The Deadly Trials

3 | Numbered

// numbered //

"Eat this."

I regarded the almond-shaped thing in her hand, tears nonstop.

"Trust me," she said softly. "It'll help."

If it was poison, it would end this feeling of helplessness. If not, and she was telling the truth, then it would help somehow. So I bit it and swallowed.

I nearly retched. "That's disgusting."

She chuckled and pulled me to my feet. "I never said it tasted good, just that it would help."

"What was that?" I tried to rid my tastebuds of the flavor.

"A seed that calms the consumer."

I realized then that my nausea had vanished. My tears had stopped, and only the drying tracks remained, sticky on my face. My stomach had settled and a calm washed over me. It was an eerie feeling, like something else had control over my organs.

Eika shot me her blinding smile and patted my arm. "I knew that would come in handy at some point."

With my head cleared, I could think without falling to hysterics. "So I can never go home?"

My hands rested on my stomach. This strange serenity had stopped its churning, and I wanted to be prepared when the medicine wore off.

Eika pursed her green lips. "Take caution with never, Belline Paris."

"Bell."

"The King can give you permission to return to Earth, but certain conditions must be met." 

We were close enough to the castle now that I could see its details.

Towers marked the four corners, and a spire extended from the center. Most of the stone had been carved, so the exterior was covered in serpentine curves, geometric shapes, and flowery patterns.

"So, Eternity's got a monarchy, huh?" I partially paid attention to the chameleon beside me, occupied by the calm that gave me a sort of giddy lightheadedness. 

The castle before me was confirmation enough, but she replied, "Yes. Eternity has had monarchs almost since its conception." Her face filled with shadows, and had it not been for the almond seed I'd ingested, worry might've flooded my system. 

"What is it?" 

She cleared her throat, shaking her head. "I don't know if you have noticed, but I have yet to mention a queen. You see, Eternity's Queen has been imprisoned for the human equivalent of eight thousand days for her crimes against the kingdom. The King rules alone. That is why the Prince must marry, so Eternity can return to its traditional order and the Prince can become king.

"Do not misunderstand," she added, when she noticed my gaping mouth at the mention of a criminal queen. "The Eslyr family is very beloved."

Eslyr? Why was that name so familiar?

It was the name on the postcard. They had told us exactly where we were going: here to Eternity, to the royal family, Eslyr.

At last it occurred to me that I hadn't been alone, there had been twenty-nine other girls on that bus.

Gasping, I asked, "What happened to the other girls? I didn't come here alone."

Eika smiled. "I figured. But if they stayed on the path, unlike someone," she ribbed, "they would have made it to the castle without issue. I'm sure they will be there."

As we neared the gates to the castle, my stomach flipped again and my mind clouded with rapid-fire thoughts — the herb Eika had given me must have been wearing off. But to my surprise, I didn't want to cry. I was slowly accepting that this place around me, however impossible it seemed, was real. That I wasn't dreaming or hallucinating.