Beneath the Glass Dome

Chapter 30

Aimee found herself slowly awaking, her eyes adjusting to the small influx of light she could focus on. A candle? No, stronger than that. She adjusted once more. It was a gas lamp – the light the same pale gold she remembered from Muzay's eyes. "What?" She couldn't think properly. Something had happened.

She remembered... she remembered ships. And stairs. Lots of stairs. She walked down them further and further until. It snapped back at her. Turning her head to the side, she saw Gaspard standing at the edge of what appeared to be an underground cliff. His hands were clasped behind his back as though in deep thought.

"Where... where did you take me?" She knew her situation at the moment was dire. No doubt he planned on killing her so that she wouldn't be a threat. Perhaps she had been too forgiving in her judgment of these people. She was the outsider after all. She threatened their existence.

He slowly turned to the side, a solemn look upon his face as though he had spent his entire life thinking of this one moment. "You're too dangerous for the Adviser to keep alive. Those who would follow you could potentially destroy everything the Glass Star has stood for in decades."

"I don't want to hurt anyone." She tried moving but found her wrists bound to the side. She glanced over and saw rather large irons she was tied to. "What's happening?" She struggled more, yet knew it did nothing more than rub her wrists wrong.

He stepped closer towards her and reached at his side. From a scabbard, he pulled out a small bronze stiletto which seemed to catch the gleam of the pale light in the room. He advanced with his lips in a tight line. "Forgive me for having to do this."

"You don't have to," she said as she stopped fighting against her restraints for the moment.

There was something about his eyes, something which let her know he was hesitant about moving forward with the plan to kill her. If she could persuade him to give in to his emotions then everything would work out wonderfully. They could forget about this incident and she would be willing to leave the Glass Star.

His frame stopped in front of her, his eyes seeming to stare into hers as though searching for some reason to justify killing her. She felt her bottom lip quivering but kept her composure. This was no time for her to start to cry. She was going to be killed whether or not she begged for her life. It wasn't worth it. It's not how she was raised to react.

With a flurry, he drew the stiletto against his palm without flinching. Aimee scooted back slightly, unsure of what was happening.

He raised his bloodied hand and presented it to her. "I never thought I would do this since all the heirs of the king were gone. I pledge myself to you and to the true rulers of the Glass Star." Small drops of blood splattered onto the ground below, a few landing on her legs as she remained motionless in stunned surprise.

She looked at him in stunned confusion. "But you were about to kill me?"

"I could never kill the true ruler, even under the penalty which I know Stanton is sure to levy against my family." He returned the knife to his side and with his bloodied hand, reached for Aimee's restraints. "Pardon me for the restraints yet they were necessary as the others were watching."

"Others?" She looked around yet it seemed as though they were alone in the cavern.

He nodded as he continued working against the fibers. "Stanton already anticipated this move of mine. There are two men stationed on the other side of that door with a host of others waiting on our passing to take aim. What we must do is safely take you from this cavern and secure you in a safe locale until I'd able to rally the others."

"Rally them for what?" She pulled on her ropes once more. This time they snapped and she found herself slowly pulling off the small pieces which remained fastened to her wrists.

"The war against Stanton. She has more influence than you know and likely more than even I do."

The way he spoke sent shivers throughout her body. From what she had witnessed so far, there were several dozens if not hundreds of these mechanical knights walking about. They would likely be her first forces sent out and could readily strike through anyone who dared stand against them.

She shook her head. "I didn't come here to start a war. I only came to see what my father wanted me to witness."

"Whether you want to admit it or not, you are the rightful heir to the throne. There is nothing you can say or do to disagree with that."

"I was never here. I shouldn't take over something I know nothing about."

He slammed his fist into the wall, portions of the cave breaking apart and landing in the spaces between them. "Never let those words be uttered from your mouth again. You know more than you're letting on. You know how to rally people. Look at things around you.Everywhere you go, people admire you. The Visgins for example."

She paused, opening her mouth once wordlessly then finding, "How do you know about what happened there?" She had never mentioned it and she was fairly certain the others hadn't spoken a word of it either.

He gave a slight smirk as though pleased he was able to bring up this information. "Anywhere you go in the realm we know about what happens."

"Yet no idea where Paris is."

He exhaled heavily. Switching the direction of the conversation, he said, "We need to subdue the guards outside the door. I'd advise a sneak attack, perhaps myself going first acting as a decoy with you sneaking behind to shove this blade into their backs." He reached as his side and hastily removed the weapon, handing it hilt first to her.

She accepted the weapon and looked at it with trepidation. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Sometimes that can't be avoided."