Her last word stuck in my mind. Amica. That was the exact word Reichen and the other man named Sullien had called me.
"What did the man tell you, my lady? I'm sure it's pure nonsense again," complained Night and he sat near me.
The circular table could fit up to six people but I was enclosed between them.
"We should reveal the truth, Night. She is not someone we suspected her to be," she stated vaguely.
"I am planning to do so, my lady, but it took me some time to come here because you left the temple without notice," he was addressing her with respect but his tone was definitely irritable.
"I believed I put a letter to Maximilien."
"That cat of yours wanders like no one cared. A proper letter would suffice, my lady."
I was amused to a certain extent watching Night trying to be deferential while controlling his temper. What astonished me more was he didn't let out a string of curses by now.
"Anyhow..." The woman, Mhilrim, faced her. "There is another magic within you, child. It is not just the gift of Ace but also the gift of Verdari. The magic of barriers. The ability to cast on barriers could null everything and could also have many effects. Particularly, why you are able to inflict pain when others laid their hands on you."
"But isn't it just an enchantment?" intersected Night.
"No. There is no essence of darkness within her. It is definitely magic," Mhilrim contradicted.
I kept on listening to them but I did not understand anything. They were trying to elucidate things but I became lost in their words.
"Just what does it mean?" I asked.
"You see, you are someone that only occurs in millennia," said Mhilrim, her light violet eyes fixed on me.
Weird. I really felt strange looking into her eyes. Still, I did not avoid it and waited for her to talk.
"We, the Amica, are the race that was given magic by the Goddess. We are bestowed with gifts that are unique to each of us. Every gift varies as its purpose was to help us, humans, from what destiny had planned. Like how a blind girl is given a voice that could bewitch anyone or a child isolated in the Winterlands of Gallace can change the temperature of their surroundings."
I had heard about the Goddess but did not dwell upon it since I didn't even believe in her existence but it seemed like it had a vital role in why I was like this.
"And for you, you are a rare one since you have two magic. That is why you don't have to hate your eyes. The violet eyes are the source of our power as it represents our connection with the Goddess. The magic within our eyes existed to help us with our trials," she continued.
I never once spoke out loud about how I abhorred my eyes and it made me want to ask how she knew but still, I already had a few prepared questions lingering in my mind.
"If what you said is true then why can't I leave this place. Why haven't I heard about an Amica before? And why are you just telling me this now?"
"Calm down, Ace." Night murmured beside me and tapped my shoulder.
I wasn't aware I was raising my voice as I talked. I immediately muttered an apology as I waited for answers.
"The reason why you never heard of it is because Amica has to do something with your ancestor, Cannaria Ezriel."
My brows furrow. "The Dark Queen?"
She nodded. "There are kingdoms who despise the Amica but not as much as Ezriel. Queen Cannaria had the greatest animosity for our kind and she made sure that everyone is clear with that. She hunted every Amica that existed around the continent and no Amica could live in this kingdom."
"Having said that, why I had never heard of Amica, even from the servants?"
Gossips were common inside the palace, typically outside my chambers. If I concentrated enough, I could hear them talking sometimes.
I could understand about my late brother since who would even talk about a dead child but for a whole race and I hadn't heard anything until recently was just impossible.
"Of course, Amica is a taboo subject in the whole of Ezriel. No one will talk about them purposely in front of the royals. But I'm sure you are aware of the usual term they used." It was Night who responded.
"Monsters." That was the only word that came to mind.
So that was why they refer to me like that. I thought as several memories of people calling me one flashed in my mind. I assumed it was just an uncreative way to insult me since they always used exact same terms but to think that it was actually used as a universally degrading word for a race.
"You know those assholes refer to us as monsters when they are just actually scared. Those shitholes should rub---" His unrestrained words were stopped by Mhilrim's gesture.
Honestly, I wondered if Mhilrim did not come here. Night's explanation would undoubtedly be full of explicit words. As articulate as he was, he could not just complete a sentence without saying anything foul.
"It was not that they are completely unaware of our existence. They simply chose to ignore it. However, not the Ezriels themselves. Their hate for Amica is an instinct. Our violet eyes are the key to their insanity. They did not just kill, they enjoyed the tortures like it was engraved into them."
Memories of the past evaded my mind. I slightly shook my head trying to erase it.
"But King Enmir was an exception before he changed. In the past, he was truly a good leader. He was the luckiest among the descendants of Cannaria for he had your mother. The late queen is special being born to two Amicas."
I was aware my Father was a remarkable king but I refused to believe it. I was more stunned to know that Mother's parents were like me. I only knew that Mother was adopted but I never learned this part of this story.
"Although Amica can skip generations, it's not the case for two Amica parents. Their child will definitely be born an Amica and is already awakened within the mother's womb which is always why they had a hard time conceiving," she paused for a while as it was followed by a rough coughing fit.
Night was shortly on her side and stroking her back.
