Chapter: 1: The Iridis Mansion

Brown, unruly strands of hair fought valiantly to escape my slender fingers. I mentally cursed the wild locks out of spite.

Time was slipping away faster than I could catch up. Soon, there would be nothing more to take.

“Willow!” Mom’s voice cut through the walls of our crumbling house like the howl of a wild frost-beast.

I gulped tensely. We were late.

“I’ll personally make sure that you’ll be assigned purple notes for a week if you’re not here in two minutes!”

Rushed by the ticking clock, I despondently admitted defeat against the untamed waves framing my lean face.

A regular braid would have to do. I would have to rely solely on sinless performance to make a good first impression on my new employer.

I’d been looking forward to this day for almost ten years—the day Mom would finally let me join her as a maid in the Iridis mansion.

Koa had been working in the mines since he’d turned thirteen to support his family. I’d always envied him, but only boys and Iridis were allowed to work in the mines.

I could cook and sew. It had added a few extra pennies to our wallets, but the real jobs where I could make real money to support my family demanded that we reach a certain age.

I reached that age a month ago, and today would be my first day.

Quickly glancing in the broken mirror, I wiped the smear of persistent dirt from my sun-kissed cheeks before I exited the bathroom.

“Sorry,” I said, storming toward the front door while buttoning the rest of my new dress. “I wanted to—”

“There’s no time for excuses,” she said, throwing my shoes within my reach. “Put on your shoes, and grab a warm jacket. These early mornings have become cold.”

I nodded, but I was so excited my hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

Mom sighed, upset when I lost hold of the shoelace for the third time.

“You need to pull yourself together, Willow,” Mom said and tied my shoes when I couldn’t do the job properly. “We can’t have you making too many mistakes out there, okay?”

Her cold hand cupped my cheek, raising goosebumps across my face and shoulders. I smiled when she looked into my green eyes, but her lips never curled accordingly.

She knew how excited and proud I was to finally work beside her. We’d talked about it for weeks, so I couldn’t fathom why her reddened eyes glistened with so much sorrow.

“Is there something you’re not telling me, Mom?” I asked, my smile wavering apprehensively.

She peeked across her bony shoulder to the kitchen where Tristan and Dad were preparing for the long day.

“It’s nothing, honey,” she said, sighing as she pulled me to my feet and urged me toward the exit. “Let’s go.”

***

The frigid morning air stung my cheeks like needles.

I pulled my jacket past my lips to hide the blue tint that became more apparent with the dropping temperatures of my skin.

The stars were slowly being chased away by the nautical twilight as the still-hidden sun cast its faint, rosy hues on the low horizon.

The walk from our house to the mansion would be long. I’d traveled it once before, long ago, when I was still a child.

I’d matured into a woman since then. My family could now rely on me too, so bringing food to the table would hopefully never be an issue again.

Mom hadn’t said anything so far.

Her wistful eyes looked haunted under her knitted brows. I wanted to ask her what was bothering her, but I didn’t dare break the icy silence.

Instead, I allowed myself to enjoy the lingering scent of pine surrounding us as we entered the forest area separating our neighborhood from the mansion.

I closed my eyes to imagine the halls of the grand mansion and the gilded residents within its marveled walls. It was hard not to wonder what they were like.

~“Willow.”~

Mom’s voice was faint. Almost as faint as a whisper.

I looked beside me to find out if I’d heard things or if she’d actually said my name.

Her gaze was still glued to the ground, her mouth sewn shut. Shrugging, I turned my head to look forward again, my eyes widening.

The white walls of the Iridis mansion towered like a grand castle on the horizon. Flags decorated with Heliac’s insignia fluttered lazily in the breeze.

Then I felt a cold hand hold me back.

“I need you to listen to me, Willow,” Mom said, her gaze finally meeting mine.

I held my breath and turned to look at her, granting her my devoted attention. I’d only heard that voice when she meant to be deadly serious.

“You have a temper, honey. If you don’t feel treated justly, you speak your mind. I love that about you, but you cannot do that here.”

I gave her a questioning look.

She sighed, biting her lip until a single drop of red blood painted her skin. “These people don’t accept that kind of behavior. They are all three Iridis, and all of them are powerful.

“They don’t view you as an equal, and when you’re at work, you aren’t their equal. You’re their employee, and you need to accept that.”

