They called it Velaris. And it was certainly beautiful – like an entire different land compared to where she came from. Where the stars shined in the middle of the day and the air had a breeze of liveliness and laughter. Even from where she was, at the top of the highest tower, she could hear the songs being strung and sung from the streets below her. Animals she had never seen flocked in the skies, birds of all kinds. Yet, a looming fear was taking up Selene's stomach as she hovered over the moon-white railing. Her eyes, dry and without warmth, ran over the beckoning city. Her hands were stiff at her sides, assured that none of her body parts brushed against the unnoticed bump. When had she even gotten pregnant? Two months ago? Maybe the first time her and Tobias ever laid together? As she thought about it, she felt the nausea stir up again. But she wouldn't let this baby win.
"Will she be born here? In Velaris?" Selene let out, pushing down the nausea. For the last hour, Rosalie hadn't torn her eyes off her. After giving her the news, a healer had barged in happily but Selene had yanked herself away from the both of them violently, demanding to know where she had been taken to. After Rosalie agreed to explain to her where she was, Selene allowed the healer to approach her. To touch her and examine her. And throughout the entire process, she was silent. Cold as the Night Court once seemed.
"She can be born anywhere you wish," Rosalie responded softly – carefully, almost. "Usually only when the healer predicts the baby to be a boy is the child required to be birthed at the estate because word of an heir will spread faster that way. But your baby is a girl. You're safe." You're safe. She heard how Rosalie let out the words, almost like she regretted saying it as soon as it came out. Rosalie's face was unreadable, not sad but not as happy as she once was. Instead, Rosalie was watching her. Analyzing her, waiting for her to burst. Because what beast hid underneath Selene's skin? But Selene kept her composure, her body straight as a line as she looked over the city.
"I know the healer said the baby will be a girl but, Rosalie, my instincts-"
"That healer has never been wrong," Rosalie argued sharply. "Never. Don't even think about it." And Rosalie knew what she was thinking – Tobias didn't want an heir. A child? Sure. An heir? She didn't want to fathom it. She didn't want to even want to say it aloud. And clearly, Rosalie didn't either. Her eyes had hardened, a darkness looming over her face when Selene said those words.
"The healer has never been wrong?" Selene repeated quietly. "You promise?" But Rosalie's face was firm. There wasn't a single doubt in her eyes.
"I promise with my life," Rosalie said, bowing her head. And while a bundle of terror was still spiraling in her stomach, a small smile showed on her face. Not enough to ensure happiness, but just enough that Rosalie managed to smile back.
"Selene." She whirled around suddenly, hearing Rosalie inhaling sharply behind her. And there he stood in front of her – Tobias. Her child's father. When Selene had been asleep, the healers cleaned her. Her hair was washed and brushed, she was polished so perfectly that even the grime under her fingernails no longer existed. But Tobias? He was wearing nearly the same attire he had been wearing the night before, except at least now he was wearing a tunic. There was dirt etched across his face and his hand was carrying a bloody towel. Clearly, as she looked at the bloodstains on his fingers, there was definitely a story to be told.
She felt herself press her back against the railing, increasing the gap between them. Selene's eyes whisked towards her side, hoping to find Rosalie but Rosalie had walked away quietly. She swallowed as she looked back at Tobias. She would have to tell him now, she realized. But she could barely open her mouth. How could she possibly tell him?
"What happened?" She heard herself ask emptily. "Why are you so…" And whether he noticed the emotionless tone in her voice or not, he didn't ask. Instead, he let his storming eyes fall down on her, watching her nearly as close as Rosalie had. But would he be looking at her the same in a few minutes? When she revealed the truth?
"You don't remember anything?" Tobias asked, his voice too hoarse to hold any anger. Even though he was only a few feet away, his voice sounded distant. "Nothing?" She was pregnant. Pregnant, of all things. How could she think about anything else?
"No," she said shortly. "I don't. Why?" Pregnant, pregnant with a girl. The baby would be nothing, nothing to anyone of importance. She would be safe, free to be whoever she will. She would be privileged but not held back. And nobody would ever look at her. Nobody would ever dare to look at her.
"Word of my decision with Clythia had been released," she heard Tobias go on. Her palms were sweating. "There was a riot. A bad riot. Apparently, many of my lords are afraid that I'll sell out their land to Clythia. They're afraid that this stone may cost them their power because, with this stone, I won't need them anymore. So they began slaughtering some of the lesser faeries at Calanmai as proof that they will be as ruthless as possible. When I went over there to stop it, someone grabbed you. They…they hurt you, Selene." And finally, she looked up at him, her eyebrows tilted downwards. If anything, it was the first genuine emotion she had shown all day.
