Broken

As soon as Ussay and Kira rounded the corner they ducked between two cottages and released their pent-up laughter. Kira couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard.

“You did not see her face when you left with the stool. I thought she was going to faint.” Ussay held her side, trying to suppress another bout of hysterics.

“Did you see her father?” Kira asked. “He didn’t look very happy when everyone paid attention to her and not his leather business, especially that group of young men standing across the street.”

“He will feel better when he sees the money she will make. Perhaps it will bring her a suitor. A rich dowry is tempting to a young ambitious man.”

“So how is your suitor,” Kira asked.

They’d finally gotten their giggles down to a minimum and ventured back out onto the street. Ussay blushed from Kira’s question, but remained silent.

Kira nudged her arm in jest. “Did he kiss you?” she whispered.

Ussay turned even redder. “A lady does not reveal such things.”

“He did. I knew it. Way to go, Cade.” Kira put a little skip in her step as they turned another corner and the other merchant booths came in to sight. Immersed in her conversation, Kira had been too busy having a good time to keep track of where they were until she saw the booth with woven shawls displayed on the table in front of her. Her feet suddenly refused to move and she couldn’t take her eyes off the view in front of her. Octavion stood in front of Serena, her hand in his while they laughed together.

Kira felt the blood drain from her face and her heart stop beating. It was all a lie. Every word. Every kiss.

Ussay walked a few steps ahead before she spun around to see why Kira stopped. “Kira, what is it? You look ill.” Her voice seemed to come from very far away.

Kira couldn’t answer. Couldn’t take her eyes off Octavion as he bent to kiss Serena’s hand and then brush a strand of hair away from her face much like he’d done so many times with her.

Serena blushed then laughed with the voice of an angel.

“He. . lied,” Kira managed to say as the tears filled her eyes, then streamed down her cheeks.

Ussay looked in the direction Kira stared. Her gasp sent shivers through Kira’s entire body. Ussay had seen it too. It wasn’t a nightmare-this was real.

“Oh, Kira,” Ussay said. “I am sure it is nothing. We should talk to him and. .”

“NO!” The word shocked Kira out of her trance. She grabbed Ussay by the arm and pulled her back against one of the structures so they were out of Octavion’s view. “You can’t tell him. Promise me you won’t say a word.”

“Kira, I. .”

“No, Ussay. Promise me.”

She nodded.

Kira wanted to scream, but knew it would only bring more attention to something she wanted to forget. Her second thought was to run. “I’m sorry, Ussay. I need to go.”

She pushed past the girl and ran as fast as she could through the market and up the road leading to the castle. She didn’t notice if the guards tried to stop her or if they followed. She only paused long enough to open the door before flying up the stairs and into her room-Lydia’s room. The same feelings of displacement she’d had in the clearing came flooding back stronger than she could have ever imagined. She didn’t belong here. Nothing in this place was hers, not even the man she loved.

Kira threw herself on the bed, bumping her arm on a small wooden box someone had left on her pillow. A thin red ribbon held it shut with a bow. The necklace-a painful reminder of what their life could have been-what it would never be. She didn’t want to open it. She knew the pain it would cause as she saw her reflection in what she imagined to be his loving eyes. The same one’s he’d just seen Serena through.

Kira swept the box off the pillow, sending it crashing onto the stone floor. She didn’t look to see the damage she’d done to the box or if the contents were scattered among its broken pieces. She simply buried her head in the pillow and let every ounce of energy she had left force out the last of her tears in gut wrenching sobs. Her heart twisted in her chest and her gut felt as if someone had buried their fist in it.

“Kira,” Ussay’s said in her soft and tender voice.

“Leave me. . alone,” Kira said between sobs.

Kira felt Ussay’s hand touch her shoulder as she crawled up on the bed beside her. “Where did you get the box?”

Her question took Kira by surprise. The shakiness in her voice caused Kira to remove the pillow and look at Ussay’s face-she was trembling.

“Why?” Kira asked.

“There is. .” Ussay glanced over the side of the bed. “There is blood.”

“What?” Kira sat up on the bed and looked down at the scattered remnants of what she’d assumed was a gift from Octavion. There, lying amid the pieces of the broken box was a heart shaped, tiger’s eye pendent hooked to a broken silver chain. The blood Ussay saw smeared all over the box’s white satin lining came from two canine teeth of a tiger.

Toran.

Every image, every memory of Shandira and what she had done to her, flooded Kira’s mind. She saw her face, felt her evil spirit and even heard the sadistic tone of her voice. Kira edged her way off the other side of the bed and backed into the far corner of the room. She slid to the floor, drew her knees up. Not again. Not now.

The memories of her abuse at Shandira’s hand swirled and morphed until she saw the image of Arela twirling in her ruffles, her hair flowing out around her head as the breeze she created lifted it in the air.

Kira sprang to her feet and ran to Arela’s room, but it was empty. She heard laughter coming from the garden, and when she looked out Arela’s window, she saw her playing ball with Nestor while Mara sat holding Ethan.

Ussay stood in the doorway with a confused look on her face. “What is wrong? Who did this?”

“You need to leave. You can’t be around me, it’s too dangerous.” Kira walked past her and went back to her room.

“Kira, please. If you are in danger, we must tell someone. Perhaps Octavion could come back and. .”

“NO!” Kira spun around and grabbed Ussay by the arms. “You can’t tell anyone. She put that in here for a reason, Ussay. She wants me dead and won’t stop ‘til she gets her way. If that means killing everyone in the castle, she will do it.”

Ussay’s face turned white and her eyes widened with fear. “She?”

Kira released her. “Shandira was in this room.” She hadn’t noticed until then that Ussay held something in her hand. “What is that?”

Ussay slowly brought it up between them-a piece of parchment. “She left a note, but its meaning is unclear to me.”

Kira snatched it from her and tried to decipher the letters and symbols. After a few seconds, it all made sense.

Where once it was mighty, now fallen it lays.

A fierce little young one stumbles and plays.

Your feet, they betrayed you where flowers bloom.

Blonde curls and ribbons will meet her doom.

Take heed to tell no one, her future is mine.

Her sweet disposition, I’ll sour in time.

Alone you must venture, beyond the main gate

Or all those who love you will regret their fate.