Mrs. June
Since our next destination wasn't that far, Rakesh shrunk the hover cart, and we used the walkway tunnel to reach it. The closer we got, the quieter the world became. The air seemed to hold its breath. What we do here is sacred.
Anyone who approached this hidden place would be able to scent the sharp bite of essence and forged metal, the kind that settled on your tongue and never quite left. As if a piece of this place's aura imprints itself on anyone who comes too close.
As the black gate came into view, Nyx slowed in appreciation. She held the hand of Ms. Zenaida, who had to be blindfolded and had headphones on so she would hear and see nothing of where we were going. She understood that she could not be allowed to see this place. She may belong to an allied family sworn to eternal loyalty—but there are always ways around that.
Best to not put her in a position she would have to die for secrets she doesn't need to know. Though with how brilliant she was as a techno-witch, once she has a few more other projects under her belt, offering her a project to test the compatibility of technology with our relics would be something to consider. I make a note in my phone to mention the possibility to Malcolm later. Especially now that Lady Nyxara seems to be reestablishing her friendship with Ms. Zenaida. Maybe they will be best friends again without that poisonous little girl getting in the way this time.
I sensed, more than saw, when Nyxara left Ms. Zenaida in Rakesh and Lima's care before coming to stand at the gate with me. The runes carved across its surface gleamed a faint red, like veins beneath the skin. The hum in the air here wasn't sound so much as pressure, essence compressed so tightly that even I felt it crawl across my senses. She felt it too—I saw the tiny flicker in her eyes, the way she drew in a slow, testing breath like she could taste what lay beyond the barrier.
"This," I said, tone reverent, "is Ashire. Our sacred relics workshop. It is our secret weapons division managed personally by the Patriarch. Restricted access. Anyone who is allowed to even come this close to the workshop already knows the protocol, so no matter who they are, you can flat out reject any requests."
Her nod of understanding held a poise that gave her an air of being older than her 21 years. She didn't ask for details about the workshop, which honestly surprised me. Before it was one of the topics she would pester everyone for more information about. Honestly, Rakesh and I hadn't planned to include this place in the tour, but when the heads of the enclave requested it be included, I figured it would be interesting to see just how much the girl had changed.
They weren't exaggerating how much her amnesia changed her. Her eyes are filled with intrigue and ambition, but it is tempered with patience. With surprise, it hit me that she expects to eventually be invited through these gates. I wasn't sure how I felt about her being able to play the long game in this. Like a relentless hunter, in time, all that she deems her prey will be within her grasp. I could not stop the shiver that went down my spine. She hasn't set off my instincts, but this person could simply be a sleeper agent.
Can she be trusted? Is she really Nyxara, or is she a soul transplanted into the lady's body to spy on us? I would uphold my first vow to this family. I will eliminate all enemies. No matter who they are or pretend to be.
Deciding to test her, I stepped closer with a smile. "The Patriarch promised, should you be interested, he will bring you here someday. After you are completely healed and you're less likely to faint from the pressure of the works done here." Now, how will you react to this promise? Her head tilted, curiosity sparked, but nothing unusual to be seen.
"While I would love to visit sooner, maybe this restriction is for the best. The pressure here at the gate already feels intense. I can't imagine how much more suffocating it would be for me closer to the actual building. This place will give me something tangible to work towards being able to visit. Like a milestone reward. Do you think Ember 5 will be adequate?"
"Yes, for the first floor anyway without a talisman. The higher floors would still require a talisman for you to visit." I replied honestly, still watching for any covert designs.
"Oh, so I could visit sooner, but I would require a talisman." She fell into deep thought for a moment before she turned to me with fierce determination. "I'll stick to my self-imposed goal. It might mean that it will take me months, but I want to step in there for the first time on my own power." She turned to look at the workshop building with a hungry look.
"Plus, my gut tells me once I step in there, it will become a favorite place of mine. I want to be able to properly appreciate the wonders within when I get invited for a look around. Maybe, I'll even find that I have a talent for artifacting. Keir mentioned he didn't have the talent, but Lux and Aspen got some talent for it."
A single pulse ran through the runes on the gate—subtle, but alive. Like it had heard her and was inviting her to come in. I didn't miss how Nyx's fingers twitched at her sides, as though she wanted to accept the invitation now.
She has always been sensitive to essence, but I don't think she was to the point of sensing its intentions. Maybe just maybe, she is Nyxara, and the Creators themselves returned her to us changed during her moment of death. The longer I was in her presence, the more my instincts told me I should protect and nurture this cub instead of holding onto my suspicions.
Rakesh's voice broke me out of my thoughts. "It would be best for us to continue on to the next location. We still have plenty to see." His posture was crisp and his tone formal, but his eyes saw through me. —I know what you suspect, and I do not blame you.— He let me believe for a moment that he approved of my paranoia before he cut me deep.
— Yet the fact that you didn't dismiss the thought and even tested Lady Nyxara is unacceptable. — His blade was at my throat in a blink. His silver birch and white oud scent suffocated me like a noose. He had me entrapped in his chains. "You think that they would not have checked by now whose soul was within her body? Scion Lux, Master Aspen, and the Crown Consort have all confirmed, she is Nyxara Ajei. Different, yes, but still Nyxara."
I stopped struggling once his words sunk in. I realized how foolish and paranoid I was being. Of course, they would have tested her soul. After we found out that the tharym bond had been poisoned through her somehow, they would have scanned her among all those tests. I slumped back against him, appalled at my behavior. "My anger with myself at failing to see before has caused me to look for deception where there is none. Forgive me."
"I forgive, but you know what you must do after we finish the tour." He withdrew blade and chains, then turned me to face him before he bent down to lick the blood away from my neck where he had nicked me. I held him to me, content to let him tend to me. "I'll submit myself for punishment before the heads of the enclave."
"Good. Now I must resume time. I will go with you later to see them." The tingle from the brush of his lips before he resumed his previous spot was the only reminder that it wasn't all an illusion.
I blew out a breath, then hooked arms with Lady Nyxara. "Come along, sweetheart. Best not to stare too long at walls that stare back. There is more to show and tell you." She smiled faintly at that, letting me guide her back to where the other stood. She glanced at me, then at Rakesh, contemplative, then to my surprise, she leaned her head against my shoulder.
Softly, she muttered under her breath so low only I could hear her. "I'll earn your trust. I'll prove I'm worth the punishment to come." In my shock, I froze. She looked deep into my eyes, and for a moment, I felt something I had only dreamt to experience. The essence of the cosmos lives inside of her. Then she jogged ahead to rejoin the others, leaving me frozen in place.
I walked slowly to join them, and as we left the hum of Ashire behind us, I found myself studying her shoulders—the poise, the regality in her stride—and wondered an impossible thought. Who exactly have the Creators sent back to us?