"Hurt me?" Selene repeated, blinking. "I don't remember anyone hurting me. I don't even remember a riot." But then she looked down at herself. There were blue rings along her wrists, her throat was burning, there were odd places that throbbed and felt kicked and punctured. There were no open wounds but her body ached heavily. Like she weighed twenty pounds heavier than she really did.
Tobias looked pale.
"They tried killing you," Tobias went on in a low voice, and she could hear the iciness on his tongue. The cold, distant iciness that brought shivers down her spine. "I wasn't there for it…When I heard them rioting at a distance, I told you to run. To hide. I thought, since we didn't even finish the ceremony yet, you were calm enough to get home by yourself. It was a foolish decision. But I didn't have the time to find Leon or Rosalie to walk you back and I had to get to the riot immediately. I believed if I told you how to get back to the estate through the forest, then you would be fine. But minutes later, I heard your screaming. From acres away, I heard you screaming at the top of your lungs-"
"What did they do?" Selene whispered, her body feeling suddenly cold. Dirty, almost. He noticed as she dug herself deeper against the railing, farther away from him. Instantly, she felt her hand press against the small bump that he was yet to notice. A protective hand.
"I…I don't know," Tobias said quietly, and the words sounded painful as he let it out. "I don't know what they did. I just found you bloody and you had no clothes and-" She was gripping the baby bump tighter now, feeling the hairs along her body rise up.
"You assumed," she finished for him. His eyes, which were barely on her as he spoke, finally looked up at her. His dark, twisting eyes. Yet, they weren't full of anger or hate or ferociousness. Instead, they were round as saucers. He looked at her desperately, pleadingly. He even gave out his hand, but she didn't even look at it. His nose flared as he continued to speak.
"I killed them. I killed them all, Selene. I made sure they felt every-"
"And you drugged me after." And this time she made sure that Tobias could hear the betrayal in her voice. "You drugged me so I didn't remember it." Or maybe so that you wouldn't have to ever know what happened. Her eyes didn't waver as she stared him down though. And the High Lord of the Night, the most terrifying man on the planet, looked like he was close to falling on his knees.
"You're angry," Tobias said aloud, and he almost sounded shocked. "I did what I could, Selene. I did everything-"
"I'm pregnant." He blinked. At first he didn't understand, his desperate face dissolving into nothing. He turned his ear towards her as if he had misheard entirely and needed to hear it once again. But then, as the shock washed away like an hour glass, his face tightened. And she didn't know what made her say it. Maybe anger? Betrayal? Maybe because she didn't want to dwell on anything more than she had to? But she put her hand on the bump.
"You're…you're what?" Tobias screeched. "You're pregnant?" She could've sworn, just by the scrutiny in his voice, the betrayal in his voice, the music that rang in the air quieted. The healer who was hovering in the bedroom room, waiting to be beckoned by Tobias, shrunk back. She was silent though, holding his gaze steadily.
"But we've been careful," Tobias said tightly. "We were so very-" And then his voice stopped. Because, to be truthful, they hadn't been very careful. Not on the first night, not in the carriage. Most of the time, yes, but for whatever reason, they never imagined pregnancy as an issue.
"What's the gender?" He asked quietly, inching towards her. The anger had washed away finally, but…something else. He looked down at her stomach, staring and staring. "Is it a boy?" His eyes lingered pointedly at her hand, which was still cradling the small bump.
"Girl," Selene answered. "She's a girl." A warmth seemed to spread inside of her as she said it. Maybe it wasn't the best time, nor in the best way, but she existed. In less than nine months, she would be alive. And she would have both of them in her – Tobias, the strongest High Lord to live and Selene, an Illyrian. They would be a family. Selene wouldn't just be some girl who floats around Tobias's castle – she would be a mother. And while Tobias and Selene both loved in obscure ways, far different than most people, Selene knew it was going to be okay. Because she, the beautiful bundle inside her, would love them back. Something they could love together, something they could call theirs.
"It's a girl," Tobias repeated, almost as if he was speaking to himself. "A girl." Yet, nothing changed in his voice. Selene still felt unsettled as she followed his intense gaze. His eyes were so dark, so cold. But then he looked up at her, his eyes tracing her face slowly. His face began to untighten, the darkness slowly disappearing.
"You want her?" Tobias asked, his voice so lacking of emotion that she nearly winced. She hesitated for a moment, her hand loosening at her side. "Do you want this child?" She pursed her lips, looking away for a moment.
