Chapter Text
From a young age Carosa had been surrounded by superstitions. When her nanny tucked her into bed she had made sure the candle beside Carosa would remain burning to a stub or else someone would die. Before going off to sleep Carosa would tuck gold coins and morsels of food into her shoes to keep the brownies from chewing holes in them. Carosa was still careful to tuck her feet beneath her blankets to keep zlyye fei lurking in the shadows from dragging her away.
At meals no folk would break the bread, as days later their own brittle bones would snap. Those who drank coffee would be careful to stir their coffee clockwise to avoid bad luck.
No one would sweep the dust from the palace on the first day of the new year to keep the good luck within the palace’s walls. When folk children were born and pierced the air with their sharp wails, the servants would hurry to polish the silver to bless the child’s birth with good fortune.
Nobles disgraced from the courts would teach their children to say gold three times before sleep and three times when they woke to bring riches upon their family. Servants would never throw water out in the night or risk being carried away by the zlyye fei.
Mortals had their own superstitions concerning the folk listing out rules to survive beside the courts.
Summon not the fae, mothers would scold their children when they began to sing. Speak not of gold, for they covet it, teachers would cast stern glances at the kid’s in the corner peering over gold painted toys.
Iron is thy friend, kids would chant among one another as they traded iron amulets and rowan tokens. Give not thy blood, for it will bind you, older siblings said as they bandaged their brother’s and sister’s cuts.
Fall not in love with them, for it is an emotion they cannot feel, shopkeepers would whisper to children entranced with their beauty. Invite them not into thy home, father’s would say as they peered suspiciously at the new friend.
Carosa was surrounded by superstitions. She had grown up being taught the rules and rituals of both the court and the folk. As she stared at the magpie’s peering down at her through the window she recited the rhyme in her head.
One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a girl and four for a boy
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told
Eight for a wish
Nine for a kiss
Ten a surprise you should be careful not to miss
Eleven for health
Twelve for loss of wealth
And thirteen for a chance at Death
When she counted eight, she believed her wish was coming true after all these years of hoping and praying to false gods. She believed he would die. The trumpets rang out a moment later. Carosa smiled a careful smile as she remembered her wish uttered in the dark and always uttered alone.
“Princess Carosa.” A startled servant bowed down low before her. His jaw twitched with barely concealed anger as his fingers curled up and clutched the fabric of his jacket. “High General Jonatan seeks your presence on an important matter.” She smiled bitterly, relishing the servant’s flinch as his shadow gravitated towards her. Carosa waved her hand dismissively towards him.
She tugged one of her long sleeves further down her hand as she stepped to her feet and innocently tucked the book back on the shelf.
Carosa glanced once more at the magpies, this time five more had joined those resting on the branch. She frowned and hurried out of the library hoping the eight magpies hadn’t been an illusion. Folk knew all superstitions came true, this one would have to too.
“Where is the general? With my insolent brother?” The servant fell into a baffled silence at her cruel words. The blast of the trumpets was still echoing in their air. They both recognized the mourning tune and knew exactly where her insolent brother was. Carosa wished to avoid the room where his cold body lay for as long as possible. She wouldn’t mourn him, but as long as she avoided the room she could remain certain the throne was hers.
“Evan’s room.” He looked as if he wanted to flee. She was surprised when he didn’t.
“Lead the way.” One of her eyebrows arched up arrogantly. The servant scampered ahead of her.
The trumpets finished their blaring, leaving the empty echo of silence in their place. She was thankful for the servant’s meek, silent, anger. Carosa could hardly dare to hope as her still beating heart filled her ears with the sound of blood. A single word would shatter her dream.
It can’t be true
It can’t be true
It can’t be true
She repeated the words like a jinx as her skirts brushed past the bare skin of her ankles. Just a few more steps and then she would know for sure. Adrian’s concerned face peered into the doorway. Adrian’s dark skin contrasted his blue lips. His shaggy black hair hung over his face like a curtain he was desperate to hide behind. Brown eyes blinked back at her as he turned his head and saw Carosa.
“Is it true?” She forced a frown onto her face in an attempt to control her growing smile. “Is Evan dead?” Adrian’s face fell sending his thin lips up into a squirmish scowl.
“He’s dead. He’s dead. There won’t be a funeral though, his entire body was burned by iron. Crushed powder coated the pipes of his bathtub.” Carosa winced at the thought of iron on skin. He was dead and her heart threatened to burst at the thought of her wish coming true. It had been four long years of wanting, waiting, planning, but someone had got to him first.
“What about the court? Won’t they revolt?” Adrian’s teeth snagged at his lips chapped from the times his lip had swiped anxiously across them. She studied his face searching for a sign he was okay. Evan had despised them all, but he had despised Adrian the most for the way his emotions played across his face like a book. There on his features were displayed his every feeling. Adrian was terrified, he was exhausted, he was sad, but most of all he was relieved. Evan wouldn’t have cared, but she did.
“They’ll care, but the High General is next in the hierarchy until a monarch is named, he won’t listen.” Carosa could feel her palms pooling with sweat as the tips of her fingers tingled in anticipation of pressing them to the armrests of the shadow throne and digging her nails into the cool metal of the crown. She could barely breathe as she posed the question that had haunted her wishes for so long.
