The carriage was small enough to fit down the streets to the City Hall and it came to a stop right in front of the main doors. Not too many people had shown up yet but Cerno preferred to arrive early and make a later, more quiet entrance from the back of the room instead of from the Grand Foyer like everyone else.
As they entered the main hall after leaving their jackets at the coat check, Sheja and Leena gasped at how huge the room was inside. There was a grand staircase that lead down to the main floor, large round tables scattered down the sides of the hall and tables full of food lined the back. Shej noticed a large mezzanine along the back of the room above the banquet tables and the table setting seemed to be a special arrangement to face forward and observe the crowds below. An orchestra was setting up on a stage at the front of the hall, the stage having two huge Christmas trees with stacks of presented underneath on either side. Every table and wall was decorated to celebrate the night and Shej squeezed Leena's hand a little tighter, excitement actually building in her chest.
Cerno lead them to a set of guarded stairs at the side of the banquet tables, the stairs leading up to the mezzanine where the special table was set.
"We dine up here," he said with a smile.
"It's a wonderful view of everything from up here," Ily commented.
"And we get the smell of all the food," Twyn added, his stomach already growling.
"All of our food will be delivered straight from the kitchen," Cerno advised. "It will not be given the chance for anyone to poison Sheja."
"I thought you said she was going to be fine?" Leena asked.
"The Seer's vision implies that, yes," he answered as he sat in the most center of the table, Rosalie taking the seat to his right. "I refuse to entertain the opportunity for someone to screw that up."
"Umm, Cerno?" Leena started, looking around as she bit her lip and laid one hand low on her stomach. She looked a little uncomfortable all of a sudden. As Cerno looked up at her, she furrowed her brow a bit. "Where is the ladies room? A baby thinks my bladder is a punching bag."
He smiled. "There are some in the main hall where we came in, but for us specifically, we'll use the ones by the kitchens. Right behind the banquet area downstairs, you'll see a guarded hallway that leads towards the kitchens. Just past that are our bathrooms."
"Thank you," she said, taking Sheja's hand and leading the way.
"Just don't go through the door past the bathrooms. It leads outside and you won't be able to get back in until someone opens the door for you."
"Got it." Just as her and Sheja started down the stairs, she felt a force pinning her to her place. She groaned with the sensation of having bumped into an invisible wall. "Sheja?" she asked, closing her eyes as she let her spouse fix the issue.
"Oh, crap. Sorry," Shej said as she came back up to the table and leaned over Rose's shoulder. "Could I ask you to accompany us?"
"Huh? Sure. What's up?" Rose asked.
"Leena made a pact with me yesterday and it makes it to where she can't be very far from you or my brother at any given time during the Gala."
"Oh. You should have said something," Rose chuckled, getting to her feet and walking with them to the restroom without hesitation.
"Slipped my mind with everything that was going on," Shej said.
The three ladies walked together to the restroom, the guards at the entrance to the hallway smiling and giving a polite bow to them. Sheja stopped as she looked down the hall.
"What's wrong?" Rose asked.
"Huh?" Shej asked, snapping out of her daze and looking at her. "N-nothing."
"You don't seem like 'nothing,' Shej," she replied.
Leena looked down the dark hallway, seeing the door at the end Cerno talked about. She turned back to Sheja. "Is this the hallway in your nightmare?"
Sheja hesitated. "Yeah."
"Well, you heard your brother. Just don't go outside or someone will have to let you back in," Leena said, smiling as she tried to lighten Shej's mood. "Now if you please, I really have to pee."
Sheja chuckled, following Leena and Rose again. Once inside the bathroom, Sheja assisted Leena with her dress while Rose gave herself a hair and makeup check.
"So how long was my brother out for?"
"What do you mean, Sheja?" Rose asked.
Shej and Leena could both be heard chuckling. "His first time. How long was he out for while he recovered his source?"
Rose turned back and stared at the stall door.
"It was obvious in the carriage tonight, Rosie," Shej said. She opened the door and grinned teasingly at her, the toilet flushing as Leena followed behind. Shej turned to make sure Leena's dress was all set proper again.
"His demeanor was completely different. He was more relaxed, more open," Leena added.
