Villainous [Wattys 2021 Shortlist]

MALEVOLENT 16: Solstice Movement

When she woke that night, she felt better. Delilah downed a jug of clear water, hoping it would get rid of the sandpaper quality of her mouth, and dressed in light, supple clothes, no skirts in sight. To combat the heat of the day, someone had left the top windows open. Delilah found a window pole and pushed one open further, hiding behind the curtains as she did so. When it was open as far as it could go, she sank down, rocking on the balls of her feet. She had done this manoeuvre a thousand times when she was younger; could she do it now?

She leaped, fingertips hooking over the lip of the window. Her head spun and nausea overwhelmed her, remnants of the drug, but she began to lift herself, muscles shaking with effort.

Ungracefully, she hauled herself half-out of the window so she was straddling it, ducked down as it was such a low gap. Twisting her torso, she was able to find the overhanging roof tiles and the drain above her. She knew the layout of the palace roofs as well as she knew the corridors within. Grunting, she managed to turn her body around and find purchase with her feet, drawing her knees up.

With effort, she pulled herself out of the window and up and onto the roof. She lay gasping like a landed fish for several minutes - far longer than usual. This would not do. She must be better. But she couldn't practice without making the guards suspicious: she doubted the pile of cushions under her covers or the closed curtains would fool them for long if they did more than just poke their heads inside her room.

When she felt better, she hauled herself up and clambered along the rooftiles. She climbed up layer after layer of roof.

When she found the low, flat area where she and Dante had run from the guards, where Dante had taken the Fire Opal from her and nearly killed her in the process... She averted her eyes.

Nell waited for her on the other side of the burnished dome which topped the main hall, crouching like a cat on the apex of the roof.

"You're finally here," she said. "What do you need from me?"

"I want to go through the things you taught me when we met." Delilah envied Nell's muscles, still strong despite everything. But Nell had escaped imprisonment, unlike her.

"The Solstice Movement?" Nell named the sacred Sun Warrior martial art pattern of steps as if it wasn't a closely-guarded cultural secret. "All right. Assume the first stance. You're going to have to alter it so you don't fall off the roof."

Delilah began the deadly dance, and Nell soon joined in, mirroring her movements as she counted in time under her breath.

"And one and two and three and four... And kick and punch and step and turn..."

Delilah silenced her with a look. She knew all thirty-five steps of the Solstice Movement by heart, she did not need prompting like a mere student.

After what felt like an age, they stopped for a break and sat sipping water on the rooftop. The moon had traversed much of the sky.

"Delilah," Nell murmured.

"Yes?"

"There's something I've been meaning to mention. You know you can fight, you're aware that most men are naturally stronger than you but you know how to win despite that..."

"Yes?" Something about Nell's tone irked her.

"I spent months training you. I was severely disappointed in the way you were using your allure on that Illukanya pig."

"My what? What allure? Don't make me laugh - the Illukanya leader would have gone after anything that breathed, you saw him."

"You shouldn't need to resort to using your looks or your body to win a fight - it's only a weakness."

"I don't seduce people - I'm not like Kaya," Delilah snapped. She had tried once, with Kai, and that had backfired. "Do not speak to me like that. What's wrong with you?"

Nell stood up and began to pace, looking more agitated than Delilah had ever seen her.

"I hate it - I hate that to be seen as powerful or feared women have this... this tendency to use their feminine attributes! Why is it expected? Why are all strong, powerful women in stories or legends also these perfect goddesses, and no one cares what a male hero looks like? You won't have beauty forever, relying upon it is a weakness."

"Why do you say 'you' like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you aren't beautiful."

"Because I'm not, I never have been! In the tribes, and afterwards - no one ever regarded me as - I mean - Nadya was always the beautiful one." Her voice almost died in a choke. "And I watched her beauty melt, literally melt, when they burned her alive in front of me. It didn't save her."

Delilah slowly rose to her feet. Nell had never spoken the name of her friend before - the friend who had been chosen as the summer sacrifice for the solstice celebration, the most important for the Sun Warriors. The friend responsible for destroying Nell's life as she made the choice to run away with her instead. The friend who had undoubtedly been more than just a friend. Her lover.

"I'm sorry," Delilah breathed.

Between them was nothing but the inky sky and whispering stars. The night was oh, so quiet.

"Sorry doesn't change anything. I spent almost my entire life wishing I could be as beautiful as her. Kaya always asks why I don't care about fine things, about luxury - well, I was never one for that. I don't suit it."

"Nell, no." Delilah took a step. "You're beautiful."

Nell looked at her with reproach.

"You are." She took another step.

How couldn't Nell see it? Her skin was twilight. The most gorgeous ebony Delilah had ever seen, always with a slight sheen to it. Silhouetted against the heavens as she was now, her eyes held the light of stars, and when she moved, she flickered in and out of the night sky itself.

Nell was trembling as she backed away, shaking her head, making the metal in her braided hair clink.

"Don't." It was a strangled sound.

"Why not? Nell?"

"I - I've said too much." Nell turned and fled, disappearing down the other side of the roof.

Delilah scrambled after her, but by the time she had reached the apex to peer down the other side, there was no sign of her first accomplice.

Of course Nell was gone. No one found her if she did not wish to be found.

Delilah sat alone on the roof, slowly drinking her water. Even though the conversation was long gone, even though she knew it would be more productive right now to either run through her upcoming plans or sleep to give her mind and body much-needed rest, she found herself dwelling on Nell's words. The gruesome image they conjured of a woman's face engulfed in flame.

The look Nell had given her, her doe-like eyes wide and her face creased with anguish... Why did it feel like a blunt blade was ripping through her chest? Why was there such a deep, unbearable ache? It was similar to what she had felt when Nell had last opened up to her in Dante's war tent before the final battle.

Delilah hadn't allowed such emotions to get under her skin since then. She had suffered too much, been too focused on putting herself back together and focusing her mind on her goals to worry about anything else. This felt like a harsh reminder of the confusing, seething emotions from before.

This reminder... It would not do.

Once, she had been a creature of roaring flame and spitting sparks. Now she was a creature of ashes. But she would rise from her grey, cold bed.

She would rise. And rise.

And rise.

No emotions were going to get in the way of that.

*

A/N: please comment if you like the story and want me to update!