VEIL OF EDEN

THE PALACE

The doors closed behind Aureon.

For several seconds, no one moved.

Damien could still feel his Anix watching the doorway.

It had gone unnaturally still when Aureon placed the black crystal on the marble. Damien had felt the fear through their bond before he had even understood what was happening.

Now the crystal was gone.

The fear remained.

Damien looked toward his father.

The King had not moved from his throne.

His expression was unreadable.

Then his jaw tightened.

"I want the intruder found. Now."

The words were quiet, but they carried across the entire room.

People moved immediately.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Guards hurried toward the doors. Ministers began whispering among themselves. Orders were passed from one person to another as the room quickly descended into controlled chaos.

The King rose from his throne.

"Search every passage. Question every guard. No one leaves the palace until I say so."

His gaze swept across the room.

"And find out what was taken from my treasury."

No one dared answer.

The King turned and walked away.

Damien remained seated for another moment.

His eyes drifted toward the doors Aureon had disappeared through.

Then he looked at his Anix.

It was still uneasy.

He wondered what it had felt.

Then he wondered if he really wanted to know.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nerezza woke to voices.

Not loud ones.

Whispers.

She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling.

Something had changed.

She could feel it before she even opened the door.

When she finally stepped into the corridor, she understood why.

There were guards everywhere.

Two stood at the end of the hallway. Another pair guarded the staircase. Even the servants seemed to be moving differently, keeping their voices low as they hurried from one place to another.

Nerezza slowed.

A maid carrying folded sheets was stopped by a soldier.

"Where are you going?"

"The west wing."

"Why?"

"To deliver these."

The soldier searched the sheets before allowing her to pass.

Nerezza raised an eyebrow.

Whatever had happened, it was serious enough to make everyone suspicious of laundry.

She continued down the corridor.

As she passed two servants, their whispering reached her.

"The treasury."

"They haven't found it."

"Keep your voice down."

Nerezza didn't turn around.

Apparently, even palaces lose things.

She kept walking.

She could have asked.

She didn't.

People always talked more when they thought you weren't listening.

Eventually, she found herself outside Elara's room.

She knocked.

"Come in."

Nerezza opened the door.

Elara was sitting near the window.

Sapphire stood beside her.

Just the two of them.

Nerezza paused.

Sapphire turned her head toward the sound.

"Nerezza."

Nerezza raised an eyebrow.

"You knew it was me?"

"You walk differently from everyone else."

Nerezza glanced down at her feet.

That sounds insulting.

She stepped inside.

Something felt wrong.

Elara wasn't crying, but she looked as though she had been close to it.

Sapphire seemed to notice too.

"You've been sitting here for almost an hour," Sapphire said.

Elara looked toward the window.

"I don't want to go anywhere."

"That is precisely why you should."

Elara sighed.

"Sapphire."

"You've spent enough time staring at the same wall."

"I wasn't staring at the wall."

"You were staring at the window."

"That is different."

"Not from where I was standing."

Nerezza remained quiet, watching them.

It was becoming a pattern.

Whenever Elara was involved, Sapphire wasn't far away.

Nerezza had originally met Sapphire because of Elara. But now, seeing them together again, something clicked.

Elara trusted Sapphire.

Perhaps more than she trusted anyone else in the palace.

And Nerezza was beginning to understand why Sapphire was so often involved in matters concerning the kingdom.

Her visions weren't simply a curiosity she could see into the future.

People listened to her.

Her gift made her important.

Sapphire turned toward Elara.

"You should get some air."

Elara frowned.

"Outside?"

"Yes."

"Cassian will complain."

"He complains when you breathe incorrectly."

That earned another small laugh from Elara.

Nerezza almost smiled.

Sapphire reached for the door, then paused.

Her unfocused eyes settled in Nerezza's direction.

"You're coming too."

Nerezza blinked.

"You've been standing there silently judging us for the last five minutes."

"I wasn't, my lady."

"You were."

Nerezza decided there was little point arguing.

The three of them left the room.

They didn't go toward the main halls.

Instead, Sapphire led them through a quieter corridor and toward the palace grounds.

As they walked, Nerezza noticed the guards.

More than before.

They stood at every major entrance.

Even the garden gates were being watched.

Elara noticed them too.

"Did something happen?"elera asked

Sapphire didn't answer immediately.

Nerezza looked at her.

Finally, Sapphire said,

"Yes."

"What?"

"Something was taken."

Elara stopped.

"What?"

Sapphire continued walking.

"You heard me."

"What was taken?"

Sapphire glanced back.

"I don't know."

Nerezza frowned.

That was unusual.

Sapphire usually seemed to know things before everyone else.

Or at least enough to make people nervous.

They reached the stables.

The moment Nerezza stepped inside, the smell of hay and horses replaced the cold air of the palace.

She breathed out.

Much better.

Elara's attention immediately shifted.

There was a black horse standing near the far end of the stable.

Its coat was glossy beneath the sunlight.

