Page 26 of Once Written in Gilded Blood

The gold piece is in my pocket, tempting me with the unknown. I smooth my thumb over it and consider whether or not it’s worth watching. It can’t be that important…or the goddess would’ve just shown me, right?

The gods are playing tricks, I remind myself and take a centering breath. It’s no secret that the gods love their games. Why does such cruelty entertain them?

The laurel is heavy in my pocket, weighed down by my thoughts.

What if it shows me what everyone’s been hiding? I clear my mind when I hear Nikolai returning with the water and gratefully take a glass when he offers it.

“The flower I sewed on looks fine,” Nikolai says. Clearly he was brooding about it on his way to the kitchen, but he has a big grin pulling at his lips now. “You look lovely, Alira.”

I try to put on a convincing smile. I’m excited for the festival, but it’s hard to have fun and celebrate when I’m worrying about what King Achill will do about the gates being open. I wanted to ask Nik, but it’s not my place, and everyone’s already on edge.

“Thank you, Nik,” I say as I try to appreciate the beauty of the dress without worrying about what Kalel will have to say once I see him tonight.

Nina finishes with the final flower and rises, giving me a firm nod of approval. I laugh at her because she looks like she’d rather be doing anything other than attending the festival. She worries too much about keeping everything in order in the palace. I’m also pretty sure she’s intimate with our stable boy, Ustel. I wonder if they will be dancing tonight too. The thought makes me smile.

“So what should I expect for the festival?” I ask as I move from side to side, taking in how beautiful the dress turned out.

Nikolai’s face lights up. He has that boyish glint in his eyes, as if he’ll never grow up. I hope he never loses it; it suits him too well. “Don’t tell me Alzhor doesn’t celebrate the solstices.” He sounds baffled and only gets a more astonished look when I shake my head and lift my shoulders.

He looks at Nina, and she gives me the same shocked expression.

“What is the solstice?” I pry, heat spreading across my cheeks with both of them staring at me like they think I’m joking.

“It’s only the darkest day of the year. When Apollo’s power is weakest and Pluto’s is at its most powerful,” he explains.

My eyes widen. Pluto’s divinity is enhanced during the solstice? Was that why the gates opened last night? Could the two events be linked? My pulse quickens, and a shudder creeps along my spine.

“And you celebrate it, why?” My voice is shaky.

Nina quirks a brow at me; she must notice the shift in my mood. She offers me her handkerchief, and I awkwardly dab the sweat from my forehead and thank her.

Nina answers this time. “It’s just customary here. To celebrate the gods, I guess you could say.”

There are no coincidences. Fate is sly and wise, patient, like a trap waiting for someone to stumble upon it. The Gates of Mortem being open at the same time as the festival is too timely.

Nikolai must be thinking the same thing, or perhaps he’s reading my mind, but either way, he seems to connect the two events the way I have. His face pales, and he gulps down a few sips of water.

Nina joins us on the walk down to the main square. She’s meeting someone, and I think I know exactly who it is. I keep an eye out for Ustel but don’t see him when we pass the stables. He’s probably already waiting for her at the festival. Knowing how nervous he gets, he likely wanted to be there early.

Nina and Nikolai are jabbering about the food stands that will be there and which ones are the best. I nod as if I’m listening. My focus is drawn to King Achill’s daunting castle at the center of the kingdom, wondering if Kalel is still there or if he is waiting at the festival for me like Ustel is for Nina.

How I long to be like them. A maid and a stable boy, a simple life with joys richer than most get to have. I smile at the future I envision for them.

It’s not until we reach the cobblestones leading down to the fields and I’m thinking about the gates and solstice again that the realization hits me.

The Krinsle.

If anyone would know if there’s a correlation between the Gates of Mortem and the solstice, it would be him.

Chapter 10

Alira

Where would the Krinsle be in the hours leading up to the festival? He’s an old demon with odd gifts from Mortem. I can’t forget the way my skin prickled when he spoke at the cathedral as he married Kalel and me. His gift is unknown to me, but I lean toward believing he has some sort of foresight. All I have to base that on are the Krinsle’s ominous riddles though; it’s more of a feeling.

I think about it as the three of us finally come into view of the festival’s full display. The path we took is on elevated ground, so I can see all the colorful tops of the tents below. Bright banners of reds and blues, string lights casting a warm glow, and music and flags of all shapes and sizes come together in perfect chaos. Mingling demons dressed in extravagant dresses and suits. Even the knights on duty wear their best armor and cloaks.

I was worried I was dressed too formally, but I fit right in with the crowd.