Chapter 10

The meeting room we land in contains the council of mines and Draven Atkinsons.

As we appear people quietly look Aaliyah over in disgust. Sabrina is the first to speak, her words no more than a snear, "what is she doing here?"

I go to speak, but before I can, Aaliyah untwines our fingers, prowling towards the council member with determined steps,. She grabs the woman's fingers before anyone can react, pulling the back with a snapping force.

The breaking of bones echos through the room, "that's commander Keita to you."

She steps back, the picture of calm as Sabrina clutches her fingers, tears brimming in her eyes, but as a true Varsillian, she does not let them fall.

Sabrina stands up, her voice sounding deadly, "I'll kill you."

I wave my hand at her, "no need to be so dramatic, Brina."

She's wild and over exaggerating each gesture, "dramatic, I'll show you and every one of your toys dramatic."

I let out a sigh. Sabrina disappears. Literally.

I don't need to look at Aaliyah to know it was her.

I clasp my hands together, "now that that's over with, we can proceed. Aaliyah here is the current HighStone representative. She sits in on these meetings and is invited to the Infernal meeting as well."

They all look at me with hatred burning in their eyes. I've just let a blood mage into the same room as them and it makes them uneasy as Hell.

It's not just that, Aaliyah is strong and nit afraid of them. They aren't used to people like her.

Draven gives me a look, telling me he thinks I've lost my wits, "is she really necessary?"

I shoot him a menacing look, "are you necessary?" This shuts him up. I see immediately in his eyes that nothing happening here is a surprise to him.

I see that's it's all a mask, because I see that he... admires her, I realize with shock.

I see that he's just going through the motions, just like I am. I see myself for a split second as him eyes dull for just a quick second, I see myself reflecting back at me.

A shell, trying to pretend he's anything but. I know because I do the same damn thing. It scares me that if I hadn't been looking had him in the eyes, if I had blinked, I may have not seen.

I gulp, pushing all thoughts of him down. I'll think about him later.

Another councilman pipes in, "the camps are in my houses territory.."

I cut him off, "HighStone is neutral since the Coalition was abolished."

His reply is quick and sharply worded, "that's shit. Those camps belong to the Nights. The commander himself is a Night. They always have, they always will."

"Despite your words, Kol, my darling, I made those lands property if Moonstone and therefore me. My word is law. Next time we meet I want you to remember that," I shrug, "but until then-" I cut off again, staring them all down, "commander Keita needs to be settled in. Good day."

A few mourners of "good day" echo through the room as I push the halls doors open, Aaliyah following just behind me, hit on my heels.

When we are far enough away from that room, she starts to speak to me, "are they always so useless?"

I hum a yes in answer, my eyes trailing the walls, each segment of marble holding a memory of some sort. Some of bloodshed, some of love, some of fear.

"What's in this for you? I see no reason fir you to be involved with these incompetents."

My face remains blank fir the most part, a sad smile creeping up my face, "it's not so simple."

She stares at me, eyeing me up, taking me in, "I can follow, tell me."

Her voice isn't commanding, per say, but it does demand attention and an answer. I look at her Caramel skin, it's such a rich, beautiful, brown.

My voice is soft, so soft it's unlike me, but ever since I left the cell, keeping a mask of perfection has seemed so pointless, "I want peace because I know when I die, there will be none."

She sighs, "what do you actually get? Not just peace. You wouldn't do all this for some semblance of peace."

It's my turn to sigh as we stop at a portrait of Arsetti Aculiac. I turn to it, letting the memory surround my senses. The smells, the colors come flooding back, "Arsetti pretty much raised me. She used to tell me stories before bed and she would spoil me rotten. And this was her home. This is her legacy," I turn around, pointing to a picture of Irene, "Irene, too. And Gavrin and Lyra Wright. This place is drenched in history and if let it burn, let these people burn, their memory will be gone."

She smiles softly at this, "your not telling me the whole truth," she twists her wrist, "a perk of being a blood mage, but that's fine. You just met me. One day I want who you are, Evelyn Aculiac."

I smile because I always fall back on smiles, "some day."

She looks around the room and when her attention comes back to me she looks me in the eyes, her coal red tinted brown ones clashing with my violet ones, "I was your mothers friend before Aries was in the picture. She had asked me to tell you she loved you, in the event of her death, because she never could."

I smile again, "my mother was a coward. Her love doesn't matter, even if she did love me, which I doubt. And Aries ruins everything he touches, I'm not surprised my mother was no different."

Aaliyah shakes her head, an expression on her face that says I know something you don't.

I say nothing more, having already talked to much. I lead her through a series of halls, up a few stairwells and around a few more corners.

Everything is far to white, to pure. Blood was shed here, why is it so clean.

I clench my hands, pasting the perfect mask into myself. I open on of the doors, "this is you. Anything you need, just ask. Runed stones are on the bedside."

She heads into the room, looking around, "I'll take that into account. Good day Evelyn. I hope you find fortune in the latter hours."

"Good day," I promptly March off, a blaze of a hollow anger trailing each step.

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