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“With this?” I said, gesturing to the twisting vine. “What am I to do with it? Ground it up and have it served sprinkled over her food?”
Folkoln chuckled. I did too.
Saphira hissed at us both. “No, brother, forge it into a blade. Or better yet—" Saphira’s sinister grin spread on her bloodstained lips, “—make a crown for her to wear. A pretty one. Befitting the queen of the dead.”
Sage
The Sky Palace was an architectural gem, arguably Aurelius’s most lavish residence in the Immortal Realm. Nestled on a stretch of flat land hidden in the embrace of the Alonia Mountains, we were high above sea level, settled among the cottony clouds.
I leaned over the smooth sandstone banister, reached forward, and dipped my hand into a fluffy white cloud as it lazily drifted by. When I pulled back, my hand was covered with a kiss of sparkling dew. I made the tiny droplets rise from my skin, suspending them in the air. I swirled them as if they were dancing in tune with the grand orchestra’s music, the lively, joyful song coming from inside the palace.
Tonight, I wore my hair up—just as Aurelius liked it to be. The gold, feather-shaped, diamond comb he gave to me was nestled in my pinned hair. A gentle breeze drifted across my skin, kissing the back of my neck, tugging a curl free—it felt intimate.
The slightest hint of magic tinged the air. Ancient and lethal.
I knew who it belonged to—the scent permanently ingrained in my mind. “Come out, you bastard,” I whisper-growled through gritted teeth. I bid him to walk out from his shadows, to show himself to me.
“Please be careful, Lady Aurelia,” said a familiar male voice. “You really shouldn’t be out here alone.”
I turned, my airy skirts, which were made up of several layers of tulle and sparkle netting, taking a moment to catch up with me, swaying with my movement. Gold beads, thousands of them, were hand-sewn into the front of the corset, giving the appearance of an ethereal chest plate, the rest of my gown a stark white. Sheer sleeves draped over my shoulders, wisping to the floor as if they were relaxed fairy wings. Under the moon, the gown sparkled like starlight, twinkling brilliantly whenever I moved.
“Arkyn.” I smiled in greeting as I let out a soft breath. “Thank you for your concern. I just needed a moment to myself.”
He dressed formally tonight, adorned in gold fabric, except for his cloak, which showed the slightest hint of white stitching right beneath the rim of golden fur. Black leather boots, buckled at the sides, stretched to his knees. The livery collar crafted from gold and rubies draped across his broad shoulders. It had been a gift from Aurelius, one Arkyn treasured so dearly, I wondered if he ever took it off.
Although I had never met Arkyn’s mortal mother before she passed, I didn’t need to meet her to know that Arkyn took after his father. They both possessed that incredible charm—people simply wished to bask in their sun.
In mortal title, I was Arkyn’s stepmother, but that dynamic never existed between the two of us. At the time of my creation, he was of similar age to me. We grew into our divinity together. We were just friends, although sometimes I suspected Arkyn held the slightest romantic feelings for me—something he would never admit out of loyalty to his father.
Those affections I never returned for him, because if there was one thing I did not want to lose it was my friendship with him.
My life was an isolated one. I didn’t have anyone—other than Arkyn—that I was particularly close to, but that was not for lack of trying. I used to attend afternoon tea with the other gossipy goddesses, but they never took much interest inme. They preferred to talk about my marital relations with Aurelius, in particular our nighttime activities—which had fizzled out decades ago. When I discovered that quite a few of them had slept with Aurelius prior to my creation, I turned red with jealousy and nearly drowned the lot of them.
After that, I wasn’t invited to any more teas.
Stirring from my thoughts, I reached for his hands. “It is good to see you. I take it everything went well with the king of Tershov?”
His gloved hands clasped mine. “As it is good to see you. You look lovely, Aurelia.” He pressed a quick kiss against my cheek. “Yes, it went rather well. Any word yet on Aurelius?”
Softly, I shook my head. “I’m afraid not. The God of Death has not made any ransom demands for Aurelius’s release and the council refuses to let me enter the room as they deliberate on what to do. Perhaps you could go in and speak with them?”
“Yes, tomorrow morning I will. It is a shame they do not wish to listen to you. I have no doubt they would learn a great deal.” Arkyn cradled my cheek, the tenderness in his touch a dead giveaway of those hidden feelings he held for me. “We will get him back.”
I nodded, my hand falling over his. “I know we will, it is just a question of when.” I let out a sigh and plastered on my best fake smile. “But for tonight, we play the part for the sake of our guests, so that we can keep up the charade that everything is fine.” I paused, looking to the grand ballroom. “I suppose we better get back in there. Would you care to be my dance partner for the night?”
“I would be honored.” He offered me his arm and I took it.
We walked through one of the many double doors that were opened to the night sky, the white voile drapes twirling on the breeze.
The lavish ballroom thrummed with life. An orchestra played an enchanting melody, conducting the dancing pairs whisking across the floor. Everyone wore gold tonight, in honor of Aurelius and his victory over the Old Gods.
If only they knew the truth . . . that we didn’twinthe war, that we would have lost it if the God of Death had not called it off. But they would never know because the council and the other gods and goddesses determined it was best to hide the truth, and so we lied to the people about all of it.
Aurelius, the conqueror of the Old Gods and defender of the Living and Immortal Realms. That was what would be written on the historic scrolls, along with tales of grand victories that never happened. They would write about me too. But they would not say that it was my army that held out the longest against the enemy—they would say that I was beside myself, pacing the castle floors, waiting for my beloved husband toreturn. A perfect, doting wife. An example for all women to aspire to be. I scowled at the thought.
The wall opposite the terrace was made almost entirely of stained glass, giving view to the clouds, the mountains, and the vivid crescent moon. My mother’s light spilled over the marble floors, painting the room in a soft, moody glow.
When the song finished and the orchestra started on the next one, Arkyn and I walked onto the floor. Our entry was encouraged with clapping.