"She won't be like normal children. She'll be different, with wings and powers that can feed and control the darkness. But she'll be ours," Selene said. "And I feel like we deserve that. We deserve something that we can call ours." And she could see the doubt on his face. The flicker of wariness. Because they weren't created to be parents. They were made to preserve. They spent years hardening their souls, making themselves nearly invincible only for the desire to live one more day. They were made to survive. Even she wondered if they had the capabilities to love a child. But then his eyes seemed to find hers and something brightened on his face. His facial expression didn't change, yet he looked like he had grown ten years younger.
"Okay," he said. And there was a ghost of a smile on his lips as his fingers brushed against her cheek. "Okay."
~*~ discidium ~*~
"I can't believe you're pregnant." Leon had said it four times since she had told him. Soon after Tobias had softened to the idea of having a child, Leon had rushed into the room, telling Tobias it was time to leave again. Selene almost asked why, or to at least remind him that he should take a bath first, but she saw the shadowed look on Tobias's face. He had to leave, he had told her, and he couldn't tell her why. But, thankfully, he left Leon with her.
"I am aware," Selene muttered dryly. Something had changed in the air since Tobias left – the stirring fear evolve. Rosalie noticed this as her eyes flickered towards her, concern etching across her face. But Selene turned away coolly, as if to remind her that they had to take it one day at a time.
"Am I forbidden from leaving?" It had come out harsher than she had meant as she looked over at Leon. He blinked at her.
"You want to…go home?" He asked back, clearly puzzled. Though Rosalie flashed her a look of confusion, she pursed her lips silently.
"Home? No," Selene responded. "I want to go outside. I want to see Velaris." Leon snorted at this.
"Go to the railing then," Leon shot back, a smirk on his face. "Because there's no way in hell…" But she had already gotten off the couch, lingering towards the balcony once again. Her hands, still cold as a corpse, pressed against the warm railing. Leon and Rosalie rose as well, following behind her. Her eyes lingered at the beautiful town below her, buzzing with liveliness.
"I've never seen a place like this," Selene marveled. "I want to see it. To feel it." Rosalie grew close to her, her fingers latching around her arm.
"Leon," Rosalie said softly, "surely, we can just walk outside-"
"You haven't been here in years," Leon reminded her, sticking out his tongue. "You'll get lost. And I don't have time to find you. I have a meeting-" And then she jumped. No, the word for it was leaped.
She had never gone more than twenty-four hours without flying in the air. But she needed to feel it. She had to feel the wind on her face, the smell of the stinging air soaring into her nostrils. She had to feel it. She had to feel her wings wide open, gliding against the skies. She had to feel the slight chill running through her, the sounds of the people below her mixing and mingling. She felt weightless, free, beau-
"Selene! Selene!" She whipped her head to her side and took in a ragged breath. She then felt the pull on her arm, the sudden feeling she hadn't felt when she soared into the air. Beside her, clinging to her forearm deathly, was Rosalie. Clearly, she didn't let go when Selene jumped from the balcony, leaping with so much energy that Rosalie probably hadn't noticed Selene had jumped until they were both into the air. Swinging, diving, hundreds of feet up in the air.
"Rosalie," Selene gaped, swinging a second arm around Rosalie. She hoisted her up against her, watching Rosalie's face shift from terrified to absolutely stricken. Her green eyes were as round as saucers.
"S-Selene!" Rosalie screeched. "We're-we're hundreds of feet up in the-" But the genuine smile on Selene's face silenced her.
"Look around," Selene said through Rosalie's squeeks and squeels. "Look at the people under us." And while Rosalie's breaths were going in and out rapidly, Selene watched as her eyes took in the scene below them. She even seemed a bit mesmerized.
"Does it always look like this?" Rosalie asked over the roaring wind. "Like…like…"
"Like freedom," Selene breathed. "Like everything around me can be forgotten by a single step into the air." And Rosalie's fingers, that had been clawing against Selene desperately, seemed to loosen as she allowed Selene to hold her comfortably. Her eyes began to glaze over with what seemed like tears.
"I've never seen something so beautiful," Rosalie whispered. And Selene knew at that moment that Rosalie didn't just mean Velaris – she meant flying. She meant whisking hundreds of feet into the air and looking at the miniature world below them. Like they were no longer tethered to their problems or duties. Like what was going on was nothing compared to the bigger picture. All of their fears, their issues, seemed to dissolve.
"People are beginning to stare," Selene mused as the dots below her stopped moving. The people below them clumped together.
"Good," Rosalie giggled. And as Selene began to dive down, not even feeling as Rosalie's fingernails clawed into her arms, she exhaled. Because everything would be okay. If she could fly, if she could feel her freedom, everything would be okay.
