Veiled Innocence (Book One, The Soul Cycle) (19 page)

“What’s wrong with you?” Ursa whispered, her voice warbling on the last word.

The imposter stopped beside her and leaned forward so
its
lips were right next to Ursa’s ear. “Nothing’
s
wrong with me. You’re the one who’s about to have a problem. I can’t imagine what Grehn will think once rumors start to spread of the knight’s whore…
”

A very audible
gasp slipped from Ursa’s lips.

The imposter’s lips brushed Ursa’s ear.

“Stay away from Gabriel.”

Ursa’s eyes went wide as it straightened;
its
face
was
cold as stone
,
as if nothing had happened. “
Finish lacing me up and then send for Drenna. Let her know she is to take your place from now on.”

All of the passionate regret drained from Ursa’s face as she slinked toward the door. “You don’t mean it.”

“Oh, believe
me,
I do.”

Ursa’s mouth gaped open as she struggled for the right words. Something in her broke
,
and her shoulders sagged as her head bowed. “But you’re my best friend,” she whispered.

Lian
fought to keep back angry tears.
“Why are you doing this?”

“Because y
ou don’t need her
,
”
purred the dark voice.
“You’ll see. All family and friends are good for is betraying you.
”

The imposter pinned Ursa with a steely, inhuman stare. “Not anymore.”

Ursa
stood there, speechless. Then she
bit her lip, nodded her head once,
and
let herself out of the room, closi
ng the door quietly behind her.

A single tear rolled down her soul’s cheek as she watched her friend
leave
, broken and bet
rayed
.
“I’m going to kill you. I swear it.”

The dark voice chuckled.
“You can’t kill that which is already dead.”

A chill ran over her. Before she could ask, the sensation of falling overwhelmed her
,
and she was
released
back into her body with a loud gasp. Her shoulder slammed into
the
wall as she staggered, breathing hard and blinking rapidly in an effort to make the room stop spinning.

A wretched sob ran up her throat, and she collapsed into a trembling heap on the floor, panting hard. She clutched at her head, fisting balls of hair in her hands.

“Is it real
? Is it me
?”
she whispered, terrified.
Her eyes burned,
and she squeezed them
shut so tightly white spots fired behind her eyelids.

The light grew, turning bright white, and she felt her fear and agony drain
ing out of her as the tremors rocking her bones subsided into small trickles of motion. Her breathing slowed, and a blanket of serenity calmed her heart and mind until she felt more in control of herself again.

Letting out a deep breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding, she exhaled slowly and opened her eyes. Beneath her line of vision, the crystal glimmered with dying embers of pure, white light.

Awes
truck, she fingered the crystal, and
her vision blurred as a heavy wave of exhaustion crashed into her, so strong it threatened to pull her under. Biting her lip, she regained control and forced her eyes to stay open, examining the stone.

What happened?

A timid knock sounded at the door.

It took her a moment to remember what had happened, and when she did, it slammed into her with the force of an army.
“Ursa,”
she
rasped.
Standing, s
he tripped over to the door and threw it open, startling Drenna.

“I – I was told you would be expecting me from now on,” Drenna said, flushing.

Lian searched the hall behind her,
lookin
g
for a head of mousy hair
but finding only shadows and flickering torches. Her lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line.

Damn you
, she thought.
I won’t let you tear my life apart, whoever or whatever you are. Mark my words, I will find a way to end this.

For a moment, she hesitated. Part of her wanted to heed Ursa’s advice and skip the ball. But if she did, suspicion would surely be aroused, and more attention was the last thing she needed.

With great reluctance, she gave Drenna a weary, half-hearted smile.

“Please come in,” she said, sounding
quite tired
. She opened the door wider
,
and Drenna stepped inside, closing it behind her.
It was easier than she expected to focus on the seemingly trivial task of choosing a gown, as it allowed her to forget all that had transpired, even if it were only for a little while.
The earlier tension remained on the air, and Drenna was blessedly
quiet
,
except
for
when asking Lian how she wan
ted her hair arranged. A half hour later
,
she too
excused herself, leaving Lian all alone in the shadows of her shattered feelings.

Her eyes drooped, and she swayed, wanting nothing more than to fall atop her be
d
and sleep. Whatever the parasite had done had left her feeling drained and violated.
She clutched at the teardrop
necklace
, which was black as night,
as she tried
to catch her breath.
Oh, Ursa.
What have I done?

She shook her head.
No, that was not you. You
weren’t
responsible for
that creature’s actions.

Terror gripped her chest. What if that thing
was
her
?

With a growl, she yanked the necklace over her head and shoved it into her vanity drawer. “
None of this happened until you came into my life,” she hissed, burying it beneath several blouses. “To hell with you. Go back to whatever wretched owner you came from
,
and leave me alone
!”

Slamming the drawer shut, s
he leaned against the chest, took a deep breath, and closed
her eyes.

