Chapter 4 Mate

A WEEK LATER

When the strange woman said I'd earn beneficiary points for answering her questions, she wasn't lying, though the part about warmth and peace was off track.

I was nearly freezing inside the pool, completely ignoring my body urging me to get out.

My hands spread at my sides on the borders, my head resting on the latter.

I thought about the Aultik and how I'd be having a warm, soapy bath if I was there.

Regular people thought the Aultik was likely a prison. They spread rumors about how kids were captured and tortured with burning iron and breaking bones to set their minds on the Ice King, but they didn't know that the Aultik was a place of comfort.

The only dreadful thing about it was the training, which I now appreciated Cleopatra for because she was quite tolerant and calm even if she could seem evil on the outside.

There I was a free bird, unlike here where I felt caged. My subconscious had pretty much convinced me that I was a prisoner who couldn't leave this chilly cavern, eat what I wanted, have a proper bath, or even say the things I wanted to say.

Somehow, I'd managed to tone down my confidence too, as I had a thought that whatever I did would be used against me in this place where I knew no one.

When Firnes began to troop in, I took that as my cue. Taking with me a half-filled bottle of wine that the Firnes remained from this morning, I made for the bed.

Each came in with a wine bottle and a wine glass, going into the pool with them while being stark naked, some moved around the pool, others inclined against the edge or sat on it.

It'd been like a repeated cycle; different Firnes serving me three-square meals, change of clothing, a cold bath, and Firnes flocking the pool with wines.

Most times, I got fed up with their noise, drew the curtains around the bed, and lay with a blanket over my head, but I often woke up to find the curtains pulled apart again.

It was as if a force was trying to make me indulge in the hubbub without even trying.

None of the Firnes said a word to me or even acted like I was there. They gathered in groups; some danced, some sang, and others talked and laughed. Occasionally, they cheered and clinked their glasses, leaving me to watch in my misery.

I couldn't determine which was worse; an Aultik with Terin or a strange place in an unknown realm without her.

However, it felt like there were multiple Terins here because excluding the bully part, the common thing was perfection-their gorgeous looks. Except Firnes were ethereal, and they flaunted it like an expensive piece of clothing.

The candlelight shimmered in the water, reflecting on their even skin tones, their hair thick and lustrous, with different colors, textures, and lengths. And though their weights and shapes varied, they all looked healthy, breathtaking, and equally menacing. It made me want to destroy the mirror standing on my right side.

As they began to leave in groups, I trailed behind the last. None paid attention to me.

With no light to see through, I followed their voices while holding my hands in front of me. A few times I bruised my legs on rocks, some sharp, the wound stinging. Other times they made me stumble, not drawing blood, but I was certain there'd be a swell or something.

I didn't know how long I'd followed them through the cavern, but it was a long time before I felt my feet on plain ground.

As we climbed flights of stairs, the roadway became easier to walk, and less eerie too.

The inside of the Tower wasn't how I thought it'd be at all.

It was made of brick and coated with dark brown paint. The floors were varnished wood, and the ceilings too.

The Firnes got farther from me, their chatters and their footsteps dying down. And when we got to the third floor, they were gone.

A faint, gentle tune that had been playing caught my attention. It came from the left side of the hallway, a rhythm of strings and wind.

I followed the sound, treading my steps carefully. Lit candles were arrayed against the hallway walls, wooden doors shut close.

As I neared the tune, cool air kissed my face, carrying scents of old books mixed with spice.

A large opening at the end of the hallway revealed a grand hall; a half-rotund hall starting two floors down and probably reaching the building's peak. One-half side of it had long, slender glass windows that let in draught and sunlight rays. The other half side, where I stood, introduced each building floor.

The rail on my side of the building initiated a bifurcated staircase, of which one side directly led up the hall just as the other led down.

Shelves propped against the walls all around gave the place a befitting look. The ones set out on the ground floor were better, they were curvy and all organized to form a shape I couldn't decipher.

Female musicians sat on stools fixed on five stairsteps, each with their instrument-Cellos, Flutes, Pianos, Violins, and Harps. They played sensationally to the tone while moving their bodies with every note.

"I see you found us, Eryevir. I'm Keel."

I turned towards the voice to find the young woman dressed in violet chiffon fabric knotted around her loin and bust regions. The golden headpiece crowning her head was peculiar, its blue gemstone resting on her forehead. It matched well with her nose chain as well as her oval earrings.