“And who is to ascend?” Adrian’s left eye twitched as he shook his head. She could read his thoughts displayed prominently across his face, he didn’t care.
“I haven’t been told.” Adrian fell silent as a new emotion washed across his face. “I heard him scream and I did nothing.” She could barely catch his words as he mumbled them more to his feet than her. Carosa blinked blankly at her frail brother made of glass. She feared he would be shattered too soon. “He’s gone. He can’t protect me any longer,” Adrian whispered. Carosa watched him attempt to steady his shaking hand.
“I’m sure you won’t miss his possessiveness.”
“It’s better than the court’s games. Evan kept me safe from them. What will I do now, Carosa?” She brushed her hand against his shoulder as she took a step into Evan’s quarter’s.
“Perhaps you’ll be king.” It was as close to a lie as her lips could utter. Only the High General, Jonatan Rodionovich, remained in the room. Evan’s body lay on his bed.
Bubbles bloomed across his charred skin, spilling pus across his body. His eyes were closed, no longer the shining blue Carosa was used to seeing. A sheet partially covered his body to hide the gruesomeness of the injury, but black skin still peeled up from his chest. Carosa winced at the sight of him, she would have given him a more peaceful Death. Clearly feelings had been involved in Evan’s Death. Disgusting.
“Carosa.” The High General’s warm voice rumbled out across the room towards her. She turned towards the sound and forced tears into her eyes. His fangs glinted at her as his ruby red eyes smiled at her. He would notice her attempt at faking tears, but he wouldn't care.
“Have you found the assassin?”
“We’re telling the court’s he killed himself. The pressure of being king was too much.” He scraped at his nails, flicking dirt away from them.
“He was a sociopath, you really think they’ll believe that?” She could still hear his emotionless words clear in her ears unaware of the effect they had on her. She could still see Sascha’s body sprawled out before her.
“Yes. None of them particularly liked him.” His tongue ran over his sharp incisors, a drop of blood beaded on the pearly white of his teeth. “No one will miss him.”
“It’s a shame how he died.” Carosa’s eyes raked her way over her brother’s skin searching for clue of the assassin. Jonatan let out a low chuckle.
“I know why you’re here, Carosa. If it wasn’t iron smeared across the tub I would believe you did it yourself.” She wiped the tears from her eyes before looking back up at the High General, this time her elated face gazed up at him.
“You flatter me, High General.” With a flutter of her eyes she imagined the feel of the cool metal of the crown pressed against her fingers.
“You want to know who he named as heir.” She could hear the amusement in Jonatan’s voice. Carosa rolled her eyes halfheartedly.
“Yes, the kingdom needs a ruler.” Carosa couldn’t stop her hands from fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves. Jonatan eyed her hands.
“Don’t worry, I know I can’t claim the throne.” Carosa let a smile slip for the first time since she had first entered the room. She could hear her heart threatening to burst, she was so close. With each breath she could feel the distance shortening. Carosa could already feel the ghost of the crown atop her hair.
“Who did he name?” Jonatan let out another smile of his sharp fangs as his red eyed seared into her. “You do know whoever he names will certainly keep you as High General.”
“Of course. You’d be lost without me.”
“Is that your way of telling me he chose me?” Jonatan shook his head with a silent grin.
“I think we all know Evan was smart.” Jonatan tossed her a mortal book stacked on top of Evan’s nightstand. Identical books lay beneath it.
“Was, that’ll take some getting used to.” She looked down at the title and traced her hand over the golden script written in the mortal tongue. Carosa had read the book, at the urging of her tutors. The Art of War had been useless, a perfect example of the stupidity of mortal’s. She was impressed Evan had wanted to read it for leisure.
“And his games were genius, manipulative, and cruel. I’m surprised you and your siblings never killed each other.” Carosa thought of Adrian’s relief at Evan’s Death. She hadn’t been the one to kill him, but many times she had killed for him.
“Is this his eulogy or his will reading?” Jonatan suppressed a twisted smile beneath his pale blue lips, illuminating the color of his iron free blood. One of his hands ran through his short black hair, few gray strands caught her attention. His eyes flashed as they caught the light.
“Evan wanted one last game. One last chance to ruin your lives as he put it.”
“Did he ever suspect he would die?” The High General shook his head. A soft amused smile filled his usually twisted lips. She was surprised at the gentle expression on his face.
“Always. Paranoid boy.”
“Am I ruler Jonatan?” She asked. “Just spit it out, enough with the dramatics.”
“He told me when he dies the zlyye fei will choose the heir for the shadow throne.” Carosa recoiled from Jonatan. It was worse than being struck. The floor was dropping out from beneath her, the crown slipping from her grasp, and all she could do was watch helplessly as it happened. It was drowning and it was suffocating, this feeling was familiar. She had thought his Death would change something, but even from the grave he controlled her. Carosa wanted to kill him a second time
“He what? Is he insane?”
