Opulent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) (28 page)

“Goodbye.” I looked up. He was not there. I was alone at last. I felt the loneliness settle in quickly, but not the way I had wanted a few minutes ago.

T
hat night I spent alone was long and loathsome. I still felt apprehension from longing to go to the ball. No chain would bind my own free will, not even
his
. I tried to take it off, but there was no clasp. I only caught my fingers in the links, helplessly. I knew I shouldn’t have been so paranoid about it, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it was only a piece of metal to hang there only for my subconscious to scare me. After all, he could have been
lying
.

              I forgot about it the next day and met up with Prusaious to tell her all about the ball. She told me I was crazy and I should obey Pete’s wishes if I did not want to get hurt. I only laughed, being as stubborn as I was, and scoffed. He did not mean what he said. He would not have been that serious. She agreed about the chain though, only there to haunt me and make me as timid as a feral cat. I told her how tired I was and how weak I felt for reasons unknown. I told her how I wanted so desperately to break free from Pete’s rule and I was sick and tired of being his puppet. She did not respond to what I had told her. She did not know what to say, so she brought my attention back to the ball and began to point out dresses that appeared in every window we passed. I had not considered what I would wear.

“What kind of ball is it?”

“I’m not sure. The note didn’t say.”

“Should you wear a mask then?”

“If it was that kind of ball, I’m sure there would have been an indication to bring one.”

“Then what are you going to wear?”

              I thought back to my closet, to things I had not worn in months, to brand new things I recently bought. I thought of the red dress in the back of the closet, the way it almost glittered in the right light and the way the colored ostrich feathers trimmed the very bottom of the skirt. However, it came with a matching mask and looked incomplete without it.

“I have no idea.” I sighed and pulled at the chain around my neck that was growing so irritably cold and chafing my skin.

“Maybe you should wear
that
.”

              She pointed to a window where a marvelous gold dress trimmed with white fur at its sleeves and neck was displayed. It came with a matching shawl of white fox fur. Altogether, it was too pretty for someone to stage it on a plastic doll, but more of a person should have been wearing it, to compliment its beauty.

“Put that on and you’ll outshine all of those snobby rich immortals.”

“I don’t know. It seems too flashy.”

“No, that’s perfect. Come on, let’s see how it fits.”

              She pulled me inside to see the storekeeper.

“I want to see a dress, the gold dress with the fur in the window.”

              The shopkeeper glanced up to Prusaious with a raise of her eyebrows.

“For you,” she inquired, her voice carrying a heavy accent.

“No, for my friend.” She elbowed me.

“No one has even come in to look at it. You want it?”

“I don’t know. I want to try it on though.”

“It is a very expensive dress. Very pretty dress.” She said.

“I do like it.”

“You can go into the room over there.” She made a gesture to the back of the store. “I will give you the dress to wear and you come out when you’re finished.”

              I nodded, taking the dress into the other room. While I put it on, I listened to Prusaious and the shopkeeper talk.

“The dress is made of silk. The fur is real. I have been trying to sell it, but I have no luck. It is a beautiful dress. Would your friend buy it?”

“I don’t know. She is going to a ball to meet someone.”

“Then the dress is perfect!”

              I came out of the small room, surprised the dress fit me so well.

“You like it?”

“I do, it is very beautiful.”

“You will take it then?”

              I could tell by the look in the woman’s eyes that she was so willing to sell the dress. I knew how expensive it was and so did she. She was waiting for someone rich to stumble into the store and buy it. Why, it seemed as though she was poor and waited to get such a sum of money just to feed her family.

“You will take it?”

              I looked at my reflection and turned around, examining it thoroughly. I still wasn’t so convinced, even for the price she was selling it for, but I knew the chain was sticking out violently against the soft fur. I couldn’t help but let my eyes gravitate to that one spot, like the dress itself meant nothing.

“Does the shawl come with it?”

“No, it is sold separately.”

              Yes, this woman needed the money that came out of this dress. I tucked the chain behind the fur and looked it over again. I knew somehow if I could get the chain off and it wouldn’t be a bother anymore, then I could really appreciate the dress.

“You will take it?”

              I hesitated, looked it over one last time.

“Yes I will.”

              I watched the woman’s eyes light up in astonishment. “It suits you well.”

“I suppose,” I mumbled rushing off to the dressing room to take off the dress.

