Ch.13 Sunrise

Chapter 13

Wren heard the doors closed before Darrian's pungent perfume greeted his nose. He quietly closed the book on his lap and looked up, his eyes hooded and his mouth set into a thin line.

"What a nice surprise," Adania, Wren's mother, smiled as she approached her son.

The golden crown on her head never wobbled or swayed. Her long dresses always blew in a wind that seemed to exist only for her. And her glossy orange hair could make the sun blush. Adania was a beautiful queen. She was married to Wren's father, King Talon, when she was only nineteen. And when he passed away, leaving her a widow with a prince too young to rule, Wren's uncle and Talon's brother, Darrian married her.

For the betterment of the kingdom as Darrian would say. A political marriage.

"Morning," Wren muttered as Adania threw her arms around her son and kissed his cheek.

"A very happy happy happy birthday to you," Adania said, leaning back and placing a palm against her son's face.

"Thank you."

"Have you had a chance to celebrate yet?" Darrian laughed from where he stood a few feet away from the mother and son.

Biting down on his jaw, Wren looked up at his uncle, "Yes, I have."

"So?" Darrian waited. "How was she?"

The light in Adania's eyes dimmed slightly as Darrian's laugh filled the room. Her hand slowly slid off her son's face and she took a step back. Wren watched her walk away as she fixed her eyes on the mountains in the distance outside of the balcony.

"Breakfast is ready," Adania said, dismissing the servants around the table.

"The thing was so frail and weak," Darrian said, walking over to the table. "You didn't break her, did you?"

I wish to be presented to the prince with my brass cuffs off so I can blast his face and then stab him and watch him choke on his own blood.

"She was just fine," Wren said, remembering Birdie's words as she stood beside the other jinn, surrounded by guards.

"Let's have breakfast," Adania said, her voice a little louder than before.

Wren looked at the pinched look on his mother's face. Of course, Darrian didn't notice. He never did.

"Do you have any idea what she is?" Darrian took a seat and reached for the meat on the plates. "That hair and those eyes are very unusual."

"Where did the collector say he found her again?" Wren asked.

"Swimming in the glass sea."

"How did she get there?"

"Wren," Adania said calmly as she passed her son a slice of bread. "How are the birds?"

Darrian took a bite of the sausage on his fork as his eyes moved to Adania. He scowled and huffed before reminding the queen what the prince's name was.

"Tamzin," he said. "His crown name is Tamzin."

"He's not my prince," Adania smiled at Wren. "He is my son. My Wren."

"You will confuse people by calling him that."

"It was always meant to be his name," Adania said, shifting her hard eyes to the man at the head of the table. "Talon promised me he would never change it when Wren became prince."

"It doesn't suit a prince!" Darrian said. "Tamzin was chosen by the temples. It's a blessed name. Not like Wren...some kind of winged creature flying around."

"The last of the robins have died," Wren said, keeping his eyes on his plate as he poked the grapes with his fork.

"Which ones were those?" Darrian asked as Adania's face fell.

"Gray with yellow beaks and orange chests," Wren said.

"What a shame," Adania frowned. "They were Talon's favorite."

"Are you going to keep the new little birdie in their place?" Darrian laughed.

"Darrian," Adania said with disapproval.

"What?" Darrian scuffed.

"The observatory is for the birds," Adania fixed the napkin on her lap. "Not for people."

"Can you consider it a person?" Darrian asked. "We don't even know what it is."

"Of course!" Adania said. "She's a living, breathing being. She probably has a home and a family just like us. She does not belong in a cage like our birds."

"She's a moor!" Darrian's voice rose, making Wren's fists close around his fork. "They all belong in cages."

"They're people," Adania said.

"They killed two guards last week," Darrian reminded the queen. "The guards had families too, Nia. Do you want to be the one to explain to them why we should consider the silver haired whore a person?"

"Thank you for breakfast," Wren suddenly rose from his seat.

"No, Wren," Adania shook her head. "Stay. It's your birthday today."

"I think I have had plenty to digest," Wren walked around the table to where his mother was and placed a kiss upon her head. "I will see you tonight at dinner."

"Don't miss it," Darrian sipped his wine. "Jasmeen will be performing."

"Who would want to miss that?" Wren said as he turned on his heels and walked out of the hall.

He could hear his mother's voice argue with Darrian and it made his feet move faster. The servants in the palace stopped and bowed as he passed, making his way to his side of the estate where he would be left alone.

"You grace," Julian, Wren's head guard, bowed his head as the prince entered his chambers.

Wren paused and looked around, "Where is she?"

"Your grace, the new moor is still in the servant quarters."

"Why?" Wren checked his watch. "I asked for her an hour ago."