~*~ discidium ~*~
Selene had landed them in the middle of a market place, surrounded by the then-little dots that had been gaping at them. Surely, they knew what Illyrians were, they probably had just never seen one in action. Though, as they stared at her, she could tell they had no idea who she was anyways. She was just a girl with wings.
"Move on," Rosalie said, waving her hand dismissively at the buzzing crowd. "Cauldron, these people will get amused by anything." Selene opened her mouth, a smile on her lips as she took in the colorful world around them. There was a cart next to them selling countless colorful scarves, and another one selling various paintings. She looked down the cobble-stoned bath, now filled with people wandering aimlessly.
"This is absolutely…" But then she stopped. A few feet away, leaning on the edge of an ally, she caught flash of a boy with white-blonde hair. She let out a breath shakenly. People were going by so fast though that she couldn't grasp a good view of the whisp of blonde. As Rosalie chattered, Selene dragged her between people roughly, trying to catch sight of the figure once again, but when she reached the alley he had disappeared.
"Selene, what-" And then he stepped in front of her. And this time, she was ready for it.
He looked different then the last time she had seen him. He was wearing a dark, silvery tunic with jet-black pants and comfortable hiking books. His bright blonde hair fell down his forehead feather-like, almost as if it was an oil painting. His eyes were shining brightly, yet…something was different. Something was different as he stared at her, holding her tight gaze. Maybe it was because he wasn't smirking at her condescendingly, or that there was something desperate in his bright eyes. But Selene's chin rose, her back straightening.
"Jameson," she greeted tightly. Rosalie didn't so much as breathe. Selene glanced at her quickly, remembering that they had known each other but she had never seen them facing one another. Or even how they knew each other in the first place.
"Selene," Jameson said, bowing his head. Selene was quiet – deathly quiet.
Rosalie's eyes jotted quickly, as if she was debating on clearing the distance between him and Selene, but they all knew there was no reason. If Jameson was here in Velaris, a sanctuary that he was no doubt forbidden from, their issue was far greater than it appeared. Jameson took great risks to be there and the ultimate reason why he did so was barely good enough to keep them quiet in the midst of a crowd. Yet, every second that passed between them made a new pellet of sweat fall down the back of Selene's neck.
"What exactly are you doing here?" She was sure that Rosalie wanted to demand the same thing but this was Selene's moment to show her superiority. To demand the respect she rightfully deserved.
"It was not easy getting in here. I would rather you not bring any attention to us in this countless crowd. Come, follow me." Selene was still. Jameson's hand was out to her, his green eyes colder than she had ever seen. No, a part of her said. Don't. But yet the curiosity was spinning in her. Too much curiosity.
"Come? That's your explanation?" Selene repeated with a casual laugh, though her voice lowered. "I'm a lady. I don't come anywhere. If you need something, go to your High Lord and ask." His jaw clenched impatiently.
"You have no idea the hell I've been through the last few days, Selene," he snarled hotly. "I don't have time for your silly games."
"Games?" Rosalie interrupted, letting out a seductive giggle. Yet, there was something dangerous about how it came out. "She is a lady. You are an outcast. Your issues are not her problem." And when Jameson looked at her, his eyes could've killed. Even Rosalie's smirk lowered. Selene's eyes narrowed on him. No, she wouldn't wake away from him. Not now.
"Is this about Calanmai?" She asked flatly. "For your information, your High Lord has got it under control. Now, you-"
"Under control?" Jameson let out, following a cackle. "Is that what he told you?" Selene nearly flinched back at the bite in his words. She swallowed.
"What do you mean? It's done with," She replied, her voice sounding bored. The anger that flashed across his face disappeared suddenly.
"You…you don't know at all?" Jameson asked, and his voice was empty. He looked like a ghost. "No wonder he brought you here." Selene blinked at him rapidly.
"Here? What, have you been looking for me?" Selene asked, her voice almost a shrill. But he was shaking his head rapidly, not to say no, but almost in disbelief.
Jameson clasped her thin wrist.
"Come on," Jameson said seriously. "I need to show you something." But then she felt a hand clamp onto her shoulder. Feeling an odd sense of dread pile heavily in her stomach, she turned around. It was Leon – still as stone as he stared at Jameson. His eyes were unblinking as he held Jameson's tight gaze. Selene let out a breath, trying not to wonder why she felt relieved when she realized it was just Leon.
"Leon," she let out. Though the heavy pile in her stomach subsided, her face paled when she saw him. "Don't worry about it. He was just…" But then Leon's eyes fell to her wrist, where in which Jameson's hand was still latched to. She looked up at Jameson wildly, wondering why, as he held Leon's deathly glare, he hadn't let go by now.
