Behind the Lace and the Lies

3 - Broken Vows

She stood across a bend in the path, facing away from me. Her hand was stretched to touch a delicately blooming night lily. At the sound of my footsteps, she whipped to face me, fiery eyes glowing against the indistinct blue light.

My chest tightened, squeezing out away any remains of air.

"Who are you?" she demanded, hands coming together, ready to summon fire.

"I'm sorry." The words escaped me as I took a half step back. My magic. Remember my magic. I need it back. "I'm just a guest." She needs to trust you.

She lowered her hands and sighed, a heavy sigh that floated through the air. "No, I'm sorry." She approached me. "I'm Althea. You probably already know that, don't you?" She frowned. She was beautiful, her long dark hair hung down and bronzed skin glowed despite the faint light. She wasn't from Insurran, but rather from southwest of here, from Xufra.

"I'm sorry," I apologized again. Be smart.

"No, it's okay," she said, stepping closer. "You are?"

For the briefest of moments, I internally rejoiced. But I composed myself. Be smart, you won't get a second chance. "I'm Karianne."

"Karianne," Althea repeated. She was now standing in front of me; the moon shone off her hair and her breath puffed out into the air, the faintest hints of steam and warmth brushing my cheeks. She tilted her head slightly. "You aren't from here, are you?"

I couldn't stop the frown spreading across my face. I hesitated.

"You're from Feswyle?" Althea continued. "Your accent is very faint, almost gone, but it's still there on your r's. And your eyes, they're stunning, but not common in this area. And your name, of course."

There was no point in denying it anymore. I forced a smile. "Yes, I lived in Feswyle, but that's in the past now," I said.

"Were you in one of the southern states invaded by Insurran? Is that why you're here now?" Althea asked, her face an indistinct mask of emotion that I could neither tell if it was curiosity or concern. She knew too much, it was becoming too much of a risk, but it was too late to turn back.

"I'm sorry, I know that's too much to ask. I only ask because I understand. I'm from Xufra, and if it weren't for the war, I would still be there," Althea continued.

The corners of my eyes stung, and I could feel the tightness of my throat. "And yet you're here. Helping Insurran. Entertaining them with your lightshows. You're the last of the seven, and so you will summon the destined one for them, you know the consequences of that. You don't understand, or you wouldn't be here." The words escaped me, a fatal rush of emotion.

Althea narrowed her eyes, the fiery orange blazing, but despite that, I could see the glassiness in them. "It's more complicated than that. Without a complete seven, the worlds will collide and there will be complete destruction. And Insurran is the only country with an Alkira who can participate in the seven."

"You mean Lord Kieran? He's not an Alkira, he's broken his vow of pacifism and fallen." I challenged.

"You don't understand," Althea retorted. "He was forced into a situation where he had no choice."

"There is always a choice. An Alkira cannot kill someone. It's that simple." My breath cast fog into the air. I was playing with fire, but it was too late to turn back. I needed to act, to do what I had come here to do – to reclaim what is mine. The pounding of my heart echoed.

Althea's fists had curled into tight balls. "You're an Alkira, aren't you? Bound by your morals and perfect pacifism? Well, the world isn't black and white."

"I am an Alkira. But that doesn't change anything. Each of us have chosen to do no harm, he is the only one broke that sacred oath. And I can show you, I can prove it. It wasn't a one-time choice or an unlucky twist of fate or a desperate moment. He has repeatedly made the decision to disrupt lives, to break his vow, and to take what isn't his for the taking," I said, the desperation that I fought to keep back was seeping into my voice.

Althea narrowed her eyes, staring at me, and shifted her weight backwards, no longer defensive. She had lost all fear of me. "What did he do you? What do you claim he did to you?" She demanded suspiciously.

"I can show you."

She hesitated, swinging back and forth between disbelief and curiosity. She opened her mouth, then closed it. As an Alkira, I could do no harm to her without breaking my vow; she knew that. Besides, Alkiras' powers were just healing and light. "Fine," she said at last. "Show me."

"Follow me."

I hurried out of the garden, barely processing the crunch of gravel behind me or the rapidly vanishing floral air. The nightinjays called out, a chorus of squawks that rang like warnings bells. My hand trembled as I slipped it into my bag, confirming the presence of metal within.

Althea hurried to catch up with me, her ornate robes swishing on the ground. "Where are we going?" she asked.

We walked amongst the shadows, the golden lights of the party were a distant swab of yellow. The castle loamed over us as we approached, a dark giant against the sky.

"Karianne. Where are we going?"

I leaned against the castle wall for a moment, the lack of breath, the spinning of the ground, the battlefield, the darkness, all of it, the past and present blurred into suffocating fog. But I had to get my magic back.

The door was unlocked, just as planned. Left. Straight. Straight. Left. Right. Left. Both doors will be unlocked.

"To Kieran's office," I replied, already into the castle. The air had a strange, thick mustiness that penetrated my lungs. My eyes could only adjust partially to the darkness, so I stumbled forward, half certain of where I was going. If only I had my magic, then I wouldn't have to face the darkness.

Althea remained silent as we wove through the mazes of room and hallways. I followed the instructions carefully, I couldn't afford to make a mistake.

At last, we turned the final corner. Before us stood the door to the Kieran's office, slightly ajar, a singular beam of faint candlelight sliced across the floor. Althea frowned, stepping in front of me to push the door open. That was her mistake.

"This shouldn't be unlocked," she said.

My hand slipped into the depths of the bag, pulling from it a necklace, whose intricate details and sharp corners dug into my palm. I removed the knife next, slowly, carefully, quietly. Its blade captured within it the world around it. I stepped into the room behind her, closing the door.

There was a spilt moment in which Althea must have sensed something was wrong, but she was too late. By the time she had raised her hands to summon flame, the necklace was around her head and the knife was at her neck.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.