Realm of the forgotten

Chapter 14

Akara POV

What am I, if not human?

The question circled in my head all night. I replayed everything that had happened since I arrived, trying to piece it together, trying to work out what I was turning into, and nothing came. Eric hadn’t given me anything except an order to figure it out for myself. It was almost as if he knew exactly what I was and just wasn’t saying.

I lay awake for most of the night. When morning came, my body was sore and heavy from the day before, and I hadn’t slept enough to feel any better for it. I needed answers. Maybe there was a library here, with a book that could tell me what was happening to me. Whether they would let me in was another question.

When I got dressed, I noticed more clothes had been added to my closet. And hanging at the front was the dress they wanted me to wear for the ritual: red, with black lace across the corset. The ritual was tomorrow, under the blood moon. Just looking at the dress made my stomach drop.

My escape plan had died the moment I saw the guards ringing the castle walls. Every option I’d come up with so far had failed, but I hadn’t given up. If an opening appeared, I would take it.

On the way to the dining room, I passed through the foyer, and I stopped. The place was full of staff getting ready for the ceremony. Black drapes hung from the ceiling, and nearly everything else was black too, from the tablecloths to the chairs, with only a little red and grey in the flowers and glasses. It looked less like a wedding than a funeral. My stomach tied itself in knots. Tomorrow, I was supposed to let someone drive a dagger through my heart.

I shook the thought off, walked down the hall, and went through the first door on my right. Eric and his parents were already eating. I sat beside Eric without a word.

“Good morning, Akara,” his parents said together, and I greeted them back.

“Good morning, love.” Eric’s voice was tender. It took me a few seconds to answer him, and then I started eating.

“How are you feeling, Akara?” his mother asked, concerned.

“I’m fine,” I said, as casually as I could manage, trying to show them yesterday hadn’t touched me.

“I’m glad to hear it, dear. You should rest today. Tomorrow will be very busy for you and Eric. The nobles of every family in the realm will be attending,” she said as plainly as if she were reading a schedule.

“Eric,” his father said, Stoic as ever. “Have you memorized the incantation for tomorrow?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Wonderful.”

They went on eating and talking through the arrangements while I barely touched my food. My hands were clenched on the table, and the fear was building. I could feel Eric’s eyes on me and didn’t need to look to know it. He must have noticed, because he laid his hand over mine and squeezed. The tingle came, and for a moment I relaxed, as if the fear was slowly draining out of me. I looked at him. His eyes were soft, and my heart gave a little flip.

“Would you like to take a walk in the garden?” he asked gently.

I considered it for a few seconds, weighing whether it was a good idea. “Okay,” I said, keeping my voice neutral.

He stood. “Mother. Father. Excuse us.” His parents nodded.

He held out his hand, and I took it, reluctantly. The sensation traveled up my arm, and the longer I held on, the further it spread. We walked out of the dining room, down the hall, past the stairway, and through the front doors.

Outside, the wind hit me, and the air was cold. It made breathing a little difficult, but not impossible. The sky was grey, as always, and in the distance I could see the moon, with a hint of red in it now. We turned right and went down toward the garden.

There were flowers everywhere. Some were strange, the kind that looked as though one touch would kill you. Others were beautiful, though I couldn’t have named them. But most of them were roses, and most of those were red. What struck me as odd was how many of them were alive without sun.

Eric noticed me staring and seemed to know what I was thinking. “They grow here because they aren’t like the plants in the human realm. In this realm, the moon makes sure they thrive.”

I frowned. How could a moon make flowers grow?

He saw my face and explained, “Everything here is connected through the moon. It feeds the realm’s magic.”

“So everything here is connected to the moon, and the flowers grow from the magic it feeds back to the realm. Is that right?”

“Correct.” He smiled at me. “I see you’re a quick study.”

I nodded, and my curiosity took over. “Does it work the same for the creatures here? Do they get their magic from the moon?”

“Yes. Each creature is either blessed with magic or isn’t. You’ve already seen mine.” His tone was light.

“Do you have other abilities?”

He looked at me and was silent for a few moments. “Yes. I do.” That was all. The look he gave me said he wouldn’t be talking about it any further.

We walked on to the black steel gazebo in the middle of the garden and sat down.

“I’ve asked for refreshments,” he said. “They should be here shortly.”

“Thank you, Eric.”

Silence stretched between us and slowly turned awkward. The air grew colder, and I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold onto some warmth. Eric looked at me, and the next thing I knew he was sitting beside me, his arm around my shoulders. He felt warm, even though his skin was cold. Nothing about him made sense. Maybe it was the bond making me feel this way, but I didn’t push him away. I leaned closer, and he drew me against his side, his chin resting on top of my head.

“If you know what I am,” I whispered, “why won’t you tell me?”

He didn’t answer.

“You’ll know soon,” was all he said.

I stayed quiet, not wanting to push him too hard. But there was one question I needed to ask, even though I already knew the answer. I wanted to see how he would react.

“Will I die tomorrow?”

His body went rigid, then relaxed after a moment. “Yes,” he said, in a cold voice. “To bind you to me, I have to say the incantation, and then the dagger of eternal binding goes through your heart.”

My heart hammered at the thought. His hold on me tightened, as if he could feel my fear.

“Don’t worry, my dear Akara,” he said, a little more warmly. “Everything will work out. Just trust me.”

I looked up at him, and he was watching me with love in his eyes. My heart flipped again.

Then, before I understood what was happening, his lips were on mine.