Elizabeth's POV
Yesterday, Jackson had promised to get in touch with Demetri. We needed to find a way to warn CaVaughn about what the emperor was planning.
More than twelve hours had gone by since then, and I was growing more anxious with each passing minute.
Ezra had accompanied me to breakfast again since Luca wouldn't be back until tomorrow. I decided to use the free time on my hands to search for Garrett. I hadn't seen him since the day he brought me here and I was starting to wonder if he was even still here in the castle. He'd fulfilled his objective of taking me here so there was really no point in him sticking around if he didn't have to.
As I strolled along the corridors, exploring the castle, I ended up in the corridor that CaVaughn and I had travelled through during the mission to get Jackson back. The familiar painting of a blonde woman hung on the walls, the eyes seeming to follow my every move. It was a bit perturbing.
Eventually, my wandering took me to a room where a door was ajar. Before I even realized what was happening, someone raced out into the corridor. I took a cautious step back but the blonde girl in front of me flashed me a bright smile before getting over to me in a few steps and enveloping me in a hug, which took me by surprise.
"Elizabeth! I've waited for so long to meet you. I was starting to wonder if we would ever meet."
"Who are you?" I asked after she pulled out of the embrace. Her cerulean eyes sparkled happily.
"Cyrena Damaris at your service."
"So you're the other Origin-the one who teamed up with Malekh and made him a force to be reckoned with."
"That would be me," she acknowledged with a laugh. "Although Malekh has always been a force to be reckoned with, even on his own. I suppose that's why Rose formed an alliance with him."
"An alliance?" I raised a brow.
"You should come in," she invited, walking back into the room she'd come from.
The room was much like most of the rooms in the Spade Kingdom-spacious and elegant, but the walls of this room were decorated with drawings and paintings. Splotches of color stained the carpet around an easel that housed a half-painted picture.
"Something tells me you like art."
"That something would be right." She nodded, glancing at the painting. "It's been like that since yesterday. I can't seem to find the inspiration to finish it. Maybe seeing you will change that."
"So, you said you were waiting for me? Did you see me in a vision of the future or something?" I got comfy in an armchair and she sat across from me.
"Something like that." She hummed. "I saw a vision of you being here with Malekh. You were on our side. That was almost three years ago... its probably come to pass by now." She angled her fingers up like a camera and stared at the canvas through it with a small frown.
"The future can change," I reminded her. "What you see might not happen."
"The future never changes," she mumbled. "The future already exists, albeit in another plane of space. What changes are your decisions that influence that future."
"But if I know what your vision entails, then I can influence my actions to oppose it."
"And as I said before, the future never changes. The future already exists and it will be. You can always change your decisions and your actions but ultimately you'll end up in the future that I see. If I see something, it will happen. My visions are absolute. They've never been wrong before."
Absolute, huh? We'd just have to test out that theory.
"There you are." Rosaline's voice greeted as she swept into the room. "Elizabeth, what a surprise seeing you here. I didn't know you were already acquainted with Cyrena."
"Bettie and I are going to be great friends, I just know it!" Cyrena beamed.
She'd already nicknamed me. I guess we were friends now.
"How do you know that?" The older Damaris sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Did you see it in a vision?"
"No, but I have a feeling we'll-"
"A feeling?" Rosaline cut her off. "Feeling something and seeing something are two entirely different things, Cyrena," she spat. "What I want from you are visions!"
Cyrena glanced at the ground, a knot forming between her brows. "I've been trying Rose, but visions don't just appear like that. They come randomly. I might see one if I focus really hard."
"Then why aren't you focusing? You have time to engage in the luxuries of painting at this critical time? The rest of us don't have much free time on our hands so it would be appreciated if you'd do your part."
"I am trying," Cyrena insisted.
"Well try harder because you're not doing your best and that's not good enough." She took a step closer to her, tilting her chin up so she was looking at her. "Need I remind you that your unique ability is what makes you useful to Luca? Without it you're nothing."
"I know." Cyrena bit her lip and stared at the ground, sadness evident in her eyes.
"If you have time to paint and chit-chat then you have time to do what I brought you here to do. You should be grateful you're a part of our family."
"I am grateful," Cyrena said, her eyes widening at her sister's words.
"Then act like it. Results are what we want."
With that, Rosaline turned and left the room. What a great sibling bond those two shared.
Cyrena collapsed into the armchair across from me with a sigh. Her attention was no longer on her artwork and the paintbrush she clutched between her fingers had been forgotten.
"That was my sister, Rosaline." She flashed me a tight smile.
"Is your sister always such a ray of sunshine?"
"She's more about business and less about fun. It can be a real downer sometimes but hey, things could be worse."
"She talks as if you owe your family some great debt." I frowned. "Is that what it means to serve Luca?"
