The Column Racer (35 page)

“I did everything you told me,” said Aquilina, “or at least I think I did.”

“What about the kiss?” asked Fides. Aquilina looked at them both with knowing eyes, and they could tell even in the dark of night that Aquilina’s face was a crimson red and her hand went nervously to pull at a strand of her hair.

“He did!” exclaimed Areli. Aquilina gave them each a look in turn, and then nodded her head.

“So – how was it?” asked Fides.

“It was as if the ground was no more, as if air was no more, as if at that moment all that existed was our lips and our beating hearts.” It was everything Areli wished her kiss with Yats was.

Fides and Areli smiled at each other, and they spent the rest of the night gleaning Aquilina for information before falling asleep as the sky above them turned pink with color. They both fought off the urge to ask Aquilina about the ointment and syringes, hoping that when Aquilina and her special somebody became official, she wouldn’t be upset if they asked her about it. They figured she owed them that . . . at least.

She added another layer of lip gloss to her lips. She was mad about being cooped up inside her house like some prisoner, but she was willing to do whatever it took to get her father onto the throne. Her uncle had his time. It was time someone else was given the crown. But she so desperately missed going to the restaurants, shopping, and, oh, she missed the men. She loved making deep passionate love to them, right beneath the portraits of their families. It gave her such a rush. She always knew she was a sinister, evil thing. But such could be expected from the Hunter lineage.

But since she couldn’t go out anymore, she merely had to bring these things to her. She had her father hire the best chefs in town. He simply threatened them with being labeled as followers of Degendhard. Anything to get her uncle’s skin boiled up. The clothes. She had her maids and servants pick up whatever was new. If she didn’t like it, she used it as kindle in her fire.
And the men.
Oh, she moaned at the thought of men. She loved physical pleasure just as much as she loved material things.

She had a new man each day – almost. And she required them to bring a portrait of their families. She desperately needed that to get in the mood. These men were so easy for her. All she had to do was threaten to kill their wife and kid, and they were willing to please her in any way. She preferred it this way. If she was required to please a man, her head might explode.

She had one such man in her room right now. She had picked him out of the crowd. Broad shoulders, tight arms, and her neck became on fire when she saw how rippled his abs were. Oh, she was going to have fun with him. And she couldn’t wait for his family, in perfect painted form, to witness it all from above. A knock came at her door. She already had the man on top of her, kissing her neck just the way she liked it. The knock started again.

“Miss Hunter,” said her maid, “there is someone here to see you.”
Can’t it wait
, she thought to herself, her body riding on the joy of sensation.

“Just keep going,” Sofi told the man, “ignore her. Just – oh – yeah.”

“Miss Hunter,” said the maid, “he says it’s urgent.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Sofi, shoving the man off her. If she would have already had her clothes off, the maid would have had to wait until the man satisfied her. She stomped angrily to her bedroom entrance. She flung open the large gold doors and stared at her maid and the one standing next to her.

“
Yeah
. . . and what do you want?”

“I have some information that I thought you would like.” She gestured with her head for the boy to walk in.

“I want no more disturbances for the rest of the evening,” said Sofi to her maid, slamming the door and walking back to her large gold four-poster bed. The boy followed behind her.

“This
better
be good,” said Sofi, annoyed, “as you can see . . . I was just in the middle of something.” The boy looked at the half-naked man and the portrait of the man’s family that was placed just above the headboard of the four-poster bed.

“Trust me,” said the boy, “this information is everything you’ve been hoping for.” The boy delivered. Sofi took in every word, smiling wickedly after he was done. Her uncle’s saying was right. Information truly was better than sex.

During the rest of the week, Areli spent her evenings with Yats, Fides, and Amer. They were back to their favorite restaurants, doing homework, and staying out late. And every night, Areli would fall asleep with tears as they were no closer to finding the informants, Aniya, or Sofi. It was as if all of them had ceased to exist. Many mornings, Areli stared at herself in the mirror, trying to give herself the strength to confront Haskel at school. But no matter how much courage she was able to work into her veins in those early hours, whenever she walked through the halls and saw the small army surrounding the royal born, she felt all the wind evacuate her sails. The week of school came to a quick close, as if carried through on a swift breeze. Areli competed in her sixth competition, marking the mid-point of the season, against Leboult Hall, in which all members of the Abhi premier team ran in the short-go, with Fides placing first again as in every competition that year, and Areli still following close behind.

Areli was happy to see Tegan throw a tantrum, as she couldn’t seem to break into the top two but stayed third in every race. Perla was calmer about coming in fourth, which scared her. All that mattered in the season was finishing in the top fifteen, as the World Race was a separate season in itself. And if Perla was just trying to bide her time into the World Race, she may have something up her sleeve.
Something dangerous.
Areli knew being in your last year of eligibility was a desperate time for any rider. A time in which they would resort to almost any measure of cruelty and deceit to compromise the competition. Areli and Fides would have to keep a careful eye on her. Tegan was acting out too much, too visibly frustrated and annoyed, so any foul play would easily incite an investigation with her leading the suspect lists, and leaving quiet, plotting Perla on the bottom.

