True Silk

chapter vi | The Pull

THIS WOULD CONCLUDE OUR ROYAL TOUR, Mistress Maven. That is if it was actually finished," Eris smiled, rushing to the tall double-doors I had been looking at since we appeared in that hallway. It took my attention away from the rest of what she said so hardly anything registered in my mind besides a few key words.

I tried not to show my infallible eagerness but I tapped my foot and crossed my arms, hardly willing to wait any longer.

Eris weighed her palms against the doors that yawned lowly to the mass of itself, slowly dividing outwards from each other. Ridiculous for my childlike inquisitiveness, but of course it would be that way, wouldn't it?

It opened to uncloak what expected must've once been an august and lavish ballroom stained with black pain and strapped in gold belts. I marvelled at the sight of it, even if it was only a void space now with a high, domed ceiling, spite of the untouched, grand piano on the left. The rest of the room, on the other hand, was thoroughly trashed. The four tall windows that stole a majority of the wall in front of us, broken and in some scraggly glass pieces on the floor.

The dome above was bedecked in an archaic style mural that bore a frightening correspondence to the design of Ancient Greek and Roman canvases, yet it was one I had never seen in books or anything of the sort.

Four arched windows that I'm sure had no ability whatsoever to open. Otherwise, I would have been long gone. Would Eris come with me? More likely than not, no. She would be too skittish to even consider the idea of embarking on a long, aimless journey that only occurred for the desire to leave.

Spared no time in asking, "What happened?"

Eris raised her shoulders to her ears. "I am not quite sure. It's been like this for five years. My cousin, Adandé, said that it was . . . I think he said a 'Revolution'. Whatever that is."

I blinked at her. How could she not know what a 'Revolution' was? Alright, let's say that, hypothetically, that my education was more advanced than most girls - younger or older. I would be judging her, right? Once again, let's say that, hypothetically, this was true. In a general manner, I would be just as much the villain as a male oppressor. "A 'Revolution'?"

"Yes . . . " She glanced up at the ceiling in a style that told she was thinking about it. "Yes. That's what he said."

"Oh."

"I only got here three years ago. So I wouldn't really know what happened."

"How old are you?"

"Hm?" Eris hummed, twisting her neck to stare at me, brows scrunched to form a question in the eyes. I knew she heard. I wasn't going to repeat myself. "Why would you ask, Mistress?"

I wouldn't get her to break that habit. I shrugged. "No reason." Tsk, tsk, tsk. Liar, liar, liar.

Silence passed in the form of a few soundless moments. "I just turned seventeen."

I nodded, knowing she spoke the truth. Having thought she appeared young, my suspicions were confirmed.

Not positive if I mentioned this or not, but I had a superpower. Yes. A superpower. Hurray. It's not all fire and water ending, though. It's more of a useless talent. Knowing when someone is telling the truth or not. And she was. I felt like she were too young to be there. Where were her parents?

I didn't ask. That wouldn't be right.

"But anyways. Adandé spoke of how beautiful it was. Dazzled by the words of such a storyteller, I wish that I had been there." A smile enchanted her face. " 'All the ladies in such fine gowns,' he said, 'And gentlemen with their suits and ties. Dancing and drinking under the crystal chandeliers.' " She pointed up and that was when I noticed them. Actually, they were gasoliers. With that, the room might seem dimmer, still lighted. But I didn't correct her. " 'It was the most magnificent ball.' Gosh, what I would've given to see it.

" 'Then, out of nowhere the windows came crashing down, like a glass waterfall,' he said, and, 'The lights blew out. A sheer frenzy of panic. Before anyone knew it, men in' . . . jester's dress, I think it was," she tapped her chin thoughtfully. " . . . 'jesters clothing prancing across the ballroom floor, snatching women and young girls. But no children. They're not allowed at such occasions. Although, by the end of the fight, only a few females were missing, what they received was a death threat. The women and girls were returned, weeks after their search - at least their shells were - and mutilated . . . ' "

I thought about it. What did I really know about mutilation? Not much. But I could only imagine that many of their body parts were not in proper shape as they should have been.

"He never told me what, specifically, was mutilated on them. But I suppose they were very . . . "

"Vulgar?"

"What? No - "

"No, no, no. Look." I pointed to the left hand corner. VULGAR was written across the corner, onto the next wall.

"Oh, yes. That's been there for quite some time. Some of the jesters must've done that. I mean they weren't real jesters, but you know what I mean."

"Ah. Right. Yes. Yes. Right." I nodded in response and then looked at her. She was staring down at the floor, wringing her hands so tightly that her knuckles were white. "Well, um . . . " I set my jaw to the side.

My mind strayed - you can blame that on the silence and my haphazard thoughts - back to yesterday. The first thing, or person rather, that appeared was Savanah. How doped she was. And right out of her mind, as well.

"May I ask you for a favour?"

