A bubble of laughter trickles from my lips. The wind batters the window and Edward stares at me with a flat mouth, unamused.
"I thought you were immortal now," I say, pouring myself another drink.
"Well, the immortality elixir doesn't cover beheading, I'm afraid," he says in a monotone voice.
I open my mouth to speak again when the bird, still perched on the windowsill, gurgles. Our heads snap towards it. It cranes its head back and its throat bobbles as it chokes and gags. Until finally, it vomits a tiny, crumpled ball of parchment dripping in saliva.
Edward swoops over and snatches it up. The Mercuree spins around and leaps from the ledge. As it spreads its black wings, the wind catches it, and it soars into the clouds. He grimaces as he pries open the sodden paper. His lip bends.
"They know where we are, and they will be on their way to the Floodgates." His voice is barely louder than the murmuring fireplace.
I quirk my brows. "I sure didn't see that one coming. You forced them to battle and then dropped them once you discovered the elixir."
He rubs his chin, ignoring my comment. "I need to prepare the army for their arrival. I'm an idiot for letting them live."
My chest burns. "You're going to kill them?"
"They're all beasts, anyway. All corpses to be." He swallows. "I will do them a favour. Besides, do you really want them coming after the kingdom?"
I blow out a shaky breath and stare at the coppery liquor in my grasp. "Not quite."
"There's few of them left. With a big enough army, we can remove them as a threat." He leans back into the couch. "It is time I put the Red Movement behind me once and for all."
"Why? You were so determined to make something of yourself there," I say, placing the tumbler on the table between us.
Something flashed in his eyes. "It isn't your job to question me."
His sharp tone doesn't make me so much as flinch. I narrow my eyes. "It was fear," I say. "Something drove you to leave. You were afraid. Was someone after you? After revenge?"
He purses his lip, and his cheeks redden. "Nosy, you are."
I stifle a dry laugh. "Fine. Tell me when you trust me."
"Will you fight for me, Elle?" he asks, voice taking on a drawl as the alcohol works its way deep into his brain.
"I suppose I have no choice." The words tumble out before I have the chance to process his question.
He shrugs. Then he throws his head back and calls for his herald. The tall, slender man has such long limbs and wide eyes that he reminds me of a stick insect as he lumbers into the room.
"Yes, Edward?" His voice is nasally and makes me grimace.
"Can you send a message to Ruben in the Convex Sector?" he says, and I startle. "I need him in my office tomorrow morning to discuss his progress."
"What progress?" I ask.
"None of your concern, Elle." His white hair shines in the firelight. "Besides, tomorrow, you will need to train."
The herald scurries out of the room with his instructions.
"Blades are my strength," I say. "Let me train with a bow. It will be useful for taking down the beasts."
He smiles, but it doesn't meet his eyes. "Come to my office after your training tomorrow. I will have a speech prepared for you, which I need you to perform tomorrow evening."
"What kind of speech?"
"One that will convince the Convex folk of your loyalty to me," he says with a calculating smirk.
I roll my eyes and stand. "Goodnight, Edward."
"You will fight for me, right?" he says as I reach the door.
I whirl around and my chest suddenly burns. "Why do you care so much about my loyalty to you? Of all the people in the kingdom, you could choose from."
This startles him, and he smacks his lips, lowering his whiskey to the table. "Because we are alike, Elle. I think you and I could be friends."
I tut. "So, you just don't want to be lonely. Brilliant."
"Why is it so bad to want companionship?" He shifts to the edge of the couch.
"Because you force it," I spit, grabbing the door and throwing it open. "You aren't likeable when you force people to do things. But yes, I am going to fight for you. I want to protect this kingdom just as much as you."
Then I stalk out of the room. The guards accompany me through the palace wing to my bedroom, where I turn in for the night. But sleep doesn't wait for me.
I can hear the wind howling down the chimney as I trudge through the palace the next morning, heading to training. The guards flank my fore and rear, as always. My hands quiver with readiness to wield my sword since I doubt Edward will have actually given the trainer the all-clear for me to use the bow.
As I pass Edward's office, I notice the door is ajar. Low, muffled voices filter through the gap. I pull up short and my pulse quickens when I spot the back of Ruben's head. Edward sprawls on his chair, propping his legs on the marble desk. A smirk rests on his face. But those sharp eyes flick to me, fuelling his grin.
"Elle," he bellows, waving. "Why don't you come in?"
My mouth drops open as I fumble for an excuse. "Oh, I'm heading to training."
He flicks his wrist dismissively. "Come in. I have written up the speech for this evening for you."
My heart slams against my ribs as I glance at the guards. They nod to the door. I mutter a string of curses under my breath as I skulk into the room, doing everything I can to not look at Ruben. He stiffens as I approach and stand next to him. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see his tense shoulder, locked jaw, and rigid stare at Edward. He clasps his hands tight in front of him. His scent is intoxicating. Citrus and the forest. Our shoulders are only inches apart, and I can feel his warmth. It just about sends me to my knees.
"So, Ruben," Edward says in a sing-song voice. "Have you recruited more Convex into the army since we last spoke?"
I blink, resisting the urge to glare.
"Yes," Ruben says in a low husk. His voice sends a shiver along my arms. "Aston and I have convinced a couple of dozen."
Edward drums his fingers on his lips. "We will have to gather more." His bright eyes snap at me. "Perhaps your speech tonight will entice a few. The famous, heroic Elle Fallon ushers her idolisers into battle. Quite poetic."
