Chapter: 11: Shards of Glass

Master and Lady Deveroux were walking side by side with the king and the prince, each holding a glass of fizzy liquid.

The king was laughing, making the air vibrate with the deep sound of his voice.

He was wearing a tailored brown suit—Terra Realm. His shoulders bore a set of golden epaulets with fringes hanging from the edges.

His belt was the same golden color, along with the decorative cuff links holding the cuffs of his sleeves together—the Golden Realm.

The golden crown was perfectly fitted to his head. Its spikes looked like waves crashing and breaking in a continuous, circular pattern, each gap holding small crimson stones.

Everyone knew that it represented the relationship between Iridis and First-bloods. It looked magnificent, but it was nothing compared to the royal crown he only wore in his castle.

My eyes wandered and stopped when they reached the crown prince.

He was also wearing a tailored suit, but the fabric was blue like my dress and fitted his strong body much better.

The golden cuff links piercing his sleeves flawlessly matched his dark brown hair. It had grown quite a bit during the months of their travels.

The longest strands had been gathered into a small, slick bun on top of his head, revealing the worn features of his face. His smile appeared forced, and his skin a bit burned.

Watching countless girls fight their hardest for a spot in the Crown Trials had to be exhausting.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d been required to comment on each performance, not to mention upholding his royal identity throughout the entire circus.

He likely hadn’t had a moment to himself since they’d left the castle two months ago.

Knox was walking a few feet behind them, alone and isolated.

He didn’t appear to enjoy the company of the golden royals like his parents, which perhaps had something to do with the presence of a person more powerful than him.

My eyes continued surveying the room when I noticed that the other servers were either bowing or curtsying.

I immediately imitated the women, and my eyes found the floor like they were supposed to from the beginning.

A shiver rushed down my spine after a few seconds.

I couldn’t see anything but the floor and my blue shoes, but I could easily feel a set of eyes carefully watching me.

I squeezed my eyes together, trying to ignore the idea of Knox eyeing my short-skirted uniform.

Not a moment too late, I opened my eyes again to see that everyone around me was standing straight again.

Instinctively, my gaze followed my motion, and I noticed that it wasn’t Knox who I’d felt observing me. It was the prince.

We were barely separated by ten feet when I met his widened, deep blue eyes, the sight causing my heart to skip a beat. Next, I heard glass shattering on the marble floor.

Time stopped but not fast enough. The prince had dropped his crystal glass, and I couldn’t dodge the shard darting toward me.

A sharp pain shot through my left arm as the broken piece cut into my skin. It was quick and uncomfortable but not as unbearable as the fear tearing my racing heart.

A cut meant blood, and mine wasn’t red like it was supposed to be.

My right hand immediately covered the wound. I looked at Mom, searching for guidance, but the prince stepped in front of me, blocking my path before I could step toward her.

“My deepest apologies!” he exclaimed, eyeing the wound I was hiding under my palm. He was trying to be sincere and probably help me, but his presence only made me panic.

“Get her a towel and some water!” he shouted to anyone who could hear him.

He was taller than I’d expected. His muscles bulged under his suit, but his face looked slender and starved.

“Be careful, dear,” Lady Deveroux said to the prince, whose attention seemed fixed on me. “We can’t have you cut yourself on the glass.”

I knew those words were a secret message to me, telling me to step away from the prince and take care of the mess, but he was too close. I couldn’t possibly move without pushing him away.

“Don’t worry about me,” the prince said without looking away from me. “I’ll heal.”

A maid suddenly entered with a bucket and a broom in her embrace.

The prince looked back toward the mess he’d left behind but didn’t allow me space to slip away. Then he lifted his hand for it to hover in the air with its palm facing the floor.

The liquid began vibrating until it suddenly moved to form one big pool in the middle of the floor.

He flexed his wrist, commanding the liquid to travel through the air and into the bucket held in the arms of the astonished maid.

“Father,” the prince said, addressing the smiling king. “Would you take care of the glass?”

The king chuckled and mimicked the gestures that the prince had just performed. Then, instead of flexing his wrist, he clenched his hand into a fist and made the pieces of glass collide in the air.

He squeezed his fist harder, and the shards were compressed until they existed as one unit—a small, smooth glass sphere.

It was an impressive display of raw power.

The king unfolded his hand, and the sphere floated into his palm. He calmly walked to the trembling maid with the bucket and carefully dropped the sphere into the liquid.

“Could you take care of this, dear?” he asked with a smile brightening his bearded face.

The maid nodded anxiously and left through the door in a hurry.

I was so mesmerized by their powers that I’d nearly forgotten about the cut and the prince still standing in front of me.

“May I have a look?” the prince asked and grazed my elbow with his coarse hands.

