Page 2 of Ties of Deception

She squeezed my hand before standing. Then she hovered, clenching her hands together as though unsure if she should stay after all. Finally, she gave me a forced smile before leaving the room.

Silence returned revealing the faint persistent ringing in my ears.

I stared up at the ceiling and tried to be patient. As the fuzziness slowly retreated from the edges of my mind, my thudding heartbeat became a growing crescendo in my ears.

None of this made sense. How could I not even know who I was?

Something smashed beside me, the sound harsh and sudden. I startled and pulled myself up, glancing to the side of the bed where the noise had come from. But nobody was there.

A young woman in a plain grey dress and dark brown hair tied in a simple bun appeared on the other side of the bed with a ceramic cup. She held it out to me with a bright smile. “My lady, please drink this. The priest said it will help you adjust if objects around you start to break.”

I sat up in bed and narrowed my eyes. “What is it?”

She lowered her eyes and gave me a placating smile. “It’s something to calm your nerves. It will help you process what’s going on.”

I thought of the fuzziness in my mind that was only just retreating and shook my head. I didn’t want to feel drugged again. “No. No, thank you.” I pulled up the bed clothes as if they could form a barrier if she tried to insist on me drinking.

The maid looked uncertain and bit her lip. She couldn’t have been much older than twenty. “Please, my lady, it is important you regulate your emotions.”

I remembered the smashing sound and looked over the far side of the bed. An ornate vase lay fractured on the floor, water seeping into cracks between the tiny mosaic tiles. Lilies, still in bud, lay scattered and bruised. How had it fallen?

I straightened and closed my eyes, concentrating on taking deep, regular breaths. I wanted to ask where I was and who I was, but I’d already heard answers for those questions, and those answers had been meaningless to me.The city of Yienna. Purity.How could I not understand?

I met the maid’s eyes again, smoothing my face so it appeared calm and collected. “Who are you?”

She bowed her head with a bright smile. “Silvia, my lady. One of your maids.”

“And I’m to live here now? In this building?”

The maid’s smile widened to a childish grin, and she bobbed her head. “Yes, my lady. The family has provided a beautiful home for you, and the people of the Riverside District have sent you gifts to show their joy at your presence here.”

I massaged my forehead, still waiting for any of this to click with a reference point in my mind. The ringing in my ears was finally starting to fade. “They said the priest brought me to life. What do they mean by that?”

The maid nodded eagerly, her expression stuck in that bright submissive smile. “Goddesses are born as adults, my lady, to those who are deserving. You have just been born here.”

I thought about this, then frowned and leaned forward toward her. “But that makes no sense. How can I speak? How do I have some degree of knowledge? Opinions?” I looked around and pointed to a bowl heaped full of fruit at the foot of the bed. “I mean, I know I like oranges more than apples. I don’t like over-ripe bananas. I love mangos and pomegranates. But I don’t even know what that spiky yellow fruit is. What has happened to make me like and recognize some things and not others?”

The maid appeared taken aback and stared blankly at the fruit. “I don’t know, my lady. These sound like theological questions for the priest. But I do know goddesses are born with their minds fully mature. Maybe…maybe it’s because you’re a goddess of Atos and bananas are imported from Hassia? And the mangos are rare and come from Vekatna? But no, you said you liked mangos…I’m sorry, I don’t know.”

I pushed her further, even though I could see her growing discomfort in the way she clutched her hands. “And how was I born?”

Her eyes widened. “Again, my lady, I don’t know. Some say you are a gift from Ismara, the original goddess of life and the creator of the world. But these are secrets only known by the priests. We are so grateful you are here. Please, don’t let these thoughts trouble you. Would you like some food?”

I shook my head.

The other maid stepped up behind the first. She looked older, around her mid-thirties, if I had to guess. Her blonde hair was tied back in the same bun as Silvia, and her loose dress was the same grey. But her expression was far more reserved. Something about her confident posture caused me to relax a little. She was in control even if I felt otherwise, and her voice was soft but firm. “Perhaps you might feel more settled if you have a look around so you can see where you are. It’s beautiful here. I can only imagine how disorientated you must be feeling right now.”

“You must be Flavia.”

She inclined her head. “Yes, my lady. Another of your maids. Silvia and I will see to it that your every need is met promptly and manage the more junior maids.”

I eased myself to the side of the bed and found I was dressed in layers of pale pink chiffon. They pooled to the floor as I rested my toes on the cold mosaic tiles. Slowly, I stood, my legs weak and foreign. Flavia rushed forward to steady me, and I took her arm until I was confident in walking a few steps by myself. I noticed she had a black tattoo on her left arm; it was similar to Drusella’s gold one, but far less intricate. The other maid’s arm was bare. After a moment, I thought to check my own skin, but there were no marks.

Flavia shifted my weight to see how much I could comfortably hold. “Let’s practice walking a few steps before we go into the main room.” I nodded and used her for support as we stayed near to the wall. Silvia hovered anxiously behind as if preparing to catch me if I fell.

After we’d walked a few times around the room, the door opened and the girl—Pris—entered. She clapped her hands in delight to find me up and walking.

“Oh, Purity, you’re doing so well! Let me show you around your quarters.” She flung the door wide behind her without waiting for me to agree. “This whole villa is for you. You have private gardens too. If there’s anything you don’t like, let us know, and we’ll change it right away.”

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