Areli stood in front of a mirror. Her hair was beautifully styled and she wore a long, flowing dress shimmering with diamonds. She felt as if she and Kaia had flown into the peaks of the sky and taken a star back with them, shaping it to follow the contours of her body. Fides was next to her, masking her eyes with shadow and eyeliner, her body wearing a beautiful black dress with diamonds brushed on it as if it had been caught in a light snow. Tonight was the Spring Dance, and Areli was doing everything in her power to hold herself together.

She was going to enjoy the night, but if for some reason she happened to run into one of the informants, or Sofi or Aniya, she was going to pummel each into soil if they didn’t give her the information she desired. Areli looked at Fides in the mirror, trying with all her might to shield her fears from her.

They were going to meet Yats and Amer at the Hall where the dance was set up by the under years. Fides says she didn’t have much say in it, but she was certain this year was definitely going to be better than any of the other years.

“Is this because you have a date this year?” asked Areli with a smile.

“Oh, Areli,” said Fides, smacking her lips in the mirror, applying another coat of lipstick, “that’s only a fraction of it.” She winked at Areli and asked if she was ready to go.

When they arrived at the Hall, it was one of the most beautiful things Areli had ever seen. The colors for the dance were the same every year. Black, red, and gold. The colors of Abhi. The colors of the Empire. The Spring Dance was always used to celebrate the halfway point of a season. Abhi’s flag hung down from what seemed like every corner of the room. Lanterns were placed in glass balls layered thickly with diamonds, giving them an astute appearance to how Areli thought a star would look like if she was among them.

The floors were covered with red and gold carpets, and there was a large stage for the orchestra to play every type of song, alternating smoothly between songs requiring multiple dancers and fast movements to slow ones requiring only one partner. Yats and Amer were both dressed in all black, a tradition for men at the Spring Dance. There were diamonds shimmering on their shoulders, as if capturing the same snow fall appearance of Fides dress.

Areli and Yats tried to scope out the crowd. They even met up with Brynn and Finn at one point, but none of the people they were searching for were there. Areli felt nauseous when she thought she had looked at every face there. Her head was spinning and a feeling of regret came on like a punch to the stomach, never content in just making her suffer.

Yats told her they would have time. They would find the proof they needed.

“But how much time?” asked Areli, “I feel – I feel so helpless . . . I mean . . .”

“I know,” said Yats, “just do what we talked about. Enjoy the night. Tomorrow, I promise, we’ll intensify our efforts to get whatever information we can.”

“But
how?
” asked Areli, “I don’t know how we can. I feel like we have exhausted all viable options.”

“There are ways, Areli,” said Yats, “expensive ways, but there are ways. Just do me a favor. Please don’t worry about it until the morning.” Areli nodded her head and buried her face into Yats shoulders, letting her tears spread across the black silk and diamonds. She loved him. She loved him so much. Talon should have never come for her. She was with Yats now. She would always be with Yats.

After the dance, Areli went home with Fides. She really wanted to spend the night with Yats, but Fides had insisted. They curled next to one another in Fides bed, the fire roaring in the fireplace next to them. Overlooking them was the statue of the two girls on their pillar.

“Areli – are you still awake?” asked Fides. Areli nodded her head, her eyes still closed. “Have you ever wondered why I have never won a World Race?” Areli opened her eyes, and looked at Fides.

“It’s crossed my mind a couple of times,” said Areli, “but I assumed . . . that when you were ready, you would tell me.” There was a silence between them. Fides rolled over in her bed and looked up at the canopy of fabric that shrouded her view of her gold decorated ceiling.

“I lost those races you know,” said Fides, “I lost them both on purpose.” Areli watched as tears started to climb out of Fides eyes, allowing gravity to pull them down the side of her face. Areli reached out her hand and gently laid it on Fides arm. Fides turned over so her back was facing the fire and her face was pointed towards Areli. “Did you know that? Did you ever think I was capable of such a thing?”

“Anyone is capable of anything,” said Areli.

“Don’t you want to know why?” Areli already knew the answer to the question, but she knew Fides was ready to release a secret not even the Emperor or Coach Sani, with their harshness and cruel words would ever extract, and so she nodded her head gently.

“Love,” said Fides, “I knew . . . I knew if I won the World Race I would never see Amer again. I’ve loved him my whole life, Areli. I think I loved him even before I ever met him. Like it was meant to be. Is that how you and Yats are?” Areli let the words seep into her tired brain. She wanted to give Fides an honest answer to an honest question.

