Page 69 of Above
“Are you okay?” Celeste asked, suspicion drenching the words and making them heavy as her hand reluctantly reached out to steady me. She continued to glare my way, her grip tight. I nodded, feeling queasy. I needed to get out of this madhouse.
“Nova’s here? Where? And why did she bringhim?”the man asked, sounding just as suspicious as Celeste.
“He’s a bit out of sorts,” Mrs. Tershetta told who I assumed was her husband. “Nova is brewing him a tonic.”
He nodded, though I could see in his eyes the same inquisitive nature as Tershetta.
“Nova said they are celebrating some sort of success at the academy, Dad, which is why she has the chance to come home,” Celeste added, her voice full of distrust and suspicion. “I guessAzhere had a tad too much fun.”
Oh yes, the lie. Focus.
I could charm them and be done with this. I had done so with all of our eadi servants back in the castle. Though, they were also raped, beaten, starved, and killed, so the bar was low. But I could manage.
“You have such a lovely home, sir,” I chimed in, walking over to him and offering my hand. He, like his daughters, was inherently skeptical, staring at my hand before shaking it firmly. I watched as his eyes caught on my shadow marks, the glower obvious. “I apologize for intruding. I’m not usually such a mess.”
“We’re glad to meet one of Nova’s friends,” Mr. Tershetta said, his deep voice unconvincing as he made his way to the long wooden table in the center of the kitchen. Did they not have a formal dining room? “Please, sit, we’re eager to hear more about Nova’s time in Elite Academy. She’s been horribly vague about it.”
Odd. She seemed like she would be quick to brag about her survival and growing success. Why not? She was likely the most interesting part of her family. “Well, she’s learning quickly and moving toward the top of our class.”
Where such a statement came from, I didn’t know. But I found myself wanting to say more. To discuss what they thought of her being shaytan. To understand how they could justify allowing their daughter to even pray for magic. I wanted to ask so many things, but I feared my mind was convincing me it was fine simply because I was inebriated. So instead I followed Celeste to the table, opting to pull out their mother’s chair and help push her in. She let out a low giggle, which her husband scoffed at.
That left only three seats open. One between Celeste and Mr. Tershetta, and then the two on the north end of the table. I felt the way the three of them stared at me, waiting for my choice. But really, there wasn’t one. So I walked around Mrs. Tershetta and sat down in the seat next to hers. She was the least hostile of the group, at least.
“Okay, it’s ready!” Tershetta shouted as she burst through the once hidden door. Everyone turned, watching as she held up a clear vial with some sort of dirt brown liquid inside, her face damp from sweat and her eyes manically assessing the scene. At her feet was an oddly small black cat, the creature twirling around her ankles like it was performing. “Let me give this to him and take him back to the academy, then I’ll come right back!”
“Nonsense!” her mother shouted, waving a hand to dismiss the thought. “Az deserves a nice meal to help wash down that tonic. Plus, I’m not letting a friend of yours get away that easily. Now sit down and eat.”
“But Mama–”
“Sit,” Mrs. Tershetta demanded, leveling a glare her daughter’s way.
Groaning, Tershetta stomped toward us, her eyes darting across the table. She thought in silence, her steps slowing. What was going through her mind, I didn’t know, but whatever conclusion she came to had her making her way around the table and pulling out the chair next to mine.
Swiftly I got up, grabbing the back of the chair and holding it steady while she sat. Her face of disgust stole a chuckle from my lips, which only left her mother sighing wistfully. In the back of my mind, I wondered what they would think when they found out the man they fed and took care of killed their daughter.
Chapter Thirty-One
Nova
“Today Mama told me about love. Not the love that I have for her, but a different kind. One that is extra special. She called it soulmates, like her and Dad. I don’t want a soulmate though, I just want us all to be together forever and ever.”
-From the journal of Nova Tershetta, 9238 AS
Time with my family swiftly turned into Mama fawning over Altair while Celeste and Dad watched on suspiciously. I had given him the tonic, watching as he drank it in one pained gulp, and immediately noted the change in his demeanor. Somehow, he had become even more charming as his wits found him once more. He laughed at all the right places, was on his second helping of what he likely considered eadi slop, and even complimented Celeste’s art—much to her dismay.
“My mother tried to get me to learn how to paint, but I ended up doing much better with the piano than the paintbrush. I admire how much skill and creativity goes into art like yours.” Smooth little shit.
My fingers instinctively gripped the edges of my chair, my teeth clenching. Altair’s eyes flitted down, holding steady on my hand. A broad smile overtook his face, showing for a raremoment what he could’ve been if he hadn’t been born into a hateful family ruling a wicked world.
Blinking, I shook the thought out of my head, the movement making my headache intensify. Why was I making any sort of justification for Altair? He was amonster.
“She sounds lovely,” Mama said, smiling just as wide as Altair. “Tell us about your family. Are they shaytan?”
Across from me, Celeste brought her finger to her open mouth and feigned gagging. Dad chuckled softly, earning a glare from Mama. But Altair didn’t seem to mind, instead choosing to let out a slight huff of laughter, his pale cheeks turning a soft pink.
“Yes, they’re shaytan. They’re very traditional, and as an only child I’m afforded all of their attention, but I also have to bear the weight of their expectations. It can be overwhelming, but I’m very lucky.”More like sycophants who want to take over the world.“It must be so lovely to have a sibling though. And the four of you seem so close. Sohappy.”
We all froze, staring at Altair in disbelief. Even I did, because how devastating it must have been to not know the care of a family. To be starved of affection from those who were biologically meant to unconditionally love you. It was criminal. And again, I found myself internally making excuses for the snake.