Her head snapped up at me. "Anything, Aichin." Back to her old ways she went.

"Please. Don't call me that." I shook my head, crossing my arms.

Eris rested her head. "Yes, Ai - Maven."

"Could you . . . tell me where I might be able the find a certain person?"

Eris was weary at first. I could see that quite clearly. She was only bound to such information. And she might not even know where this person might be. "Is it the King, Maven?"

"Eh, no," I admitted. "Savanah. She came in with me yesterday."

"What do you plan to do when you find her?" she asked, and I found the hint of hesitation and caution in her words.

"I only want to see how she's doing." Because I trusted no one else's words about the girl. Genuinely, I was worried for her. I feared that something had already happened. That would be a shame. And very unfortunate. But then, I this was the case, what was there that I could do? I couldn't change anything that's already occurred.

She opened her mouth, inhaling, but didn't immediately speak. Not until I elevated both my eyebrows at her. Only then did she murmur, "In the east wing, fourth floor, sixth room. You might find her there."

"You know what? Could you show me the way? I don't intend on getting lost and though I'm good with directions, my memory is not too swell on particularity."

She smiled, chuckling a bit. "It's no problem. Really."

And quite like she said, she led me out of the room, and I closed the doors behind us - I am not a spoiled brat.

We chatted quietly to each other, cracking a few jokes here and there to lighten up the mood. She was weary of me, I could tell. But, does she know that I am something other than human? Probably.

She told me about the history of the palace, what she knew - which wasn't much, really. She spoke of the people she knew here and a male - a vampire and the King's right-hand-man - by the name of Seth. It was only because I asked if King Salkamenos had any friends. I couldn't imagine so; it was so hard to believe.

The way that the other Vassals and looked at me was . . . not very amiable. There must've been some secret loathing towards Domestics. I couldn't understand why. They weren't any higher up on the food chain than Vassals. At least . . . well, I didn't really know. I only assumed.

As we turned a corner, my hand only involuntarily brush against hers. She jerked away from me just as I was apologising, "Sorry, Eri - "

Her face was as pale as the snow, her eyes wide as marbles. Eris' demeanour had altered from calm and friendly to alarmed and cautious, like she'd seen a ghost.

"Eris? Are you okay?"

She peered left and right, backing further and further away from me. She didn't answer to her name, she couldn't. It was like the girl was in another dimension, or something.

Eris' breath had quickened, quite audible from how far apart we were. It was even visible. And that only happens when the air around is freezing. It wasn't though. It was a little chilly, but not enough to see my breath. I could see hers even still.

I stepped forward.

And she screamed bloody murder, staring right at me, cowering in the corner. Pointing an accusing finger at me. "Demon! Demon, get away from me! The Devil! Don't touch me!"

Demon? Devil? Hardly. No, but, I mean . . . I was very distantly related to one . . . on my father's side. But I myself was not one.

So, whilst she hollered at me that I was a work of evil and that I had murdered innocent people - which I never had - I stood there, hands in a surrendering manner, confused as all hell.

It wasn't long until people came running to her aid. She seemed crazed, speaking of blood and dead bodies. A m******e of sorts. It appeared that I was the criminal, even though I had done nothing.

A male, maybe in his mid-twenties, came running. He had caramel skin, gorgeous green eyes, a handsome face, and buzzed dark hair. He was dressed in a black and red field jacket, and black trousers with red zippers at the ankles.

He stared at me as he approached quickly, perusing my spirit, I thought. I figured he would go straight to the hollering Eris. This is what I thought anyways.

Yet, he snarled at me, "You b***h! What have you done!?" yanking me forward by the collar around my throat. He pulled roughly at the excess belt where the collar tightened. He was strong, undoubtedly. I grasped at his wrist, abortively gasping for air, my head flailing back as he yanked me forward. "What the f**k have you done?!"

I shook my head quickly, barely wheezing out, "I didn't . . . didn't do . . . anything?" Without a doubt, I would suffocate if he didn't let go or even loosen his grip, lightheaded without air to breathe. Literally.

"Really?" he hissed, disbelief evident in his voice. "Then why is my cousin writhing on the floor, screaming at you?"

"Your . . . c-cousin?"

"Answer the f*****g question!" he spat, but suddenly he was being ripped away, pulling the collar even tighter. I screeched when he refused to let go, tears streaming down my face.

Behind him was a man, olive skinned, dark blond hair, and hazel eyes. He was of the same height. "Adandé, release her," he demanded.

Still, he refused, "No!" trying to fight off the other man whilst throttling me with the collar. When he withheld, his restrainer dug his nails into his upper arm quickly, forcing him to let go of me.

As soon as he did, I slammed myself against the wall, pressing far away from him in that moment. I instantaneously reached up and ripped the collar off. And I hadn't noticed that I'd been crying until the air, cold as ever, pierced my lungs with an abruptness so painful that it could be the substitute of a dagger formed in ice.