I was too stunned to speak.

What kind of people had she been working for this entire time?

“Do you understand, Willow?” Mom said again, her hand clutching my arm tighter.

I nodded instinctively.

The excitement and thrill of a nameless adventure faded like a soul leaving a body until a chilly surge of anxiety settled in its place.

“Wh-what kind of Iridis are they?” I whispered, careful not to raise my voice for the sleeping birds to hear.

Mom looked toward the mansion. “Master Deveroux is a metal manipulator. Lady Deveroux is an ice crusher, and their son is a fire wielder.”

An elemental like me.

Perhaps he could be interesting to observe when the opportunity presented itself.

“I know what you’re thinking, Willow.”

My eyes fluttered when my train of thought was interrupted.

“The Deveroux son is not the kind of man I want you near.

“If he speaks to you, you gesture a polite answer using your head. Nothing more. Do not express yourself in any way that might provoke him, and do not look directly at him. Do you understand?”

I forced my frozen muscles to work through the tensing dread and nodded.

Mom exhaled, sounding almost relieved.

She hadn’t just meant the Deveroux son. She didn’t want me to interact with any of them aside from what was strictly necessary.

I remained quiet the rest of the way, reciting the blood colors and their powers until we stepped onto the grand property of the Iridis family.

~Metal—silver. Ice—frosty blue. Fire—orange. Metal—silver. Ice—frosty blue. Fire…~

My hands were shaking beyond control by the time we stood before a pair of golden doors, taller than the willow trees bordering the Bronze Region.

Then Mom urged me past the entrance to a smaller door by the end of a narrow staircase.

A wave of voices overwhelmed me moments before the warmth of a busy kitchen touched my numb skin.

The room was crowded, working people marching past each other with precision-like skill.

It was absolute madness, and against the laws of nature, that half the kitchen wasn’t crashing into each other in every direction.

“Good morning, Elia!”

Mom’s lips pulled into a smile as the broad-shouldered woman walked past us with her greeting.

She was carrying a batch of newly baked bread in her embrace, the scent more divine than the lavender perfume that had once grazed my sensitive nose.

“Good morning, Tris,” Mom replied. “Has Margaret assigned us our tasks yet?”

I followed Mom closely through the erratic chaos.

“On your left!”

A young man around my age hurried past me with a plate of steaming food.

I didn’t get a good glimpse of his face, but he’d been wearing a tux. Not the exceptionally formal kind, so I assumed he was one of the waiters.

“Don’t just stand there, Willow,” Mom said, handing me a chunk of white cloth. “Put this around your head like a hairband.”

I did as told and managed to do so without mistakes.

I exhaled. So far, so good. The people down here seemed nice, at least.

Then Mom grabbed my hand. “Remember what I said,” she said. “No speaking and no eye contact. Straighten your back, too.”

I pushed back my shoulders, breathing deeply to raise my chest.

Mom nodded and guided me through the kitchen, past several doors, and into a room with paintings stretching from the floor to the ceiling.

A tall woman with red, lush hair reaching below her slim waist stood with her back facing us.

She was dressed in a beautiful blue gown, lace trailing down her frail arms as if the pattern had been branded into her pale skin.

“Lady Deveroux,” Mom said, curtsying deeply before the noblewoman. Mom reminded me to mirror her with a light tap before the lady turned around.

“Elia!” Lady Deveroux exclaimed. “And this must be your beautiful daughter. Willow, if my memory serves me right.”

I stayed down with my eyes glued to the ground, my legs shaking under the pressure.

“Yes, my lady. Willow turned twenty last month. Today will be her first day at the mansion,” Mom said, responding in my place.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the nervous smile on my mom’s face.

Lady Deveroux appeared relatively polite. However, I also knew that first-hand impressions were, more often than not, a polished image of a person’s better half.

Mom had worked for the Deverouxs for years. So she knew their truth better than their closest friends.

“Come with me, child. Let me show you around this grand estate,” Lady Deveroux said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders to guide me through her home.

Mom followed closely behind us. I kept my eyes on her the entire time to ensure every response I gave was the right one.

We started by going through all the common bedrooms I would be preparing during my first weeks at work.

There were at least a dozen of them, which did not include the Deveroux’s private chambers or the premium rooms for exclusive guests.

