Light of Stars [2]

Chapter Twenty-Five

♕ Poisoned Throne ♕

"He is a what?" Sybilla asked as they walked up the stairs towards their rooms.

"A neutralizer" Zander said and explained to her how it worked.

Izabella laughed as Zander explained what he had tried to do. "Why are men so dumb? You don't need more proof about her blessing than the color of her eyes" Aubrette grinned and mouthed a thank you.

Mason walked behind, more silent than before. She had allowed him to stay with them for the night, so he would get to rest, eat something real if only for one night, but when they left for Starhaven in the morning, he would stay behind. So far he had not bothered to complain, to contradict her, for the first time since they left Goldcrest, perhaps even longer than that, he was actually going along with what she said. Maybe he thought the lack of contradiction would make her change her mind.

Bliss had said nothing as they had come back with their things wrapped up in sheets, he had simply nodded in acknowledgement and guided them towards a house nearby. His house Zander had said, although he rarely stayed there, as most nights he spent trapped inside his office. Aubrette had tried to be nicer than she'd been before, less on guard, but it had felt impossible to bring herself to empathize with the man when everything felt so clouded.

"Where too now?" Sybilla asked as they finished the first trail of steps and had ended in a living room seeming space. Zander smiled.

"Up again" he said, and carried on to the third floor. Aubrette did not care enough to pay attention to her surroundings. Her mind was too tired. Her body too broken.

"My feet hurt" Sybilla said, after a while. Zander laughed. Aubrette couldn't help but grin too.

"Do you want me to carry you?" He joked. Syb looked away blushing.

"No" she said, walking slightly faster as if to prove a point.

Izabella laughed. "Come on Syb, just a few more steps"

They all stayed in silence until they reached the third floor. Zander sighing as he looked at Sybilla and the pain hidden in her face. Aubrette wondered if he truly would have carried her all the way up, had she said yes.

There were more than seven doors, all of them united by a common space,  a blue chandelier lighting the room just enough for them to see.

"Pick any door you want" he said. "They are all empty"

"Thank you Zander" Aubrette said, letting herself feel the weight of the day.

"See you in the morning" he said.

"Goodnight" Iz said. Waving at them, practically running into the closest door.

"Night" Sybilla replied. And each made their way into their rooms.

Aubrette stepped inside throwing her torn up shoes to the side, soft carpet touching her bare feet, the walls were painted dark blue, the covers black. She dragged herself towards the bed, and tried not to cry as she sat at the edge of the it marveling at the way it had not made a creaking sound as soon as she sat above it. It felt like a strange sort of luxury, the easiness of comfort. The same way being trapped inside one of her nicer dreams felt.

She stared into the deep blue walls infront of her, stared at them for so long, the color started reminding her of the waves of the Grave, of how it had felt to swim underneath them, of the pain, the freedom of it all. She turned away, feeling herself staring to choke up.

She was not longer there. No longer inside that room. No longer hurting. She could do this. Would do this. Aubrette closed her eyes and let herself sleep to the memory of the wind singing in her ears.