Page 63 of Between Soul and Vessel
Swiftly, I stepped forward, eager to get away from her.
Along the far wall, there were dozens of cages, filled with various animals and creatures. The sound of a rodent running on a wheel caught my attention. I walked over to it, feeling the empress’s eyes on me. Bending forward, I looked into the cage, finding no animal inside, and yet, the wheel moved. Suddenly, it stopped. A breath later, the food inside its bowl began to shift and move.
“What is it?” I asked, marveling at the small, invisible wonder.
“I haven’t decided on a name for it yet,” said a clear, languid voice.
I turned to face the doorway. In it, stood an attractive male, dressed in a black, heavy leather jacket fastened with thick straps and shining metal buckles. His short, brown hair was impeccably styled, neat and trim, as was the rest of him.
He smiled, showing off his perfectly straight teeth. “Perhaps you have a suggestion?”
I glanced back at the cage before my gaze returned tohis and I shook my head. “I do not.”
“Well, if you think of something, you’ll have to let me know,” he replied before he turned to Empress Avena and bowed his head. “Your Majesty.”
“Victor,” she said by way of greeting. She waved her hand, and a heavy tome—wrapped in brown leather—appeared, floating in front of her. Glowing symbols were written in its flesh—a language I did not recognize. She swished her fingers, and it moved toward him.
Victor took it. Slowly, his fingers drifted over the cover as he whispered to himself, “This is the emperor’s.” He shook his head in disbelief. He opened it and began thumbing through the pages. “It’s all the notes on how he built his anvil and his hammer. How did you get it?”
“Thehowis not important. What is, is that you copy his notes swiftly so I can return it before he notices it’s missing. He is away right now but will return in a few weeks’ time. You have until then.”
“I can do that,” Victor agreed. “I’m guessing you want me to create something based off of these as well?”
“Indeed, but make it something more . . . feminine. Something I can wear, like a necklace.”
Victor hummed in thought. “A necklace wouldn’t work; it needs to be closer to your hand, just as his hammer is to his. A ring or a bracelet, perhaps?”
“Whichever one you think. Just don’t make it gaudy.”
“Alright,” Victor replied, the book disappearing before my very eyes.
Her piercing gaze shifted to me. “You will not speak aword of this to anyone, am I understood?”
I nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Good. Now—” She flicked her hand at me. “Remove your clothes.”
“I beg your pardon?” I implored, crossing my arms over my chest. Victor began to undo the buckles on his jacket. My eyes stretched wide as I realized where this was going. Panic saturated my veins. “Your Majesty, please, do not ask this of me. I have never lain with a man before.”
“You think I’m such a monster? I wouldneverask such a thing of you, nor any female for that matter. That is what men do. They rape and they use, and they try to take control over our bodies, but there will come a day when the reverse is true, when itustaking control overtheirs. Mark my words, us women will be the owners of this world, and men will have nothing. I’ve heard the prayers of my people, and I will answer them.” Her expression softened. “I know none of this makes sense to you right now, but someday you will understand this all was necessary so we could create a better world for our gender.”
Victor had fallen silent. If he had any qualms about the empress’s plans to remove his rights, he didn’t seem to care.
“I’m failing to see how removing my clothes has anything to do with creating a better world,” I retorted, keeping an eye on Victor as he hung his jacket on a hook that was secured to the wall. He reached for the leather apron beside it and put it on. It reminded me of the ones the blacksmiths wore back home. Reaching behind his back, he pulled the straps and tied them.
The empress moved toward me, stopping an arm’s reach away. “The reason I have asked you to come is because I need you to get closer to someone who is known as Nockrythiam. I need you to earn his trust and learn what his weakness is.”
I had heard a great deal about the rumored Ender of Realms—Nockrythiam. I knew he was not someone I should ever try to cross. Yet, the empress was asking me to do exactly that.
There were only two reasons why someone wanted to know someone else’s weaknesses—to use the information as blackmail, or use it to destroy them. Something in my stomach told me it was the latter. Still, I asked, “Why do you want to know what his weakness is?”
“Nockrythiam is loyal to my husband. When he learns of my plans for the future, he will stand against me and do everything he can to protect the emperor. I am extremely powerful, yes, but I am not naïve enough to think I would be guaranteed victory in a battle against Nockrythiam. And so, I need to ensure the odds are tipped in my favor.”
She was going to kill him . . . with the information I fed to her. Despite the horrible stories I had heard about Nockrythiam, my stomach churned with unease. A grimy feeling settled over my skin.
“Why me? I’m a nobody, a mere mortal. Surely, there are thousands of better candidates for this task.”
“Indeed, there are, however, you possess something no one else does,” she said.