He swings his legs to the floor and leans forward, plucking a roll of parchment from the corner of his table. I school my face into neutrality as he hands me the scroll. His lip flickers into a smirk as he assesses the two of us with a lick of amusement. I almost bare my teeth. But I unravel the scroll and skim the speech.
"A load of crap," I say, shaking my head. "The Red Movement is coming for you. Not the kingdom."
Edward waggles his finger and arches a brow. "That we know of. Coming for me is as good as coming for the city."
"So, she is your puppet just as much as I am?" Ruben growls. "A pawn in your little game."
Edward's mouth twitches. "People have always listened to her."
Ruben's jaw shifts and his face darkens. "No better than our father. Using people for your own pathetic regime. You will die a sad, lonely man. Mark my words, brother." He flings the last word like a knife.
Edward stiffens, and his eyes glaze over with hurt. "I don't think you want that for me."
Ruben lets out a hollow laugh, but his face is carved from stone. "Pathetic."
Then he flees the room, stalking out with feline smoothness and the darkness of a moonless night. I shoot Edward a glare before marching out of the room after Ruben. He doesn't even try to stop me.
He flinches at the sound of my pursuing footsteps but doesn't turn around. My cheeks scorch as I hasten after him. I try to call his name. But I practically choke on my tongue. As if my soul can't bring itself to utter his name aloud. Like it's a curse.
He ducks around the corner. I quicken my pace, determined not to lose him in the palace's maze. As I turn the corner, I yelp as I slam into his chest. Pain explodes in my nose and blood gushes over my lips, sending hints of the copper tang into my mouth. My hand flies up to my nose and I curse, stumbling back.
"Gods, Elle," he sighs, but his lip quirks with amusement. He fishes a handkerchief from his pant pocket.
"Thanks," I mutter as I shove the cloth against my nostrils.
His demanding jade eyes roam my face, softening. My insides stir. He shakes his head and heaves a sigh. "What are you doing, Elle?" His voice is so low I almost mishear him.
I swallow the searing stone in my throat. "What are you doing?" I bite back. "He's using both of us."
There's a heavy, itchy moment of silence as we take each other in. It takes every ounce of strength to not fall into his arms, and I blink away the tears. I realise the guards no longer lurk by my side.
After sweeping my gaze behind me, I chew my lip, breathing in his forest scent. "You need to go."
Hurt flashes across his eyes. "You followed me."
"It was a mistake."
I reach out for a sliver of a moment and brush my fingers against his hands. The heat of him strikes my skin and sets my soul ablaze. My heart aches as I whirl around and stalk away. Tear blur my vision as I turn the corner. The roar in my ears hardly drowns out his retreating footsteps.
--
The wind blows in my face, stinging my cheeks as the crowd rumbles and ebbs below me. Grey clouds billow in from the east, gobbling up the sheet of blue sky. My hands tremble. The scroll flutters in my grip. I stand on the first terrace of the palace, elevated slightly above the crowd. The crowd, which comprises soldiers and the Concaves, swells as more people squeeze into the outskirts. There are several bards and chroniclers hunched in their chairs to the left, gripping their ink-dipped quills, ready to scribble my speech. Later, they will relay my speech to the Convex Sector.
The herald materialises. He fixes a funnel to a pole, a device which will increase the volume of my voice. As he steps away, I glance over my shoulder. Edward lurks in the room behind me. He offers a smug yet encouraging smile. The crowd falls silent as I step closer to the terrace rails.
The wind ruffles my curls. "Hello, Convex and Concaves. People of the Floodgates," I bellow, and clear my throat. I glance at the speech scribed in the scroll and read them, cringing at the words falling from my lips. "Within the next few days, the people from the Red Movement will try to invade our kingdom. They are coming for us, for everything we hold dear. But we have a strong, brave band of soldiers who will protect us from the Red Movement's harm. We can turn to Edward Mallory to thank for preparing our soldiers for moments like this."
My voice is a distant drone in my ears as I continue the speech, praising Edward and his efforts. But the entire time, Ruben's words rattle around my skull. A pawn in his little game. A puppet.
Bile stings the back of my throat. Thousands of eyes blink at me. But I spot him. Dressed in a pale blue suit, with slicked back, black hair, he blends into the crowd with ease. My heart leaps to my throat. Ajax. There it is. My signal. The trapped feeling swirls around my throat, drying my mouth and poisoning my blood. It is time to enact the plan I discussed with Ajax while we were in the dungeons all those weeks ago. The plan whirls around in my mind like a bad dream.
As the crowd erupts into applause, and I shoulder past Edward, away from the crowd, I know what I need to do. I know who I need to find.
After all, rebellion burns in my blood.
--
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling until the palace falls asleep. My eyes almost drag me into slumber, but I sit up and let the sliver of moonlight energise me. At last, it passes 1 am on the grandfather clock in my room. In silence, I peel the blankets off and grab my black cargo pants, long-sleeve brown shirt, and a thick coat from the closet. The wind swirls the falling snow outside my window, and I dread the feeling of stiff fingers. I stand in the mirror and twist my hair into two braids down my back and tuck the telltale red underneath the hood of my coat.
I glare at the door, listening for the shuffling and low mumbling of the guards. Then I open the windows, cringing as they creak on their hinges. But the guards don't seem to notice. The icy air takes my breath away as it claws my cheeks, drawing blood to my face instantly. Finally, I grab my boots and only put them on my feet once I swing my legs over the ledge as their heavy, loud heels would give me away. I gasp as I look down. The ground falls away, far, far below. But there are several ledges I can use to scale to the bottom. I gulp.
With one last glance over my shoulder, I push off, falling to the ledge below as the snow funnels around me.