"One reason." And Leon's voice was so icy, so terrifying, that she nearly winced. "One reason that I shouldn't go to my High Lord right now." Though Leon's threat sounded sincere, Jameson's jaw clenched debatably. He slowly shook his head.
"I don't believe you," Jameson said silkily, his voice low. Before Leon could reply, his head shot towards Selene. "Come with me. Please. I have to show you." Selene's face flushed as she looked between Jameson and Leon. Leon's mouth was open, his face contorted with rage, but his eyes found hers. Watching her, waiting for her to pick him. To obey him.
"You aren't my authority," Selene said, and Leon's raged face unraveled. His hand fell away from her suddenly, as if he had just touched something warm. "You aren't my High Lord." She looked at Jameson quickly, her heart beat racing. "Take me. Show me this…show me this so-called atrocity my husband committed." Rosalie took her other hand fast.
"You aren't going without me," Rosalie hissed, though her eyes were merciless as they landed on Jameson. She looked at him as if he was spit lying on the ground. "If you don't mind, my lady." Selene felt herself nod.
"We will both go with you," she declared. She inched towards Jameson awkwardly but then Leon caught her arm. Her head swung towards him, her nose flared.
"Selene, you can't just leave Velaris without telling-" But then when he took in the iciness that had filled her face, he stopped. As he took her in, a look close to betrayal flashed across his face. He shook his head slowly. "Then let me go with you." Selene's face broke. Around her, she heard both Rosalie and Jameson let out an impatient breath of air.
"I don't need a babysitter-" But Leon straightened.
"If he has no ill intentions, then he obviously has no problem with me going," Leon let out tightly. Jameson reflected a half-smirk.
"And who says you won't run back to your High Lord and twist this entire thing?" Jameson asked silkily. Leon swallowed.
"I guess you'll just have to trust me," Leon muttered. "Are you able to winnow…"
"All of you?" Jameson finished dryly. "I guess I don't have a choice. But you get closest to me so that you don't…" His eyes fell to Leon's leg and for the first time, Selene noticed Leon get…almost embarrassed. He flushed red as he grew closer to Jameson then the rest of them, clutching his shoulder. He looked dreadfully uncomfortable.
Jameson looked at the two girls, who had both latched onto Jameson's arms.
"One," Jameson breathed. "Two. Three." And then they stepped into the darkness as one.
~*~ discidium ~*~
Selene knew it was a bad decision as soon as she took the first step. Her chest felt tight as she stepped into the air, not even capable of breathing until she stumbled forward. Jameson had caught her at her waist, steadying her. Slowly, she looked around.
"Oh my cauldron…" Tens of people – maybe hundreds, were buzzing around them, but it was different then Velaris. Dark large walls enclosed them into the quarter-mile space. The area looked large enough to be a small community. Where were they? A building made out clay? But it felt so damp. Chilly, almost. The scene around them, if not for the enclosed space, would look like a village. Tents were set up around them, people buzzing with food and supplies. Her eyes ran around to a cart nearest to her, glancing at the trade going on. One of the men had a cart full of fish, while the other had various types of clothes. In the corner of her eye, she saw a long wooden box filled with dirt and vegetables, a contraption she had never thought of, sitting around in the midst of the indoor area. As she took in the scene, she tried searching for a door. An opening, a way out.
"It's underground," Jameson explained beside her. His hand shifted to the small of her back. "See, the light is coming from the fire." And he was right. All against the walls were large fires, brightening up the room so greatly that she might have believed they were outside if they hadn't been enclosed.
"How are they living underground?" Selene asked breathlessly. "How are their gardens without any sunlight? How are people surviving without resources, without civilization?" And as she looked at Jameson, hungry for answers, she watched as his eyes glazed over the scene slowly. Almost as if, despite everything, even he was marveled by what was in front of them.
"Just like Velaris, they have people on the other side," Jameson replied quietly. "Trading with them, helping their cause." Selene's eyebrows furrowed.
"Their cause?" Leon interrupted. Selene swung her head behind her, catching a glance at Leon's pale face. For a moment, she had forgotten he was there. "Cause? Are these…"
"Rebels," Rosalie breathed. "They're rebels." And there was something close to admiration when she said it out loud, the words ringing against her tongue in awe. At first none of them spoke, not even breathing a word.
"This is treason. This is-" But then her voice quietened. A child walking by her, not a day older than ten, started coughing manically. At first she twitched away, but as she saw the people around them not even stopping for the girl, she grew closer to him. Selene crouched down, her throat tightening as she reached for her. But as she let her hand out for the child, Jameson yanked her away violently. She spun towards him, inhaling raggedly.
