Page 56 of Queen of the Night
“You almost fell through the trees today.”
“Right.” I purse my lips. It’s not like I can argue. “Hey, Rhosse?”
“Yes?”
“What doyouthink about all this? Ikar’s plan?”
He lets out a long breath. “It’s complicated.”
We walk down the steps that twist around and around the very tall tree. The steps are even and flat, but there is no rail other than the smooth trunk of the tree to our left, and I feel even more clumsy with him watching me so closely.
We’re quiet for a few minutes while we descend, onlyhearing the muted thud of our boots on each step, and I try not to look off the edge. The entire way down, I’m wondering what’s so complicated. Ikar has decided he wants to improve the kingdom, which is great. Gloamisa problem, but it has been for years. I’ve always thought the kingdom can just keep going how it is—not perfect, but good enough. That’s what the originators are for, isn’t it?
“How is it complicated?” I ask, appalled with myself for my curiosity.
“The plan has caused a rift between the low kings and Ikar, though they were practically waiting for something like this to happen just to take advantage of it,” he nearly growls. “Nadiette has said that low king Waylon is leading the beginnings of mutiny.”
I frown. Ikar is willing to continue, even with mutiny as a consequence? He’s never mentioned any of this.
We’ve reached the forest floor now, and the roar of falling water grows louder as we walk on a moss-covered path.
“Then… why? Therehasto be a way that everyone can agree on to fix this. Lucentia has to have had another way?—”
“If there was another way, Jethonan would have found it in the history.”
My brow furrows. “I thought that’s why we had originators. Why not just leave things the way they are?”
“People aredying.” He looks at me like I’m crazy. Maybe I am. I’ve never felt quite so selfish in my life. “There’s not another way, Vera. The originators aren’t enough anymore.” His tone is final.
“What if he never finds the Field of Tulips, or a Queen of the Night? What then?” I risk the questions, knowing I tempt his patience.
His gaze darkens. “That’s not an option.”
I almost roll my eyes—these men and their blazing persistence. “I didn’t suggest it was optional. I askedwhat if?”
“We will search until we find them or the kingdom is consumed by gloam and we’re all dead.” He says it in such a cold and final way that chills skitter down my spine.
Before I can argue further, we stop alongside a tall thick hedge, which has a solid wood door embedded in its growth.
“If there’s anyone you can trust, it’s Ikar.” He looks hard at me, as if willing me to believe it.
I offer a weak nod, prompting a heavy sigh from him.
He opens the door for me to walk through. “I’ll be waiting here when you finish.”
He shuts the door after I enter, abruptly ending our conversation. I try to ignore his disappointment, reminding myself that Rhosse didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know… but to hear how determined they are to find the Tulips is chilling enough that goosebumps have risen across my skin.
I distract myself by taking a moment to soak in my surroundings as I approach the bathing pool. The moonlight from the two moons that have risen shines brighter here than I’ve ever seen, their light reflecting off the water before me in an ethereal way. I don’t generally like dark water; in fact, with the dangers that usually lurk there, I tend to lean toward terrified. But here, the water glows luminescent, and it’s so clear that I can see every pebble at the bottom with the way the moonlight shimmers through its surface. The magnificent waterfall completes the stunning picture, the mist and foam at the bottom appearing to sparkle with magic.
Small waves lap at the shore, which is covered in small pebbles so smooth and round they could be pearls washed up from the depths of an ocean. One side is the canyon wall from which the waterfall flows, and the other three sidesare blocked in by the thick hedge. I spot Rupi’s tiny white form soaring over the top, almost glowing in the bright moonlight as she bobs happily through the air. She lands on the round pebbles as I quickly remove my clothing and place the bundle just out of reach of the gently lapping waves. Goosebumps rise across my body as the air whispers across my bare skin. Rupi has already begun to hop in the smallest waves, cleaning her feathers and chirping contentedly. Her fuzzy feathers begin to dampen and cling to her body, making her appear even smaller.
I take a breath and remind myself that this water is safe—nothing lurks in its depths here with the nymphs. I take my time searching for a spot to enter that’s not too deep, since I’d prefer not to drown tonight. Even thethoughtof Rhosse, Darvy, or Ikar running in here to my rescue without a bit of clothing on is mortifying.
I wade into the water, and my tense muscles relax immediately—it’s warmer than most baths I’ve taken, and I laugh with surprised pleasure. My toes brush the bottom, filled with more of the smooth pebbles, and I’m reassured I won’t drown. I waste no time cleansing the many layers of velvet widow gore, my own blood, and the caked-on dirt and grime from my body and hair. I’m left feeling invigorated, and when I’m finished, I take time to enjoy this beautiful pool, dragging my hand through the water and creating splashes and waves that sparkle. Does all water in this small piece of lucent heaven sparkle and glow? I’ve never seen a healthy magical river or pool in my life.
I stare at my hand beneath the surface and catch sight of a small fish that darts away from my feet, and as each tiny wave crests toward the shore, a small spray of sparkling water bursts into the air. This little bit of forest is what our kingdom could be like again. No excess gloam, no monsters. I feel my hardened heart soften the smallest bit toward Ikar and his mission. I knowhe wants this too. He’s good. I know he is. But he’s not infallible. What about his future opinions? What about the future kings and my Black Tulip sisters? Their safety is in my hands, just as the kingdom is in his.
I keep my hand just beneath the surface and turn in a fast circle, sending a spray of sparkling water into the air, interrupted when another, quieter voice in the back of my mind that I locked up when Rhosse and I spoke, finally frees itself and questions me about the lives of people who are dying from gloam.What about them?