"That doesn't mean anything," Rose laughed. "He's just in good spirits tonight."
"He is, but at the same time he was still worried. He's my twin, I can feel what he feels." As Leena walked over and washed her hands, Shej took Rose's hands in hers and smiled. "I'm not scolding you for bedding with him before you two were wed, I'm thanking you."
Rose looked confused.
"You've made him happy. Tonight, in the carriage, it's the first time I've felt like I really had my brother back...the him I knew when we were children. You opted to share the sins he carries on his heart and I can see how weightless he feels." Shej grinned. "I was just curious if he was blacked out longer than I was."
"Two days before he recovered enough to stay awake," Rose said finally, a grin forming.
"Weak," Leena joked.
"How many days for you, Shej? I mean, did you even have first-timers drain since you're a woman and all?"
"Ohh yeah," she said, laughing. "I think it was four?"
"Five," Leena corrected, standing back up straight after making sure her lipstick was still on point. "I'm surprised you guys didn't wait for marriage. Although, I mean, this is Saorsa...traditions are only there for those who want to uphold them. It's just really nice to know that no one gets outcast like back home."
"Nothing is traditional for me, traditions were taken away from me a long time ago. And Cerno found himself needing a little attention...except the attention got a little out of hand," she said, chuckling as she shrugged.
Shej smiled.
"What do you mean your traditions were taken away?" Leena asked.
"Are you sure you want to know? My only tradition is falling into Taboo Statistics."
"Oh no," Leena started, looking saddened at Rose.
"Only if you want to share," Shej said softly. "I want to know more about my soon to be sister-in-law, but only what you're willing to tell."
"I don't mind. It's history and it's made me the strong Guardian I am today," Rose said, leaning back against a sink. "I was 16, Maddie's age, and eagerly waiting to be engaged to a wonderful man with a beautiful soul. His name was Nikolas, I had known him since we were little. My stepfather though, unfortunately he wanted me to marry someone rich. Mathias Hildabrent," she began, playing with her necklace. "Long story short, even though I was three years too young to yet be engaged, he had Mathias forcefully bed me to try make me no longer appealing to Nik."
"Rose..." Sheja said softly, squeezing her hand.
"I'm okay, Sheja," she replied with a smile. "Right in the middle of everything, Nik walked in and saw everything. But instead of walking away now that Mathias had defiled my body, he tried to save me."
"...what happened to Nik?" Leena asked, locked into Rose's story.
"Mathias overpowered him and killed him," Rose said quietly, her hand still playing with the tiny bead on the necklace. Shej realized it never left her neck and must have something to do with her lost love. "I didn't care how much my body and my soul hurt after that night, I took my little sister and ran first chance I got."
"And you came here," Leena said softly.
Rose nodded.
Leena looked at Shej, "Are all Matty's horrible people?"
"What do you mean?" Rose asked.
"A man named Mattheu tried to challenge Shej for my hand after we were already engaged," she answered. "Called Shej some not very nice things."
"Thank you for finding your peace in Saorsa," Shej said softly, returning to the subject. "And a big thank you to Nikolas for sending you to my brother."
"To Nikolas?" Rose asked, Shej's words touching her heart in a way she didn't realize would mean so much.
"In his death, he still protected you by making you run. He led you here. He led you to someone he knew could make you strong. Someone who could protect you and love you like he did."
"I've never thought of it like that," Rose said with a smile. "I guess I did feel strangely at peace after Cer and I went a wee bit further than intended."
"Of course you felt at peace. You even said so yourself tonight, everything was already perfect when you and my brother started courting," Shej assured.
"Thank you for telling us about Nikolas, Rosie," Leena said, smiling at her.
"Thank you for listening, it actually felt good to share it for once."
"We should get back. Cerno is probably concerned at what is taking so long," Shej advised.
The three ladies burst into a fit of laughter as they exited the bathroom and saw Cerno heading up the hallway toward them.
"What's so funny? What's been taking you so long?"
"We were just heading back because we knew you were probably worried," Rose said, slipping her arm into Cerno's.
"And here you are," Shej chuckled. She smiled at Leena, placing a hand gently on her lower back as they walked together. The music had started up and it got loud as they entered the large room again. "We should dance," Shej suggested.
