Villainous [Wattys 2021 Shortlist]

40: Sky Thief

Delilah slunk through the darkness and silently wished its death. She missed the sun, the wind, the fresh air. With every day she spent in Irkalla, she longed to be outside, and she'd begun slipping away to visit Safir or simply walk through the forest as much as she could. Without even knowing it, Dante had provided her a salvation. She guessed she'd have gone mad if she'd been confined to Irkalla like Vale's citizens. How did they bear it?

She quickened her pace, eager to reach the door - and halted when a bright light appeared from round a corner, blinding her.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Dante drawled.

Delilah cursed herself for being so inattentive. How hadn't she seen him coming? She'd been so careful, so meticulous, about sneaking away whenever Dante's tasks for her ran out...

"I was going to visit Kaya," she said without even thinking. "Is that such a crime?"

Dante raised one eyebrow and glanced down the deserted tunnel. "Kaya's started sleeping in the abandoned sections?"

Fooling him wouldn't be easy. "Kaya has her quarters, but she doesn't like to stay in them. I do not control where she goes."

"Well, you should. Servants can easily rebel if given too much freedom."

"Why are you still here?"

"Because -"

"-You don't trust me?"

He gave a small smile that didn't meet his eyes. "Funny how you always jump to these conclusions, Delilah dearest."

"That's a new one. Is that what you do when you're holed up in your office all the time -?"

"Think of new nicknames for you? Yes. Among other things."

He knew she was hiding something. She could feel the tension in the air between them.

"Can I go and visit my friend, please, Your Highness?" she asked testily. "You can join us if you like, but Kaya won't take kindly to your presence, and you've never seen her fight properly before. Trust me, you do not want to be her opponent."

He inclined his head. "I'll pass."

"Good." She hurried past him and plunged back into the darkness before he could say anything more.

Her heart only stopped pounding when the light behind her disappeared entirely. She hoped Dante was off to brood or prowl his kingdom or see to the undead. She hoped he'd believed her.

She took the twists and turns out of instinct. Yes, being almost caught by Dante had shocked her, but breaking the rules ignited a feeling she couldn't get rid of. The adrenalin that snaked through her bloodstream, the way she became hyper-aware of every breath she took, every movement of her muscles, the sensation of air or clothing on her skin... She'd experienced it for the first time when her uncle had suggested to her that she would be a better ruler than Marko.

Isn't that treason? she had asked. But even then she'd despised her brother, as she'd been raised to. Even then, she'd imagined stepping out of his shadow and feeling the light, the glory, and the cheering focus on her for once - and then the forbidden feeling had felt like a high. A drug she couldn't stop taking.

Delilah loved it, and she was not about to deny it to herself.

So she pushed the secret door open and bounded through the trees towards Safir. Dante's appearance had made her forget to pick up food for him, but she knew he could scrounge things from the forest if he had to. Besides, she didn't care that much about his welfare - as long as he was breathing.