I needed to be long gone by then. Kian was getting us out, and soon. I just had to get through this a little bit longer and ensure Cyrus didn’t take what he wanted before that. I should have asked Kian how long before the plans moved forward, but it had to be within the week, right? I wasn’t sure how much longer I could take this, not without cracking completely.
Chapter 20
OnceCyrus had left to walk Zerlina back to her rooms, acting as if she wasn’t a grown woman who could handle it herself, I stomped over to file the papers he indicated, cursing him all the while. I needed to investigate whatever these plans of Cyrus’s were before filing them away. Kian had said that whatever information I’d gathered would be valuable, and it felt like it finally gave purpose to all the intel I’d been collecting since I arrived in Dusk. I knew knowledge was power, and one of the ways the Fae kept humans powerless was by controlling everything we learned.
Shuffling through the papers, my breath caught in my throat. Intricate plans were detailed here for weapons and warfare, both for use against Night Kingdom, and any of the other kingdoms. The plans weren’t ready yet, but if they succeeded, they may be able to hold King Calix and his kingdom at bay. I wasn’t surehow to feel about this, not when Dusk Kingdom was just as bad as Night. Fae seemed to mostly be deplorable, though one or two good ones certainly existed, like Kian, but that was it. They were a greedy and cruel race overall.
I had been right; the iron and the blood magicwereconnected. Cyrus’s plan was to use blood magic to craft iron weapons for use against other Fae. There were both offensive and defensive uses for the iron, and it seemed like he’d already started, as it mentioned having enough to cover the entire border in iron to prevent any Fae soldiers from breaking in. Those plans were detailed alongside ones for weapons, with one plan in particular detailing projectiles that shot balls of iron at long and short range., but there were other iron weapons described, like nets, swords, daggers, and arrows.
There were other plans here too, ones for the blood magic outside of the iron. Cyrus wrote of boosting the magic of the shield protecting the borders, along with using the magic to supercharge his lightning. There were a lot of theories written down, though nothing was definitive. Cyrus had only just started working with the magic, and it thankfully appeared that he didn’t quite know what he was doing yet, which was a relief.
The thoughts of what he could do with this on a larger scale were terrifying. Not even considering how evil the use of this magic was, he could conquer the continent, and no one would even know what was happening. No—no, the gods required balance, and if he tried that, it would end very badly for him. Still, I didn’t like what this spelled for the future of Celesterra.
I quickly read through the rest of the file, fighting down nausea as I did. I knew I needed this information, and I soaked it up like a sponge. I didn’t know where this information would be going, who had the power to actuallydosomething. I closed my eyes for a moment, frustration at my own uselessness rising.Iwanted to do something. Not have some secretive third party handle it.I wanted to be able to strike Cyrus and his twisted family down. To save and free the humans in both literal and figurative chains. All throughout the continent and beyond if needed.
But I had no power, no strength, no magic. I didn’t shape shift or fly. I was nothing—a useless, weak human who went along with whatever she had to in order to survive. I tried to force down the rising rage, frustration, and helplessness, but they surged together into a strange spark, one that shimmered through my veins like a rush of ecstasy—like something inside me struggled to break free.
The Old Gods knew I was struggling to break free, why wouldn’t all of me want the same?
I stood back up, wiping any trace of emotion from my face and filing away the papers just in time, as Priscilla swept into the room with a new dress over her arm.
“Oh, Priscilla.” I sighed, smiled truly. “You have no idea how good it is to see you right now.”
“Oh?” Priscilla asked, her eyebrows rising before they furrowed, a worried crease forming across her forehead. “What’s going on?”
“There’s a lot happening, things I can’t tell you about yet.” I admitted, as I walked over to her, taking her hand and squeezing it. I wanted to give her what truth I could. “Not without putting us all in danger. I’ve already put one person at risk, I can’t do that to you too.”
“Asteria—” Priscilla’s worried tone had me interrupting her.
“I found a way, Pris.” I whispered, excitement creeping up in my voice. I couldn’t quite contain it, and Priscilla’s eyes widened as she realized what I meant.
“A way? You mean…a way…out?” Priscilla whispered back, haltingly. I smiled widely and nodded, and she squealed loudly before dropping the dress and throwing her arms around me.
We both laughed until tears came streaming down our cheeks, holding each other and swaying back and forth slightly. When we pulled back, we both laughed once more at the ridiculousness of our actions, but we had both needed the release. We’d been mistreated and suffocated under the rule of House Tynan, the mere idea of getting out from under them was—well,freeing.
We couldn’t seem to contain our grins or the occasional giggle as Priscilla got me ready. Considering what I was about to do, I needed the distraction. I had to believe that this was going to be one of the last times I was forced to do anything by Cyrus, one of the last times I would be forced to have my hair curled and done up the way he liked, one of the last times I’d be forced into a dress he chose and not me. Silly things to care about, in the grand scheme of things, but they were choices I wanted to be free to make for myself.
I had to keep my hope alive, it was all that was keeping me going, from falling into that pit of despair I fell into after Tavarius. Well—hope…andrage.
Priscilla helped me into a dress that reminded me a bit of the ones I used to wear in Sunrise, light and flowy like those dresses had been, but it was also nothing like them. This was considerably more expensive, more beautiful, more everything. It cut almost indecently low across my breasts in strips of fabric, leaving me bare above and below them, my waist exposed around the sides and back, with a beaded adornment in the middle connecting the bodice and skirt. The straps over my shoulders fell down behind me in two draping bolts that swished when I moved in a swirl of lavender-gray color.
“You look beautiful.” Priscilla smiled, admiring her work.
“I’m…exposed.” I snorted, my nose wrinkling as I looked at my cleavage nearly spilling out, the fabric barely covering my nipples. I had no problem wearing provocative clothing, but this felt more like Cyrus had specifically dressed me for therole he imagined me in—which felt much less empowering than choosing to dress that way for myself.
“Well…” Priscilla drew out the word, her mouth screwing up on one side. “That’s true, but you look amazing nonetheless!” Her bright smile and undefeated attitude had me barking out a short laugh.
“Thanks, Pris.” I smiled slightly, shaking my head.
“Just remember, all of this will be over soon, right?” Priscilla said, confidently at the start, but withering by the end. Her fear was written plainly on her face.
“Right.” I nodded, firming my lips into a hard line, not allowing any of my doubts slip through. Priscilla threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly, before making her way out and back to Princess Daneiris.
I walked into the solar after fiddling with my dress, trying to ensure all my important bits stayed covered. I stopped short at finding Princess Twyla waiting.
“Where’s my brother?” Princess Twyla demanded, but her tone was undercut a bit by the way she bit her lip.
“Princess Twyla.” I cleared my throat, curtsying. “Prince Cyrus went to—” I cut off as the door opened, and said prince entered.
