Page 11 of Kill the Queens

FOUR

Ace

The clatter of metal hitting the floor, followed by a string of curses, was like the crowing of a rooster startling both Ace and Shelby awake. Ishaan was down in the kitchen baking and apparently, dropping the bread.

The thin blanket that hadn’t done a good job at keeping Ace warm throughout the night slipped off her shoulders as she stretched and groaned. Her whole being ached from the day prior, making each movement she took feel like she was being punched in different parts of her body. She was certain there was bruising even if she didn’t peel back her clothes to look.

Shelby had a hand held against his chest, his fingers tracing his new scar. One of Ace’s hands drifted up to her neck. Was he reliving his death? Ace had lost track of how many times she’d replayed hers inside her mind.

“We need to be quiet but if we are careful we can climb down and start out toward your grandma’s?”

“Yes.” A clipped answer. Ace expected as much. Mina had warned her that Shelby would hate her. Could she live with this?

Ace watched him as he tried to straighten the blankets he’d ruffled in the night, as if that mattered in this borrowed apartment with these ratty pieces of fabric. She hoped she’d find some sort of sympathy or a sign that maybe one day he would forgive in his gaze. Not once did he look up toward her, though Ace wondered if he could feel her attention burning against his skin.

When the blankets had been successfully laid back out flat on the old floorboards, Shelby walked to the window and looked out into the empty backyard. He nodded more so to himself than her as he grabbed the window frame and yanked it up.

“Ladies first,” he grunted, extending his arm in a flourish toward the exit.

Her lips curled down into a frown as she fought not to roll her eyes. Still, she managed to slip her legs out of the window and onto the ledge. The leaves of the vines that grew along the lattice would occasionally make the descent feel almost slippery if her footing wasn’t placed just right. She kicked the leaves away and climbed down.

When she reached the ground she had half a mind to holler at Shelby to warn him to be safe but with Ishaan not far away in the kitchen, she couldn’t risk the noise. Crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes unfocused as whispered prayers found their way into her thoughts.

People were scared. Many of them asking Malek for safety as they also asked for him to watch over their queen. Malek was a god that rarely spoke. Their prayers to him felt foolish to Ace who knew the god rarely decided to answer.

Word had spread and what exactly the public now knew was easy to decipher from their requests. Shelby’s boots hit the ground with a soft thump, making Ace blink her eyes open. She hadn’t realized she’d closed them.

“What is it?” he whispered. “The gods?”

Ace held up a finger to stop him as she walked toward the gates, the prayers on the street growing to a steady hum. People wanted guidance. Someone was asking for wisdom to know who to trust and who not to trust. They prayed for their queen to return to the castle and for...for friends who’d worked in the castle too.

The queen was dead right?

The queen is dead,Greshta confirmed.Power is shifting. Power must continue to shift.

Ace flipped the gate latch and stepped out into the small alleyway between buildings, Shelby trailing close behind. Blood was still settled in the creases of her fingers and thick under her nails. She wanted it gone. She wanted any evidence of Shelby’s death washed from her body. Evidence of what she’d done.

Death is still on its way, Sylik whispered to her in answer to her worried thoughts. That didn’t help her any; it only made her more nervous for what was to come.

“Quit ignoring me,” Shelby hissed as they both leaned into the shadows.

“People are scared,” Ace finally said, “but it sounds like they don’t know the queen is dead.”

“We didn’t see the queen die so we don’t really know either,” he pointed out.

Have faith,Greshta chided though Shelby couldn’t hear her.

Ace gave a snort. “Greshta thinks you need to have faith. The gods have confirmed that she died.” And the orange eyed man...he’d said it was done. Was he talking about the queen? Had he beaten Ace to the one job she’d been brought back to do?

Shelby exhaled loudly. Muscles were already chording along his jaw. Ace knew that feeling well, the feeling she watched Shelby struggling with now. Anger toward the gods for such painful resurrections. Frustration that she’d been ripped from peace.

She’d ripped Shelby from peace.

Oh gods.The thought tore all the air from Ace’s lungs. Every day the reminder would re-open the wound and make everything feel fresh again. Ace had been selfish and lonely. Shelby deserved peace and she’d taken that away from him. Shehadn’t even let him have a chance at death before she screamed at the gods to give his soul back. Shelby’s death, those moments after she realized he was gone, had hurt more than any betrayal. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly why but she knew then just as much as she knew now—perhaps she had always known— their souls belonged together. Even if they hated each other.

“Ready?” Ace asked.

“Let’s be fast but avoid drawing attention.”

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