Without Starlight

Broomish is a Language Too

~Chapter 5: Nicholas~

Ruel was awake and sitting in the kitchen when Nicholas walked through the back door. He looked up from a pastry that Nicholas had left behind to eat later. "Where have you been?"

"I was retrieving your suits, Ruel." Nicholas said evenly. He was in no mood to deal with his step-sibling. The suits floated in the door behind him, taking Ruel's gaze from Nicholas.

"I see." Ruel's face contorted like he had smelled something disgusting. He turned from Nicholas. "You can begin with your chores then."

Nicholas watched him storm up the stairs. The moment he was gone from sight, Broom hopped from the closet. "You heard him, Broom." Nicholas set his basket down on the table. "I can begin on my chores now." He made his way up the stairs. The suits following him obediently.

He dropped the suits off in Ruel's room as Hames was still asleep. Then, he went to the garden to find the carnivorous vine had ensnared a rabbit this time. He cringed as he detangled the skeleton from the twisting plant, which purred happily, vibrating its leaves.

"At least you don't leave meat on the bones." Nicholas mumbled as he placed the skull on the pile of bones. When he reached his hand back in to grab part of the spine, a vine shot out and wrapped around his wrist. He froze, the vine had only grabbed him when it had had a bad hunting day.

The vine coiled until Nicholas couldn't see his wrist anymore. It wouldn't eat him, would it? The end of the vine wiggled its way over the back of his hand, gentle as feather. It wasn't a threatening motion, it was almost as if the vine was trying to hold his hand but doing a bad job at it.

"What are you doing?" Nicholas asked. He was hesitant to move, much less breath. He'd never had a carnivorous vine try to hold his hand before, but to eat his hand was a little more common.

The moment was cut short by when he heard his name being called from the inside of the house. The vine bristled, its leaves standing on end at the sound on Mabella's voice. He looked down to the plant holding his hand. "I have to go." The vine shook itself and stroked Nicholas's hand one last time before releasing him. Nicholas gently touched one of the leaves before rushing to answer the calls of his step-mother.

He found her standing in the drawling room quivering with anger. Behind her, the enchanted curtains quivered in fear. In front of her was the fireplace that Nicholas knew liked to cough soot at him, and now it seemed, on Mabella as well. The entirety of her skirt was covered in black soot and pieces of embers. He took a step back in shock. That fireplace had never acted up before, except at him when he tried to clean it.

"Get in here, Nicholas." Mabella said slowly. Once he was standing before her, she continued. "I want you to clean every fireplace in this house. Is that understood?"

He looked at her dress, more than likely ruined but the small shards of coal imbedded in it. "Yes, step-mother." Then, he looked up to her face. "It will take me all day. Who will prepare Hames and Ruel for the ball?"

Mabella looked at the treacherous fireplace. "They can dress themselves. I do not want this," she motioned with her hands, "to happen when they are in their new suits. Begin at once."

Nicholas watched her storm from the room. "Yes, step-mother."

One by one, he scrubbed the soot and ashes from the fireplaces. Starting with the ones in his step-family's rooms so that he would not bother them when they were preparing for the ball. Which, Nicholas now wanted to go to, had to go to.

The beginnings of a plan were forming in his mind. If he went to the ball, then he would be able to see the throne, and those involved, for himself. If he didn't know what the strange creatures that had been outside his windows were, then maybe he could discreetly warn someone in the castle that the throne was under attack.