Extol of Agnatic Dreams (The Extol Series Book 1) (26 page)

Wick nodded and pulled back the curtain of hair to show the littering of scars, some deeper than others. Faint pink spots were mixed with heavy stains where the bites had not been clean and her body had struggled to make her whole again. “I was only eleven the first time. Glais developed the thirst faster than his father and they were unprepared.”

Evangeline couldn’t believe that Wick was trying to make excuses for the clear abuse she had suffered. “How long until he stopped?”

“Three years. One of the cooks found me the first time in the play room, unconscious and drained almost clean. He took me to his room and nursed me back to health.” Wick looked down at her hands, picking at the green that was stuck under her nails from the herbs. Perhaps she should take some herself. “I barely made it back to the living but he told me about the rules of the curse.”

“Thomas said if you speak about it, then you die.” Evangeline offered the little information she had.

Wick nodded. “That is how it usually works. I do not understand why your friends suffered this fate and not you. I am sorry Evangeline.” Her tongue struggled with the name but she managed to pronounce it close enough and Evangeline was hardly in a place to correct her.

“You took a vow of silence? That is why you are playing mute.” Evangeline was impressed that a girl so young could manage such an amazing thing.

“Not at first. I didn’t make it a habit of speaking about the games I would play with Glais so it was easy for me to routinely avoid it. But as he grew older and he would continue to feast from my veins it became harder and harder to simply hide them. There was another friend we had growing up. His name was Robert and Glais took from him as well.” Evangeline waited while Wick collected herself. She didn’t want to interrupt her natural flow of thoughts.

“Robert told Baxter.” Wick started her story again. “Not obviously. The way he phrased it was odd and it seemed he was enjoying teasing Glais’ younger brother with the knowledge of a secret rather than looking to actually speak about it. I was sitting with them when it happened. I can’t remember exactly what was said but it was enough for the curse to claim him. In his sleep just as the stories said.”

“I am sorry.” Evangeline took Wick’s hand and the girl didn’t fight her.

“That was when I realised how dangerous it could be any allusion to the curse would be enough to trigger the end. That was when I went mute. It had taken some time before people noticed. I knew it was safe to speak with those who already knew about the curse, and yet I became more and more paranoid of being heard that I slowly stopped talking altogether. The rules are not clear and it seemed that no one could answer my questions.” Wick shrugged and put her head back, sweeping her hair from her face as she turned to look at Evangeline. “It was safer to stop speaking to anyone than risk death every day.”

Evangeline nodded. “Why did they stop Glais from feeding on you?”

Wick shrugged. “You can see by looking at me that there was something wrong. Be it he drunk too deep too often or perhaps the timing of it in my youth but my body could not heal the effects of his conditions. It became apparent he would kill me one day and his parents did not want that. I was banished from his rooms and as his friend.” With Glais gone, she had no one safe in her world and Wick had become less social, easier to forget and miss.

“When you came, I knew I needed to protect you from him as best I could.” That was the reason that Wick had taken the role as her lady in waiting. Foolishly she had believed that she could protect Evangeline from the curse. “I am sorry I failed you on that.”

“Oh Wick, please do not say such things. We are not to blame for this, and really all we can blame is Quintus and Kyleigh for ever putting you in that position. Both of us deserved better. Teagan and Viviana deserved better.” How many others had been forced into this same game of hiding a secret to such a degree that it ruined their lives? Evangeline dared not think about it.

There was a knock at the door and Wick rose, helping Evangeline to her feet. Wiping her eyes on the back of her hands she nodded to Wick. All too easily she went back to her silence and after sharing such an intimate story, it was odd. Wick opened the door, Evangeline settling her dress and doing her best to look presentable. Her hair was pulled forward to hide her neck, the best she could manage but it was a small gathering of people. She was relieved to see Thomas leading the soldiers who would tend to her friends but she froze when she saw Glais.

“Evangeline, are you feeling ok?” The concern in him brought out only confusion in her. For such a simple question the answer was complicated. Where to begin with how she was feeling. She could barely manage an accurate label for how she felt about him.

“Please, take care with them both. They are family to me.” Circumstances had forced them together but Evangeline could not imagine a time without Viviana and Teagan. Now she would be compelled to mourn them. Would they be buried here or returned to Crimah? Evangeline bit her bottom lip to keep her composure but the shaking in her hands could not be so easily hidden.

Her neck was still to obviously ruined and it would raise questions. Not knowing if the change to circumstances was long term, Glais wanted to limit the exposure to those who did not know. Right now they were safe with these guards but the circle was small and would remain that way. Glais approached her and reached for her hair.

