Heir of the Underground

Chapter 29: Aurelia

Aurelia followed the sea of Fey all the way to Urd's pond, watching as Kassius floated above it all, everyone holding him up. She struggled to match their pace, however, breath feeling scarce. She could still feel the vines on her throat, like a phantom hand.

The image of Tierre on the ground screaming, her hair on fire, her face slowly scarring, growing disfigured, haunted Aurelia. She tried to shake it away, tried to focus on each step, counting them as she went, but it was never enough to fully rid herself of the image. It sat in the back of her mind the entire way, along with what Tierre had said to Aurelia as they had first tussled on the ground, before Aurelia had set her Tierre's on fire: "Men only want you until they have you. Then they want something new, something different. That's how you got here."

Aurelia hadn't the faintest clue why Tierre had said it, but it had somehow struck a nerve within the half-Fey, and that had pressured her to put an end to Tierre. To shut her up for good.

She had never killed anyone before. She had attacked a few people by now. But kill? She had never considered herself the sort. And yet she had done it all the same.

It had been for a good reason though, hadn't it? Sure, she had finally found the nerve to do it after Tierre had sent her over the edge, but it was kill or be killed in that moment, just as both she and Leviathan had told Kassius. And Kassius had killed Nix. He had done it without issue.

And Leviathan, he had nearly killed his own brother too.

So then why was this so hard for Aurelia? Was it just because it was her first time?

She focused on her breathing, on trying to steady herself, trying to deepen her breaths and get enough air to her lungs.

As she did so, following along with the natural current of the crowd, she spotted Leviathan a few paces ahead.

He seemed to be smiling now, happy for his friend, for the new King of the Underground. He looked utterly exhausted though, and there were even stray droplet of blood dried on his face, from the splash back of his attack on Solanine, no doubt.

She'd have to be sure to corner him after this was all through, she reminded herself. He had promised to tell her why Solanine and Tierre had targeted her.

She had never met them prior to her time in the Underground. And the time leading up to the poisoning, all she had done was visit the garden and learn about Iv. So what had she done to upset them?

It didn't make any sense.

She sighed, feeling defeated and utterly worn out. She was certain that she looked the part too. Her hands were dirty and covered in char, the bottom half of her dress was torn to shreds, and she could feel bits of sand in her ratted hair. But she kept walking anyway. No one seemed to bat an eye at how she looked. They had seen all they needed to see of the fight.

Kassius was going to be king. That's all they cared about now. That was the only end result that really mattered.

Would it work though, this plan of his? He claimed that Galderon didn't have to die, that he had thought the wording of the tradition over and found that it didn't include anything about the old king having to pass over to the other side.

But what if he was wrong? What if Urd rejected him and didn't show him the future that he needed to see to set the next coronation? Or worse, what if she killed him for disobeying? Was that how Fey deities were? Could they be spiteful?

It was time to find out.

The mass of Fey reached Urd's pond. Pushing her way to the front of the crowd, she watched as Kassius hopped down from his perch above his people, planting his feet on the ground. He turned, smiling down into the shimmering waters below him.