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Imade my way to an alley in between bars. The stench of it was musty, dampening my clothes. I had waited for the perfect moment when the moon rose completely and had slightly begun to sink. It was early enough that no one was awake, but late enough that all the drunks had straggled their way home.
Making my way across the dark part of town, I grabbed the dagger hidden in its sheath and brought it to my hand, making it more accessible to pull it out at any given moment. I continued to look from side to side, assessing my surroundings.
My hands started to shake as I held the piece of parchment in my other hand, reading it over and over again. Anticipation grew heavier and heavier in my stomach, masking the ache that always sat there. I never would have considered utilizing old magic before because of the consequences that came with it. But I would do anything to see Sebastia’s sea-blue eyes again andfeel her in my arms one more time. The risk of my own life was nothing compared to being able to have her back.
Becoming a killer already shot my morals down, but utilizing magic from the Old Religion was a further step.
When I was with Sebastia, I was a blacksmith, and I was going up in life. The need to prove my parents wrong exhausted me, but I was capable of providing. We were going to have a family together or grow old together. But it was all taken away. After that moment, I knew I could never fall in love again. The pain was too intense, even stronger than killing.
Unsure if Sebastia would want me to talk to the sorcerer and if she would even want to come back, I thought about that night–about the fire, everywhere. I could still hear her screams piercing my ears and feel the weight of holding her limp body in my arms.
I wanted her back. No. I needed her back. Ever since she had been gone, I was ashamed of the person I had become.
The thought of her made me grip the paper tighter. I had to do it. I needed her: the way she would come up and wrap her arms around me after a long day at my apprenticeship, that blue dress, her smile…
The thoughts quickly took me to desire, excitement, and need. I had to do this. I needed her.
Opening the parchment, I glanced at what it beheld. The ink bled delicately across the paper. I gulped hard before saying aloud, “Tybalt Abaris Claudion.”
Chapter eight
AURELIA
From what I could see beyond the masked purple flowy veil, I caught glimpses of the outside world, watching the Celestials glow above me. It separated me from the Forbidden Forest and the large structural castle I was supposed to live in, like any other princess would.
It was the same sky that I had seen a million times over. Boredom took over me, as I longed for something new and exciting. The Forbidden Forest, standing brilliantly tall, calling my name, lined outside my tower. The forest had trees that would reach higher than the simple hedges in the garden, magical and majestic, towering up toward the sky. A sickening blackness that only aroused curiosity.
The magic tethered to the forest called my name, pleading for me to draw near. An electric hum rattled in the air that I knew was tied to the forest itself. It tasted like desire and freedom, which I so badly craved.
Glancing to the left, I surveyed the gardens and the castle that so patiently sat there. The top spires held windows with stained glass with various colors across them, making me wonder who stayed in those rooms. And my father knew them better than me. I knew the enchantment wouldn’t allow them to see me, but often, I wondered if they saw past the blur and if they had a curiosity about me as much as I did them.
My elbows ached from resting them on the railing surrounding the only window in my tower. It had only one room with a small washroom and stairs. I got lonely often, but I just turned to my books. The only education I received was from my grandmother and the books I read. Many talked about the Forbidden Forest, old traditions, and magic from the Old Religion that was now banned from all surrounding kingdoms.
With a groan, I turned toward my bed, flopping face first. Lifting my face, I covered my messy pink hair, and grabbed the book I had started last night on the nightstand next to my bed. I had read it many times and was halfway through it yet again.
All I did today was read and go to the castle for dinner. No one spoke to me, which was understandable. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, either.
My hand felt the soft fabric that caressed my fingers before my eyes caught up. The book had a red velvet covering delicately wrapped around it. The golden words flickered in the moonlight that shone into my room through the cutout window. “Hunted and Killed” were traced along the front in spectacular cursive, the words etched in and ran deep into the book's fabric.
Scalebornes have a 10% chance of living. Most kingdoms will put bounties on Scalebornes and have a competition to see who could find and kill them first, obtaining their golden blood from their death. There have been cities in the South that have worked together to find them and split the earnings of the kill.In Sicik, they created teams, hunted a local Scaleborne, and split the gold once killed.
I knew my chance of living. Ten percent echoed again through my head. The only reason I was alive was because of this stupid tower. But I didn’t want that anymore. I wanted to explore the Forbidden Forest. I wanted to be heir to the kingdom that was supposed to be mine.
Looking down at the page, I saw a hand-drawn shield in the corner. I had seen it before, but never paid any attention to it. Getting up, I walked closer to a light flickering in a sconce near my bed to see it better. The shield was diamond-shaped, and the middle split into four different sections. The first section had flames flickering up, the second next to it had a swirl resembling wind or some sort of air, the third section a mountain peak, and the fourth a wave. The diamond shape was outlined in a layer of gems and thick, dark ink. Wrapped around the drawing, the words said,“Fire, Air, Earth, and Water.”with the word“Scalebound”scribbled at the top.
Thinking about the word ‘Scalebound’, I had never seen or noticed it before.
I glanced over the stairs as I heard footsteps coming up. Who was it? I wasn’t expecting anyone. “Hello?” I muttered through my nervous lips.
The scratchy, familiar voice that had been a part of my upbringing, reading me stories each night, said, “My dear!”
Sighing, I realized it was Nana.
“Hello, grandmother,” I sighed, relieved it wasn’t anyone else. “You're here late,” I exclaimed. Usually, we had our lessons during the mornings, but she wasn’t feeling well today and had called them off.
“I had to make sure you were okay,” her voice crackled. She was getting older, moving slower. I knew that, but I didn’t want to accept it. She was one of my only friends in the world. Oneof the few people that understood me. Even though I sometimes hated her for what she did to obey my father. She knew that I had been getting more and more restless. I had been up in this tower for twenty years, with my grandmother raising me.
“I am not sure how much longer I can take being up here,” I stated grimly as I walked over to the window, resting my chin on the base. “This literally will be my death sentence,” I said with a puff of air out of my mouth, swirling a small amount of dust found along the grout near the window.