She easily stopped him with a sharp shake of her head. “Viv did it.” Evangeline stroked the braid and Glais didn’t try again to pull it lose. Evangeline had gone through far too much to fight her on this right now. “We need to talk, Glais.”

“I agree.” But he didn’t know where he could suggest where Evangeline would feel safe. Not for this delicate conversation.

“My rooms? Wick will be a chaperone.” The girl did not comment at the sound of her name, only turned and left the room to return to the one where Evangeline slept. Glais didn’t argue and after a moment, Evangeline left him to go to Thomas with a few final requests. “Pack their things and let me know what the King has planned for their burial. There are differences in the way we do things at Crimah and I don’t want to seem disrespectful to Braykith customs but I want their souls to be restful.”

Thomas nodded. “Of course. I shall report as soon as King Quintus announces.” Evangeline turned to leave but Thomas stopped her. Looking over her shoulder, he saw Glais watching them but Thomas didn’t seem afraid of him. He brought his gaze back to Evangeline, who looked sick and stressed. “Take breaks. Rest. Do not let him force the story upon you if you do not wish to know it and ask all of your questions now.” He looked back at Glais but it seemed that the Prince would not interrupt them. “Glais is private. He will not be so free with information later. If you do not ask now, then you run a very real risk of it never being answered.”

Thomas released her and Evangeline nodded. “Thank you.” She walked past Glais, trusting Thomas as it seemed most other people did. She believed that he would take care of her friends. Right now, Evangeline needed to learn how to take care of herself before she became mute like Wick did, or mindless as Kyleigh had become.

Regardless of what Thomas had told her about Kyleigh, Evangeline was still not at ease. It could not be possible to be so close to the curse and leave with no side effects. Wick was the obvious example of this. Kyleigh was subtle, and in Evangeline’s mind the more dangerous consequences that could befall her. The fact no one questioned the Queen’s simple interactions was a larger cause for concern.

E
vangeline returned to her own rooms to find that Wick had made tea for them both. Freshly brewed, the pot was gently steaming on the table in her sitting room and there was a lingering spiced scent that wafted from the rising steam. All of this, Evangeline barely noticed. She felt thrown by being here with Glais instead of staying with her friends. She needed to trust Thomas that he would ensure their safety, but she felt like she abandoned them. If Glais had not filled the doorway, Evangeline would have returned to their rooms.

Wick herself was gone, although Evangeline did not believe she was far. Wick was never one to shy away from Evangeline when she was needed, but their interactions were limited to the necessary requirements. Evangeline did not feel offended that Wick had moved on to work, rather than stay behind although it did mean she would need to pour her own tea. Perhaps Wick could be found with the bath or her bedroom to clean up after the mess. The dress had been left as a sad reminder in the fireplace, the smell of vomit clung to the space which was thinner here but still obvious to Evangeline. She had left quite a problem for Wick to tend with.

They stood in silence facing each other as the room began to fill up with tension. Evangeline pressed her lips together, one hand toying with the ring on her hand. Glais watched her until suddenly she became aware of the focus of his gaze and abruptly stopped her actions. She did not want Glais to think the ring meant more to her then it should. “Do you drink tea?” Evangeline finally asked and Glais nodded, hands behind his back as he wandered in slow circles around the room. She could be forgiven for not knowing these things. Their courtship had been far removed from the usual course since Evangeline arrived at Braykith. “I never seem to pay that much attention to what you do at meals.”

“I notice you barely seem to eat.” Glais paused in his pacing, and their eyes met again briefly before his feet started moving and Evangeline busied herself with cups. He wanted to explain to Evangeline that he was surprised after feasting on her blood on how healthy she tasted. It was common these days to see Evangeline eat nothing at a meal. Evidently, although she did seem to neglect her nourishment on a regular basis, she was indeed very in good physical shape tasting. Glais doubted that she would appreciate that knowledge, even if it was supposed to ease her. “Do you not like the food here?” was the question he forced himself to ask instead.

Evangeline shrugged, taking her time with pouring the tea into the two cups that were set and waiting for them before setting the pot aside. “It is not the food I am repulsed by.” She saw his reaction, how harshly he heard those words that she careless released. Bowing her head under the disguise of adding sugar to their tea she continued. “I find it hard to eat when I feel anxious.” Evangeline gathered her own cup to one side of the table. “The side effects are not good and I often avoid eating all together until that feeling passes. It can be minutes, or days.” She sighed. Her little problem seemed far less intrusive now that she could guess at the issues that Glais dealt with. “Please sit.” She gestured to the chair opposite her own.

