Page 1 of Riftborne
CHAPTER 1
I hesitatedon the precipice of safety, skin ablaze with the urge to retrace my steps back to Luminaria. My insides roared for me to run, to hide—instincts I had spent my entire life cultivating. Humid night air clung to me like a second skin, heavy with the scent of earth and something faintly floral.
A candlelit trail led to the Grove, a valley cradled between rolling hills and the gnarled embrace of the forest. Smoke billowed through the treetops, and golden fire erupted from pits throughout the expanse below. A mixture of nerves and curiosity flooded my veins as I peered into its glittering depths.
One could almost taste the pungent mix of liquor, sweat, and hormones pulsing in the air. Offset only by the peculiar whines and wanes of Sídhe music. Haunting melodies danced up my spine, tempting me to free myself... to lose myself. Just a single dance couldn’t be so bad?—
Esprithe sake, Fia. It's enchanted.
I shifted my weight, readjusting my grip on the rough wooden crate.
Whatever sanity I still possessed was holding on by a threadafter spending the entire day brewing tonics for the Sídhe Nobility and their ridiculous party.
If they hadn’t placed the orders so damn late, none of this would be happening. I wouldn’t be here. But the Nobility cared little for the day-to-day of common folk. They were far too preoccupied.
My attention shot to the sky as a light weaver cast shimmering rays into the clouds, tearing through the mist like a river in the heavens.
In the world below, a kaleidoscope of satin gowns swirled as Aossí danced in unison.
Beauty could be deceptive, and it often was. Vipers, after all, distract with shimmering scales before going in for the kill. The Sídhe Elite were much the same, twice as lethal as they were mesmerizing.
Only the decline of a hill separated us. Another minute of walking, and I’d be in their midst.
The clinking of glasses sliced through the air like a beckoning,or warning. I couldn’t be sure. Effects from the music lingered, playing tricks in my mind.
Unfortunately, the whims of these people and their extravagant soirees would provide much better pay than any normal day at the Apothecary, so refusing the business wasn’t an option.
Besides, how could the elite possibly reach their desired levels of debauchery without a few euphoria-inducing party favors?
The foolish bravery I'd somehow mustered back at the shop had completely vanished. This was supposed to be Eron's delivery, not mine. He'd been running them all day, after all. I only volunteered because his wife went into labor. A stupid move. I knew it then, but now, standing here, it felt like a deadly mistake.
My gaze stretched across the vast expanse. It mirrored the hollow dread blooming in my chest.
I was a Riftborne, one of many transplanted to Sídhe following the Riftdremar Rebellion and branded with a symbol for unity.Because nothing screams unification quite like a mark to identify you from the masses.I peeked down at my left hand, where the twin serpents of Sídhe coiled around the antlers of Riftdremar.
At least I’d worn gloves.
Most of the Riftborne were too young to remember the Rebellion that ended twenty years ago, but everyone in Sídhe knew someone who died in the war. And many of them wanted us to repay that price with our lives.
It seemed we’d suffer the aftermath of our parents’ choices for millennia.
A splitting force surged through my head, forcing my eyes to slam shut. The curse that lived inside me used to be nothing more than a faint presence lingering in the depths of my mind. Now, it threatened to explode at any moment, lying in wait just below the surface, desperate for the opportunity to unleash itself.
And once it escaped…
I didn’t allow the thought to finish as I steadied myself, digging my heels into the damp earth below.
I hadn't told a soul how bad it had gotten. Not even Osta, my closest friend. Saying it out loud to someone might make it real.
Despite the violent beating of my heart, I took another shaky step forward into the thick air, heavy with a mix of perfume and woodsmoke.
Clinging to the crate and trying to make my body as small as possible, I melted into the shadows of the tree line and made my way along the dirt path.
I hoped the attendees had been partaking in the elixirs long enough for the desired effects to take hold. It would be much easier to navigate a space full of intoxicated minds, where thoughts swam, and steps faltered.
Craning my head over the moving mass of bodies, I scanned the area, searching for Ma’s station.
Ah, there it is.
