22 Differences

Year 909YC, fourteen years earlier

SEATED BY AN open window, Aiyana cradled Threadfin’s head in her lap. Below, russet leaves swirled amongst the colonnade bordering the courtyard, or sank into a gout of brown mulch within a dry fountain. The wind had risen, growling among the stone pillars, heralding a storm.

She’d entangled her fingers in his hair, comforting him as they lay on a couch in her rooms. A cup of cold green tea sat on a tall round table by her elbow. She always drank green tea. ‘The memory of it will fade,’ she whispered, ‘my beautiful little brother. You shouldn’t cry.’

‘I hate them all. They wanted to murder me. They wanted to rip me apart. They tried!’

‘You shouldn’t have left the palace grounds. What were you doing out there and without your dalba or a guard?’

‘It’s because I’m different. I don’t breathe. I don’t eat normal food. I won’t grow old and die, well, not like other people. There’s no blood in my veins.’

‘You don’t take your bath when you’re supposed to, either.’ She stroked his skin, testing for any sign of deterioration. She did that a lot. ‘I will have one prepared. I think there’s still enough salt and natron in the stores. Petra is not in tonight. I’ll take care of it.’

‘It’s why they hate me. I need to bathe in salt and bloody natron because of what I am.’

‘I doubt they know about that, Fin. If they had known you were a viral, we would have exemplars crawling all over us.’

‘They suspected it, though. You know the redcloaks are suspicious of our official story. You’ve heard rumours, I bet.’

She looked worried.

‘I killed them, Aiy. I killed breathers, and I’m not sorry. It felt good.’ It hadn’t though, and the guilt he felt made him angry. He didn’t tell her it wasn’t the first time, but it was the worst. He hated wearing the dalba, hated the confinement, like he was some prisoner. He had tried to be discreet, keeping to the shadows.

After a pause, she said, ‘My Darken informed me it was a palace guard who instigated it. He hired the others, but he will not last long in the dungeons.’ A dangerous smile touched her lips, but not near as lethal as the light in her eyes.

‘You mean an exemplar?’

‘Whoever was behind it, they don’t want to be exposed. Exemplars would be too dangerous to involve if whoever it is wants to remain hidden. Someone paid off the guard, who hired the others.’

‘He is afraid his enemies will find out. That’s why no one knows what happened. That’s why our father hasn’t even come to see if I’m alright. Don’t tell me he doesn’t know.’

She looked down at him with a stern face. ‘He loves you, in his own way. Maybe he can’t admit it in public, but I’ve seen it in him when he’s looked at you. It’s just that ...’

‘I’m a freak.’

‘No, and you’ll not say that again. You are beautiful and, and normal. I think it’s that dirty witch he has in his bed whispering in his ear.’

‘You think it was her, don’t you?’ He tried to look up at her, but she pushed his head aside as she stroked his hair again.

If the tone in her voice was hot before, it was ablaze now. ‘She spends every night in his chambers and then marches through the palace as though she were imperatrix herself. She’s not even a consort, Fin. That woman is nothing other than a, a concubine. If she dares speak to me again down that nose of hers ...’

Threadfin closed his eyes. ‘Can I stay in your rooms tonight? I’ve hardly seen you and the dreams are worse. I ... I’ve been seeing things.’ He couldn’t explain and he was afraid if he did, she wouldn’t understand.

‘I already had a pallet made up by the fire. You’re just a bit ill.’

‘I don’t get sick. Anyhow, I was beaten and stabbed, not given a Grim-hooded cold.’

Stroking his hair, she said, ‘She is due to travel southeast with father in a few days. We can spend time together then. Still, her spies tell her too much, although, two of those will no longer be telling anything.’

‘You know he’ll throw a fit when he finds out. You can’t go around assassinating Liviana’s spies.’

‘I have a friend who takes care of such things.’

‘Just because your Darken is faceless, doesn’t mean you can use her that way. Bad enough you have her torturing that guard.’ Not that he minded that bit.

‘I never said it was a woman.’

‘I’m not stupid. I know father would’ve picked out the girl himself. He’d never have chosen a male, not for you. Just wish he’d allowed me one.’ His sister always had dozens of girls around her, even sharing her chambers at night. It was impossible to know which one it was.

‘A Darken is not just a friend, you know,’ said Aiyana. ‘Anyhow, the spies are still alive and quite safe. He won’t be angry.’ She gave a giggle. ‘He knows, anyhow. I think he respects my boldness. Of course,’ she added with a laugh, ‘the others have been much more careful. It’s Liviana herself that I can’t take care of. Now, that would anger him. He thinks the Spectrum shines out of her butt. I suppose it’s big enough.’ She descended into giggles.

There was a scratching sound at the foot of the couch. Threadfin leapt up. ‘What’s that?’

Aiyana laughed as a small figure clambered on to the couch. ‘It’s my mongrel. Do you like him?’

Threadfin stared at the deformed creature as Aiyana gestured for it to lie in her lap, which it did. It gave a series of low guttural sounds as it watched him. For an instant, he thought about petting it. He’d done that once and it hadn’t gone well. As though reading his mind, it snarled.

‘Hey, look at that,’ his sister cooed as she petted the creature. ‘I think Nipper likes you. They’re quite intelligent you know.’

Threadfin took note of what it held in its claws. The short crossbow had been a gift from his grandfather before he had vanished. He had only two. It meant a great deal to him. Atlantian make, such small one-handed crossbows were rare and prized. ‘Hey, that’s mine. Give it back!’

‘It’s okay, Fin. He just wants to play with it. He’s still very young. He’s always picking things up, figuring them out. Fancies himself as a little assassin, I think.’ The creature hefted the crossbow two handed, which thank the Spectrum above wasn’t loaded, and aimed it at Threadfin.

‘You mean it’s always thieving.’

As if in response, the mongrel snarled and snapped the crossbow between its strong claws.

As Threadfin went to grab it and give it a good beating, his sister leaned in and kissed his head, pushing him away. ‘I’ll get you a new one.’

Rare, those crossbows, but the thought vanished and fear replaced anger. It was the first time he’d seen his magic behave like this.

A ringlet of living night entwined them. Threadfin felt a calmness seep into him. No, something forced it into him.

The mongrel’s growl deepened, with a note of fear.

‘Fin,’ she whispered, and he saw the look in her eyes, of recognition and worry.

‘I’m sorry.’ The apparition engulfed them, before it dissolved, and Threadfin wondered if he’d seen it at all, but he knew he had. He saw the look in her eyes. She’d seen it too.

‘Nothing,’ she said, leaning closer to kiss his forehead again. ‘It’s nothing. Everything will be fine. Trust me.’

Nipper glared at him with those beady eyes, a knowing look that said it knew what he was. It knew Threadfin Todralan. Deep within its glistening eyes, he saw a reflection, not of himself, no never of himself. Within its eyes, an enormous, winged creature loomed over both of them.

He looked away not wanting to see, or understand. His sister smiled at him. The mongrel had curled up in her lap, and was purring of all things.

He tried smiling back.