“I prefer to stand.” He answered automatically without much thought.

“And I prefer for you to sit.” Glais did so and Evangeline just gave him a curt nod. “You are quite intimidating Glais and that was before I knew what you were capable of.”

Glais looked over himself and had to agree with her declaration. He supposed that he was indeed quite intimidating to look at. His body was strong from years of weapons training. He stood taller than Evangeline and most other women. Continuing to stand while she sat down seemed almost vulgar now that she had commented on it. After all, they were within her own chambers and if she was reminded of that he had done to her here she had a right to question just how safe she was with him present.

Glais tried the tea, but the cup was returned quickly and Glais was struggling on where to start. Evangeline had struggles of her own. Not only was the tea turning her stomach, she could not help but look at Glais now and blame him for her friends’ deaths. Teagan and Viviana would still be alive if only he had trusted her with honesty. Instead she had been treated with chill and lies. Those thoughts prompted her to speak.

“Do you know why my friends died instead of me?” If he weren't going to offer her answers, then Evangeline would need to ask the ones she felt most connected to. She would never forget her friends, and while she was glad to be alive, Evangeline never would have wished them dead as an exchange for her life.

“I have a theory but I am afraid it is all just speculation.” Glais said smoothing down the fabric of his pants. Evangeline rose an eyebrow and encouraged him to continue. Thomas had told her to get all the information she could from him now, and so she was determined to heed his advice.

Glais nodded grimly, understanding her silent protest. “As you wish.” He pressed his palms together as he bowed his head and tried hard to consider his words before saying them. “I believe it has something to do with your Dryad heritage.”

Evangeline could not hide her surprise at his guess. She supposed that it was understandable since he did spy upon her with the Dryad Alisma. Evangeline did not think he had been there long enough to overhear the finer details of that conversation. As quickly as her shock had appeared, Evangeline forced her face into a false calm so she could speak. “You knew about that?” Evangeline asked, feeling annoyed that her secrets had been so easily shared and yet she suffered ultimately for not being given the information that she needed.

“It isn’t common knowledge but I am aware of it.” Glais told her, but it did little to make her feel better. “My parents are hoping that your Dryad blood will bring the curse to an end.”

“How can I do that?” She snapped at him. “Apparently you haven’t changed after drinking from my neck.”

Glais swallowed hard. He hated being reminded of the exact notions of his curse and yet it seemed Evangeline was happy to bring it up casually. “We are getting ahead of ourselves. Which do you wish to know the answer to? My theory or the reason for the curse.”

Evangeline paused. “Your theory. And then I want the full story.” She added.

Glais nodded. “I can only speculate that your pull on nature kept you alive, regardless of the curse and its efforts to remain hidden. The grounds are proof enough for me that you are drawing on all the new foliage that came with your appearance to court.”

Evangeline remembered the distinct pattern of the new death that was now part of the gardens. “How can you be sure it is not due to your attack?”

Glais shook his head. “While that is a viable theory on its own, I feel it wouldn’t be this devastating. Under normal circumstances, speaking of the curse will kill you. When that could not happen, the curse demanded a life. The garden was not enough. Like my own desires, it needs a human. It took the ones you spoke to.”

Evangeline as silent as she considered it and finally nodded. “I suppose that does make a kind of sense.” How would they ever know? She would not test it, and Glais didn’t ask her to. “Will the gardens grow back?”

“I suspect they will but I cannot be sure.” Glais wished he had more absolutes for her but while she brought hope, Evangeline also brought with her so much unknown. “You are new to us. Just bringing life to the gardens was a miracle.” He evidently did believe that. Glais took up his cup again but still he couldn’t rest. It was taboo to speak of the curse and still knowing that she might not die from the knowledge, Glais had been trying to ensure this very discussion never happened.

“Are you going to explain the attack?” Evangeline did not want to lose the momentum she had found.

“You forced my hand, Evangeline.” Glais sighed. “I had no other way to move forward. I know that it is my own fault you believed these women you have seen are for my bed. I never lead you to believe otherwise. It is a common assumption to make. I suppose you gave me something to consider after our discussion in the carriage.”

Evangeline rose an eyebrow but she was doing her best to not give him an excuse to pause in his story.

“Since you arrived I have been attempting to make you uncomfortable.” Glais admitted.