"We went to go retrieve her but she would not comply," Julian explained.

"So you came back without her?" Wren arched his brow.

"No, your grace," Julian shook his head. "I've come to explain that there is a slight delay. Mina is cleaning her up."

Irritated by his morning with his mother and Darrian, Wren knew he did not have the patience to wait around. He had asked for the girl to be in his chamber. He had expected her to be waiting for him. He should not have to wait on her.

"We spent many minutes trying to get her out of the room, your grace," Julian added when Wren did not answer.

"She's one girl," Wren said with irritation. "Pick her up and throw her over your shoulder."

Julian kept his head low as the prince grabbed the baton out of his belt loop and turned to walk out of the room.

On the other side of the palace, Birdie bit down on the towel Mina had given her to scream into. She sat on the stool in front of Jasmeen's vanity as the woman dabbed the alcohol soaked cloth over her forehead.

"I don't know what kind of demon is inside of you," Mina shook her head as she cleaned Birdie's wound. "You tried to attack a fey guard. Child....what kind of animal raised you?"

Birdie did not reply. She flinched as her silence only made Mina rub her wound harder. Jasmeen sighed from the balcony and shook her head.

"That will leave a mark," she said. "Brass on jinn skin is deadly."

"Such a shame," Mina added. "What possessed you to go ahead and ruin a pretty face like that? What will you do if Tamzin throws you out to the streets of Deserati? Do you want to beg, borrow, and steal for a living?"

Before Birdie could tell Mina she was more than just a girl with a pretty face, the doors to the room were thrown open. Jasmeen gasped and jumped to her feet as Wren walked in with a brass baton in his hand.

Mina stilled, eyeing the prince and the guards that followed him in. Birdie's eyes lingered on the baton before she moved her gaze up to the prince.

"Have you come to finish what your men couldn't do?" Birdie asked, turning her face away and tilting it up towards Mina.

"I told the guards to wait until the bleeding stopped to take her up to your chambers, your grace," Julian spoke up from behind Wren.

The muscles in Wren's jaw tightened as he gave a nod. Two of the guards stepped forward as Mina quickly applied the bandage over Birdie's forehead and jumped out of their way.

"Do not touch me," Birdie glared at the two men approaching her.

They did not listen.

Birdie grabbed the jars of perfume off the vanity and hurled it towards the guards. The glass shattered against their helmets but caused no damage. She jumped out of her seat and reached for the stone candle stick on the bedside table.

"Let go of me!" Birdie beat her fists against the guards as they pulled her back and grabbed her arms.

Her feet dangled over the ground as they carried her back to where Wren stood. Birdie could feel the brass around her wrists start to heat up as her arms grew too heavy to move.

"Are you done?" Wren asked, his eyes bored.

Birdie glared at the fey. She wanted to claw at his face and sink her nails into his perfect skin but she could barely raise a finger.

"Let's not make this a habit, Birdie, '' Wren said.

"You'll have to drag me out of here screaming and yelling every time," Birdie said.

"No, I won't," Wren replied.

Birdie narrowed her eyes and let a small cruel laugh out of her mouth. If he thought she wasn't going to follow through with her words-

Wren stepped around Birdie and walked over to Mina. The guards turned Birdie around so she could see exactly what he was up to.

Birdie watched Mina's eyes widen and her breathing labor as the Prince raised the brass baton on his hand.

"No," Birdie began to struggle.

"Your grace," Mina's voice shook. She trembled as Wren's eyes darkened.

"No, stop!" Birdie yelled, watching the brass baton lower.

Mina began to sob as the baton hovered just an inch away from her face. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the pain.

"No, stop it!" Birdie yelled once more.

"Wren!" Jasmeen ran into the room from the balcony. "Stop, please!"

"Is this what you want, Birdie?" Wren asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Stop it!" Birdie heard her blood rush past her ears. "Leave her alone."

Very slowly, as the three women in the room stood with their hearts in their throat, Wren pulled the baton back. He handed it over to Julian and walked over to where Birdie stood.

"From now on, if you disobey my summons, they will pay," Wren pointed to where Jasmeen held Mina and comforted her.

Birdie looked into his dark eyes and felt her chest tighten. Her eyes watered out of anger and frustration as the guards sat her down on her feet and released her arms.

"Now," Wren said. "We're going to walk back to my chambers."

The water in Birdie's eyes blurred her vision as she stared at the fey. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip to keep herself from weeping in front of him as he motioned for her to fall into steps beside him.

With a heavy stone over her heart and murder on her mind, Birdie complied. She threw one last look at Mina and Jasmeen before following Wren and the rest of the guards out of the room.