Cerno looked at Shej then to Rose. "Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. Shall we?" he said, stepping in front of Rose to face her, holding his hand out for her to take.
Many people had already arrived and were out on the floor dancing. Much of the music was upbeat, but nothing too quick for a very pregnant Leena to keep up with. The four of them laughed as they had fun, taking turns dancing with one another with each slower song that played. Even Twyn and Ilyana had found them and joined in, Twyn immediately stealing Leena away from Cerno to dance with her himself.
By the next sonata that played, Leena was back in Shej's arms and she smiled happily. "Are you having fun, Leenasera?" she said, leaning in towards Leena's ear for her to hear.
"I'm having a blast but I think the bigger question is, are you?"
Shej smiled brightly at her but before she could answer, something caught their attention.
"Miss Leena!" a lady's voice rang out excitedly as a young woman approached.
Shej and Leena stopped dancing and faced her, Cerno and Rose continuing to dance but their attention was on the woman. Twyn and Ily hadn't noticed yet, having a moment together as the slow song held their undivided attention.
"I'm sorry to stop your fun," the lady said, reaching out and to take Leena's hand but Leena was hesitant at first. "Oh my manners, I'm sorry! My name is Nina. I work at a clothing shop nearby and made some of your maternity clothes. This dress you're wearing is the one thing I'm the most proud of!"
Leena smiled, letting the woman take her hand after her comment. "The clothes you make are very lovely, you are very talented."
"Aww, that means so much to hear!" Nina's voice carried a very high energy, she was full of excitement. "Again, I'm so sorry to stop your fun, I'll let you get back to dancing. I was just so in awe to finally see you in person and I just wanted to come congratulate you and compliment how radiant you are. It's an honor to be in your presence, or even just in the same room as you."
"Thank you, Nina. And thank you for your beautiful talent."
As the woman left as quickly as she arrived, Leena chuckled. "Since when am I the one at the center of attention?"
"Since tonight, apparently," Shej said, smiling. "Shall we go get something to drink and sit down? I'm a little dizzy from all the twirling."
Leena laughed. "Sure."
Halfway back across the floor, Shej froze, her breathing quaked as she looked around the room.
"What's wrong?" Cerno asked as he noticed her reaction first.
"They're here and they found me," Shej said.
"What a perfect gown to wear from the Gala to the grave, Sheja..." a threatening voice whispered as it floated over Shej's shoulder.
She raised her hand to her ear, goosebumps littering her skin and she stood closer to Leena. She looked around in a sudden panic and not seeing anyone close enough to have been in her ear.
"Cerno?" Shej called out for her brother again as he had looked away for a brief moment, worry carried heavily in her voice.
"What was that?" Leena asked.
"You heard it too?" Sheja countered.
"Just barely."
"Heard what?" Rose inquired as they drew near once more.
"It was like four voices all whispering at the same time," Shej said, obviously shaken up as she still looked around. She wished she could see the eyes that she felt staring at her.
"I didn't hear anything other than this crowd and the music," Cerno admitted.
"Same," Rose added.
"What we all just standing right here for?" Twyn asked as they caught up, noticing the seriousness in their body languages.
"Sheja's feeling watched, and she just heard a whisper in her ear," Cerno informed Twyn, causing Twyn to frown.
"Did you see who they were?" he asked her.
"No."
"There's no way someone could have gotten that close to you and you not see them," Twyn replied.
"A Shadow can," Shej corrected. "I would have looked straight past them while looking for them. It's what their power does."
"Let's get back up to the table and talk in private, shall we?" Cerno suggested.
Shej leaned forward on the table but her improper posture was quickly interrupted as Leena suddenly started swearing at Twyn who had just knocked his glass of wine over. Leena had jumped to her feet but not quickly enough, red staining the front of her white gown, most of it spilling over her bump.
"I'm sorry, Leens! I didn't realize I set it there!" Twyn whimpered, trying to make quick work to clean up the mess.
"Rose, can you help me?" Leena asked, trying to blot the wine from her gown. She paused, noticing a small, darker red splotch. "What is this?" she asked, scratching at the fabric.