              I paid it in full and watched as the woman’s hands holding the gold coins shook with disbelief. Her eyes showed total gratitude, for she could not even utter another word. Prusaious couldn’t help but smile. She helped me carry the heavy bag all the way back to the palace and waited for me to try it on again, just to see it again, but I sat up against the staircase, pulling furiously at the chain. I couldn’t take it any longer. She turned into her wolf form to use her nails and sharp wolf teeth to aid me in taking it off. She pulled and choked me nearly half a dozen times without a slice. Only
he
could get it off.

“It won’t come off.”

“It will. Give it time.” She hooked her claws into the links stepped back and I resisted the pull. It still wouldn’t budge.

              I shuddered, feeling its chill as though Pete himself was giving me an icy glare or laughing with pleasure at my failure.

              I huddled before the roaring fire, with Prusaious now curled beside me. The heat caught onto the chain and it grew hot, so hot my skin suffered a burn. The chain was malleable now though and we could finally manipulate it. Prusaious pulled one last time; it broke and she turned to throw it into the flames.

“What will you wear around your neck now?”

              I shrugged. “I’m sure there is something nice that will go with it. I might not even have to wear anything though.”

“So why are you going to this ball?”

“There is this immortal that’s going to be there. His name is Sebastian.”

              The wolf backed up cautiously. “I know who he is. He’s trouble. You stay away from him. You stay away from the Prince of Light.”

“S
ebastian, you stay away from him. He’s nothing but trouble.”

“Why? What’s wrong with him?”

              Prusaious began to pace and eyed me suspiciously. “You bit him, didn’t you?”

              I held my breath, felt a sweat form over my body.

“Well? Did you?”

“No…I…I almost did. Is that bad?”

“Is that
bad
? Have you noticed how weak you are? That’s why! He might have had you drink his horrible…weakening blood.”

“How is it weakening?”

“He is the Prince of Light. His blood is all but good and he would let any vampire bite him to feel his own power rise. He only wants you for your fangs, Chenille. Don’t trust him. You saw what he could do.”

“I don’t understand.”

“He only wants you so he can feel stronger.”

“He’s not all bad.”

“You don’t know him. I have heard wild, ludicrous stories about him, passed on from wolf to wolf. He’s bad news and everyone in the North knows it. He is evil. He only lusts power. His brother is different…not evil…but he doesn’t do what Sebastian does. He’s not as bad.”

“So what do you suggest I do?”

“You stay away from him. You don’t dare come in contact with him. He wants you there just so he can feel powerful, but if you stay out of sight, he won’t bother you.  You should just forget the ball and not go, for your own safety.”

“I’m going. I
need
to go. If I don’t, I’ll go crazy. Pete doesn’t let me have any fun. The least I need is some pure fun and this is it. I am going, and not even you can stop me.”

“You’re right, I’m not. You can go, just be aware.”

“Oh I am now. Some
Prince of Light
is going to pull my strength away? Trust me, I felt bad before I even met him.”

“I doubt that.”

“What kind of stories have you heard? What have the wolf to wolf stories told you about him?”

“He looks for vampresses and when he finds one, he’ll pretend he’s your best friend.”

“And how do you know those stories aren’t false?”

“I know. I have
seen
it.”

              I looked at her curiously. “What have you seen?”

“I’ve seen a vampress and I’ve seen him.”

“Where?”

“At a hotel.”

              I tilted my head trying not to assume anything. “When?”

“Not long ago.”

“So you’re saying you saw a vampress at a hotel with Sebastian not long ago…in the North.”

              She did not speak, but lowered her head as if I was suspecting something.

“What did he call this vampress? Did she have a name?”

              The wolf licked her lips nervously. “Annabel was her name.”

              I could hardly believe my ears. She had been watching me.

“You were spying on me!”

“No…no, I didn’t know it was you!”

“You did! And you followed me! Admit it!”

“It was for your protection! Who knows what could have happened to you!”

“I didn’t
need protection
…that’s why I left in the first place. I was sick of it!”

“You didn’t know what you were getting yourself into…what you are
still
getting yourself into.”

“Did you take it upon yourself to follow me? Or did someone else tell you?”

“Someone else.” Her voice dropped.

“It was Pete, wasn’t it? You were spying for him. You are working for him!”