Eris' screaming registered in my mind, but it was fading, and I was running. Pushing as fast as my legs would allow. I'd never been much for exercise because that wasn't something we did in Crystal Squares. Every now and then, of course, I would feel a jolt in my legs that wouldn't go away unless I walked it out in circles around the room.

It was a terrible feeling.

I tripped up a flight of stairs, onto a landing that turned in the other direction, and up another flight of steps.

Stopped at the top, nearly crashing as I missed a step. I caught myself, resisting the fall and turning it into only a stumble.

When I heard sniggers, I gazed about, hands on my knees and panting audibly. Just in the corner of my sight, to the right, I saw two men, Minders dressed, on either side of a space in the wall. Probably guarding a door. Or so I thought. They walked away, shaking their heads, and murmuring to each other.

Standing, I wiped my tears. I had no idea where I was until I looked around. I was in the East wing, apparently. This hallway, I could recognise. It was where I might find Savanah.

With this in mind, I padded slowly down the hallway, dragging my feet like an aimless soul. My chest heaved as I went to a door, trying to conjure the words of Eris . . .

Don't you f*****g come anywhere near her! I'll kill you if you do!

It appeared that I wouldn't be seeing much of her anyways

Her directions, I couldn't even remember. Not after what just happened.

My mind clouded, I found myself trailing to the sixth door. Isn't that what she'd said? There was an exceptional space between each cherry wood doors, which only proved to make the hallway appear extensive. I lingered near the door for some time, wondering if I even wanted to see her anymore. That was until a soft scream, muffled by the wood door and the plastered walls, dwindled beyond the boundary. It caressed my eardrums with a sharp sting before seeming to prolong.

I thought for a moment, that perhaps it was just me imagining the sound after hearing Eris' accusing shrieks of fear. Just the same, I knew very well, at least subconsciously, that the sound emanated - not from my mind - but from behind the door.

Overwrought, I didn't bother knocking. No, no. Who knocks when they hear someone screaming on the other end of a door? Of course, I only cracked the door opened, peaking in to see what the hell was occurring.

Yet before I could even ask, I was blinded by a very disturbing sight. Something that I could never unsee. It would mark me, for the rest of my existence.

On the bed - a canopy - against the left wall, a girl lie beneath the King, endeavouring an escape it appeared with the way she was rocking her head back and forth, screaming. He had her wrists pinned at either side of her head. And with the blonde hair at the headboard, I could only assume that . . .

Callously, and I mean sadistically, he was . . . he was - because I couldn't think of an understatement for the truth of it that does not sound vulgar in the slightest - f*****g her. And I mean this with sincerity. He was f*****g her. They weren't fornicating, or procreating. It wasn't a constitution! He was f*****g her, and that was the truth of the matter.

An unwilling victim, unfortunately.

I didn't make a sound, yet he looked right up at me. Salkamenos stared me right in the eye like onyx pits behind half-hooded lids. I froze on account of his stare, felt as though he was raping mysoul. He sank his teeth in her shoulder, which only stood to maker her scream louder. I shivered involuntarily.

What was I supposed to do? I couldn't think in that moment, my jaw slacking. I probably looked stupid as I tried to form words, my mouth opening and closing without any sound.

I stumbled back, away from the door, and pressed myself against the wall. Clutching the collar tightly in my hands.

Without knowing what else to do, I stood outside of the door for I don't know how long. I tried desperately to block out the sounds coming from the other end of the door, but those efforts were vain.

I could only bite my lip in silence, my mind drifting back, over and over again, to what I'd just seen.

The generally speechless dark side of my mind had no problem with it, which is why I said nothing and did nothing. Which is why races of shudders had attacked me already. That was wrong, but I couldn't stop it.

I couldn't help myself.

The unfortunate thing about being what I was, a girl of demonic descent, was that I had a thirst for human blood. Any blood, really. 'In Crystal Squares', you might ask, 'how did you quench this terrible, agonisingly painful thirst?'

I fed on the rats. Honestly. It was cold and not much fun, but it could calm me for the time being. Until I became too thirsty to function properly.

Fortunately though, it wasn't the only thing I thrived off of. I couldn't, even if I wanted to. I needed food and water, just like any other human being. And yet, I wasn't - nor would I ever be - even mortal. I wasn't even human.

Not completely, anyways.

Tightening my jaw, I held my breath, my senses lucklessly heightened. The sound of a quick drum, metallic scent, veins in my hands throbbing painful has I clasped them together, moving further away from the door.

I felt faint again, and grasped for the wall, sliding my back across the surface as I hid in the lit hallway from the dark. Where I was frightened of myself. The things I could do if provoked. Even I didn't know the extent of them.

At some point, I slid down the wall, pressing my palms into my face.

I cried. Soundlessly, obviously.

I wasn't having a very swell day so far.