"Don't touch her," Jameson said snappily, before she could speak, "She's infected. It isn't airborne but…" And then Selene saw it. All of her the child there were tiny green dots that infected her head to toe. The child's eyes were red and puffy and she was far too skinny for her size.
"It can spread by skin to skin contact," A voice, higher pitched yet far calmer, interrupted. Slowly, standing up straight, Selene looked in front of her. It was a girl – probably as old as herself. She had light brown skin with silky black hair and amber-like eyes. She was pretty, too pretty to be locked underground at least. As she shed off her gloves and held out her hand, Selene was quiet. "My name is Camille. I'm the nurse here. Don't worry – I'm immune to the virus. I just wear gloves for extra caution." Selene felt herself shake her hand absently, confusion washing over her face.
"Camille," she repeated aloud, as if the name itself was a mystery. "It's nice to meet you." Camille's smile widened.
"Are you just showing them around?" Camille asked Jameson softly, yet there was something crisp at the end of her sentence. As if she, too, was protective of her people. But the joy in her voice – Selene almost felt jealous. "Usually we don't give tours unless you're interested in joining...but we aren't against outsiders."
"Outsiders?" Selene asked, though her smile held up. "Is that what you call people who don't live here?" Camille gave a little chuckle.
"And what would you call us? We don't live with you," Camille replied easily. But there were many answers that appeared in Selene's head – traitor, liar, fools. Selene didn't always have the easiest time in the Night Court but she never ran. She was dedicated to her people, even if they weren't dedicated to her.
"Come, follow me," Camille said. Her eyes ran towards Jameson, begging him to bring her back, but Camille took her clammy hands. "Let me show you around."
Selene's comrades followed the both of them as Camille showed them the underground colony. She showed them the small school they had for the children, the developing clinic where they had just gotten an import on medications, she showed them the many gardens they had planted in pots and baskets. She introduced them to a few of their leaders – females, to Selene's surprise. Selene couldn't help but notice the smug smile on Jameson's face when she realized they were governed by women. Afterwords, Camille gestured to some of the tents and introduced her to some of the people. But Selene didn't get too close. She didn't want to know these people, to understand them. She knew enough.
"Thank you for showing me this," Selene murmured. Her voice was cold – distant. Disinterested, to say the least. "But we have to leave." Her eyes found Jameson's but Camille's hard eyes pulled her away. They shook her with such intensity that Selene suddenly thought that maybe her soft demeanor was simply the calm before the storm.
"Why did you come if you aren't interested in our colony?" Camille asked. Selene goggled at her.
"Not interested? I just toured your colony for over an hour," Selene objected. "It's amazing but it's not for me." Camille's eyes shot towards Jameson coolly. Clearly, Camille had met them on the impression that they would help them with whatever they needed. They were just supposed to be resources the colony was meant to use. As Jameson held her cold stare, he put his hands in his pockets casually.
"Go on. Look at her, Camille," Jameson demanded. "Look at her. Why would I ever bring her?" And at first there was silence. Carefully, silently, she felt Leon put a hand on her hip, as if waiting in the cold silence for something bad to happen but then Camille's head turned towards her again. There was something about this Camille-woman, Selene thought, that she didn't like.
"He must have seen me to be curious, but I am not," Selene said smoothly. "Now, I think it's evident for the both of us that I am unneeded here." Selene began to shrunk back towards Jameson but Camille's eyes were unyielding now. She stared and stared at her, as if unraveling her bodily layers one by one.
"Who are you?" Camille demanded. "If Jameson truly brought you here for a reason-" Camille's eyes were merciless when she shot Jameson a look. "-then who are you? At least tell me that." Selene's hands balled.
"None of your concern," Selene said in a small, icy voice. "Now, I'm leaving. We're leaving." But then a light dawned on Camille's face – a light that was far from soft. Almost like she had realized something wicked...wicked but victorious.
"You were there," Camille's voice was stern. "You were at the High Lord's Calanmai? That's why he brought you?" Selene hesitated.
"I was just a visitor," She said carefully. "I didn't see much of the riot." And though Selene saw the disbelief in Camille's eyes, Camille didn't argue. Instead, she clucked her tongue.
"What a shame," Camille said, "Your beast is probably dying to be unleashed."
"My beast?" Selene said, and her smile had disappeared. "I have no beast. I am a good, honorable women-"
"Everybody has a beast, dear," Camille corrected. "It's people like us – people who don't let them out when everybody is watching– who have the most terrifying ones." Selene didn't even blink at her.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Do you not?" Camille repeated back, in the same exact tone. "You are clearly confused on what this place is and yet you have not asked why we're underground. Don't you care?" And then Selene took a step towards her.