The touch sent lightning through my body, and I was instantly aware of myself again. I stepped back only to feel the wall preventing me from moving further.

The prince stepped forward, his eyes glazed with worry. “I have the power to heal you,” he explained. “I can help you if you’ll let me.”

I almost felt bad for rejecting him, but I couldn’t let him see the wound.

I’d kept my color secret for as long as I could remember.

Revealing that secret to the guardians would surely doom us to the dungeons, but if my color was exposed in front of the king and his son… I didn’t dare imagine the severity of those consequences.

Reluctantly, I stepped aside, releasing myself from his gentle touch until I was free to move.

I wanted to apologize and tell him I appreciated his attempt to help me, but Milo and Mom’s voices echoed in my head.

The prince was still a guest, and I was not allowed to speak. It had gotten me in trouble once already.

I bowed my head and fled through the closest door, leaving the observing eyes behind.

***

I didn’t have time to ponder over what had just happened. Instead, I had to find somewhere I could clean up without being seen, fast.

My feet carried me toward the nearest restroom where I could hide.

It wasn’t a restroom I was usually allowed to use, but I’d pressed the shard so far into my arm that I couldn’t afford to waste more time.

Adrenaline no longer kept the pain at bay, and the damned thing hurt more than I wanted to admit.

The piece was luckily long enough for me to get a good grip around its end and pull it out.

I inhaled deeply and yanked it from my flesh in one swift motion. I almost chewed my lip bloody to prevent myself from screaming so loud the entire mansion could hear my cry of agony.

I leaned over the sink and took a few deep breaths to avoid passing out. Then, after a few minutes, I forced my trembling hand to reach for the tab and twist the faucet to make the cold water run.

A sharp pain shot through my arm when the water first touched the open wound. Then I got used to it, and it became more soothing than painful.

I waited until the wound stopped leaking blood before I cleaned myself up and ran downstairs. It didn’t take long for me to find a Band-Aid and a thick bandage that I wrapped tightly around my aching arm.

Then I returned to the dining hall as if nothing had happened.

The waiters were already clearing the table after the first meal when I opened the door to let myself in.

I closed it quietly behind me and made myself as invisible as possible.

“Are you okay?” Milo asked and eyed my arm. I placed myself beside him and smiled, ignoring the stinging pain underneath the bandages.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, watching the people seated around the table. “I made it out, and I’m all wrapped up. I can work.”

“Are you sure?” Milo asked me again.

“Yes,” I whispered determinedly and turned my gaze to meet his. “Now, please. What can I do?”

He sighed, evidently not happy with my decision to stay, but I needed to work. I needed to prove to Master Deveroux that he hadn’t made a mistake assigning me such an important job.

I ended up being assigned to pour wine and keep the glasses full at all times.

Although the king was seated the farthest from me, I went to fill his glass first because he was the most important person in the room. He politely moved to give me space to pour the wine.

Next was the prince.

“How’s the arm?” the prince whispered gently.

I finished pouring and smiled but avoided catching his eye.

I hated it. I hated being unable to look another human being in the eye and express my genuine gratitude for their efforts, but I wasn’t their equal.

Then I moved to Lady Deveroux’s seat.

I tipped the bottle, careful not to spill a single drop on the pearl-white tablecloth.

I didn’t dare breathe until I held the bottle upright again, but before I could continue to Master Deveroux, her bony fingers grabbed my arm.

“Well done, child,” she whispered close to my ear before she pushed me toward her husband.

It wasn’t hard to figure out why she’d praised me, and I pinched my finger not to make an uncomfortable face.

“You look nice in this uniform.”

A wave of nausea and panic washed over me when I stopped next to Knox. I ignored him and placed the bottleneck to hover right above his glass.

I nearly dropped the entire bottle when his fingers grazed my thigh, sending tremors through my body as a desperate sign of distress that I couldn’t suppress.

“Too bad about your arm,” Knox whispered, slowly running his fingers farther up my leg. “Maybe we can take a look at that later.”

His touch was like torture, slow and painfully agonizing, and I had to fight every bone in my body not to slap his hands away in front of everyone.

Fortunately, I was done pouring before he’d reached past my skirt and hurried back to my place beside Mom.

“Did he just touch you?” Mom whispered, her voice strained and fueled by an otherworldly fire.

I stiffened.

Mom would undoubtedly lose her sanity and become the protective mother I’d seen her be before if I told her the truth.

We couldn’t afford to lose this job, not with the way Dad was still treated at his workplace and not when Tristan was still unable to work. Mom might even lose her life to Knox’s wrath.

“Don’t worry about it, Mom,” I whispered and faked a smile. “He simply swept away a piece of glass, still clinging to the back of my thigh.”

