Kaija: Queen of Stone

18 continued

As the sun reached the highest peak, basking over the treetops and the wall, we walked back to the castle exhausted already for the thousands of questions being asked and the many preparations being made.

We reached the castle doors, thrilled to be away from the village and the wall at the time. I was thrilled we didn't need to go into the barracks today and talk to the soldiers and could leave that for another day. Though we didn't have a lot of time, we had to stay vigilant and remember not to rush things. If we were sloppy in our preparation, it could lead to our demise.

As we approached, Tiroa was sitting on the steps, humming a soft tune to herself. She smiled wide, and pulled herself upward. She stood for a moment before flailing and fell down with a grimace. Her brows knitted as her teeth grinded, releasing a yowl of pain.

"There you are," she whispered through breaths. "I was wondering when you were going to help me off these stairs."

Qia ran forward, and linked arms with her mother, drawing her to her feet.

"Come, Mother," she said. "Let's get you some rest."

"Rest?" she exclaimed. "I am not a measly old woman who cannot stay up past the sunrise!"

"Rest is good for old bones," she confirmed. "Even if you don't think you are old."

They disappeared down the hall, leaving me alone. I stood in the foyer, wondering what to do next. I couldn't go back to the cottage. There were too many old memories hanging under the threshold. My bed was a stranger to me also. I looked up the stairs and thought of the Baria's room and the bed I shared with Mara. While it was enticing, my mind forbade me from sleeping in the same bed as a dead woman. I looked to the throne room and stared at the throne. The stone glimmered in my dulled vision as it tunneled. I began to walk toward the opened doors when I heard an echoing whisper.

"Hona," the voice sang. "Come to me." A lump swelled in my throat as I listened. It was coming from beyond the hall leading to the library.

I walked down the hall, entranced by the voice, and opened the door. A cool gust brushed past me. I expected books to be on the other side, littered on the floor, but Anai was waiting instead. Her face was scolded in anger. Her eyes were cold, almost bone chilling. The blood of her throat inked black, spilling to her chest and covering her dress.

The door swayed slowly from behind me, closing me in. My heart drummed as the room chilled, the windows frosting. She leaned in toward me and the door locked, her pale hand visible on the knob. I saw her vividly at night and if I did see her in the day, she was more of a phantom, but today, she seemed solid, as if she was alive.

"Another woman?" she hissed.

I couldn't deny or explain anything. I kissed Qia even if I didn't want to.

"Have you forgotten what we shared?" she questioned, floating around me. "A sacred night made for lovers and a promise to last a lifetime."

The sacred night... the blood...

"I never will," I answered, shaking my head. "No matter what happens next."

"Next?"

I walked past her, not knowing how Anai would react to the decisions I've made. My hands shook but I kept my voice steady. "I can't live with this pain anymore, Anai," I whispered. "I can't live in the past."

"What do you mean?"

Anai died years ago. The specter hanging by my side was not her. Anai was gone. The love I had with her was only a memory.