"Fine, indulge me, Camille. Why are you here, hiding underground, avoiding the High Lord of Night?" Selene asked. And then Camille rose her chin slowly.
"Because first he killed the elders. And then he sent his army to rape the women. And then he threatened to the kill the children," Camille hissed. Selene's mouth dried up instantly. "All for a piece of land. And then, when we still didn't leave, he poisoned us with disease and death. And now we are the only ones left."
~*~ discidium ~*~
Camille, after her speech, had left them alone with Jameson. Selene had turned towards him sharply.
"What have you told these people?" Selene demanded. Jameson's eyebrows rose.
"Me? What do you mean what I have told these people?" Jameson blanched. Selene shook her head slowly.
"This is your doing," She said slowly, in a low, crisp voice. "You told them that he's been hurting them." And this time, Jameson didn't laugh. Instead, he was still. Very, very still.
"I didn't start this colony, Selene," Jameson countered. "Camille did. She invited me." And though his voice was sincere and wasn't filled with the threatric emotion that he insisted on showing, she knew something was wrong.
"Then they're wrong and you're allowing them to think those atrocious-"
"They saw it with their own eyes," Jameson argued. Selene scuffed.
"And why would he do that? Why would he ever destroy land, poison children, hurt innocent people?" Selene bursted. "Why would he ever do that?"
"To be the best," Jameson argued. "To be the richest. To dominate the earth. He needed the older groups, the indigenous people who have stayed on the same land since the beginning of time, to leave. To disappear. And you were the start of it." Selene took a step towards him. She had almost put her hand to her stomach, as if to protect the baby she was yet to have, but thankfully she didn't.
"Don't bring me into th-"
"When he found you, he increased his forces ten fold against the weaker areas," Jameson said. "He told me he'd give me ten extra months to relocate them, but when you came along he told me he wouldn't wait. So, instead, he destroyed all of it."
"That sounds ludicrous," Selene scuffed, rolling her eyes. "I did nothing. I'm just his wife." Something close to pity filled Jameson's face when she said that.
"He saw you as a weapon. An excuse to increase his forces," Jameson corrected her. "I know you didn't chose this but...he's poisonous. You reminded him of the fire he lusted for. A world just for himself. And you were gasoline to his fire." She heard a dark chuckle echo behind her. She peaked behind her shoulder, eyeing Leon's cold face. For a moment, she saw how powerful he could have been if he were High Lord. Merciless, stealthy. But quiet and calculating all the same.
"Look at this, Leon." And then Jameson opened the nearest tent to them and she inhaled raggedly. A group of women were huddled in there, their eyes wide as Jameson yanked open the entrance. There were...burns on them. But it wasn't just charred colors – it was truly black. Black as night. Black straight streaks that ran across their arms and faces and legs. Too black for just a simple burn. "Only one thing can make these marks – an obsidian knife that only a High Lord can hold. And you want to guess why he did it? Because they were trying to get their babies out. Their village, with their own customs, keeps all the babies in one tent but they couldn't leave quick enough. There were too many babies to hold, and too little women to reach them. So he burned them with his black obsidian knife. He slit at them as they held babies in their arms. They weren't doing anything. They just wanted to leave with the children."
Even though Leon's eyes were still dark, she had heard him suck in a breath.
"He wouldn't do this," Leon snarled, though his voice was feeble. "He does everything for a reason. If he takes a life, it is always with a reason."
"Like he killed your father?" Jameson goaded. Leon was silent as he glowered at him. "Isn't that a rule for High Lords? That if a High Lord successor kills his father, then he'll grow twice as mad? If not, every successor would kill their father to get the throne." Leon showed his pointed teeth at him, but then his eyes flickered again as he took in the dark scene in front of him.
"Tobias isn't mad," Selene interrupted. "And until you find substantial proof that he was even in the room when his father died, your claims lie alone." The fierce look on her face, unlike Leon's, was unyielding. Jameson blinked at her. Like he didn't know how to respond to the girl who proved everybody wrong.
"Maybe I don't have proof," Jameson said lightly. "But who in their right mind would ever make a deal with Clythia?"
And this time Jameson looked through her like glass. Because she saw it too – even though Tobias claimed to be under a spell, he was still entranced deep down. She had saw the deep, calculating look in his eyes when she went into his office. She saw as he looked down at those papers as if they were the most important things he had ever witnessed. As if everything, everything in their lives, were dependent on Tobias's decision. Like it was the only thing that mattered.