Beautiful.

Elara stopped.

For the first time that morning, something changed in her expression.

Her eyes brightened.

Sapphire noticed.

"So," she said quietly.

Elara looked at her.

"I suppose we've found something."

Elara smiled.

It was small.

But genuine.

"I've always wanted to ride."

Sapphire nodded toward the horse.

"Then perhaps you should."

Nerezza watched Elara approach.

A stable boy appeared from behind one of the stalls.

Kael.

He looked at Elara.

Then at the horse.

Then at Sapphire.

"I can prepare him."

Elara nodded.

"Thank you."

Kael walked toward the horse.

Sapphire's lips curved slightly.

Then she turned toward Elara.

"Come."

Elara looked at her.

"Where are we going?"

"To change into something appropriate."

Elara glanced back once.

Nerezza gave her a small nod.

And just like that, Sapphire led Elara out of the stable.

Nerezza watched them disappear through the doors.

Then she looked toward Kael.

He was still preparing the horse.

Neither of them spoke.

For the first time since she'd arrived at the palace, the stable felt strangely peaceful.

Nerezza stepped closer.

Kael returned to what he was doing.

His Anix drifted closer.

Nerezza looked at it.

It looked at her.

It really was a ridiculous little thing.

Round body.

Tiny face.

Almost no expression.

It floated toward her until it was directly in front of her.

Nerezza leaned back slightly.

"Does it always do that?"

Kael glanced over.

"Do what?"

"Stare."

"Yes."

His Anix continued staring.

Nerezza stared back.

"Rude."

The creature blinked.

A tiny flake of snow landed on her nose.

Nerezza froze.

Kael looked away.

She wiped it off.

"Was that intentional?"

"No."

She looked at the Anix.

Another tiny snowflake appeared.

Kael reached out, caught the creature with one hand and pulled it away.

It made a soft sound of protest.

Nerezza looked at him.

"You're lying."

Kael said nothing.

She almost smiled.

Almost.

He moved toward another stall.

Nerezza watched him work.

He was different here.

Not necessarily happier.

Just...

Less stiff.

He knew which horses disliked being approached from behind, which ones needed their reins loosened, and which became impatient when their food was late.

He barely had to look at what his hands were doing.

Nerezza walked toward the black horse again.

"What's his name?"

"Rook."

She looked at the horse.

"Rook."

Rook looked unimpressed.

Nerezza studied him.

"Blacky."

Something changed in Kael's face.

It was small.

Barely there.

But Nerezza caught it.

A smile.

Not even a proper one.

Just the beginning of one.

Then it disappeared.

Interesting.

Nerezza looked away before he noticed she'd seen it.

Her stomach chose that moment to growl.

Loudly.

Kael walked toward a small table near the back of the stable.

There was a cloth bundle on it.

He picked it up and held it toward her.

Nerezza looked at it.

Then at him.

"What is it?"

"Food."

"I can see that."

"Then why did you ask?"

She looked at him properly.

There it was again.

Not humor exactly.

But something dangerously close.

Nerezza took the bundle.

Inside was bread, cheese, and something that looked like dried meat.

Her stomach immediately forgave him for everything.

She tore off a piece of bread.

"Is this yours?"

"Yes."

She stopped chewing.

Kael continued brushing the horse.

Nerezza looked at the bread.

Then at him.

"You're giving me your food?"

"You're already eating it."

She considered that.

Fair.

She ate another piece.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Kael worked.

Nerezza ate.

His Anix floated lazily between them.

It was surprisingly comfortable.

Nerezza didn't trust comfortable things.

They usually ended.

She looked toward the stable entrance.

Two guards crossed the courtyard beyond it.

Another pair followed shortly after.

Even here.

Kael noticed where she was looking.

"Something happened."

It wasn't a question.

Nerezza swallowed.

"The treasury lost something."

Kael's hands continued moving over the horse.

Silence returned.

Nerezza finished another piece of bread.

Then she looked at him.

"You're quiet."

"So are you."

Nerezza frowned.

"I'm always quiet."

"Not like this."

Her hand slowed.

Kael didn't look at her.

He continued brushing the horse.

Nerezza watched him for a moment.

"You've known me for what? Two days?"

"Long enough."

She almost laughed.

Instead, she looked down at the food in her hands.

Maybe he was right.

She had been quieter.

There was too much happening in this palace.

The attack.

The cells.

Sapphire.

The painting.

Six figures whose faces she couldn't stop thinking about.

And now something missing from a treasury she had no business knowing existed.

Nerezza leaned against the wooden beam behind her.

"This place is exhausting."

Kael's hand stopped.

Only for a second.

Then continued.

"The palace has a way of killing the sparks."

Nerezza looked at him.

That was an odd thing to say.

Especially for him.

She studied his face.

"So it killed yours?"

Kael didn't answer.

And this time, Nerezza didn't push.

She simply took another bite of bread and watched him work.

Deep down, she already knew the answer.