I had been a part of the council since leaving Academy. Xavier led the group, as each king before him had done. I would lead it one day, no matter what my husband-to-be believed.

Traditions could be broken.

The rest of the room was covered in smaller maps, thorough as they could be, as well as any and all information regarding the Fae Realm. Each member of the council had dedicated desk space lining the four walls to prepare, store, and organize their information. On the double doors was the sigil of the Fae Realm, a shield with the infinite symbol of Eternity on it. Everything was painted gold, just like the rest of the palace.

Many arguments came from the discussions. The Prime of Coin, a Fire named Graham Raymonds, was often at the center of these disagreements, and it was no different this time.

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