Without another thought, I exhaled as hard as I could, my eyes opening in unison just in time to see a tall wall of black water surge out of the cube, throwing itself directly onto the shocked arcana master and knocking them onto their behind. I hurried around the table to check on the ancient fae, dark water sloshing at my steps. I took a quick look around to see that I had flooded the entire chamber.
I reached for the arcana master. “Oh my goodness! Are you all right? Please, let me help you up.” I reached for them, but they would not grab my hand.
They sat on the floor, in the water, and stared up at me with their cloudy eyes in disbelief. “What are you?” they muttered absently.
I grabbed their arm, trying to lift them, and yelled over to Sterling. “Can you come help me get them up?”
Without a word, Sterling came over and picked the frail master up and placed them on a nearby chair, without exerting any effort.
“I am so sorry about your chamber. I didn’t… I don’t…” I tried to find the right words, not really understanding what had just happened.
The arcana master began whispering incoherently, babbling nonsensical madness.
I looked at Sterling, puzzled. “What are they saying? Are they all right?”
Sterling’s face tightened as he listened to the arcana master rambling. He looked at me with disgust and said, “They are saying, ‘The void exists within this one.’”
I shrugged, unsure what to make of that. “All right. And what does that mean?” I pressed.
Sterling stood up straight, putting his hands into his pockets, and sloshed his way through the ankle-deep water toward the chamber door. “It means that the king is going to be just as eager as I am to get rid of you.”
His words sliced deep within me as he exited the chamber.
Chapter 26
Ichased after Sterling and caught up to him between the arcana master’s chamber and the royal garden. “Stop, Sterling! I am not done with you!” I yelled. My emotions were still ignited after the water element disaster.
Sterling stopped and turned to face me. His face was darkened and threatening. “It’s ‘Your Highness.’ It would be in your best interest to address me correctly and refrain from making demands. Your protection as my guest only extends so far. Disrespect will not be tolerated.”
A couple peacefully walking through the gardens stopped and headed back in the direction they had come from, eager to avoid the ruction that was about to occur.
“Your Highness,” I gritted out, “I need you to stop so we can talk,” I said as I finally caught up to him.
He looked at me with the taut expression he’d had in the chamber. “We have nothing to talk about,” he said curtly.
“Oh, really? So what just happened in there was completely normal, and the arcana master sitting and mumbling on the floor is not something we need to worry about?”
“There is no ‘we,’ Aurelia, so let’s get that straight right now.”
I stood there in shock, but nothing could have prepared me for what was to come next.
“What happened between us back in your realm is dead and done. It is something that repulses me, and I continueto be plagued by the horrific memories of that ordeal. The only reason I am here right now is so that I can check up on your progress to determine how close we are to being rid of you. Turns out we’re a lot closer than I thought.”
I closed my eyes, fighting off the tears of frustration and anger that were beginning to well. I refused to let him win in this moment. I needed to know what had happened back there, even if it meant enduring Sterling’s stinging words.
“What did the arcana master mean when they said ‘the void exists within this one’? I have a right to know when it impacts my future here.”
Sterling laughed. “Oh, you ignorant little fool. You’re aware of the arcana of the cosmos, right?”
I nodded in response, ignoring his hurtful description of me.
“It appears that your arcana resembles that of those who are consumed by darkness. And I’m not sure if you’re aware, but dark arcana is banned here. Those with it face swift and severe punishment. Once the king finds out that there’s even a small chance that you carry dark arcana, your time here in this realm will be done.” He crossed his arms and smiled at me smugly as he allowed me a moment to mull over what he had just shared.
My palms started to sweat as I balled my hands into fists. My jaw tensed, and rage built within me. A chilling darkness stirring within me was begging to be let out. To tell me that this was the plan all along. I was never, ever going to be accepted here, and it had only been a matter of time before they found out what they wanted, or some version of it, and had an excuse to get rid of me.
“I should have left you to die on that forest floor,” I spat at him.
For a brief second, something akin to hurt flashed across his face. Recovering quickly, he smiled at me and turned to take his leave.
