ARIELLE

Men, women, and children filed out of the ballroom in their dresses and suits which, no doubt, hid weapons and gear underneath. They had already bowed before the Crowns and said their goodbyes before leaving the room. There was no mention of Aunt Erilia. There wasn't supposed to be one. Funeral receptions were done to show that the loss of a loved one wouldn't slow us down and that we will continue forward in their memory.

The wealthiest Streeters in the nation were too, milling about in groups and speaking to Assassins with ease. It would've been difficult to figure out who were Streeters if not for the white wrist bands they were required to wear while in the streets of Cressida. The wrist bands were now ornated with embroidery and jewels for the occasion.

Standing near the doors, I smiled and nodded as Assassins nodded a respectful goodbye while they left. I had no idea where Xavier, Damien, or Phoenix was and was left to do the task all alone. My mind wandered until I started paying close attention to the music still playing overhead.

They stopped playing Aunt Erilia's old recordings sometime through the night to signify the continuation of life, but I could still hear it as if it was playing now and Xavier was right by my side, still humming as we spun around the floor.

It was surprising at first and it took me several moments to quite believe it was him. I didn't hear him sing in years. And, though it was off and his voice was rough and swallowed, it reminded me of when we were younger.

I would pass by the hall of the Kingstons and could always hear the music in the distance, be it Aunt Erilia's voice, a violin, or a piano. But Xavier's voice always stood out. It was loud and echoing, drifting through the halls and filling your ears with the sweet sound. It was angelic.

And I, who always loved to dance but quickly lost the habit after Phoenix left, used to climb up the arches and inch as close to his room as I dared. I used to stand on any foothold I could find, balance on ledges that were only inches wide, and moved to the beat, the rhythm, and the sound of his voice. I swung my arms and legs as I twirled on a stage high above anyone, out of sight but yet right there, feeling the music and soaring through the air as I jumped across columns.

I learned the art of moving without producing a sound when I was up there—I didn't want to get caught and be forced down. But, even though my performance was always done in pure silence, it spoke volumes.

And then Xavier's voice was gone. I can't remember exactly how old we were, but I could remember the way it slowly started to slip away, one day at a time. He started to struggle, sounding strained as he gave his all to produce a sound similar to his previous talent that was no longer there. I couldn't feel the music anymore. The magic slipped away, little by little.

And then there were the weeks Xavier was in the infirmary. First came the leading doctors in the nation. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Then came the experts from all around the world—Variatus, Nefaria, Zion, even the Southern Republic—but they all said the same thing.

"A rare disease," they said. "No way to treat him."

So, Xavier's voice faded. In the weeks after he left the infirmary, he could barely speak. He would whisper only a few sentences when absolutely required, and even then he would wince. Slowly, almost as if from pure determination and stubbornness, he managed to speak louder and clearer, though it was rough, like an elderly who had worn out their vocal cords over the years.

But he knew what to do. He always knew. Xavier never forgot how much of a wretched world this was. He knew how the Assassins treated their disabled members and he now fell into that list. He would have to live in fear, watching the vultures swoop overhead, wondering when they would dive down and tear him apart.

So he flipped the situation in his favor. He learned to wring fear without his words. He watched instead, observing every move a person made, understanding the patterns of the world, and piecing together the little stories people shared until he had a clear image of who they were. And then he showed them how much he knew of their lives—their hopes, their aspirations, their most villainous acts, their darkest secrets.

No rumors ever spread of his vocal disease. No one would dare after they saw the look in his eyes and learned of the knowledge he carried. His words were frightening, but his silence even more so.

In a world where he was meant to fear, he became the one to be feared.

"Always scaring everyone away with a creepy robotic smile. You're perfect to claim the crown."

I resisted the urge to jump when I heard Phoenix's voice behind me. I turned, looking her over. Her dyed red hair was tied back in a braid with stray strands drifting down the side of her face. Her dress was all black and extended to the floor. Dark red, almost black, heels peeked out under the ruffles of the dress.

"Where have you been?" I hissed.

She shrugged. "I'm a thief. Where do you think?"

