Page 28 of Once Written in Gilded Blood

Now I have two things that I shouldn’t. The herb that will break the oath bond and the golden laurel that will show me terrible things from the past. A small prickle of anxiety moves up my neck. Hopefully, no one will be able to identify either if they catch me.

I’m halfway across the field getting back to the others before I bump into someone. Strange, I didn’t see anyone standing there. I stop and focus on the dark figure I ran into. It’s someone wearing a dark cloak. My eyes follow the form higher and higher until I recognize this abnormally tall creature.

“Krinsle?” I say in a hushed voice.

The hood is pulled down over the demon’s head, but it’s without a doubt the Krinsle. He stares down at me, and chills crawl up my spine just as they had when I met him the first time.

“Alira. I’ve been waiting for you,” he says. The Krinsle’s voice is loud but has a whisper-like quality. It’s incredibly calming to listen to. Well, it would be if we were speaking under different circumstances.

“Waiting for me?” I repeat.

He nods. “You have concerns.”

My skin is clammy, and I’m not sure I want to know how he knows I was searching for him. The Krinsle is a frightening creature. Some think him to be a Fate with all his foresight. Myself included.

“The Gates of Mortem are open,” I blurt out. No one is near us, but I still look around to make sure. The last thing we need is widespread panic.

The Krinsle is quiet for a beat and then nods. “I am aware. And it is the winter solstice, when Pluto’s magic is at its greatest.”

My heart hammers in my chest. “What does this mean?” All sound seems to fade into the back of my mind except for the smooth and chilling voice of the Krinsle.

“Nothing good can come from the gods playing with reality. Making the world twist and bend in ways it should not. Tempting fate with tricks and poisons.” His riddle sounds more like an omen. I hold my breath as he finishes. “But Alira, you are watched closer than the rest. The gods speak to you, and you will soon know what the past and present are guiding you toward.”

He knows that the gods speak to me? I take a nervous breath, not letting my gaze move from the Krinsle’s. Nikolai told me that if any demons knew I had been speaking with the gods, that I’d be dead, but the Krinsle is calm. His energy peaceful.

I swallow thickly and take him in. He has no reaction to it, as if he’s indifferent to what awaits us all. Has he known since the first time we met in the cathedral on my wedding night that the gods speak to me?

“So I should finish the vision, then?” I whisper, keeping my eyes lowered to where the laurel is in my pocket.

The Krinsle doesn’t answer directly. “The vision will come to reap what it claims, no matter what, little god. The choice to know and to act on which path you will take is something only you can choose to do.”

How will I know? A sense of loss flows through me.

“Thank you… I hope you enjoy the festival.” I slowly bow with gratitude.

I’m not feeling so good now, so I leave him with that. He bows slightly in return.

“Be careful, little god, and trust your heart when all seems lost.”

Chapter 11

Alira

I down a cup of water from a hydration tent with a row of cups already filled for people to grab before returning to Nikolai. Nina and Ustel have already headed to the dance area. I catch a glimpse of her rich brown hair and the sage dress she’s wearing. Ustel is dressed impeccably too. His smile is brightest when he’s with her.

“They ditch you?” I tease Nikolai, trying to pick up my mood a little.

“Nah, they were too infatuated with one another to ditch anyone. It’s like the moment Ustel came up, Nina couldn’t see anyone else around her.” Nikolai laughs and glances over my shoulder, his eyes widening before flicking back down to me.

I quirk a brow and look over my shoulder to find Kalel walking steadily toward us. His eyes light up when he spots me. “There you are, little godling.” He offers his hand and I take it, putting on a good farce of “everything is fine” so I don’t ruin the festival for everyone else. Inside, my mind is racing with the herbs in my pocket and what the solstice might bring this evening.

It’s hard to act normal when the Gates of Mortem were open last night. The civilians deserve to know if there’s danger… I can’t shake the dread from my shoulders.

Kalel is dressed in his black military underjacket with gold accents along the seams. Gilded gauntlets cover his hands and extend to his elbows; they match the luminous laurel around his head.

He’s easily the most handsome man here. His pointed ears are adorned with the four golden cuff earrings he usually has in them, and his features look incredibly sharp tonight. It must be the fairy lights, I muse, offering him a warm smile.

Guilt tugs at my conscience. I hope Kalel doesn’t feel it when I break the sacred oath. I have no idea if it’s something the benefactor of the oath can sense. What will he do if he does? Will he know that it’s my doing? Or assume that it’s timed out? It’s enough to make me sick with worry.