"From tomorrow no one will come to collect you," Wren said. "You are expected to be at my chambers by sunrise...on your own."

If looks could kill, Birdie was sure Wren would have dropped dead from the daggers she shot at him through her glare. Her bare feet over the polished floors of the palace until they arrived at Wren's chambers and the doors closed behind her.

At once, Birdie's eyes began to scan her surroundings once more. She made notes of how far the door was to where she stood and how many steps it would take for her to run to the balcony.

"There is an exit to the servant staircase to the back," Wren said, removing his coat and dropping it over a chair. Birdie turned to him as he looked over at her from behind his desk. "You're scooping out your surroundings in case you need to escape."

Birdie did not reply.

"Two entrances to this chamber," Wren said. "One we just walked in through and the other is through those double doors."

Birdie's eyes shifted to the double door to the left side of the room.

"Walk right past my bedroom and the exit will be to your left," Wren pointed out. "Go down the stairs. It will lead you to the back gardens."

"Why should I trust anything you are saying?" Birdie asked. "You could be leading me into a trap."

"Why would I have an exit that leads to a trap in my bedroom?"

"I don't know what kind of fucked up things you're into," Birdie said.

"Would you like to find out?" Wren asked.

"I would rather jump off the balcony."

With a small chuckle, Wren looked over his shoulder, "That's a pretty long fall."

"Will it kill me?"

"It most certainly will."

"Then that's where I'm headed."

Wren looked at Birdie for a second with amusement in his eyes. He seemed to be trying to pull himself out of his head when he took his hand out of his pocket and beaconed for Birdie to come forward.

"No," Birdie said.

"Let me show you how far you will fall," Wren held out his hand.

Birdie knew the devil was toying with her. But she needed to know the layout of the palace. Talking a small step forward, she ignored Wren's hand and walked out onto the balcony.

The cool icy air hit her skin like pins and needles. Birdie's breath hung in the air as the sound of rushing water filled her ears. She walked up to the railings and looked down at the raging river that disappeared underneath the palace.

When she looked up, all she could see were mountains with snow caps in the distance. Thick fluffy clouds gathered at their base as rain poured out of them by the gallons.

No....not rain....

"When the snow melts, the water travels down to the fall and then into the river," Wren explained as he came to stand beside Birdie.

"That...." Birdie lifted her hand and pointed to the rainstorm in the distance at the base of the mountains. "That's a....waterfall?"

"The Splendid Fall," Wren said. "The water from it flows through the palace, down the glass canal and then into the glass sea."

Birdie couldn't look away from the waterfall. It was like watching the heavens weep. Cara, her cousin, would have surely enjoyed the view. She would have compared the mountains to Olympus. Another world...in the clouds.

Suddenly, Birdie felt a hand on her back push her over the railing of the balcony.

She screamed as her body toppled over the edge and headed straight for the angry water. But before she could take a second to process what was happening, Wren's hand grabbed her wrist.

"The water pressure will kill you if you fall from this height," he said, looking down at Birdie. "But not before the freezing temperature cuts through your skin and makes you wonder if you're burning or freezing."

Birdie's feet dangled in the air as she felt the freezing wind tickle her toes. She looked down at how fast the water moved, cruising everything in its path.

"Still think this is a good way to die?" Wren asked.

Hearing the mockery in his voice, Birdie looked up at the prince.

"Do it," she said. "Do it and let go of my hand."

"So damn impulsive," Wren muttered, pulling her back up. "Give me your other hand."

"No," Birdie said stubbornly, knowing he was bluffing. "Let go of my hand."

"Darrian paid a very high sum for you," Wren called on his magic and pushed Birdie upwards like an elevator. He let go of her hand as her body slowly floated up to his eye level. "What a shame it would be if I kill you within two days of having you. My mother taught me to take care of my things."

"I am not a thing," Birdie corrected him as her body floated through the air and back inside the room.

"Perhaps," Wren walked over to his desk and pulled out a small black box. "But what are you?"

"I'm a jinn," Birdie said as she was put back down on her feet. "And what are you? A monster?"

"Depends on who you ask," Wren said, placing the box on his desk. "Come over here, will you?"

"No," Birdie shook her head.

Wren rolled his eyes, opening the box and pulling out a small roll of gauze.

"What do you want with me?" Birdie demanded to know.

"Right now, I just want to change your bandage."

"Why?" Birdie narrowed her eyes.

"I do not like blood," Wren looked up. "And your wound is still bleeding. The gauze is soaked."

"Your men did this," Birdie pointed to her forehead.

"They wouldn't have if you listened to them."

"So you're justifying this?"

"I'm pointing out your mistakes," Wren said. "Do as you're told."

"You misogynistic evil....swine!"