The lie wasn’t very convincing, but it appeared good enough for now.

I raised my eyes to the table of lively voices when I saw Knox waving his empty wine glass in the air, vying for my desirable attention.

I tried to swallow, but my mouth was as dry as the Desert of the Blaze, yet my hands felt colder than the waters of the Arctic Region.

My body shivered before I forced my hesitant body forward to do my job.

I quietly begged the ancient spirits that I would be able to pour the wine and get away before Knox continued his previous expedition.

But even before the bottleneck had touched the edge of his glass, Knox’s hand reached under my skirt to complete what he had started.

I gasped but suppressed the sound before it spread to the ears of their guests.

The bastard was slyly grinning at his achievement while I could do nothing but close my eyes and let it pass.

I braced myself for another trick, but nothing came. In fact, I no longer felt his hand against my skin.

“Don’t you dare touch my daughter like that!”

Mom’s roaring voice made the entire room tremble. Glass clanged and cutlery danced against the silver plates.

I turned my head and saw that she’d grabbed Knox’s wrist, forcing his hand away from me.

Panic and terror ripped my skin open. Mom had done the unthinkable. She’d challenged the elite, and now, she was going to pay.

Lady Deveroux had already pushed her chair back and taken the first step toward the disobedient maid. Knox was, unfortunately, a step ahead.

“How dare you speak to me like that, servant?” he roared and pushed her to the ground to tower over her. “Maybe you need to be reminded that there are consequences for violating your contract.”

His cheeks started glowing like the shadow of an orange flame. He inhaled the air, providing essential oxygen to the fire building in his throat.

Knox was going to burn her with the breath of a dragon—an all-destroying power. I couldn’t let that happen.

My body moved on its own. I didn’t even consider the consequences of my actions before it was too late.

All it took was three steps for me to stand in front of my mom, shielding her from the wrath of a spoiled child.

Knox’s eyes narrowed when he saw me challenge him, but he didn’t waver. My defiance didn’t seem to make any kind of difference, but then again, I was merely an insignificant First-blood.

Who would care if I got burned beyond recognition as long as he could make an example out of us in front of everybody else?

The thought didn’t shake me as much as it probably should have.

I stretched my right arm to reach for the empty air behind me. Then I spread my fingers, commanding the air to wrap itself around them like serpents.

“Willow, no!” Mom shouted behind me, but it was too late. My mind was fixed, and my plan was in motion. I could split that flame for my family.

Knox exhaled and made the all-consuming fire blaze from his gaping mouth.

My surroundings moved in slow motion as I prepared my counterattack. I couldn’t hold back. Not this time.

I aligned my right foot with my arm to support my weight and counteract the forces of my powers when I let them loose.

My fingers lightly grazed the cold tiles underneath me as my hand followed the curve of my attack before I released the roaring hurricane toward the flame.

Deprived of oxygen, the flame split in two as I’d hoped it would until only smoke remained.

Screams of confusion penetrated the thick smog, followed by the sound of something heavy crashing against the floor.

I couldn’t tell what it had been. I didn’t have time to figure it out before I glimpsed the shadow of Knox rising to his feet.

My wind hadn’t hit him. He could still move, and once his eyes found me, the battle started anew.

My fingertips still buzzed with energy. I was far from done fighting. The power that had been dwelling inside me for so long was finally free, and I was going to use it to protect Mom.

A light breeze swirled around me. Then it turned into a storm, surrounding me like a globe of whirling air that rejected everything Knox threw at us.

Breathing suddenly became difficult for me.

It took a lot of concentration and strength to remain in control of the wild powers enveloping us. It was straining for my mind and body, but I couldn’t let go.

~They’ll catch us before Mom and I can~ ~get out of here.~

I looked for an exit but only found that the storm had cleared the smoke.

Everyone stood up, watching me with widened eyes and bewildered faces.

They’d been under the impression that I was a powerless First-blood, and the shock of discovering otherwise had probably rendered their minds useless.

It was only a matter of time before they recovered.

My body was aching. I could feel every pulse of blood rushing through my veins like needles puncturing my skin—the skin that the fire should have burned to ash.

“Let go, Willow! You’ll hurt yourself if you continue!” Mom cried behind me.

I couldn’t. We were still in danger, and—

Something warm wrapped around my ankle.

I looked back and saw Mom reaching for me, her face drenched by tears and eyes full of heartbreaking pain.

The sight broke my concentration, and I lost control. An intense shockwave of buzzing energy left my body, followed by the sound of something snapping in the back of my head.

Then the world turned darker than the night.

The last thing I heard was the sound of glass shattering and someone screaming my name.