"That's too dark for wine, did you drop anything on yourself?" Rose asked.
"Nothing was on her dress coming up here," Shej said, turning Leena to face her. She noticed the splotch was more like a smear. Her brow furrowed, "Is that...blood?"
"Why would there be blood? And from where?" Leena asked, appalled at the thought.
"Leena, your hand," Rose stated, taking Leena's hand and realizing her finger had a smudge of dried blood. She took a napkin and wet it, wiping her finger and realized a tiny puncture mark. "Did you poke yourself on something?"
Shej's heart dropped. "Are you feeling any different?"
"Not that I remember. And no, I feel fine," she said, reassuring everyone she was okay.
"Let's go down to the bathroom and get these out of your dress before they stain. I can wash, you can dry. Should be right as rain in about 20 minutes or so," Rosie suggested.
"Take two of the other Guardians with you. Nay, three," Cerno ordered. His seriousness and sternness that had taken a vacation since their ride in the carriage had returned.
Sheja started to stand with them but Cerno pulled her back down into her seat.
"Your food is here, you should eat."
"But Leena—"
"—will be fine," Cerno assured. "She has four Guardians to protect her, one of them being my best."
Shej chuckled, "A little something-something making you bias? Or is her being a Guardian all she's best at?"
Cerno looked at his sister and couldn't help but let out a laugh at the piercing grin Shej gave him. He didn't care to answer that right now.
As the plate of steak and potatoes was set in front of Sheja, it made her stomach growl as the smell was so divine. She tried to put the worry behind her for a little bit as she picked up a knife and began to cut into her steak.
"What the..." she trailed off, blood spilling out of the cut she made as if she had just cut into an IV bag. She laid the knife and fork down, sliding back from the table as she stared at it. "Nothing like this would be served, right?"
"What's the ma—" Cerno froze, looking to his left over at Shej's plate as the strong metallic smell hit his nostrils. "That shouldn't have been able to be tampered with, and there was no possible way someone could have known that plate was for you."
"Somehow they did," Shej said quietly. She looked away from the plate as the smell of blood was strong and started to make her sick. She stepped further away, trying to breathe air that didn't smell so acrid.
"Take it away," Cerno instructed one of the guards.
As the guard lifted the plate and removed it, a small piece of paper laid on the table where the plate had been. Shej turned back and saw it, her heart pounding with anger inside her chest as she stared at it. There were no such thing as coincidences in her opinion, and there was no way the note should have made it there.
Cerno reached out and picked it up. He instantly growled after reading it and stood up, crumpling the note in his fist, looking around. "Shit," he growled. Immediately, he turned and whispered something to one of his Guardians who instantly turned and walked away.
"What is it, Cer?" Sheja asked, the level of danger she felt rising in her chest. "Cer?"
As Cerno turned to another guard and ignored Sheja, she reached out and grabbed the note from Cerno's hand while he wasn't paying attention. Cerno instantly barked at her to give it back but it was too late, she had already read the note.
"I knew it!" Shej cried, her panic taking a deeper hold than she expected, fear for Leena's safety blinding her sense of reasoning. "They would dare use Leena against me because they know! They know her death is just as good as mine!" Sheja turned away from the table, panicked knowing the Shadow had even been up on this mezzanine where no one outside of their party should have been able to access.
"Sheja, please sit down. I've added more guards around Leena, she should be safe," he said as calm as he could but his voice was still heated from her snatching the note from him.
"If they can get past any of your guards and get up here, they can get to Leena while she's in the bathroom," she growled, heading toward the stairs.
"SIT. DOWN," Cerno ordered, getting right up in Sheja's face after grabbing her wrist and turning her face him again.
Sheja flinched away from him, twisting her wrist in his grasp as it hurt. Cerno's eyes were filled with danger and she suddenly felt the fear toward her brother that she hadn't felt since summer. "Cerno, why—"
"I said sit down, Sheja!" he barked again. As he let go of her wrist and moved to grab her arms to sit her back down himself, Sheja threw her hands into his chest hard, shoving him backwards and knocking him into the two Guardians standing behind him.
