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I can’t remember the last time I ate. It feels a lifetime since I did. I don’t know how I will stomach anything, but I need every ounce of strength for the path ahead.
I head to our kitchen. It’s large and would have plenty of room for servants but we never hired any, not even before my mother died. Our magic was always enough to make even the most tedious of tasks a breeze. We only kept faerie dragons to tend to our gardens and to ensure the enchanted brooms and dusters maintained their magic.
Like the rest of the manor, the kitchen is torn apart. Plates are smashed against the marble tiles, as are crystalline goblets. Mahogany doors hang limply from their hinges, shelves are severed in half, and drawers are pulled from their counters. Hopefully, enough plates and utensils will be usable. Though I’ve yet to determine the state of our pantry.
The Void Prince leans against the kitchen’s door, his arms folded across his chest. “Do you want something to eat?” I force out, the words tasting like vinegar in my mouth. While I have no wish to be pleasant to the creature which mocked the slaughter of my people, this demon is my weapon and I must ensure my weapon is well-maintained.
“Eat?” His slender nose wrinkles. “Why would I eat any food sullied by your mortal hands?”
I draw in a deep breath and smother the spark of indignation before it can explode. “Do you require any sustenance at all, demon? Water?”
“I require nothing, mortal. Though I do have a taste for souls, particularly those formed from pure aether.” His crimson eyes flicker over to the faerie dragon beside me.
Zephyr whimpers and cowers behind my skirts.
“You will not touch my faerie dragon,” I hiss. “That is a command.”
The Void Prince scoffs.
I extend my arm to Zephyr. “Let’s see if we can find you a big bag of aether crystals in the pantry.”
Though he crawls up my arm and perches on my shoulder, wariness remains in his amaranthine eyes.
I start to the door, but the Void Prince doesn’t so much as twitch, let alone move out of my way. I step carefully around him, trying not to brush against him or the dark aura exuding from him.
When we reach the pantry, I find I can breathe easier without the Void Prince and his darkness clogging my throat. Out of habit, I reach for the switch on the wall, but without the Aether Tower’s power, the crystalline sconces don’t flicker on.
With a sigh, I hold out my fingers and let magic bubble at their tips. “Iluminos.” An orb of dazzling light radiates out, and I send it upward.
The pantry isn’t as damaged as the rest of the manor, though a few shelves are broken. It isn’t as full as I hoped, but at least none of the food looks as if the undead have bitten into it.
I set Zephyr on the nearest counter and rummage around for ingredients which will make a half decent meal. After all that has happened, it feels wrong to do something as normal as searching my pantry for food. I stare down at the onion clenched in my fist, its brittle skin cracking in my grasp, but then my starved body pushes me onward until I find sausages and potatoes. The large sacks of aether crystals in the far corner are also untouched, and I drag one to the center of the pantry. When I have everything I need, I murmurventrezand conjure a breeze to blow everything up to the kitchen.
The Void Prince is where I left him, his arms folded and his expression loathsome.
I set the food and the sack onto the marble countertops and find two ceramic bowls for Zephyr. I fill one with a large scoop of aether crystals and another with water by using the spellaquis. He drifts over to them and clears all the crystals long before I’ve finished peeling my potatoes with a sharp wind spell, so I refill the bowl with a second helping of aether crystals. He takes a little longer to finish that one and soon floats back over to me, curling up on the nearby worktop and closing his eyes.
The Void Prince remains plastered to the door as I cook, his spiteful glare burning into my back. I ignore him and concentrate on using fire magic to keep the stove at the right heat.
When I finish boiling my potatoes and frying my onions and sausages, I find an unbroken plate to serve everything on and head into our dining room. Zephyr darts right after me, not wanting to be left alone with a murderous demon. The Void Prince peels himself from the doorway and follows me, though he keeps his distance.
Inside the dining room, many chairs are knocked over and the embroidered golden rug beneath the long table is folded back. The silk curtains are torn, and one window is smashed. I set my plate on the table and turn to the chairs.
“Ventrez,” I say, blowing them upright. I leave the carpet as it is.
I take a seat at the table and Zephyr perches beside me. The Void Prince takes the chair across from mine.
I stare down at the hearty serving of food on my plate. The warm smell wafts up into my nose. At first my mouth waters, but then nausea crashes into me. I hesitate before picking up my silver knife and fork, hoping the sudden bout of sickness will disappear. But it doesn’t, even when my stomach growls. My body and mind are at odds with each other.
I take my first bite. The boiled potatoes taste like cardboard. As do the onions. I try the sausages last and wish I hadn’t when I gag and cough. I take a big gulp of water to hide my reaction. I can’t tell whether the Void Prince notices. His attention remains on the wall behind me, and his fingers rap incessantly on the arm of his chair.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
“Stop that,” I snap.