I looked around the ballroom, scanning the center of the thickest crowds. "I told Father that you were a first-generation assassin from school and that I would keep an eye on you. You can't just run off like that."

"I can and I will because I don't give two shits about what he thinks. Besides he isn't even here. He won't notice."

She was right. He was gone with no explanation as to why.

"And where are the boys?" Phoenix asked.

"Gone on a mission."

Phoenix nodded, though she didn't seem too interested in the answer.

"And," I added, "You can joke all you want about claiming the crown, but you know I'm right. I'm not fit for the crown. You are."

Phoenix scoffed. "No one's fit for that crown."

"No," I agreed. "But out of the two of us, you're the best shot."

Phoenix hesitated and I pressed on. "I know you want it. I can see it in your eyes. You forgot what this world was like, but now it's back and right at your fingertips. You just have to take it."

Phoenix sighed before whispering. "I do miss it. I do miss the power, but I'm not going to get it back. I ran, Arielle, and that will always hang over my head like a curse. The Court will always be looking for ways to undermine me. Claiming the Unassailable Crown will never give me that kind of power. Not anymore."

"So what? You're just going to give it up? You won't even try?"

Phoenix stepped back and her typical flippant appearance returned. "I'm a thief. I steal any power I want and I will continue to do so. I don't need it given to me by a shiny hunk of metal. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to that task."

She gave a mocking bow and spun on her heel, heading towards a crowd of wealthy Streeters when an alarm pierced through the room. Red lights flashed above. She turned and we shared eye contact before I ran for the door to find Alistair, Phoenix on my heels. Sure enough, he was waiting for me.

"What happened?" I asked.

Alistair, who pocketed his Tab and glanced over my shoulder at Phoenix, responded, "There was a breach in the cells. Someone's missing."

I removed the shoulder straps of my dress and tore it off to reveal the fighting gear underneath. Phoenix only pulled out a gun which she strapped to her thigh under her dress.

"Who?" she asked as we ran through the hall and down a flight of stairs to the prison cells.

Alistair hesitated. "Eveleen Fluor."

I almost tripped over a step. "What?"

Indigo's mother. If she escaped and told everyone the truth, neither Phoenix nor I would get the Crown. The Court would be furious and the Streeters would riot. There would be a civil war, and while we've dealt with those in the past, I wasn't sure if we could win with the Ravens looming over us.

We pushed through a door and entered the prison lobby as Alistair shouted orders to other guards to lock down the city. The lobby was filled with guards running back and forth. Edsel stood in the center of the chaos, ordering the guards to check every inch of the prison sector.

I didn't speak to him as I pushed past them and entered the cells, running down to where Eveleen Fluor's cell was to find any clues. It wasn't hard to identify the cell—numerous guards were crowded around it. They moved to the sides to let me through and fell silent. No one questioned why Phoenix was with me.

I looked at the cell with its metal bed in the shadowy recesses of its interior and the door with metal bars and three locks swung wide open.

Swallowing my anger to the best of my ability, I asked, "What happened?"

"We're not sure. It was open when we led the Crown Fortier to the cell."

They led him to her cell.

Of course he visits her.

"How did she escape?"

"There doesn't appear to be any external tampering, but the locks look to be picked. Someone on the outside opened the door."

So our enemies knew exactly where to find her and how to get her out. For all we know, she could be telling them everything right at this moment. Or worse, they already knew and were using her as evidence to the public if they couldn't get their hands on Indigo Fluor. We should've killed them both when we had the chance. Now, both were missing.

We needed to find Eveleen Fluor and fast. Or the Crowns themselves would collapse.

Seven days before Shadow and Bone releases! I might not even be able to watch it right away but I'm already feeling so excited and my brain is like mush right now.

That being said, if you guys are interested and want to know more about the world and the show, Netflix made a "Building the World" video which explains the plots and fantasy worlds of the two books and how they're going to converge. Go check it out!

Link in comments!

That's it. No other thoughts. As I said my brain is mush except for the parts screaming random references to the books and upcoming show.

~Sreenija Paruchuri, The Queen of Psychos