A carriage awaited their arrival. Airess stopped for the first time since the explosion, doubt finally overcoming her. It seemed as if her common sense had returned.
“Esper, what is this?”
“Get in the carriage,” Esper snapped. “I’ll explain everything inside.”
Airess walked forward immediately, stepping up into the wooden carriage. Esper followed and shut the door behind them. Her body jolted backwards as the carriage began to ride away at great speed. Airess’ face contorted in confusion as she looked at her legs. What had she done, leaving the castle like this?
“What—what is this?” Airess began, sitting up slightly. Her head throbbed. She felt the blood begin to harden and cake onto her scalp.
Esper’s expression was unreadable as she pulled out a folded dress and placed it on Airess’ lap.
“What I’m about to tell you will change the trajectory of your entire life, so listen carefully. We don’t have much time,” Esper said as she placed a pair of brown leather boots at Airess’ side.
“My name is Renesper Crawn, High Priestess of House Moros. I belong to an organization whose sole purpose is to preserve the state of the world. That organization is called The Obadiah, and it is one that your mother once belonged to, on the other half of the world.”
Airess sat up, her body stilling at the mention of her mother on her seamstress's lips. House Moros? That didn’t add up. From what she recalled from her studies, House Moros servedInntin, the Mind God, and had been extinct for hundreds of years. The family didn’t—shouldn’texist anymore.
“Our cause, the entire purpose of The Obadiah, is to preserve the natural state of the world and the lives of the Prophesied Ones. Your mother served her life to our cause, fled her homeland, and relocated to Luciena. She believed it was the best course of action to take in preserving your life. At the time, I agreed it was the wisest move.” A wave of grief shadowed Esper’s face.
“But we cannot always foresee what lies ahead, and terrible mistakes have been made. I broke away from The Obadiah to search for you.”
Airess couldn’t believe her words. It sounded like heretic talk, the way she was speaking. Airess shook her head. “Even if this was true, what do you meanthe other half of the world? This earth consists of only two continents. All land has been discovered. And my mother wasnoPriestess.”
Esper shook her head. “Did your mother ever speak to you about The Tevye Legends?”
Airess recognized the words instantly. Hearing them again opened a floodgate of buried memories from her childhood. She remembered her mother telling her nightly bedtime stories, a collection of fairy tales about a faraway land that was locked in time.
“Yes. My mother used them to tell me bedtime stories as a child.”
“They are no stories, child. Have you ever wondered why she told you to keep your abilities a secret, why you are the only Elve that has The Sight?”
Airess shook her head, speechless. She wanted to deny the words Esper was saying, she didn’t want to believe that any of this could be true. But when she blinked her Sight forward, and saw Esper’s aura shine bright in truth, she could only come to two conclusions—either Esper was crazy enough to think she was right, or everything she said was the truth.
A knock rapped from the horseman outside the carriage. “About five more minutes until we arrive!”
Distracted by Esper’s explanation, Airess realized they were no longer near the castle as she peered outside the window, the carriage riding steadily through the woods. Her heart thrummed in her chest as panic set in.
“Arrive—arrive where? Oh, Gods, the Luciens are going to be furious.”
Esper placed a hand on her own, kindness and understanding laced in her eyes. “Don’t worry about the Luciens. We have orchestrated this escape perfectly. You’ll be long gone and far too difficult to trail by the time they realize your absence.”
Airess' heart pounded in her chest at the wordescape. She shook her head furiously. Although she had every intention of leaving during the ball, she had never planned to survive the attempt. She never planned on dealing with the repercussions.
“No. I can’t leave. Arzhel will kill me for this.”
“You can, and you will. You don’tbelonghere.”
A silence passed, Airess staring down at the cotton dress in her lap. For once, she felt relief. Airess hadn’t ever pictured her life beyond being the queen she was always groomed to be. She looked up at the stars through the carriage window.
Had the Gods really answered her prayers?
“Where will I go?” Airess whispered as she gazed out the carriage window, finally beginning to accept what was happening to her.
“To Rune,” Esper smiled. “It’s time you meet your people and unite with The Obadiah. You will be free there. We can train you, sharpen your powers to be the weapon you were always meant to be. Every minute detail has been planned for this escape. You’ll stay with a friend of mine at her Inn for the night. In the morning, you will be transported south.
“The Innkeeper will have everything ready for your departure. You’ll have to lay low and stay out of the public during the day. Here. I’ll help you out of this horrid dress,” Esper explained as she handed her a dark maroon cloak.
Airess turned around so Esper could unlace the corset. She hurriedly changed out of her dress and into her new one—a much different article of clothing than she had ever worn. It was made of a soft cotton material, plain, the color of cream. The dress was simple, something she had seen commoners wear.