"You wound me," Wren rolled his eyes as he unrolled the gauze in his hand.

"Don't come near me!" Birdie stepped back.

"Or what?" Wren paused. "What are you going to do?"

Birdie's heart began to throb painfully in her chest. She looked at the balcony and then at the double doors that lead into the bedroom. Would she make it to the doors?

Before Birdie could test her speed, Wren raised his hand and Birdie flew forward. She yelped as she came face to face with those navy blue eyes and felt the heat roll off the fey's body.

"You motherfuck!" Birdie yelled.

Wren ignored her as he reached out and peeled off the bandage from her forehead. Birdie began to struggle and swing her head back and forth. Growling low under his breath, Wren grabbed her face and held her still as he picked up the alcohol soaked gauze and wiped the blood from the coin size gash on her tiny face.

"Don't make a habit of getting hit with brass too often," the fey said. "It's not good for your kind."

"I hope you die," Birdie said through her teeth, her eyes watering. "I hope you live to see everything you've ever loved be ripped away from you while you stand helplessly. Powerless to try and stop it."

"That will never happen," Wren applied the new bandage, gripping Birdie's face tightly as she struggled. "Because there is no one I will ever love enough like that to let them become my weakness."

"So you are a monster," Birdie said. "Maybe you should be more worried about who would love you enough like that."

"There," Wren smoothed out the gauze, making Birdie shut her eyes and flinch from his touch. "All done. Now was that so hard?"

Birdie lifted her gaze to look at the fey. Her lashes were heavy with tears as she clamped her mouth shut, trying to keep her sobs inside. Wren's eyes scanned her face as her tears rolled down her cheeks and fell onto his hand that gripped her face.

"Where did you come from?" He asked, his hand loosening but still not letting her go.

Don't tell them you're the daughter of a Sultan, Birdie couldn't forget Lady Ebony's words.

"Deserati," Birdie said slowly, not looking away from Wren's gaze.

"Don't lie to me, little bird," Wren stepped closer. "Someone like you would have never gone unnoticed for this long in Deserati."

"I'm a jinn," Birdie said. "We can't lie."

"Is your family in Deserati?"

Birdie shook her head.

"Where are they?" Wren asked.

"Far far away."

When Birdie was younger she remembered her baba telling her the best lies were always the ones what were dipped in truth. Words had powers and to be able to string them along correctly was a magic of its own.

"So they are dead?" Wren asked.

Birdie clamped her mouth shut. Her eyes welled up with tears once more as she let her bottom lip tremble.

"How did they die?" Wren inquired, letting go of her face and taking a step back.

"You're the last person I want to talk to about my family," Birdie glared, catching her breath.

"Has your family been keeping you hidden for all these years?"

"Yes!" Birdie said, her sobs coming out harder. "My family....they've protected me against everyone. If they were here, they would never let you near me. They would burn you to the ground for ever touching me."

"But they're not here anymore."

"Obviously!"

"How did you end up with the collector?"

"I was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Birdie said. "I messed with things I did not understand."

Wren listened carefully. He looked down at the girl standing before him as she wiped her eyes and tried to calm her breathing. Very carefully, Wren lifted his hand and picked up a strand of Birdie's hair.

"Don't touch my hair," Birdie snatched her long locks back.

"Where did your silver hair come from?" Wren asked.

"From my mother."

"Did she have silver hair too?"

"No."

"Was she a fey?" Wren arched his brow.

"No," Birdie shook her head.

"Then why do you have silver hair?"

"Why do you have black eyes?"

"They're not black," Wren smiled. "They're navy blue. And they are a family trait. I got it from my father."

"And I got my hair from my mother," Birdie said. "A family trait."

"But how is that possible?"

"I don't know," Birdie said. "What did you do to my head? It hurts."

"Moonberries," Wren said. "It's going to numb the skin."

Birdie reached up and touched the bandage.

"Don't touch it," Wren said with disapproval.

Birdie looked up and slowly lowered her hand. She couldn't figure out the man before her. His calmness made her uneasy. It irked her to see how none of her tactics ever dug into his skin long enough to get a rise out of him. Baba always said people made stupid mistakes when they were angry. It was easy to see their weakness when their mind was clouded by anger.

But not Wren. Birdie could not get a read on him. He conducted his business as if he had all the time in the world. As if he knew what she was up to and he was too smart to fall into her trap.

"You may leave," Wren said after a short pause. "The guards outside will take you back."

Birdie stared at the fey as he took a step back and turned away. The black shirt we wore matched his hair as he rubbed the back of his neck and tilted his head up.

"Remember," Wren said, with his eyes closed. "I want you here by sunrise tomorrow."

What do you think of Wren so far? And Birdie?