VEIL OF EDEN

HISTORY

Something hit the side of my ribs.

Hard.

I groaned and curled instinctively, trying to move away from whatever was hurting me.

Something hit me again.

"Wake up."

I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was a boot.

I blinked slowly.

Then another kick landed against my side.

I sucked in a breath and pushed myself upright, my entire body protesting.

"What the—"

"Get up."

I looked up.

The same man from yesterday's interrogation stood over me.

His expression was almost pleasant.

That was worse.

I glanced around.

The stable was still quiet. The little Anix floated somewhere behind him, but Kael was nowhere in sight.

I rubbed my side.

"Was that really necessary?"

His mouth twitched.

"Still talking."

I immediately stopped.

Yesterday, I might have said something clever.

Today, I wasn't stupid.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.

My legs nearly gave out beneath me.

"Where are you taking me?"

He didn't respond.

I looked at him.

Then at the soldiers standing behind him.

I said nothing.

He dragged me out of the stable.

The palace grounds were already awake.

Soldiers moved through the courtyard, inspecting the damage from the previous night's attack. Servants carried buckets of water across the stone. Workers were repairing sections of the wall that had been destroyed.

No one paid much attention to me or what the soldiers were doing.

My ribs still hurt from the kick.

So did almost everything else.

We entered the palace.

The familiar corridors felt different now.

Yesterday, I had walked through them beside Cassian.

Today, I was being dragged through them by soldiers.

I knew exactly where we were going before the doors opened.

Cassian was waiting inside.

He stood near the large window at the far end of the room, his hands behind his back.

He turned when we entered.

His eyes settled on me.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then—

"Leave us."

The soldiers released me and walked out.

The door closed behind them.

I stood there.

Cassian looked at me.

I looked at the floor.

"You were given an order."

"Yes, General."

"You were told to stay with Elara."

"Yes."

"And where were you?"

I swallowed.

"Separated from her."

His expression didn't change.

"You were assigned to my sister. Bought for her, and somehow, I have not gotten anything useful from you."

He c****d his head slightly to one side.

"You've caused nothing but trouble."

I remained silent.

Now that I thought about it, everything had happened too quickly.

The explosions.

The attackers.

Elara's panic.

His orders.

The servant.

The window.

The stable.

And somehow, an Anixless girl had survived a battle like that.

I realized things were not looking good for me.

And I hadn't exactly been the best servant.

Cassian walked toward me.

For a moment, he simply looked at me.

Then he turned toward the door.

"Take her to the lower cells."

My head lifted.

"What?"

He looked back at me.

"You'll remain there for three days."

My stomach dropped.

"General—"

"Three days."

I stopped.

He had already turned away.

The door opened.

The soldiers entered.

One grabbed my arm.

I looked back at Cassian.

He didn't look at me again.

I was dragged out.

The lower cells were colder than I expected.

Stone walls.

Iron bars.

One small opening near the ceiling allowed a thin strip of light inside.

The door opened.

I was shoved in.

I stumbled forward and caught myself against the wall.

The door slammed shut behind me.

The sound echoed through the corridor.

I stood there for a moment before slowly lowering myself onto the cold floor.

Three days.

No food.

No water.

I stared at the floor.

"This is going to be a long three days."

No one answered.

Of course.

The first few hours weren't terrible.

I was still angry.

Anger was useful.

It kept my mind occupied.

Eventually, the anger faded.

Then came the hunger.

Then the thirst.

By the end of the first day, my mouth felt dry enough to c***k.

By the second, my body felt heavier.

The injuries from the attack had begun to ache again, as though they had been waiting for me to stop moving before reminding me they were there.

I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes.

My mind wandered.

Rina.

Ah, that b***h.

I almost laughed, but my throat was too dry.

Then Kael.

I wondered where he was.

And then, unexpectedly, my thoughts drifted to my parents.

I wondered if they ever regretted abandoning their baby.

I wondered if they ever thought about me at all.

I opened my eyes.

The darkness of the cell stared back.

At some point, I fell asleep.

When I woke again, I wasn't sure how much time had passed.

My body felt weak.

My throat burned.

I barely had the strength to sit upright.

Then I heard footsteps.

The door opened.

Light spilled into the cell.

Someone stood outside.

White hair.

Dark dress.

A pale, almost translucent Anix floated quietly beside her.

"Sapphire."

She stepped inside.

Her eyes moved over me.

Then she frowned.

"You look terrible."

I managed a weak smile.

"I've seen better days."

The corner of her mouth twitched.

But she didn't laugh.

She studied me for another moment.

Then her expression became serious.

She turned slightly.

That was when I noticed the woman standing behind her.

The woman stepped forward.

Her hands began to glow.

Before I could ask what she was doing, she placed them against me.

Warmth spread through my body.

The exhaustion slowly began to lift.

The pain in my muscles eased.

My breathing steadied.

A healer.

When she finished, she stepped back and bowed to Sapphire.

Then she left.

I looked at Sapphire.

"You begged the General on my behalf?"

"Cassian gave you a punishment," she said calmly. "He will not change it simply because I ask."

I frowned.

"Then why are you here?"

Sapphire stared at me for a moment.

"I wonder that myself."

She turned toward the door.

"Come."

I pushed myself up.

My legs nearly gave out.

Sapphire instinctively reached toward me, then stopped herself before touching me.

I noticed.

She simply gestured toward the door.

"Slowly."

I nodded.

We left the cell.

The corridor seemed brighter than I remembered.

Or perhaps I had simply been in the dark too long.

We walked in silence.

I didn't know where she was taking me until a familiar corridor came into view.

I stopped.

The painting.

The six figures.

Exactly as I remembered them.

Sapphire stopped beside me when she realized I was no longer following.

I stared at the painting.

The figures seemed different now.

Maybe because I was seeing them without the chaos of the palace surrounding me.

"Who are they?"

Sapphire stood beside me.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then she spoke.

"History remembers them as the Six Elaris."

I frowned.

"Elaris?"

"Yes."

"What are they?"

Sapphire tilted her head slightly.

"That depends on who you ask."

I looked at her.

"That sounds like something people say when they don't want to answer."

A small smile touched her lips.

"Perhaps."

I looked back at the painting.

"Then tell me what history says."

She was quiet for a moment.

Then she began.

"Five hundred years ago, the mortal realm and Heaven were at war."

I frowned.

"Heaven?"

"Yes."

She turned toward the painting.

"The conflict began because of the Well."

"The Well?"

"A place said to contain something unlike anything else in existence."

"What?"

Sapphire's expression changed slightly.

"Power."

I waited.

She continued.

"According to history, the Well contained water capable of creating beings of unimaginable power and destroying those who already possessed it."

I stared at the painting.

"So people fought over it."

"Not just people."

I looked at her.

"The beings of Heaven wanted it too."

She paused.

"The Well eventually disappeared."

"And the war?"

"Continued."

"How long?"

"Generations."

I looked at the six figures again.

"And them?"

"The Six Elaris became important during the final years of the conflict."

"Important how?"

"They were part of the events that eventually brought an end to the war."

I looked at her.

"And that's when the peace began?"

Sapphire nodded.

"The remnants of the Well were divided between Heaven and the mortal realm. An agreement was made. Five hundred years of peace followed."

I looked at the painting again.

Sapphire went silent.

I turned back toward the painting.

Six figures.

A war.

A Well.

Heaven.

An elixir.

Five hundred years of peace.

It sounded like a story.

Too neat.

Too perfect.

I glanced at Sapphire.

"And that's the truth?"

She was silent.

Then she said quietly,

"No."

I frowned.

"Then what is it?"

She turned her face toward the painting.

"That's the history."