Page 14 of A War of Embers

“No, she left to pack for a few days knowing Lord Rowan would be here,” she mutters. “A wretch of a woman, forcing herself on us.”

Sounds like another Lady I know. Perhaps the gods on this side of the sea are more similar to the ones in Tellus than I think.

Nox pinches the bridge of his nose. “Is there any way to keep Lady Cirilla away for the brief period Lord Rowan will be here?”

She shrugs. “Maybe let your friend use that thing.” She points towards where the sword is gently resting. “Won’t kill her, but she would definitely leave.”

“Or smite us,” a man’s voice calls from somewhere in the room. There’s honestly so many people moving throughout, in one corridor and out another, to keep track of who’s overhearing us.

“We’re not attacking Lady Cirilla,” Nox loudly announces. “Gods, it’s like dealing with a bunch of whiny children.”

“Says the man who works outside the estate,” the woman huffs. She turns to me, sticking out her hand for me to shake. “I’m Alyvia, I maintain the house and primarily can be found stress baking in the kitchen over there.” She gestures towards the left corridor.

“Keres,” I say to her, thankful to not be referred to as the immortal.

“Don’t get so chummy, she’s come here from Tellus to die,” Nox grunts. Apparently his voice carries in the house as everyone abruptly freezes to look at me with renewed interest.

“Well,” Alyvia cheerfully says as if Nox didn’t just announce to the entire household my wish to die, “isn’t that new? You might be waiting around a day or two depending on what Lord Rowan is doing prior to coming here, so we’ll get you set up in a guest room anyways.”

“A few days?” I blink several times in a row while trying to calm my racing heart once more. At the rate I’m going, if I was mortal I would’ve had a heart attack by now. Then again if I was mortal, plummeting into the Blood Sea would’ve been the end of the journey. There’s no telling when the clutches of Lady Gwenyth’s magic might claw their way back into me.

“Don’t worry, he usually comes quickly so he can leave just as fast,” Nox assures me.

“This is true. As long as Zeke comes back in a relatively short period of time then Lord Rowan will not be too far behind,” Alyvia nods in agreement.

“Is there anything else I need to know while I’m here?” I turn to Nox to ask, but it’s Alyvia who answers me.

“Do not take Zeke’s temperament seriously. He is not going to eat you, no matter how many times he snorts smoke.”

“What?” I all but yell. What the ever loving fuck is going on here?

“You did not warn her about Zeke?” Alyvia admonishes Nox. “She comes with a sword and you do not prepare her?”

Nox’s shoulders lift up and stiffen. “I was going to wait until she settled in before going over all there is to know about Zeke.”

“I thought he was a person.” I narrow my eyes at both of them. “What is he?”

Alyvia frowns at me. “Surely you have monsters across the sea?”

Monsters? Only those protecting the Godlands and they’ve never actually been seen from what I know. But monsters that interact with others? “No, we do not. At least not ones that aren’t in human form.”

Alyvia pauses while glancing at Nox. “Perhaps they are trapped in their skin, then.” She turns back to address me. “Zeke is a bully, but harmless. He stays here, acting as a conduit to Lord Rowan for when he needs to return. Zeke will play mind games with you; do not let him.”

There’s a lot of information in what Alyvia just gave me. I start from the beginning. “What do you mean by monsters trapped in skin?”

She blinks at me. “Exactly as it sounds. Monsters are shapeshifters. They are gods in their own making. They walk among us in either of their forms. One blends in as a camouflage and one their true self. Here they come in either form, but I do not know about your realm. If you do not see monsters there, they may be trapped in their skin due to your Lords and Ladies request or discipline. I am unsure of what goes on in your realm as the Province Wars ensured we would remain separated.”

Trapped in their skin. The words tumble around in my brain as I think about all the people I have met over the years. Did any of them feel as trapped as I do? Bound to a punishment not of their own making but of one a Lord or Lady decided for them? Were they eradicated from the realm in spite? Or are they kept from half their soul?

“They could have also passed on,” Nox adds. “Many monsters who no longer have access to their monster choose to rest eternally.”

“There is that,” Alyvia agrees.

Before I can begin to question either of them further, a loud noise rattles the house just as the ground beneath us begins to shake. The people moving around wobble on their legs for a moment yet continue about their business as if the realm didn’t just feel as though it were collapsing from below us.

“Oh joy,” Nox grunts.

I turn my head to glance at the doorway then back to both of them. “What was that?”

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