“Yes, yes,” Edris rolled his eyes. “I’m leaving; don’t worry.” With a grin, Edris waggled his fingers at me and vanished.
“Great, now we can talk,” Solaris said excitedly, grabbing both of my hands in hers, her grin spreading wide across her face.
Solaris led me around the water fountain, careful not to step on any of the plants or get in the way of the spouting water. We came to a small table set with plates of fresh cheese and meat. Little crackers lay in a row beside them, and my mouth watered. Guiding me to a chair, I sat slowly, watching Solaris pour us some tea in cups made from tinted glass.
“This is one of my favorite teas,” she sighed happily, placing the glass in front of me. “I made it from the petals from my garden. It’s a mix of lavender and rose, and I think it will help calm our nerves a little.”
Bringing the cup to my lips, I inhaled the floral scent before taking a sip. “It’s wonderful,” I smiled, letting the warm liquid soothe my anxiety.
“I think we should go ahead and get started. I assume Edris and Zarina already told you part of the story of the phoenix?”
I nodded, setting my cup down. “They did. They said they didn’t have the full story, but that she was forced into a bargain, and was able to break free from it.”
“That’s right! Though it did take some time. I had to wait until the right moment to act.”
I blinked, my mouth drying. “That story was about you?”
“It was,” she said, nodding. She turned toward her flowers, overcome by a deep, quiet sadness.
Thick silence surrounded us, and my words stuck in my throat. I looked down at my cup and ran a finger along its rim. “How did you know? That it was the right time, I mean.”
Solaris sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye, and turned back to me. “There are different ways; some are physical that you can see, and others you must feel. Do you mind if I look at your markings?”
Wincing, I swallowed, but forced my hands to move, pushing the sleeves up my arms. Ever since that terrible moment, I’d carefully kept the black bands hidden from view. Sickness churned in my stomach at the sight of them, and I wanted nothing more than to make them disappear. Shame coursed through me as I showed Solaris the marks, waiting for her lips to dip in disapproval.
However, she gently wrapped her delicate fingers around my wrists, turning them to study where the marks disconnected. Her face remained the same, not even showing an ounce of reproach or disgust. My throat tightened with emotion, and I finally looked down, my eyes widening in shock at what I found.
“The break is bigger,” I breathed, my chest beginning to rise and fall quickly.
“That is one of the physical changes that you can see as time goes on. Edris told me you were once human. Is that correct?”
“It is,” I said, pushing away thoughts of my past home. “I was born in Mide, but Ambrose brought me here after unbinding my magic. Ever since then, I’ve been…” My voice faltered, not knowing how much I could say. Only a few people knew what was happening to me, how I was becoming less human, but I wasn’t sure if Solaris could be part of that few.
“Becoming more seelie?” She finished for me, smiling at my uncertainty. “It’s okay, I know what you are. I’ve been helping Zarina find more information about the abnormalities in your blood. We know that being part of the royal family is making you less human, though we have yet to find information on the pulsing blood cells.”
Releasing a breath of relief, I relaxed at her touch, her fingers still moving along the markings.
Solaris smiled gently at me before continuing her questions. “I’m going to assume that you are more seelie than human now. Because of your growth in magic and strength, your abilities are likely stronger than Ambrose’s now. How has he been acting recently? Anything strange as of late?”
“Strange is an understatement,” I snorted, shaking my head. “He is hearing voices in his head and has been spiraling. He is killing anyone who speaks against him, even in front of witnesses. His servants are looking to escape from the palace because of it.”
Solaris brows pinched, her gaze finding mine. “Have you heard any voices?”
Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “I was visiting Queen Cassia to see if I could find out more about my fate when Ambrose showed up. I heard it for a moment, and it told me it wasn’t the right time yet.”
“You’re getting close then,” Solaris sighed, finally releasing my wrists to lean back in her chair. A sad look crossed her face, her eyes growing distant with memories. “I was young back thenwhen I met him, the male who I thought loved me. He would visit me every day, always bringing me gifts or making me laugh. We wanted to run away together at some point, but my parents told me to leave him.
“I told him what they said one night, and he walked away, leaving me alone in a field. I cried myself to sleep in the grass and flowers that night, and when I awoke, I returned to my home, finding my parents dead, murdered by the male I loved. He came from my room, holding on to my little brother, telling me to make a bargain with him or else he would kill the rest of my siblings. I was so distraught, I agreed without hesitation. Without even letting me say goodbye, the male took me away, locking me in his home. But the magic of the bargain backfired, and he slowly lost his mind. That’s when I started noticing the physical signs that the bargain was crumbling.”
“What did you do to break it fully?” I asked, my heart pounding hard against my chest at her story. To have someone play with your emotions in that way, to force something so cruel on someone, I knew that feeling all too well.
“It’s a little hard to explain, but I believe I can guide you through it. If you’d like, that is.”
“Anything to help me escape from him,” I nodded quickly. An immense hope bloomed in my chest, and I fought the burn behind my eyes.
Solaris sat up, straightening in her seat. “Were you taught how to sense your magic?”
“I have. Samian taught me on my first day here in Nemos.”