"In a way, I do owe them," she muttered. "I'm a Damaris but I never met my biological parents. Orphans are rare in the Origin society. Orphans without homes are even rarer. I don't know what happened to my parents or why they decided to give me up... maybe the Association got to them. Rose's family took me in after they found me on their doorstep."
"I'm so sorry," I murmured but she smiled.
"Don't be. We have different parents but we're all still apart of the same main family, the Damaris. Her parents raised me as if I was their own. But the age gap between me and my sister is almost two centuries. It's understandable that sometimes we don't see eye to eye."
"Still," I leaned back in my chair, "you're not some tool for her to use. You should start living your own life, not the one your sister wants you to lead."
"This is my life," she defended. "And I do want to help Luca."
"What's the deal with Luca anyway?" I asked. "I get that he's from a powerful family but if they're so powerful why does he need your help, or Malekh's help for the matter?"
"The Angeles aren't just powerful." Cyrena stared at me and her gaze told me there was much more to the family than that. "They're the most powerful Origin family; the first Origin family. If we had royalty, you'd be something of a princess. With everything going on surrounding the Origen Association, we need someone to lead us; we need an Angeles. The council is planning to officically appoint him as ruler of the Origins."
"He could just ask the other Angeles for help then," I stated.
Her eyes clouded over with sadness and pity. "It's not as easy as that. Luca lost almost everything to the Association. They took everything from him, including his family. He's searching for survivors but so far he hasn't had much luck. He needs all the support he can get if he's going against the OA, which is where we come in. There's no question that the other Origin family will back him no matter what it takes, especially the Damaris."
"Your family sounds quite loyal."
"We are." She grinned proudly. "It's been like that for thousands of years. Alphas are descended from Angeles and Betas are descended from us. Even in the Origen world, Betas closely follow the orders of the Alphas and help them. It's the way things are."
"But is it what you want?"
"What I want?" Cyrena blinked, surprised by my question. "I belong by Rose's side. She needs me to see visions."
"Yes, but do you really want to be here?"
"I think so." She contemplated it for a while. "Although it wouldn't be bad if I could get some more freedom. I still haven't met Luca yet and he's been here for a few weeks. I think Malekh's using me as his trump card. He probably thinks I'll be more loyal to Luca."
"You're caught in the middle of the two." I frowned. "You should think more about your future and what you want to do. Just because your family's been doing something for ages doesn't mean you have to follow suit."
"You might be right." She laughed. "But if Rose hears you say that, she won't agree. She's quite traditional." Cyrena glanced around the room before whispering, "I think it might be her old age."
A knock sounded against the door and Cyrena instructed the person to come in. My brows arched and my lips parted in surprise. I guess I wouldn't have to go looking for him later after all. Garrett stepped into the room and his eyes flashed to me for a few quick seconds before he spoke to Cyrena.
"The king wants to see you. Something about a prophecy or whatever."
"You mean a vision?"
"I'm sure they're more or less the same thing, Blondie." He gave her a tight smile.
"They're different," she insisted.
"Whatever you say," he sighed. "You should hurry. I think he's going out soon."
"We'll talk again, right Bettie?" Cyrena asked, taking my hand in hers.
"Sure." I offered her a smile which she mirrored and left.
I narrowed my eyes at Garrett as he leaned against the wall, taking me in.
"I think an explanation is in order."
"And here I was thinking that a simple 'hello, how are you?' would suffice." He sighed. "Look, what I did might have been unexpected but I had my reasons. I didn't expect to still be here playing the role of King Malekh's errand boy."
"I suppose you much preferred playing the role of my bodyguard?"
"I'll play any role I have to if it means getting what I want."
"What is that you want?" I questioned, folding my arms.
"The Spade Kingdom has something for me that I plan to take back."
"And you need Malekh's help to do it."
"Bingo." He chuckled. "You catch on fast, angel eyes."
"And what about Crysauralia? I need to go back. There's a horrible casualty that I need to prevent from happening."
"If you go back now then you'll become the casualty. I know what you're thinking but I can't take you back, especially not now."
*°*
Hey, lovelies! Thanks for reading!
"If you've changed your mind about coming to us, we'd love to accept you," Malekh said, his voice hopeful.
"Not a chance," I scoffed.
"I thought so. She didn't see you joining today..."
Cyrena saw Elizabeth coming in a vision. Do you remember this conversation between Malekh and Elizabeth?
Reference: The Prince's Fiancée, chapter 26
Do you think any more Angeles could be out there, or are Luca and Elizabeth the only ones?
Garrett claims to want something back from the Spade Kingdom. Do you trust him?
Leave a comment and a vote ☆ if you'd like and I'll see you in the next chapter ❤