Blood & Honour [Book Four of The City of Eternity Series] [✔]

4.19: Aligned

Giorti was tucked away in one of the quieter corners of the city, and if I wasn't intent on finding answers regarding Nika, I don't think I would choose the dimly lit establishment as a usual haunt. The soft murmur of conversations and the clinking of glasses provided a soothing backdrop for my troubled thoughts, but as I sat in the corner nursing my head in my hands, my mind had become a whirlwind of conflicting emotions that left me teetering on the edge of the piano stool.

As the evening wore on, Violet and Frederick had become wrapped in each other's endeavours, and I was left without a social clutch to keep me out of notice. I found myself leaving Giorti, ducking out of their sight, and stumbling over my feet as I walked the streets of the Eastern zone. The streets were quieter here, nothing quite like the frenetic hustle and bustle of the Central zone, now just a distant memory. Eastern had a charm all its own, with narrow alleys and cobblestone paths winding through the heart of the city. Unlike Central's mixture of old and new, Eastern featured looming skyscrapers of the old financial district which were currently mere shadows on the horizon, serving as a silent reminder of a world long gone.

As I wandered, a small sanctuary of green amidst the urban sprawl of homes and burnt-down coffee shops beckoned me inside; a reminder of the world I once knew and embraced. I could picture the park bustling with activity, families bundled up in warm clothes, their breath visible in the chilly air. Children would have run around, played with makeshift toys and enjoyed the simple pleasures of a winter evening. Vendors would have set up small stalls, selling hot drinks and roasted chestnuts, the enticing aroma wafting through the air.

I remember this very park used to be used for city celebrations, and with the emergence of the supernatural happening a mere four days after the winter solstice it was currently decorated with strings of brightly lit fairy lights, loosely hung on the tall, skeletal trees with their soft, twinkling glow that attempted to illuminate the darkness that enveloped the city. Each bulb seemed to hold onto the memory of the better times when children ran through the winter food stalls filling the air with laughter and joy - even I remember holding tightly to my father's hand as he gathered a bucket filled with caramel apples if only to make Henry and I smile.

In the centre of the park stood a large, weathered gazebo. It had seen better days with the paint peeling and wood creaking; I remember eagerly playing peek-a-boo with Henry, tucked behind one of the beams and desperate to see him laugh. Someone had made the effort to decorate it for that solstice; golden tinsel that was now tarnished wrapped around the railings, and red and green ribbons fluttered in the gold breeze, tied in bows around the outer fence.

I'd chosen to plop myself down on one of the remaining benches; most of the others broken, the remainder barely holding together. On each bench, a thin layer of ice glistened, catching the light from the fairy lights above. The ground was uneven and covered in patches of frost, the grass beneath struggling to survive in the cold.

As I sat there amongst one of the ruins of humanity, I couldn't help but consider how I would carry out my latest orders. The question loomed large and unrelenting: Could I kill someone just to help Aubrey and Alaric? The notion was so foreign to me, so fundamentally opposed to who I believed I was. Yet, here I was, standing on the precipice of a decision that could irrevocably change everything.