Chapter Eighteen

Refugee

Evangeline was packing several things into a large, canvas bag that sat in a heap on the edge of an elegant bed trimmed in wine-red. Some of the contents included several vials of potions, and a brand new, velvet-lined grimoire with a gold-leaf pentacle on the cover. She packed the things in a hurry and jumped when she saw Aiden standing in the threshold, watching her.“Good morning, Evangeline.” He smirked, his arms crossing tightly over his thick chest. He loved possessing the ability to intimidate.

Evangeline stopped what she was doing and nodded at Aiden. “Good morning.”

“You understand all of the instructions I have given you?” he asked darkly.

She nodded.

“Good. Come.” He turned and walked out of the bedchamber and started down one of the Regime’s long, stony corridors.

Evangeline footfalls sounded close behind him. She had wrapped her long, washed hair in a neat bun behind her head and the new clothes the Regime had given her were neatly pressed, as instructed. The scrapes on her arms and face had also been immaculately healed by their light magic to destroy any evidence of force or torture. This would go exactly as he planned, Aiden thought.

“The sun has only been up for the last twenty minutes.” He spoke quickly as he walked. “Sunset tonight is approximately at six-thirty. You have until then to locate the hiding place. I trust you know where that is.” He glanced back at Evangeline.

“I know Valek has an old friend that lives in the city,” Evangeline said quietly.

“Good. When you find them, I want you to report back to me. Then I want you to take shelter somewhere until I give you some sort of further instruction,” Aiden said as the two descended down a dank spiral staircase, dodging cobwebs, and through a door that led into the Regime’s main foyer.

Officers were still working on reconstructing the front double doors of the palace Aiden destroyed only a few days earlier. The memory played over again in his mind like a record on a broken needle, a few of the smaller details skipping. Valek standing just in front of his seeming demise, frightened for the first time in his miserable existence. Charlotte slung hopelessly over his shoulder, her heart slowing—near death. He remembered how the energy pulsed in waves through his body. He wanted to kill Valek, of course, but the only thing he could focus on was how he was going to save Charlotte.

Aiden looked one last time at the Witch, a gust of self-manifested wind blowing his hair around his face. “I don’t want to kill you, Evangeline. Please find her for me.” His eyes, slanted and emerald, were that of a dragon’s.

Evangeline walked silently, without a last look to him, out of the palace.

He watched her leave, through the large hall, through the door in repair, out into the brightly lit Golden City.

Aiden turned around to see his father standing directly behind him. “Tell me something, son. Why are you fighting so diligently for a single mortal child?” The tall Wizard was ready in his new robes for that morning’s execution.

“Charlotte is special, Father. I can’t explain it.” Aiden clenched his right fist, feeling the one line in his hand crease. Another memory, one of the two of them sitting together in his dark living room, flashed before his eyes.

Danek sighed. “Would you like to walk with me to the courtyard? Vladislov wants you to sit next to him in our box this morning.”

Aiden’s eyes widened. Perhaps Vladislov was ready to finally turn the power over to him.

“Absolutely.” Aiden smiled.

The two began walking in the direction of the center gardens. The guards they passed instantly saluted the two until they had disappeared into the daylight outside. Danek and Aiden, on their way to the highest box in the arena, were greeted by a gallantly-dressed Meredith Price and the rest of Aiden’s siblings. She kissed her eldest son on the cheek.

“Good morning, my dears!” She beamed and leaned in closer to Aiden. “I heard Vladislov is getting ready to make quite the special announcement today!” Her voice trilled.

Aiden smiled pridefully to himself as the whole family continued to walk together. The Occult creatures that had already found their seats eyed the young Elf as he passed, as though they knew something he did not. They leaned in to each other, whispering things and pointing occasionally.

“I am so proud of you, son.” Meredith’s rosy cheeks flushed an even deeper pink. “Vladislov will announce today in front of everyone that you are officially his next in line.” She clapped her hands in front of her face. “Just think how splendid our little plan will turn out, my love.”

Aiden smiled ruefully at his mother, who led him with her hand on his back along the floor of the arena. “Everyone seems to have an idea already.” He continued to observe his future people whisper and stare.

“They don’t only just have an idea, my son.” Danek’s voice boomed. “They are excited. They know how well you will rule in the light.”

Aiden considered this as well as Charlotte, who was to be his bride as soon as he found her. He regarded how fondly she adored the night—how she rarely appeared during the day. He recalled the last time he talked to her. In the night, when the moon was present, and so was her Vampire. He gritted his teeth. He looked up to the warm, morning sun hovering above them. She would come to respect the day, he decided. She may not love it, but she would respect it.