“Well, you certainly did well. I felt very uncomfortable.” Evangeline told him. She continued to believe it now, but she hoped she was a slight bit better at hiding it these days. “What were you hoping to achieve?”

“I wanted you to hate me Evangeline. It would be easier for us if you did. Neither of us asked for this marriage and it seemed that perhaps we could find some kind of agreement where neither of us would need the other.” Glais sighed heavily, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “I never wanted to do the things I did to you. I never wanted you to know any of it. You were safer before.”

“You think I wouldn’t work out what you are? Even without sharing a bed, that I would be blind?” Glais shook his head and Evangeline was surprised but thankful that he did give her some acknowledgement.

“I was hoping that I could stay hidden in plain sight. If you hated me, then you would never wish to know me any better.” Glais knew now it was childish but Evangeline had made him panicked. “I did not handle this the best way possible.” It was a hard thing for a proud man like Glais to admit. “I am well aware that I am rather impossible still.”

Evangeline shook her head at him. “You are being stupid Glais. I never imagined I would think such a thing about you but it is entirely correct. Whatever you were thinking, making me hate you was never going to work.” Evangeline jumped slightly when Glais moved, the jump visible and the Prince was slower and more deliberate as he settled in his chair. “Sorry.” She apologised

Glais shook his head and waved he concerns away. “No. I deserve it.”

Evangeline sighed. “I doubt very much that you deserve this.”

He supposed now was a good a time as any to explain exactly what he was dealing with and how terrible it could be beyond what she knew already. “The curse is old. Set against our family for something an ancestor did. The witch who did it is probably long dead and still we suffer for some imagined injustice made against her. It is believed that the witch was indeed a Princess and had been coming to visit the Prince with the prospect of marriage. However, she was set upon by hard times after the Prince had discovered she practised the dangerous black arts. Banished, she was labelled a pariah and she lost everything.

“Her family was caught and hung by locals who now blamed them for a bad stock in the farming. As revenge, she cursed the bloodline. She ensured that the line was cursed with a demon thirst for blood. It only infects the first born, however, should the firstborn die the curse will be found in the next heir.” Evangeline shivered but Glais ignored it. This was barely the beginning of all he planned to tell her. He would be completely honest with her and attempt to fix the great wrong he had made against her.

“The blood lust comes with puberty. Once the blood lust is seen within the son, it demands constant vigilance. As the curse continues, it claims more of the mind. If one should not produce an heir for the curse to be continued, the original host will go mad.”

“Wait.” Evangeline interrupted him. “Our son will inherit this?” Glais nodded. “Not only will he inherit it but you will ensure I bear you a son?” She was sickened by the prospect of it.

“I would destroy the world if I do not. It is not something I wish to do.” Glais tried to defend himself but it seemed to have little effect on Evangeline’s opinions on the matter. “It is as it is Evangeline. Any son I create will inherit this curse and he will need the care from his father and mother if he is supposed to live through it. I assure you this is no task that I am enjoying.” His voice had risen in his frustration, but it hardly warranted the expression Evangeline gave him. He took a deep breath. “Please, Evangeline I have no interest in hurting you.”

“You are more beast than man Glais, and you tell me that you plan to infect my children. How else would you expect a woman to respond?” Evangeline was sure to meet his frustrations with a calming voice. She did not want to aggravate him further. “Please tell me more of this curse.”

Glais did not feel encouraged to continue but he nodded and collected his thoughts. “For a long time, there has been an established way of making the process as simple as possible. Obviously, we need to keep the circle who knows about it small, but we need a reliable, and willing, offering every day.” Glais ignored Evangeline as she turned a light shade of green. “It means that often we are given a rotation of people to…” He wasn’t sure what he could say to try and explain the process of feeding without making Evangeline feel worse.

“Do you sleep with them?” Evangeline asked.

“Occasionally.” He wished he could lie but it seemed that for now he was incapable of it.

“Have you slept with Luella?” Evangeline felt that she already knew the answer to this question but she wanted to hear him admit it. “How often?” She added before he could respond to the first question.

“Almost every time.”

Evangeline looked at the door and Glais feared that she would dismiss him. She seemed to be battling with herself, fighting against doing the very thing he feared and yet she bit back the command and nodded. “Do you love her?”

“No,” He answered quickly which seemed to make Evangeline suspicious instead of feeling comforted. “I do not love her Evangeline. I appreciate her and I know that when I…” he struggled again with the right word. “When we are together she enjoys it. It seems almost cruel not to sleep with her.” Evangeline put her hand up and he stopped. “I am answering your questions as best I can.” He apologised.