Lady Deveroux also guided me through the different dining halls, the living rooms, the pool area, and many more rooms I’d never imagined a house would need.

They all looked remarkably alike. White, stylish, and without soul.

The tour took the better part of the day.

I almost found myself dozing off when Lady Deveroux went through the history of the fireplace being an integrated part of her family home since her great-great-great-grandmother had lived here.

I had to push myself not to slouch when we entered a hall as dark as the shadows cast by our frames.

Then a spark of shaded light briefly lit the room in flashes of orange and yellow.

My eyes widened when the solid wall turned into glass, protecting us from a sea of vigorous fire on the other side.

A black-haired young man stood in the middle of the room. He looked to be concentrating, and it wasn’t hard to see why.

Powerful, orange flames erupted from his steady hands, radiating fierce heat on my skin as he elegantly fought the men surrounding him.

It looked like they were dancing to a deadly melody as the man warded off the attacks from his opponents.

It was mesmerizing.

My heart skipped a beat when his burning gaze caught mine, and he smiled as the last of his opponents dropped to the ground.

Then a fresh wave of unfamiliar adversaries approached him, and a new battle began.

“Isn’t he marvelous?” Lady Deveroux whispered, closer to me than I realized she was.

“We discovered his gift when he was only five. He was accepted into the Scorch Academy a year later and graduated only a few years ago. He has been training here every day since.

“What do you think, Willow?”

There was only one correct answer to that question.

I looked at my mom for permission to talk. She nodded reluctantly.

“It’s remarkable, my lady.” Not a lie. “I have never seen anything like it.”

That wasn’t a lie, either. However, the truth I was omitting was the level of jealousy I felt by seeing him use his power so freely and with such deadly precision.

Lady Deveroux seemed to agree with me as a smile of pride took ownership of her face. “Indeed,” she said before her gaze found the dancing flames again.

I’d been practicing a lot to gain control of my gift since the day I lost it for the first time. Mostly around the edge of the forest closest to our home.

It was the only place I could practice without being seen, but I’d never dared to let my powers loose like that—I’d never dared to test the limits of my potential.

My fingertips were tingling in anticipation. I could feel the familiar flow of my powers rising to the surface of my skin and the excitement urging me to let go.

Then I felt Mom’s hand on my shoulder.

“My lady,” Mom said, pulling me closer to her. “I hate to leave at this time, but we must continue the tour if Willow is to see everything before the end of the day.”

~We seriously weren’t done yet?~

Lady Deveroux chuckled as Mom lowered her head in respect. Mom’s grip was shaking around my wrist, making a cold chill slide tauntingly down my spine.

“Of course,” Lady Deveroux finally said. “I wouldn’t want to delay your tour. I’m sure Elia will make a fine maid of you in no time, dear.”

I bowed my head without saying another word and turned around to follow Mom out of this dark hall. I didn’t make it very far before I felt cold hands wrap around my wrist to hold me back.

“Let me look at you for a moment, dear,” Lady Deveroux said, pulling me back to grab my chin and study my face.

“You have a beautiful daughter, Elia. Is it safe to assume that she inherited those lovely green eyes from her father?”

Mom didn’t let go of my other wrist, but she didn’t pull me away from Lady Deveroux either.

I couldn’t see her face, but judging from the force of her grip, Mom wasn’t pleased with how Lady Deveroux was handling me.

Lady Deveroux hummed and squinted her eyes. I was afraid she’d be able to look right through me and see every lie I’d ever told a living soul.

“Too bad you’re a First-blood. You would’ve made a wonderful wife for my son.”

I released the breath I’d held back when she let go of my sore chin.

“Thank you, my lady,” Mom said, pulling me behind her before she curtsied in front of the rude woman. Then she pulled me toward the exit without looking back.

I didn’t have the same discipline yet that Mom had mastered to perfection. I had to look back, eager to witness the dancing flames one more time before the day was over.

The black-haired man had stopped fighting his opponents and was now standing right in front of his mother, separated only by the thick layer of glass.

My skin began prickling when I noticed he was looking at me as if his flames were gently trying to engulf me.

There were no flames and no sea of fire in this corridor—only his unsettling smile and the fire in his eyes convincing me that Mom had been right. I had to avoid him at all costs.