"Shej!" Twyn yelled at her, trying to grab her as she darted past him but missed. "Shit, when did she learn to run in heels like that!?"
"She's not," Ily pointed under the table at Shej's stilettos. "Either her feet hurt or she planned to run at some point all along."
"Stay here," Twyn begged Ily as he took off after Shej, Cerno still trying to get back up on his feet. "Shej!"
She heard Twyn's voice but she darted into the crowd to hide herself, ducking to make herself harder to be seen. As soon as she had her chance, she circled back around to the back hallway and noticed the two guards guarding it had run upstairs in the commotion, Twyn also having rejoined her brother already after losing sight of her. She paused as she entered the darkened hallway, her heart beating hard against her ribs in fear as an unmistakable figure stood alone at the other end, her hair reflecting little twinkles like stars. "Leena?" she asked quietly. She could see Leena wearing nothing but a black jacket as she walked straight out the back door. Without thinking, she ran straight out after her, the cold from the outside hitting her like a brick without her own jacket on. The snow was falling and made it feel even colder than it was as each little snowflake left small icy kisses along her exposed flesh. She froze seeing the dark garden of her nightmare surround her, her nightmare seeming to come to life and the feeling of dread washing over her.
"Leena!" Shej's voice cracked in her fear as she yelled, panting a bit as she tried to get her wife's attention through the rush of anxiousness to get back inside.
The figure turned around and the piercing glowing blue eyes could be seen from across the courtyard, her hair shifting from red curls to dark and wavy in the moonlight.
"Salashai?" Shej's heart thudded hard again in her chest, her eyes wide. "I saw you on the morgue table. You died."
"I got better," she said softly. Her voice was like a breeze through the freezing night air.
"Please, can we talk?" Shej begged. "Talk to me, then I'll have a proper fight with you, one on one if that's what you want."
Salashai laughed. "I like your second thought better. You just letting me kill you if my reasoning to have you dead seemed just." Her voice had an accent that almost made death sound romantic. Suddenly, Shej remembered Salashai could see thoughts.
"Then tell me why you want me dead, or why you'd kill Leena if not me! What do you have against me?"
"Shai has nothing against you, Shej," a low, gruff voice announced directly behind Shej. "I do."
Shej jumped at the hot breath on her ear and turned quickly to face the voice, her eyes wide in fear as a gasp instantly escapes her, her fingers wrapping tightly around the hand that had just plunged a knife into her abdomen, just below her sternum. She felt heat trickling down her stomach and she suddenly found herself unable to take a breath without intense torment. Her face screwed up in agony and her mouth hung open but no sound came out as the knife pressed even harder upward into her chest. Sheja tried so hard to see the man's face but couldn't tell if it was Shadow abilities or her pain that made his face a blur.
"This is for killing Sayla," his voice stayed low in a whisper but it was full of malice. "An eye for an eye," he growled as he gave the knife one more upward shove but this time garnished it with a twist, another pain filled gasp escaping Shej. As he pulled back, Sheja stared up at him blankly before she slowly collapsed to the ground, one hand grabbing her dress tightly just below the wound, the other falling out to her side.
Her breaths were short and sharp as she struggled to breathe, a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth as she let out a weak but staccato wet cough. The darkness of the courtyard began to spread deeper into her vision as she tried to focus on anything she could.
Leena...
A tiredness started to creep in and blanket her, easing her into an unconsciousness that seemed to relieve her affliction and fear. Within moments, the expression on her face softened into nothingness and the courtyard went completely silent, Sheja's struggle to breathe having clearly ended. Her hand grasping at the fabric of her own dress loosened as her whole body went motionless.
"May your lost family have revenge on your soul at the gates," he smirked as he watched the light of Sheja's soul leave her eyes. "You and your cursed creations don't deserve mercy, you disgraceful Taboo."
"May we go inside, Master? It's cold out here," Salashai asked softly.
"Yes, my dear. It's time we take our leave," he said. He slowly inched the door open, having blocked it from completely closing and locking them out. After checking that the hall was clear, he watched as Salashai's hair shifted back to red ringlets as she approached him, even her face closely resembling Leena's as they entered back into the building. Once back in the warm hallway, the door silently clicked shut behind them.