"Did you bring your medicine?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.
Mhilrim nodded and grew paler by the second while Night sighed as he sifted for something on his belt bag.
"What's wrong?" I could not help but intrude between them.
Before Mhilrim could answer, Night handed her a small pill and she swallowed it. She cleared her throat and began talking again like nothing happened.
"It is also very uncommon for two Amicas to conceive an ordinary mortal. The magic was instead in their blood. Queen Janessa had the purest holiness which counters the darkness from the Fallen God---" Loud coughs came once again before she could finish.
"Seriously, my lady. You're hacking like your fvcking lungs are going to burst out. You need to go back to the temple. I'll handle this. I should be doing this in the first place," scolded Night but it fell on deaf ears.
"The Ezriel family is indeed the Fallen God's descendants. It is not just an exaggerated tale but the truth. The insanity that plagued your ancestor was due to the blood of the god. The mortals could not withstand it. It is potent that even if the blood has gone thin, it could still make them lose their reason bound by the curse that not even the Fallen God can revoke," she explained.
My mind went black, absorbing all the words she stated. Before, I actually concluded it was just a legend to make the Dark Queen more terrifying and the lunacy that ran in their blood was simply hereditary, not this.
"It was due to Queen Janessa that you and your siblings didn't suffer from madness and how King Enmir was able to rule Ezriel without any difficulties when she was alive. Her blood or even her mere presence neutralizes the blood of Cannaria within. This is the first generation of the Ezriels that an Amica was born. In the past, no Amica was given birth in this family because the blood of Cannaria is stronger. Not to mention their soul-deep wrath for us, Amicas."
Her voice quivered while her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she held my hand tightly.
"I ask for your forgiveness, Carline. It is my order not to tell you anything since we were testing you. If you had succumbed to depravity, we will abandon you. It was also why I sent Night here. His duty was to guard you and make sure nothing went wrong. We cannot afford any risk now that the Goddess has become weak."
They revealed the truth I always asked but the wretched unforeseen ache in my heart could not be denied. I knew this started as a mutual benefit but I grew to be fond of them since they gave me the warmth that I had lost. If all those memories were just fake, I just...
"You don't have to worry, child. Night and Cindra earnestly cared for you and volunteered themselves."
I glanced up at Night. He was smiling and gave me a slight nod as if reassuring me as Mhilrim continued her tale.
"You see, I had told you, you are special because there was a chance you are the Will of Cannaria, the bearer of her soul. You have inherited her blood yet you are blessed with the Goddess' power which makes you the perfect vessel. That is also the reason King Enmir held you captive all these years but our assumptions were wrong. You have two magic which meant the holiness within you is stronger where no darkness can foster."
I don't think so.' I disagreed in my mind. I was already full of darkness because those few years were enough to taint me black. Anger, despair, and most of all, fear. Those were the emotions that drowned me in an eternal abyss of misery.
Mhilrim raised up her hand and caressed my head again before speaking, "As an Amica, there is nothing you should be afraid of, child. Everything will pass soon. Remember we are stronger than humans, faster, and have heightened senses that we acquired at the same time with our magic. You must have noticed it when dealing with your mission, am I right?"
Now that answered why my missions always felt easy. I had some complications sometimes but when it comes to fighting, I always managed to win except during my encounters with Reichen and the time with bandits.
Then I remembered Reichen. He was able to defeat me because we stood on the same footing or perhaps maybe he was even stronger. Notwithstanding him were also the bandits from the other night.
"But there was someone who managed to defeat me and they did not even have violet eyes," I informed.
"What do they look like?" she asked.
"I haven't seen their faces but they had white-masked on and dressed similar to bandits," I replied and described other details I had remembered.
"You encountered those damn Cattivos?!" Night yelled right after the last word left my mouth when he had been actually quiet the whole time.
I ignored Night and turned to Mhilrim for a reply.
"Night is right. Those people are the Cattivos. If the Amicas are reigned by the Goddess. They are ruled by the Fallen God. Amicas magic is inborn but they had no specific age when they awakened while any human can become Cattivo. They are granted to make enchantments at an expense. Their enchantment is similar to the magic of Amica that defies the laws of nature."
"They are the answer to why you cannot leave this place. You are bounded by an imperceptible enchantment and we still had no idea to set you free. Only the Cattivo who cast it can release you unless we know how he did it. The problem was if each of our magic is unique, the Cattivo's enchantment is also unique to themselves."
There was only one person who I could think about that would do this to me.
"Is it Father?"
There was no response but the silence itself was the answer.
I bit back the mocking laugh crawling in my throat. A freaking invisible birdcage was the sole reason I could not get out and the person who made it itself was my own father. I was disappointed but really not surprised anymore.
***
Note: Totally an info-dump chapter and we're still far from over as more mysteries needed to be unraveled. I'm sure you needed some answers so I hope you are somehow enlightened by this chapter.