“I believe that Yats and me – that we have something so rare, so powerful . . . that even if I never was recruited to Abhi, or if Coach Sani had never tried to ridicule me by having me practice amongst the roping team . . . we still would be together . . . I like to believe our love is something ordained by the stars.” For the first time, Areli actually believed whole-heartedly in what she was saying. Talon and her were never meant to be together. If they were . . . he would have said so back in Oroin. But he came back for her. Why did he come back for her? It didn’t matter. She loved Yats. She truly and deeply loved him. She was sure she was going to marry him. They would have a kid together and spend the rest of their days happy. Talon? With Degendhard’s messengers having such a short life expectancy these days, Areli wondered if Talon would even make it till next year. She wondered if his loyalty to Edsel, or Degendhard, would finally get him killed.

“Fate,” responded Fides, breaking Areli’s train of thought. Areli quickly composed herself.

“Destiny,” answered Areli. A smile came to Fides face and she turned on the bed again so she was facing the canopy of elegant colors again, the fire prancing light amongst them. They sat in silence awhile, each lost in their own thoughts, until Fides looked back at Areli.

“I want you to know,” said Fides, “that the situation with Aubrie, that wasn’t a message only intended for you.”

“What are you saying?” asked Areli, fighting hard against the currents of sleep.

“It was meant for me as well,” said Fides, “Emperor Ailesh is tired of me losing in the short-go.”

“Yeah, but there is nothing he could do about it.”

“Areli,” said Fides, “it’s the Emperor . . . he can do anything he wants.”

“But you’re a rider. The most talented rider in the World after Aquilina.”

“He promised me – he would make it look like an accident.”

“Make what look like an accident?” asked Areli, the sleep disappearing from her like the black of the ocean as a person swims for the security of the surface.

“My death,” said Fides. Areli sat straight up in bed, the full weight of the past week bringing forth a surge of regret and remorse.

“He can’t kill you!” said Areli, “you’re too valuable to him.”

“I’m only valuable if I win,” said Fides, “the same goes for any of us. If I win – I live – if I lose, especially a third World Race, he promised me it wouldn’t be quick. He promised me – he would devise a way to tear me in half in a way that would make me continue to suffer far after I’m dead.”

“Then you’re going to win!” said Areli, who instantly felt her heart drop as the words escaped her mouth, “it’s simple. You have Amer now. He’s yours Fides. He’ll never leave you. You need to win.” Thoughts of the Emperor came surging back to her like a charging bull. He gave her the same threat. If she didn’t win, and Fides did. He was going to kill her instead. Areli tried to shake the thoughts from her head. There were still six more races. She would worry about the outcome of the World Race when she got there. For now, Fides needed to win. Areli wasn’t going to tell her otherwise. She was too talented not to win. Her skill was even superior to her own.
If the World Race is going to be my last race
, said Areli,
so be it.

“But you need to win as well,” said Fides.

“We’ll figure out a way, Fides,” said Areli, “I promise you, we’ll figure out a way. We just need to make it close. I have been finishing behind you all season. Surely the Emperor couldn’t do anything to me if the audience adores me and fully expects me to win the following year.”

“But Areli . . . he . . .”

“NO! No, you have to win, Fides,” said Areli, “you have to. Promise me, you’ll win.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“Why?” Fides looked away. “Fides – why?”

“Because I feel as if I’m already dead!” said Fides, a tear catching in her throat.

“Don’t you think like that!” said Areli, “you’re going to win the World Race. You are going to be a professional rider, and you’re going to have a house at least four times the size of Aquilina’s. And then the following year, I’ll join you.” But Areli didn’t know, maybe the Emperor would stay true to his word. Regardless, Areli didn’t want Fides to lose another World Race. If Areli were to win it, she would want to deserve it. Fides was going to win, and Areli would have to die. But then again, maybe the Emperor would spare her life. Areli had to believe he would. Or she might as well give up now. “And we can just be . . . we can just ride . . . and we can be free.” Fides closed her eyes, trying to strangle the stream of tears that were rolling down her skin.

“But what about you,” asked Fides, “if you don’t win this year . . .”

“This is just part of the Emperor’s game, Fides,” said Areli, trying to sound confident in her conviction, “he’s only trying to push us. He needs us alive.
Okay.
You will win . . . then I will win . . . and we will even have the Emperor make sure our houses are next to one another’s. Okay. Fides it will all work out.” Fides bursted into tears, and Areli clung to her friend, and her body shook violently as it absorbed the tears and convulsions from Fides. Areli held on to Fides for what seemed like an eternity. She brushed away her friend’s tears and rested her forehead against hers, telling Fides over and over that everything would be okay.

As the night deepened, they laid there silently, holding hands. Areli, with her eyes open, watching over her friend, her sister. And Fides with her eyes closed. After a while, Areli’s eyelids were being weighted down by sheer exhaustion, and when she could no longer hold them open, she closed them, ready to surrender to sleep.

“Areli,” said Fides, eyes still closed, “if anyone ever did anything to you. I would make them suffer. I would make them pay.”

“I know you would,” said Areli, eyes opening only a hair’s width.

“Would you do the same for me?”

“I would live to make that person regret every day of their life for hurting you. In this world and the next.” Fides squeezed Areli’s hand, pleased with her answer, and together they both drifted away into dreams and unconscious thoughts.