Page 103 of Above
Smooth. Short. To the point. I liked it.
“We liked it too, Nova Tershetta.”
I nearly fell off of the bench at the sound of their voices, my name sounding like an omen. Chills crawled up my spine, my knee instinctively shaking like Talon’s.
“Will you help me? Explain why I was chosen and what I should do? Maybe give me answers for my family?” It felt like a stupid line of questions, but I was at a complete loss. I was being slowly beaten down from all sides. Any guidance would help.
“We did not choose you because you are particularly worthy of this gift,”they stated, no emotion in their voices. Harsh.“You are our catalyst. This is not about what you can do or who you are, rather, it is about what you can cause.”
“What’s that?” I dared ask.
“Chaos,”they screeched, a sort of cheer reverberating off the walls of my mind. I cringed, instinctively grabbing at my ears despite not being able to tune them out.“If you want our help, then entertain us. Give us our chaos.”
Silence followed, not even the faint whispers greeting me. I was left alone and in shambles, considering how in the fuck I was going to entertain them when even Iblis Altair couldn’t. I had been in over my head three months ago. Stupid to think I could possibly do this.
Sighing, I stood up and took a step forward, walking through darkness into mine and Celeste’s room at home.
No one spoke. Smoke and wax coated the air from what must have been recently blown out candles. Where had they gone? Were they so mad at me that they decided to leave for the night?
I shuffled through Celeste’s mess, making my way to the door and then down the hall. On instinct, I willed my stars into existence, letting them faintly light my way.
A soft meow came from the kitchen, and I found myself stopping to pet Death as I considered what to do. Her purrs were a welcome sound, the silence in my head oddly uncomfortable, my thoughts feeling intrusive.
“Where did they go, Death?” Her eyes glowed, staring at me, making me uneasy. Standing, I checked the counter, hoping for some kind of note at least.
And there it was, a small piece of parchment with my name on it. I unfolded it, reading the swirling script.
“Talon came for them?” How strange. I wouldn’t have taken him for someone who would go without me. But he gave me instructions, so that’s what really mattered. I knew he’d keep them safe in my absence.
Hurrying, I went to our room and pulled down my singular nice dress. It was black with sheer, short sleeves that had small red hearts sewn into them. It stopped just below my knees, the top a high U shape definitely appropriate for such a dinner.
Getting dressed in what felt like a flash, I patted down my hair, kissed Death goodbye, and then willed myself to the place Talon had marked on his makeshift map. To the Naqi District.
The air was hot even this far north, a thick, moist quality to it that made my hair frizz. I tried not to let the stress get to me, eager to see my family and beg for forgiveness. Anything to ensure they didn’t hate me.
Who knew, maybe I’d even explain my theory and be rewarded with their excitement.
But as I walked up the winding dirt path, a tall, black gate ahead, I had the strangest feeling that something wasn’t right.
Bars had been bent and wrapped to look like a roaring lion head at the center of the gate, the two halves somehow sensing my arrival and splitting. No one seemed to be around to guard it, just as no one moved within the enormous home from what I could see through the stained glass windows. Castle Zade was a thing of nightmares. Upon the sprawling green grass were various lion statues, many of them holding depictions of human bodies in their maws. The house itself was asymmetrical, thepeaks and plateaus of dark, brown stone seeming intentionally placed despite their sporadic visual.
However, the most terrifying things were the slightly ajar double doors, their arched opening revealing no one waiting.
Running, I threw open the doors, finding a blood soaked path. I stepped over the body of someone I didn’t know, unable to process anything as I darted through the house, searching for the only people I’ve ever loved.
I found them seconds later.
My mother lay face down, her head tilted just enough that I could see her open grey eyes staring at me. But they did not see. They would never see again.
Beside her was my father, still in his chair, his neck cut so deep I feared his head would fall off.
Not too far away was Dove Zade, a single tear still on her cheek, a hole the size of my head in her chest. Bodies lay elsewhere, but I struggled to see.
My family was dead. My family wasdead.
I fell to my knees, crashing so hard onto the marble floors that I could’ve sworn a crack sounded from my bones. But I didn’t care.
My family was dead.
