Keepers of the Moon

Chapter 6. Getting ready (2)

‘Are you coming down with us? I think most of the people should’ve arrived by now.’ Mo Bhean made a sour face, the tension more and more visible.

‘I’ll have to pick up my fiddle and I still have a meeting with the King,’ the disdain in her voice was very audible, she did not like him. I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet him yet. I knew he had been roaming the castle for the past few days, he had arrived earlier than planned, but was never near the places I was. The people however barely liked it and kept making snide remarks about him.

‘I heard you two bickering this morning and Sean was in an exceptional bad mood. Still no success in getting through to him?’

She just shook her head and sighed. ‘He’s erratic, sometimes he seems understanding and calm, willing to let us help him, sometimes he flatout denies that there is a problem at all, but most of the times he’s just so angry. All that he wants to do is kill Einar.’ Brian made a face, Mo Bhean’s eyes shot toward me when I reacted to the notion of king Einar.

My throat was suddenly dry and my palms began to sweat. I was glad that I was still sitting on the chair, I was sure to have collapsed onto the floor. Abi notice my discomfort and climbed on my lap. Her leg in my stomach seemed to bring back some of the feeling in my legs, but every hair on my back was still standing. My hands were shaking and I tried to hide it by hugging Abi.

Mo Bhean said nothing but just gave me an odd look. Somewhat confused but also calculating, as if she was trying to figure out why I had this reaction.

‘I still can’t believe he’s coming here, on a gala that should signify unity for goodness sake. He’s just rubbing it in our faces.’ Brian’s words barely came to me, they didn’t even make sense. Einar wasn’t coming here, that would be impossible. He couldn’t be.

‘King Einar is not coming today is he?’ My voice sounded squeaky, too high, and full of fear. I couldn’t read Mo Bhean’s expression, but there was something of an anxious curiosity radiating from her. Brian however made a sour face and nodded.

‘Yes, that bloody bastard is definitely coming here tonight. But not to worry, there’ll be more security here than anywhere else in the country.’

I didn’t care about security, I didn’t care about the dangers to Caledonia. That man needed to be put down, without any remorse. He was the darkest evil ever to walk on this planet. I wholeheartedly agreed with King Domhnall. This world was better off without him. It was all his fault! Everything that had ever happened to me and to my friends. He was the one to blame!

He was the one who stole all of us from our parents, he took our lives and then when he didn’t need us anymore dumped us into the hellhole they called Nova. And if that wasn’t enough he was also the one who started the purge. All to cover up what he had done in an effort to erase us from existence. Permanently.   

I thought of Mere and her perfect curls, of Lily with her pale white skin and of sweet Anna who cared for everyone on this world. They were all gone now, plucked from this world at the start of their lives. And I could feel nothing but hatred for this man.

And fear.

For him finding out who I was. Then he would find out about what I was.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t go’ my voice was stronger this time, determined. Both Mo Bhean and Brian shook their heads. Why were they so adamant that everybody attended the party, I certainly didn’t want to be there?

‘No, everybody should come. Even you. Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of guests, you might not even see him.’ Her words were reassuring, but the fear stayed and it was only because Brian took my arm and led me out of his room that I was going to the party. If the choice had been up to me, I would’ve been on a boat out of Caledonia right now.