Camp IX | ✓

29

I wasn't sure what woke me: the birdsong or the feeling of being watched.

The sun warmed my cheek and I cracked open an eye. Filtering in through the still open door, sunlight caught in the pale curtains and made them glow. From outside came the fluttery chirping of song birds.

I pushed myself up and the covers fell off of my upper body. I had a vague memory Griffin coming in and covering me with blankets the night before. It must have been late because he looked drained and dead on his feet.

Rubbing a hand over my face, I blinked several times to get rid of any lurking remains of sleep. My hand came away greasy and I made a note to wash my face as soon as I could. My shirt had become twisted during the night and as I untangled myself someone cleared their throat behind me.

I spun around so fast I'm sure I gave myself whiplash. Sprawled on a loveseat was a women that looked my age. She arched an eyebrow and my blood ran cold. It was the women from the steps the day before. The one that had compared my hair to dead grass.

Gone was her dark green dress, replaced now by a crimson robe. Her hair was pulled into a braid that fell over her shoulder and down to her waist. Little wisps of hair escaped the braid like she'd slept in it. She reclined with an air of authority all the while keeping an eye on me.

It took me a few seconds of stunned processing to realize that yes I was not dreaming and yes there was another person in the room with me.

"Wh-who are you?" I finally sputtered.

"Ríona," she simply replied. "I wanted to talk to you and figured we could do that over breakfast."

She waved a hand over the low table in front of her and sure enough food covered the entire surface. Small bowls of brightly colored fruits, pastries, and mugs of dark liquid were among the piles.

Annoyance shot through me and I said, "And what makes you think I want to talk to you?"

Ríona chuckled like I'd said something funny. I clenched handfuls of blanket in my fists to keep them from shaking.

"No seriously," I burst out. "Why would I ever want to talk to you? Especially after yesterday?"

Ríona raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and coolly regarded me. Her perfect little half smile never slipped from her face despite her eyes beginning to flash the danger shade of purple.

"Are you really hung up on that?" She leaned forward. "Cause I'm only telling the truth like it or not."

I closed my mouth with a snap. Maybe she had a point, but there were ten thousand better things to compare my hair too than dead grass. Unconsciously I reached up and touched it. Like everything else about me it felt greasy and dead.

I wanted to be alone. I wanted Ríona to go away and leave me in peace so I could take a bath, eat, and maybe find Griffin who was the only good thing in my life at the moment. Despite my inward wishes, Ríona still lay on the loveseat popping small, brightly colored berries into her mouth.

I groaned and slid out of the comfort of the blankets and crossed to a chair opposite Ríona. I flopped rather ungratefully into it and slouched.

"What did you want to talk about?" I muttered reaching for a mug of dark liquid.

"You of course," simpered Ríona, her glossy lips curling further upward.

"Me," I snorted. "Well here I am. Please hold all snide comments until the end."

I made a sweeping gesture almost spilling whatever was in the mug.

"You humans really like to hold onto stuff," Ríona's eyes wandered over my body taking in my messy hair and wrinkled clothing.

I tilted the mug back letting the liquid in it roll over my tongue. A dark fruity taste enveloped my tastebuds and made them sing from the sweetness. The taste reminded me of late summer nights spent out camping when Milo and I found patches of wild blackberries. We'd spend hours with red juice stains on our hands exploring and pretending we were kings and queens. And even after the last sun rays had vanished and we'd crawled into our tents, the sweetness remained on our lips.

I set the mug back on the table with slightly shaking hands and looked up at Ríona. She raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Did you say something?" I asked, my voice coming out soft and subdued.

"I said you're not what I was expecting."

"And what were you expecting?" I met Ríona's cool gaze and she shrugged.

"Living here I'm privy to information and..." she trailed off and for a moment I could have sworn she looked sheepish. "Rumors"

For the first time that morning, a smile tugged at my lips.

"Rumors huh. What did they say?"

"My father likes to talk," she burst out in such a rush like she was afraid of she didn't tell now she might never would. "You have to understand."

I nodded and leaned closer. I recognized the look in Ríona's eyes. Desperation to spill a secret that wasn't hers. I'd seen it many times in bathrooms at school where whispers were their own form of currency.

Ríona glanced back at the door and lowered her voice to a whisper. "They're scared of you."
I rolled my eyes and slouched back in my chair.

"Nova," it was the first time I heard her use my name. "I'm serious. They're scared of you."

"Of me?" I laughed "Ríona, the scariest thing about me is how many all nighters I pull."

"No you don't understand," she came to sit by me. "You're memory transfer didn't work and they don't like things that don't work."

"I'm sure it's not that big of a deal," I said.

Ríona shook her head, her eyes wide. "It's a very big deal. They, the Red Star Family and their court, they have to control everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. Come with me."

Ríona slid a hand under my arm and gently but firmly pulled me from my chair and across the room. We walked through the open doors and out onto a small balcony. Ríona released me and went to lean on the marble railing.

"Look at the gardens," she said.

From the balcony I had a good view of the sweeping grounds. Paths crossed here and there and all along their edges sprung bright flowers. Sparsely planted trees offered shade to small benches. The breeze flew along, making the leaves sing in their own special language. Looking closer, I saw people milling around. Couples hid behind hedges their faces close. A child ran chasing something invisible while a young women ran after him.

"It looks nice doesn't it?" A bitterness had seeped into Ríona's tone.

I nodded as my eyes flitted from one thing to the next.

"It's not nice," Ríona whispered, her voice barely loud enough for me to hear. "It's too controlled. Every leaf, every flower is in its rightful place. Nothing strays, it's never given that choice."

Unease pricked at the back of my neck as Ríona's words began to make sense.

"That child," she pointed at the one running through the garden. "He'll grow up and marry the oldest daughter of the Red Star Family. He doesn't have a choice. And the one chasing him? She'll be gone soon. They never last long in her position."

Despite standing in the warm sun, goosebumps appeared along my arms and I rubbed them.

Ríona leaned in, her face close to mine. "Do you understand what I'm saying about this place?"

I nodded.

"I think that's why I was drawn to you. You're the only thing in this whole world, no the universe, that they can't control."

Ríona's eyes sparkled with excitement. Her whisper danced with a air of eagerness.

"You can't be controlled Nova and that terrifies them."