              She backed away to the door, braced herself to make a run for it.

“And now you’re still working for him! You’re going to tell him, aren’t you? You’re going to tell him about my trip to the North and the ball, aren’t you? You’re going to rat me out?”

              She was clawing at the door, trying to escape, but her claws couldn’t grip the doorknob.

“Do you know what you are if you leave? You’d be a traitor! A traitor!”

“That’s what
you
are!” She yelled back.

“You know what they do to traitors.
You
know!” The doorknob turned with a satisfying click and she turned, her hairs raised.

“Yes. They are killed.”

              She turned back to the door and bolted. I knew she could not be stopped. She would not stop for anyone until she met up with Pete and told him everything. I had a choice. I still had a choice. I was still free and I could still go. I could worry about Pete later and I could just go and see to my worst. 

I
could only take precautions regarding who I saw as my friend and who was not. The people I knew as my friends were slowly declining and those who still were became harder to hold onto. I hadn’t spoken to Amelia in weeks and Pearl and Taj’ were still watching my son is if he was their own to protect him from Pete. They had not told me how he was doing. I felt they had deserted me in a way ever since the war. Nothing was quite the same, as if they were slowly fading, becoming less and less noticeable.

              In the sunroom, feeling the warmth of the sun, I could not help but reflect upon what had happened with Prusaious the other night. The ball was tomorrow and I had not decided whether to go or not. I stayed awake, unable to sleep, just staring at the bag that held the golden dress, the all-expensive dress that gave a woman some money so she could eat. I could feel it intimidating me, beckoning me to try it on. I could hear it in my mind, trying to persuade me to wear it to Sebastian’s ball. But what did I know? I was on the edge lately, thinking at any moment Pete was going to burst through those doors, or worse, Sebastian bursting through the doors.

              There was no one to talk to. It was too quiet. There was only Pete’s snowy owl Meleve, but she could not be trusted. She might fly out the window and hoot some sort of signal, calling for him to come home. There was Versailles, good Versailles. She could be trusted.

              I made my way down to the barn and called for her. At first there was no reply and then she came, the pony at her heels.

“Hello. How are you?”

“Fine. You look distressed.”

“Thanks.”

“What happened?”

“Prusaious found out about Sebastian and she’s telling.”

“Are you going to go to the ball?”

“I don’t know yet. Do you think I should?”

“Don’t take advice from me. I’m just a horse with a horn. If you want advice, go see the big black snake.”

“That won’t help. He’d probably tell me that’s what I get for not listening to him.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing, at least not right now.”

“Isn’t the ball tomorrow?”

“It is.”

“You can go and take a risk if you want. I’d be happy to accompany you.”

“Then I’ll have the stable hands groom you and we will go tomorrow.”

              As soon as I ordered the groom to tend to Versailles, I walked around the palace grounds lazily for a while. Incoming clouds covered the sun, the cold drizzle expecting to turn into snow. It was common to have months like this, long periods of cold weather just after a brief period of warm, sunny days. Frost was beginning to settle by the time I had gone back into the palace. It was already freezing outside.

              I got out the golden dress and tried it on again. It sparkled and glittered and I imagined it would catch all of the snowflakes as I arrived with Versailles to see the Prince of Light - to
impress
the Prince of Light. It was strange how I had more of a liking to him after Prusaious told me about him, but I suppose I could not resist.

              My outfit was complete and Versailles would be too by tonight. Everything was set. All I needed to do was to wait for the morning to come and I would be free. Hopefully by then, Pete wouldn’t be waiting at my bedside or follow me all the way to the North. I doubted that would happen. Prusaious could not run that fast and with the ice, snow and head-on wind, it would take her until morning to get to him. There was also the matter of finding him and telling him where I was and where I would be going and what my intentions were. By then I would be at William’s castle, safely concealed between the people that would be there. There was absolutely nothing to worry me.

              As I reassured myself, I felt myself relax, my thoughts dwindle, and soon I was happy, actually happy. I let the thoughts of the oncoming day race through my mind without further worry. The metal chain was off. Pete could not feel what I was feeling anymore, so I would not be questioned at this very moment. I was safe in my own mind, and knowing this, I took off the dress and dressed into warm clothes. There was a blizzard outside and I had no intention of going out. I could do whatever I wanted for this moment of freedom and would not be ridiculed, judged, penalized or in fear if I turned a corner too sharply and bumped into a familiar, dangerous face. I could break the rules, go against all of them. This was the moment, perhaps the only moment that I had to myself.

