Empire of Deceit

Chapter 2: Home Sweet Home

When I got to the doorstep leading to my townhouse, I looked up to the sky and closed my eyes. I couldn't help the prayer I sent to Aion. Hoping everyone was home, safe and sound.

As I reached into my purse for my keys, the door swung wide open and a tall man with shoulder-length brown hair greeted me.

"Welcome home, Princess-to-Be!" He shouted loud enough to wake the entire street.

I glared at him. "What are you on?" I shoved past him and closed the door. "I swear to Aion, if I have to deal with another complaint from Miss Kenney—"

"Excitement, my dear sister. Because you are going to enter the Praelium."

I rolled my eyes. "I'd sooner join the Challengers."

A Naiad walked through the room, her turquoise hair swirling with each sway of her hips. "Keep talking like that, and the gods will grant you your wish." She placed herself onto one of the couches in the living room and directed her silver gaze my way. "But your brother is right, you have a very good chance of going into the Praelium."

"Enlighten me, please." I joined her on the couch, shoving my purse into Ares' hands.

She propped her head up with her hand and grinned at me. "Well, for one, you have an in with Duchess Nikita."

"An in?"

"You work for her."

"It was a pity job. She knew my mum from when she came to the country seeking asylum."

"Still a job. And she set you up with this place with a low ass rent. Plus, she fired Ares." We both looked to the man in question, who was sulking in the kitchen, my purse still on his arm.

"That's different." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Let's say I do decide to enter. The press would be maddening, and they'd dig up everything. Duchess Nikita's reputation would be tarnished. Everyone would consider Astrya a joke... I can't live with that."

"What could they possibly dig up on you? I don't think you've even gotten a parking ticket." Indigo glanced over to Ares who shook his head.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that my mother was a war criminal? That one of my roommates is an accountant for the Knights?" I listed each new reason on my fingers and with every one added Indigo drew farther and farther away from me. "That my other roommate is the runaway heir of Lord and Lady Wren? Or how about how Ares is also, like, besties with the leader of the Knights? Oh, and let's not forget how you pay the rent." Her hair color darkened to a deep navy.

My heart panged with guilt. "I'm sorry," I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. "Look, I know you guys think I should do this, but I'm not cut out to be a ruler. Why don't you do it Indigo? I can put in a good word for you with the Duchess."

She scoffed. "A courtesan spending time with the daughters of her clients? That's a shitshow waiting to happen."

I shrugged. "Guess none of us are doing it then."

Standing up, I walked to the kitchen to find Ares munching on a bag of chips. I took the bag from him and he quirked an eyebrow. I tapped his stomach, which was flat.

"Keep eating like this, then how are you supposed to outrun the others at the races?"

Ares narrowed his eyes at me. "You're one to talk, or shall I spill the beans on what really happened to Indigo's peach cobbler."

Our roommate could be heard sucking in a deep breath. "Veya!"

I shoved the chips into his arms. "I hate you," I said as I bolted up the stairs, making sure to snatch my purse on my way.

"Hey! One day you'll miss my ass!"

I rolled my eyes. "Highly doubt it," I called back.

As I walked through the hallway I heard my name being called. Turning around, I saw Gideon leaning against the doorway of his room, a smirk on his face.

"So... what's this I hear about a Princess-to-Be?" he drawled, hazel eyes alight with mischief.

I couldn't help tucking my hair behind my ear, or the warmth in my cheeks as I attempted to not look him in the eye. They always seemed as if they could see right through me and could find all the thoughts running through my mind. And I really did not need him to know what I was thinking about since he had neglected to put on a shirt... again.

"Our roommates are under the impression that I should enter the Praelium." I shook my head once again at the thought. "They're being ridiculous really."

Gideon quirked an eyebrow. "How's it ridiculous though? You are extremely close to Duchess Nikita—you're practically her heir at this point."

"Just because she's kept me on the job longer than Ares?"

"Because she's notorious for firing assistants like that!" He snapped his fingers for further emphasis.

"And I shall tell you what I told them: it was a pity hire. My mum left me and Ares with student loans we couldn't pay off on our own. Duchess Nikita had been there from the moment we entered this country, so she probably felt bad when she left." I clenched my fist at the memory, even though it was decades old.

Gideon's gaze shot downward. "Veya..." His shoulders slumped. "Look, I know that most of the time we joke about this, but it's important that you listen to us."

"No, I won't. I'm not entering that competition, even if my life was at stake." Swinging around, I marched into my room and slammed my door shut.

I leaned against the cool wood, my eyes closing as I attempted to relax my mind. Don't think about her. Don't think about her.

Once my heartrate slowed down to a steady rhythm, I threw my purse onto my ottoman and peeled off my shirt, fought to get myself out of my pants, and slipped off my gloves. Shrugging on an old t-shirt I'm pretty sure used to be Rainor's, I slipped under my duvet and closed my eyes.

This was the hardest part. Falling asleep. Every time I tried, I could hear the whispers, the callings. His voice.

"Damu," it would rasp, "soon the tahazu will come. And that is when you, my zamani, will awaken."

And somewhere, deep in my mind, I would recognize the ancient words He spoke. My nose would tingle with the scent of ash, my mind would be consumed with screams of fear... And once the darkness of sleep finally began to enclose my mind, the words always slipped out of my mouth:

"We will reclaim what is ours, Abum."