"That's different," she answered. He tilted his head at her.
"What if this was all you, Selene?" He continued, gesturing to the colony around them. At the burned women, the poisoned children, the scraps of something that was once a village. Suddenly, she felt very cold. Unnaturally cold.
"Take me home," Selene said. "You have lost me, Jameson."
~*~ discidium ~*~
"Selene. Step away from him." Jameson didn't hesitate to take them back this time. He delivered them straight to the safehouse. But Selene's head was bleating as soon as she stepping into the air, thinking about those people – the poisoned children, the scarred women. And then she heard his voice...
He had changed clothes. He wore flexible black pants with a loose, dark tunic. Barefoot, comfortable, yet he seemed powerful as the light shone through the window and hit his clothes without a single reflection back. Slowly, carefully, Jameson stepped away.
Surprisingly though, it was Leon who stepped in front of her. "Tobias, he wasn't trying to hurt her. He..." And Selene saw it now. Tobias's eyes were running up and down her body, looking at her. Looking for something.
"What were you doing?" He demanded. At first, Selene didn't know who he was speaking to – Jameson? Leon? But then she realized he was talking to her. Only her.
"Jameson wanted to..." She reached Leon's eyes. For whatever reason, he was staring at her harshly. As if begging her to be careful when it came to her next words. "He was being a fool, that is all. He wanted to be apart of Velaris. He was begging us to let him be a citizen. That's why he was here. We agreed to go with him somewhere quieter." And she didn't know why she was lying – for Leon? For Jameson? Yet, as she held Tobias's stare, she realized she was lying for herself. She was lying because she didn't know what he was thinking in his erratic head.
"Quieter?" Tobias asked. His voice was smooth, almost casual, but she knew better.
"I was stupid enough to give him the benefit of the doubt. But we knew you wouldn't like it so we refused his offer. Don't worry," Selene said. And then Tobias's eyes looked towards Jameson.
"You dare walk into my sacred city?" Tobias hissed. "You dare disobey my rule?" Jameson's jaw clenched.
"You need to listen to your wife," Jameson snarled back. "It was just a conversation." A cold, slithery smile filled his face.
"No," Tobias replied simply. Jameson's straight composure twitched forward.
"Leon was with us the entire time. And the who-her lady in waiting. She was with us too," Jameson replied hurriedly. Selene's eyebrows furrowed down. It wasn't necessarily a lie – it was a peaceful conversation. Why didn't Tobias believe her.
"You're lying," Tobias said. And then he went to his black belt, always decorated with different knives. He picked one from his side, one she had never seen him pick. The entire knife was made from the same black stone – including the handle. Her eyes narrowed on it.
"It was just a small talk," Leon intervened. "Tobias, this isn't necessary." A shiver began to run down Selene's spine. What was happening?
"Tobias, you aren't going to actually use that on-" And then Tobias moved it. No, not even stepped towards Jameson. He didn't move an inch. Yet he held his knife pointed towards him, as if he was drawing something into the air. Leon's face began to drain, his eyes widening.
"Tob-" But then Jameson swallowed a scream. He fell to his knees, hissing through his teeth.
"Tobias, stop!" Leon interrupted, taking a step towards him. But it was a small step, a cautious step. Not like he was truly willing to get into the fight. "This is unnecessary." Selene's eyes widened as she saw the black mark begin to fall across Jameson's cheek. Dark, charred. Like a pure black burn, yet straight as a line. Like the women in the colony.
Her mouth opened, a naseau filling into her stomach. At a distance, she heard Tobias talking. Threatening quietly, telling him what he did wrong. Telling him he would spare him simply out of politics. Telling him what would happen if he ever stepped into Velaris again.
She kept telling herself to speak out, to stop Tobias, yet she couldn't do it. Not because she couldn't physically do it, but the pure shock going through her body made her incapable. It was something he had never done – he had always kept her away from the fire, away from his darkness. He loved her. Why would he ever allow her to see this?
But then it dawned on her, quite suddenly, that he wasn't just her husband. He was her High Lord. Her superior. In the end, she bended the knee. In the end, her objections were meaningless. In the end, she had to know what he was capable of doing.
His eyes flickered at her fast, almost like he was daring her to speak. Daring her to test the consequences. She was lucky to not be kneeling in front of him, to not be facing what he was. She looked away obediently, her eyes falling to the ground. She wouldn't say anything, even though she recognized those black streaks, she wouldn't say a word.
REVIEW PLEASE! Sorry for the formatting issue and that it took me so long. It's been a hard semester. But please review