              I wandered around the palace, ran through the endless corridors and welcomed myself into the forbidden room - the one Pete didn’t let me in without his consent, the library. How could I be trusted? I had taken his book from his library and let a secret escape from its pages. I wouldn’t blame him, but that didn’t stop me now.

              I stepped into the dome shaped room, the constellations of the stars painted on the ceiling, giving one the impression of looking up to the sky itself at night. The bookshelves were high against the walls from one side of the entrance to the other. From wood floor to painted ceiling, the books were stacked endlessly, one on top of the other. There was a small table in the middle of the room set beside a large chair identical to the one downstairs in front of the fireplace. I took a seat on the chair, and could almost feel Pete’s presence. On the table was his book, slightly burnt and torn, but none other different from how I had remembered it before Pete confiscated it from me.

              A servant came into the room, cast a weary glance to me and began to dust the books that hadn’t been read in a while.

“You aren’t to be in here, King’s orders.”

“He is away,” I replied calmly, “what could he do while he is away?”

“You’d be surprised.”

              She guided her feather duster over the spines of the books and paused briefly to see if I was intimidated. She looked at me, searching my face for any hint of dismay.

              I spent nearly the whole afternoon in that library, reading book after book, and placing them precisely as though I had not touched them. If one page crumpled or a book was in the wrong spot, he would notice. He would probably blame me for being in there because there was less dust in the air. I could only straighten it up to what I saw as perfection. Once I left, it was long past six o’ clock and I knew the chef was still in the kitchen. I could ask for a five-course meal of anything to my liking and feast throughout the night if I wanted. The kitchen never closed. I went there myself, ordered up anything that came to mind.

              Waiting for my fine meal, I sat at the large table able to sit fifty or more people comfortably. Figuring it would be too lonesome to eat by myself at such a large table, I considered otherwise. I had something small, just a sandwich for dinner. Tomorrow night I would have a large meal so it was best to eat light.

              The palace was dark, the lights shut off and a chill seeped through the stone and crevices in the windows. The moon was high, still shining over the snowy landscape like a giant piece of ice in the sky. It was still windy, the whistling of the trees swaying from side to side and the branches scraping against the windowpane all echoed from outside.

              It was warm in my room, warm and desolate. The only light came from a small wax candle on my bedside table. It was just enough to read an old magazine I had brought from Earth years ago from when I arrived on Catastrophe. Surprisingly it still held its shape, its pages torn, the binding still holding it together. I could not recall why I had it at all. There was nothing so special about it, no lines or phrases or advertisements I liked, nothing. Perhaps I had grabbed it out of panic to have something to read in case there wasn’t anything to read here. I recalled how I was such a bookworm, how I loved every kind of document, parchment, old or new, copied and pasted, or simply handwritten. I loved it all. Something had detached from me. I didn’t like to read anymore. I wasn’t myself anymore. Reality was slipping and I found myself in a fog. I couldn’t decipher what was true anymore. Nothing was making any sense ever since I had lost Lucian to the lock and key. Nothing was the same.

              Pushing my imprudent thoughts from my mind, I put the magazine down and sat back, simply allowed my mind to clear and go into a fog. My body was twitching, but I couldn’t see it doing so. It was strange; words couldn’t describe it. There was a tapping at the window, a constant tapping, but not of a branch, more like a clicking noise, like a cricket. Now I was hearing things. I began to wonder if I was asleep and lethargic, or if the cook had put something on my sandwich. Maybe I was allergic to something. Maybe it wasn’t that at all. The room began to spin around and I had to close my eyes. I couldn’t take it, I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t, no I couldn’t, it was impossible. My body shook, wracking my bones and my blood felt icy under my skin. No, I wasn’t dreaming. Something was happening to me. Something horrible was happening to me.       

             There was something in my mind, a psychological monster or a fever, that I could not escape. It toyed with my emotions and I could feel it. Whatever this was had a hold of me, was hurting me from the inside out, and I could feel its presence somewhere in the room, somewhere around me, if not right beside me. No, I knew. I knew exactly what was going on. Prusaious had just stopped running. Pete knew everything.