When she looked up at her reflection in the mirror
ed
walls of her bedroom, she thought it was smiling, with bottomless, black eyes, but when she blinked all she saw was a haunted girl in a pretty dress.

***

BY THE TIME LIAN
and her escort made it to the Grand Ballroom, the festivities were well underway.

The air smelled of wine and spices, the token scents of frivolity and careless airs. One banner for Asilee, complete with
a
golden crest set against a crimson background, hung from the middle of the ceiling, which was a
gigantic fresco depicting the g
ods’ arrival in Eresea. The painting had been refurbished, restoring the masterpiece to its original glory. It was magnificent.
She
could almost see the figures moving in streaks of vibrant color,
their whimsical expressions coming
to life.

The walls were covered in silk running the full spectrum of warm summer hues and lined in freshly picked wildflowers wound into dazzling arrangements. It was beautiful, like being inside a rainbow.
Half the names of the colors escaped her, as it had been so long since she had seen any
. White candles sat atop tall, spiraling gold columns, shedding soft light on the guests and giving the room a relaxed feel.

The Grand Ballroom was shaped like a rectangle. The shorter ends held a dais where her father, sister, and Alastor sat greeting guests. Four guards stood post behind them, keeping a watchful eye out for threats. Opposite from the dais, across the room, was a refreshment table almost the length of the entire wall, bulging with food, wine, and punch. The kitchen staff was zooming in and out of the side entrance, hastily replacing empty or half-full trays and bottles with fresh food and drink. Most people were already on the dance floor, twirling in a swirl of bright colors and fantastic masks to the light-hearted music of the orchestra. A few people lingered near the food, using it as an excuse to flirt and gossip. Ursa was pouring wine for a young couple. She smiled and bowed respectively, and again Lian marveled at how well Ursa was able to hide her emotions. 

When the couple left, Ursa looked up and locked eyes with Lian. The color drained from Ursa’s face, like she might be sick, and she hastily muttered something to Drenna, who was walking by with an empty tray. Drenna nodded and handed the tray to Ursa, who promptly disappeared into the kitchen. Drenna resumed Ursa’s place behind the wine bottles. 

Lian stared after Ursa, feeling a t
w
inge of regret that their lifelong friendship had come to this.
I have to speak with her. I have to make this right somehow.

“Wait,” Lian commanded, when her escort started to
walk
toward the dais. When it became clear Ursa wasn’t returning any time soon, Lian shook her head and pried her eyes off the door.

   As
she
surveyed the sea of bobbing heads and twirling bodies, she almost regretted leaving the necklace in her
chambers
. Despite what she thought it was capable of, she still felt the need to be close to it, to protect it.

It’s all in your head. Look at what it’s done to you, what i
t’s made you do to your friends and
your love.
She
frowned.
To Hesperides with it. I don’t care what happens to it.

She had almost forgotten about the escort at her side, a young knight a few years older than her. “You may pr
oceed,” she told him. She could ha
ve sworn he rolled his eyes.

Gathering
her courage, they began the long, harrowing descent down the g
rand staircase. Part of her hoped
her mask and elaborate appearance would obscure her identity enough to allow her some peace that evening. Her hair had been pinned up with sparkling diamond starbursts that matched her earrings and necklace. Her mask was shaped like a silver starburst, covering every inch of her face save her chin and eyes. 

The dress was pretty in a simple way, with a sweeping neckline that made her small chest appear fuller, and a bodice that reduced her waistline, making her look small and petite. It had no embroidery, only two silk ribbons the same shade as the fabric sewn through the neckline and tied at her shoulders to form straps. The material was soft and surprisingly easy to move in, even if it did wash her out to the point of being blindingly white.

Drenna had first shown Lian a majestic gown of emerald green, which her father had apparently purchased specifica
lly for her to wear to the gala.
S
he
had been both overjoyed and awed at actually seeing a color other than black, white, or
gray
. Then, with a dark look, she remembered the reason why the
duke
had implemented the color ban in the first place.

“Take it back,”
she
said.
“I refuse. I’ll wear something else.”

Drenna stood there for several long seconds, fumbling over her words. “But the Arch Duke…”

Lian rounded on her
. “I don’t care what my
father
thinks. Find me another dress!”

After Drenna scampered off, Lian had felt a sudden pang of guilt at having yelled at the poor girl. She was mentally exhausted, having endured emot
ional – and spiritual – whiplash for the past few days
. She made a mental note to add Drenna to her list of “people she owed an apology.”

She glanced at the
mannequin
, which now wore the emerald dress originally intended for her.

I’ll bet that dress could fetch a price that could feed a starving family for three months.

After having marveled
at
its beauty for a few more moments,
she
had shaken
her
head in disgust. Was her father out of his mind? Didn’t he care how his citizens would react to the circus going on downstairs? Surely he intended to sell all the fancy decorations and colored outfits after it was all over and put the money toward helping out his people.

A cold chill ran up Lian’s arms. Somehow, she didn’t think that was going to be the case, and the memory of the pregnant woman from the Marketplace resurfaced in her mind.