"Did Fiona get you settled down?" She asked as her eyes left mine, peering down to my feet. I felt exposed.

"Yeah, wh-who's that?" I stuttered, but the woman walked past me instead of answering.

She took out a pair of slippers from one of the lower shelves. It made me wonder why they had those when they all walked barefoot.

"Your shoes are wet. Put these on. I believe you've been told why you're here."

"Oh, y-yes, though the part about attacking my friend still baffles me."

"Yet, you've been known to attack people."

"Yeah? But not Mae."

"It's the rage, Eryevir. Viesix works this way. The common thing between you and your mate is the bond, which when triggered can exaggerate your behavior and sometimes that of your mate. At first, the bond is rogue. It acts on its own until you learn to control it. Sometimes you forget and do things you won't usually do."

I was not one to get scared. Yet, suddenly everything started to sound like I was being told to dive into a bottomless pit. "Take a walk with me. It'll calm your nerves," Keel had us down the stairs to the ground floor.

"This is where we keep archaic information," she pointed to one of the towering shelves against the windows side of the hall. "They are things we want the world to know about, but since we can't let people come in here, we bring it to them piece by piece."

"Like the Ice King and Lady Art story?"

The woman's deep-set eyes were fixated on me, her jet-black irises complimenting her dark green pupils. "The Ice King, yes. Lady Art, no. Memories of her had already been passed down through generations. Allegra's diary merely confirmed it."

"So, they are real people and not just tales?" I used to think that the Ice King story was just something crafted out of boredom while Lady Art's was to scare children, but maybe I was wrong.

"Lady Art massacred two separate families. We specify that it was for revenge, a ritual... or just bloodlust."

"And how do you know this?"

Keel smiled at me, her eyes glistening. "Firnes didn't exist then, but we read the memories of objects that did, though some of these memories were not easy to understand, as most details about Lady Art had been wiped out; like her real name, her life story, what she looked like, the reason for the massacre if there was one, and details about the massacre. The objects we could find from then were few too considering it happened thousands of years ago."

"Even the families and their properties?"

"We know nothing about the families, but we are certain they don't exist anymore."

"Do you know if she's still alive?"

Keel curled her lips downward while shaking her head.

I got lost on my way back to the cave. With no voice to guide me, I found myself at a dead end.

It was another room that looked like mine. Except this one didn't have a bed and there were like hundreds of candles closely laid out in rows. One had to walk between the spaces while being extra careful not to knock any by mistake.

Perspiration gathered as I entered the surprisingly hot space. If I could borrow a candle or two from here, I'd probably be able to find my way back. That was my thought before seizing one of the fat candles. However, a rough hand grabbed my wrist and hauled me down.

Everything happened so fast before my sight turned off. And though I opened my mouth to scream, I didn't hear my voice.

It felt like I was lying in the air. I couldn't feel my body. And I heard nothing aside from one word, "Mate." It sounded low and resonant, building with a growling, hissing mechanism.

Two glowing dots in the darkness closed in from above.

When they got closer, I saw that they were eyes, attractively deep in the skull. The irises looked like a thick ring rotating around a circle. They had life in them as if they were organisms moving on their own. And while the ring had the aura of fire, the circle was like ice.

They unleashed a scorching gaze at me; one that'd burn me out, as a furnace would, if they weren't just eyes.

I couldn't see the rest of whatever it was that stared at me, but I was very sure from the voice that it was a man.

High-pitched screech tore through air, bellowing deeply as thunder. At that moment the voice came again. "Mate." This time it sounded close to my ears.

Whoever it was pushed me, and as the darkness faded, it felt like I landed on something, only it was all in my head.

In reality, I was on all fours in the room, and I might have dropped the candle I picked up earlier because it was now lying on the floor. What the hell just happened?

I didn't have time to figure everything out before the voice whispered again, "Mate," this time from the pool. I looked at the latter, standing slowly to my feet.

I had no thoughts while my eyes were fixated on the riveting water.

"Mate." I followed the voice, knocking down candles, their waxes sprinkling on my feet. I didn't mind.

The pool was shallow and not dark. I could see, at the bottom of it, a coffin. It looked like it was made of thick metal.

"Mate, come closer," The voice urged. Then my hands started reaching for the water.