“It’s likely.” The High General cocked his head as he watched Carosa. His glee at her panic was hardly contained even though he wanted her on the throne as much as she wanted the throne. He took a sharp inhaling breath before speaking, air whistled over his teeth. “He might have actually killed himself.”
“Only the sanest people do that.” Her nails scraped against the skin of her palms as she stared at her brother’s corpse, searching his desecrated body for any sign he had meant it. “Why would he leave the fate of the throne up to our enemies?”
“One last game. He wants to be remembered because he fears oblivion more than Death.”
“And do you believe I will win?” The sound of Jonatan’s breath filled the room. Carosa knew he could see right through the words. He relished her panic as she waited for his answer. Carosa needed someone to tell her she deserved it, because if even a sociopath thought true monsters would be better than her, maybe she was the real monster.
“Of course moy koroleva. You are destined to rule.” The words sent pleasure racing up Carosa’s spine. She relished the way they danced across his mouth and echoed in her ears, they were years of planning so close she could reach out and touch them.
“Send a servant to fetch Kesia and Valeia. Direct them towards the alcove near Evan’s room. The one with the stained glass windows overlooking the courtyard with the angel fountain.” The High General dragged himself up to his feet and bowed slowly. His eyes remained trained on Carosa, searching for the reaction she had been trained not to give.
Carosa watched him leave until she was alone with Evan’s dead body. He was supposed to be immortal, but somehow her wish had come true.
“You can come out Adrian.” He peered around the frame of the door at Carosa nervously. His eyes avoided Evan’s body as his nose wrinkled up at the sickly sweet stench of burned flesh filling the room. Evan would never speak again but somehow Carosa couldn’t bring herself to care. Adrian would cry enough tears for the both of them.
“Who is to rule?”
“And that is the question, isn’t it Adrian?” A pained smile filled her face, not for her brother but for herself. “Evan wanted one more game. So I guess we’ll have to play.”
“We all know you will win. Why not name you outright?” Carosa curled a lock of her bright pink hair around her finger as she felt the ghost of the crown lifting from her head. When Carosa had first learned to walk Evan had pulled her soft stuffed rabbit from her hands. He had suspended it over her head and told her to jump and take the rabbit into her hands. Carosa had cried so hard she had choked. He had shredded the rabbit beneath his blade, she had never gotten another stuffed thing again. Once again it was just above her reach, this time she wouldn’t let it disappear.
“Evan fears being forgotten.” She remembered the way he had watched her desperately, hungry for her to play his games. It was easy enough to disappear when you were already invisible.
“He was immortal.”
“But it wasn’t enough, was it?” Adrian’s face turned pale as he took in both Carosa’s words and Evan’s body. “Valeia and Kesia will be waiting for us. It’s better they hear it from us then the Born circle.” Carosa’s boots clicked against the marble floors of the royal quarter as she made her way to the alcove nearby, far enough away Valeia and Kesia wouldn’t be able to smell the sweet smelling flesh curling off of Evan’s body.
She slid the velvet curtains framing the alcove to the side. Carosa collapsed onto the couch, just straightening up enough to keep from slouching as she tucked her wings into her back. She adjusted her features to comfort Kesia and Valeia. Adrian slumped down beside her, silently as he fidgeted with his hands.
Jonatan sneered at Carosa as he ushered Kesia and Valeia forward. He departed silently with a spin of his heels. She caught a glimpse of his spiky black hair before he glided away.
Kesia’s red ears twitched as she brushed a strand of her fiery hair away from her bare shoulder. The soft lines of her face matched the chocolate almonds of her eyes framed with gold. She nestled into a corner of the couch and tucked her feet beneath her skirts like a fox.
Valeia’s violet eyes turned stormy as she took in Adrian and Carosa’s faces. The long rowan strands of her hair pulled back into a loose braid dangled over the soft silk of her dress. Her bare lips parted as she grimaced and sat beside Carosa with her elbows propping up her face on top of her knees.
As Carosa studied them she debated what to tell them. Both were the truth as Carosa didn’t know how Evan had died, but which would break them more? Evan’s Death was too early for an immortal fae, Carosa would have to thank her lucky stars later that evening. For now she would comfort her sibling’s. She was afraid for them.
“Evan’s dead. He was killed.” Kesia’s small face scrunched up as she stared up at Carosa. Adrian’s arms wrapped around Kesia squeezing her tightly. Kesia burrowed her shoulder into Adrian’s chest as her ears anxiously flattened against her head, blending into the strands of her hair. She watched Adrian’s face soften as he looked down at distraught Kesia. Carosa turned her attention to Valeia.
Valeia’s face remained stony but Carosa could have sworn she saw uncertainty dance across her bright eyes. Carosa laced her hand through Valeia’s and squeezed her fingers. “It will be alright.”
“Do they know who the heir is?” Valeia’s eyebrows twisted upwards with new interest. Carosa gawked at her in surprise, she quickly hid it. Valeia had never cared to win any of Evan’s games or cared about the court or the throne.
“No.” She didn’t elaborate, instead allowed them to cradle each other far from the dead body she had long wished for. All four of their face’s were dry as Evan’s would have been at their own funerals.