Trying to hide the sudden flush in my cheeks, I asked another question, loath to leave without learning more. “Why do you need all those weapons?”
Belekoroz’s eyes turned to cold obsidian, making it clear that he no longer wanted to entertain my curiosity. “Wanting to unearth all my secrets, Baradaz?”
“What do you know about those creatures?” I retorted, flickers of my Light escaping into the air above the bed like a swarm of fireflies, betraying my agitation.
With a graceful motion, Belekoroz caught one with his fingers, his face transforming into a beautiful, cold mask as it sizzled on his skin. “You will need to accompany me to the Other once more if you want to find out.”
“So, you do know—” I began, but he cut me off.
“I have a few theories.” My Light guttered out underneath a surge of Darkness, its tendrils twisting around the bed in a mesmerizing dance. “Nothing more.”
He leaned closer, that challenging flame back in his gaze that, try as I might, I could not resist answering.
“You really should come with me, though.” Pale fingers fiddled with my braid. I gasped as it came undone, my hair cascading around my shoulders, free and unbound, a wave of fire. “To make sure I behave and share all my findings with our dear kin. And my brother.”
Something stirred to life in the endless depths of his gaze. Something that should have alarmed me, but only fueled my reckless desire to affect him somehow, to dig deeper behind that hard, icy surface he showed the world.
“You’re here to spy on me, aren’t you?” His smile was all sharp threat. I wanted to bite it off.
“So, you are keeping secrets.”
The gleam in his eyes made me fear he was aware of every dark, forbidden thought flashing through my mind—and that he reveled in it.
“Don’t we all, little queen?” He brushed a strand of hair out of my face with a gesture so tender it made me shiver. “I’m starting to wonder what your secrets are.”
CHAPTER
18
THE GOLDEN DAYS OF LYRHEIM,
1800 years after the making of Aron-Lyr
Noctis
Ididn’t try to kill her the first time we ventured into the Other together. Or the second. Or the third.
I told myself it was cunning that made me bide my time. Even Aramaz, with his unending capacity to forgive me, would be hard-pressed to forget the murder of his bride. I had to ensure there would be no suspicion, that everyone would believe it was a tragic accident. Yet, I had to admit, that for some unexplainable reason, I began to appreciate Baradaz’s company. Her visits to my tower, all bright silver eyes and insolent smile. Our reckless excursions. The two of us in spirit form, racing through the endless darkness of the Other, side by side, following every flicker of light to find something new and exciting.
At first, Baradaz was tentative, staying close to me. But soon, she rivaled me in daring, undaunted by the storms of lightning and magic that swept through the Other without warning, or by the Abyss, the deepest and darkest part of this place that held danger even for our kind. Contrary to the first impression, the Other was not empty. Itwas teeming with life—chaotic, untamed, sometimes horrendous, yet often achingly beautiful. And never as ordered and perfect as the creations that the Allfather had envisioned for Aron-Lyr.
Whenever we encountered something captivating, we assumed corporeal forms. Physical bodies allowed us to fully experience everything, both of us enjoying the opportunity to share our thoughts out loud.
Much to my surprise, Baradaz met it all with overflowing excitement, her wild laugh ringing out again and again, her eyes shining with hunger for more, ever more, her spirit thrumming with an oddly endearing eagerness. If I was honest with myself, I liked venturing into the Other with her more than without her after some time. Sharing these experiences with her, not being alone for once… It was nice. She challenged me. Always asking questions, always disputing my opinion on things, goading me to venture further. I no longer wondered why Baradaz had captivated my brother so. Sometimes, when she looked at me, her lip would curl slightly, revealing a hint of a playful smile, and I found myself almost tempted to lean in closer and…
A foolish thought, really.
She was not like the others. A brightly burning flame among dim, flickering lights.
A pity she had to die.
The perfect opportunity to kill her presented itself on a day that began like many others. We had returned to the Other, determined to uncover the secret behind the spider-like creatures plaguing Aron-Lyr. Our brethren were filled with unease, fearing our Maker’s plans had been thwarted. I found the proof of the Allfather’s fallibility rather amusing. Still, I could not deny my own curiosity.
Baradaz and I floated on the turbulent currents of magic and darkness, sometimes chasing each other, sometimes drifting lazily,until something caught our eye—a splash of red, vivid in the endless monotony of the Other. Baradaz was beside it in moments, her fiery hair rivaling the beautiful flower she bent over in her corporeal form. Her flowy white dress fluttered in an invisible breeze, nearly glowing amid the shadows, delicate golden embroidery around her waist and cleavage emphasizing her feminine curves. A little squeal escaped her when the dark red petals of the flower snapped at her curious fingers, exposing sharp, previously hidden barbs.
“How ingenious,” she said, already laughing again. “Drawing in prey with its beauty only to devour it.” She glanced at me, her eyes twinkling. “What do you think it hunts?”
“The careless,” I answered absentmindedly, my gaze on the dark horizon. A sudden heaviness had filled the air, the first warning of an incoming storm. “We need to leave soon,” I said to Baradaz, stepping a few paces away. My eyes narrowed as lightning struck too close for comfort, unfettered magic sizzling around us, tinged with the distinctive amethyst and emerald of Chaos. Despite all the time I’d spent in the Other, I had yet to discover a method to control its wild power.
