The Empty Ones (Fantasy Romance)

81. Fading light

What are you? Why did you do it? I thought we were friends. Many thoughts race through my head. But the only thing I ask is 'who'.

If she is indeed here to kill someone, as the circumstances are suggesting, it is very relevant who.

It's a sea of people I don't really care about. Do they deserve to die? Who knows; some might, others not. But most of them didn't really care about me, didn't even try to be kind.

The General and Riyo are not here, and the General should be able to defend himself while Riyo is too insignificant to matter.

But who would be a target that makes sense? Whose life would matter or who is... Inconvenient and should be eliminated silently?

Laini is talking to one of her lady maids, fully unaware. And Fera walks inconspicuously through the crowd towards them. She really knows how to make herself invisible.

What in the name of the gods is she? It feels as if for the others she doens't even exist, as if her face is blank and the motions invisible.

I elbow my way back through the crowd. It's already late; the General and Riyo must be waiting for me, but I cannot let her kill Laini.

It's a choice I make almost unaware. I will be late. Theon will leave, but Laini will live. She has to live. I haven't done everything I did so that she dies after all, and my husband gets his way.

I don't want him to tear another soul from me. And just like this, I notice that Laini grew on me, just like Mairi did. Damn quizm and their way of slipping under your skin and making you care for them despite being anything but loving.

"Laini, you have to be careful," I whisper into her ear.

She looks at me, slightly confused and a bit irritated.

Just when I prepare to answer her questioning look, I see Fera again in the crowd, and she is... leaving. She looks at me and smiles faintly, and I know she is not here for Laini either.

"Just, be careful, promise me," I say and squeeze her hand.

Laini rolls her eyes yet answers, "I always am. But nobody asked this in a while. I forgot how it feels."

The little time-measuring device tells me it's well past midnight. I hope the General managed to keep his word.

Riyo was meant to tell him to get Chioma out of the castle, and I was meant to bring her to the docs. If Theon is brave enough to want to take me with him, he can surely take her too.

And there it is again, the flicker of hope: Chioma and I across the ocean, where neither Sahib Aldam nor the Emperor could reach us. Theon making me invaluable gifts...

And then some more. Some days with him alone, far from everything that could hurt us. Some days in which I would be allowed to feel every feeling, however undignifying. I would be allowed to love him for some days, and I can't help being seduced by this perspective.

My heart is in my throat, while I run down the steep steps along the secret passage by the ocean. I am still wearing my expensive dress and all the jewels. There is no time change anymore, not if I want us to reach the docs till sunrise.

With my last breath, I cross the bridge to the mound of orchids. Right now, I am not invisible as I was the previous times, and men are looking, and their looks are demanding.

"My queen, what is your price?" screams a polite one, while other variations are much less polished.

There is a hand on my elbow, but this time I don't freeze, but grab the knife in my sachel prepared to strike. It's as if everything is intensified, my reactions, my will, my raw power. Is this how it feels to have magic? Is this how they feel every day? Invincible?