Villainous [Wattys 2021 Shortlist]

MALEVOLENT 29: Your Revenge

Delilah wasted no time in sending Kaya to get Nell once she was finally alone, and paced her room impatiently. She had managed to capture Olufendi in conversation throughout the whole dinner, questioning him on everything he was creating, and the technological advancements were beyond her wildest dreams. She knew Pelenu was ahead of the other nations, but she hadn't known by how much until now. Because Tiberius had been keeping everything under wraps.

"Your people, the Sun Warriors, are amazing," Delilah blurted when Nell stepped into the room. "They're creating amazing feats with metal and coal! I thought - Dante made me think - that we needed the Opals to rule, but Pelenu has this... A man-made magic!"

"My people are ruthless," Nell said stiffly.

"Exactly! That's why we need them on our side! I got as much as I could from Olufendi, but I need more of a standing among them. You have to talk to them and get me a proper audience, or maybe a visit to the south, so we can find out more." Words were spilling out in her excitement and she didn't even care that she was barely thinking them through - the allure of a new kind of power hung over her.

Some restraint in Nell snapped. "You really have no consideration for me at all, do you? You think I can just go up to them after what they did? Face Nadya's killers after they – after I watched – forget it, Delilah."

She stormed to the door.

Swearing under her breath, Delilah realised she needed to play her hand lightly. Before Nell could leave she darted in front of her, blocking the way.

"I will use Sun Solstice techniques on you to get past you," Nell warned. "You can't keep me here against my will."

"I'm too good of a pupil. You won't be able to best me."

"I've been practicing for longer than you."

"You really want to fight me on this?" Delilah shook her head. "Nell, don't you want to face them? You've been running all this time, but you're stronger now than you were then. Don't you want a resolution? I'll come with you," she promised, "and we can find and burn Nadya's murderers alive. Then we can get the others to help us, and they will work under us – under you. They won't be above you anymore."

"My people aren't all fanatics. There are also people of reason, but my escape was too well known for me to risk it."

"Well, when we're in power, just point out to me the ones that need to go, and they shall be dealt with. Nell... only you can get me the kind of audience I need."

Nell sighed. "I suppose if our roles were reversed, I'd be telling you to face your problems."

"Exactly!"

"But I'm not going to go up to them, my cover will be blown and they'd probably kill me. If I do so much as send a letter, there will be turmoil. I have to wait until they go back to the south, because if they receive word of me now, they'll hunt for me on their way home. They can't just let me run free, telling people our secrets, spreading word that a dissenter lives and managed to escape punishment... They can't have people questioning the ways of Kane and the fire sacrifice, it would undermine their whole rule."

"All right, we'll wait, then. Nell, it means a lot that you're agreeing to do this." Delilah had to keep Nell on her side. Things between them seemed more perilous than they had ever been. On the run and in Vale things had seemed so much simpler...

"They're staying until after your wedding, aren't they?"

"Yes."

"The date approaches fast. Gaol hasn't wasted any time."

"He has the right idea. Diminish me to a housewife and send me away from court before I can become too dangerous."

"And your plan to get out of it..."

"It's risky, like everything I've done so far. Save your breath on the warnings this time, Nell."

"I'm not simply your guard dog, yapping nonsense every time something seems dangerous," Nell snapped. "You forget to treat us with respect, Delilah."

The fear in her over the wedding coalesced into a hard knot of anger. "I never have. Don't expect anything -"

"We put up with your lack of respect for too long. Yet still, we wanted to help you. You've promised us high stations when you become queen, but what's the point if you continue to treat us like this?"

"Every breath I draw in this court might cause my death sentence," Delilah growled, squaring up to her so they were nose to nose. "Forgive me if I'm not in the best mood right now. I'm constantly watched, Nell."

"Delilah, we won't always follow you blindly with nothing in return."

"After the wedding, things will progress. There will be a change. Maybe Kaya can't follow me like this forever, she's too brash, but you..." Delilah slowly, gently, touched Nell's cheek with a finger. "You will."

Nell shivered. Her eyes were huge and dark.

"You never asked me for anything in return for saving your life, but soon we'll hunt Nadya's killers down. I'll do everything in my power to give you revenge. I promise, Nell."

Nell was like a statue.

"You know, we seem to have repeated this argument ever since we came to the palace. We need to stop going in circles and make this right."

"They've asked me to serve at your wedding," Nell whispered. "I'll be in a servant's outfit, but what if the Sun Warriors recognise me?"

"Ah." That explained Nell's outspokenness. She was scared, too. "You can fake sickness to get out of it."

"You just told me to face up to it. If I avoid them now, will I ever be able to get the revenge you just promised? Because you know I can't let you do it for me, Delilah - I have to make the killing blows."

"Find a way to disguise your face as much as you can, and avoid them throughout the day, then. You're the best I know at staying in the shadows." Delilah gave her a tight smile. "Looks like we both have a reason to be scared. Look, Nell, maybe I can't give you and Kaya as much respect as you want right now, but I... I can give you my word, and I can give you this."

Heart pounding, she leaned in and kissed Nell lightly on the cheek.

Nell stumbled, her back hitting the door. Delilah had never seen her lose control before, but now her face was a naked display of emotion. Mumbling something about needing to go, she fumbled for the doorknob.

Delilah stared at the door for what seemed like a long time after she'd left. Her thumping heart took a long time to slow down. She was beginning to think she'd made a huge mistake, and snarled at herself. There was a hollow pit in her stomach. Why was it becoming so difficult to tread this line between herself and Kaya and Nell - especially Nell? Of course dismissing them all the time wouldn't inspire them to keep following her, but every time she did anything genuine, it seemed to crack open a new part of her stone heart, making her vulnerable, and she ended up feeling like this. Terrified. It was like a trap. How was she supposed to get out of it?

Delilah crawled onto her bed. She supposed it was time to sleep, but she didn't know if it would come.

"Touching," a voice drawled from the shadows.

Nightmare. A nightmare. It was a nightmare. That was her first thought.

A shriek ripped from her chest as the figure detached itself from the darkness.

Delilah snatched up a heavy ornamental vase from beside her bed, and with a scream that tore her lungs, she hurled it at Dante with all her might.