“MURDERER!” she shrieked, unable to stop herself from crying. “MY BROTHER!”
He stood there, looking dazed.
“I hate you, and abhor everything you stand for!” she yelled.
His eyes flinched, and he exhaled a defeated breath, the hand holding the bracelet falling into his lap.
“Now get out!” she said.
“Ceres, please don’t do this,” he pleaded.
“Get out!” she yelled. “I said I never wanted to see you again, and I meant it!”
Her chest tightened, her throat clenched shut. She had fallen for him, too, but her heart was foolish, she knew, and this more than anything proved it.
He rose to his feet and stood still for a moment, sorrow canvassing his face.
“I’m sorry, Ceres.”
He walked away, leaving the door open behind him.
She turned to the window and wept. Nesos. Her brother. Gone forever. She could hardly breathe with grief.
Hardly had she caught her breath when she heard a sound behind her. She spun, assuming Thanos had returned, preparing to shout at him to leave – but was shocked at who she saw.
The queen.
She stared back haughtily, an evil grin upon her face.
“Hello, Ceres,” the queen said, walking into the doorway, eyes rumbling with menace. “How did the proposal go?”
She grinned, stepping closer.
“As Thanos’s future bride, your life belongs to the monarchy. It is my responsibility as your queen to see that you are protected. For starters, you will not leave this room unless you are permitted, and for now, I forbid it.”
The queen suddenly turned, walked out, and slammed the door shut. Ceres heard a key being thrust into the keyhole.
Enraged, she ran to it and wrapped frantic hands around the door handle, pulling on it with all her might.
But it was too late. The door had been locked, and there was nothing to do but give up, she realized.
She fell to her knees with uncontrollable sobs, slamming her fists on the heavy oak, Nesos’s name spilling from her lips.
And yet, amidst her cries, unbeknownst to her, she sometimes confused his name with Thanos’s.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Ceres didn’t know exactly how long she had been sitting on the stone floor in her chamber – it could have been minutes, or hours – tear after tear trailing down her face. It was eerily quiet outside, the riots having ceased. Likely, the news of her and Thanos’s marriage announcement was pacifying the leaders of the rebellion. She doubted it would last long.
Oh, how she wished she hated Thanos; and yet her heart was a villain, betraying everything she ever held dear. Sadness overwhelmed her, and she tucked her knees into her chest and sobbed quietly for a moment.
This is what I deserve, she thought as she sat up straight and wiped the wetness from her cheeks, staining the silk sleeves. She hadn’t played her cards well, she realized, in this royal game of power and intrigue. And it was becoming clear that if she were to remain at the palace and marry Thanos, she would have to learn how to beat the royals at their own game.
Had she made the right choice in rejecting Thanos? She thought she had, but why then, whenever she thought about his forlorn face when she had rejected him, did it feel as if everything was wrong?
On the other side of the door, keys rattled, and then someone inserted a key into the keyhole. Expecting the queen or an Empire soldier, she scuttled away from the door on hands and knees and dried her tears.
When the door opened, Anka stood in the doorway. She strode into the room and shut the door behind her.
Ceres hopped to her feet, a feeling of elation rushing through her. She ran to Anka and threw arms around her, squeezing tightly.
“You need to get out of here before we are discovered,” Anka said. “Go seek out Rexus. The rebellion’s new headquarters are down by fisherman’s bay, inside Harbor Cave.”
Ceres knew the cave well, having played there many times with her brothers growing up. She looked at Anka, so small and lovely, and she could not bear to leave her friend here alone amidst the wolves.
“Come with me,” Ceres said, grabbing her hand.
“I cannot. I must stay here until my mission is complete,” Anka said. “But here, take this.”
Anka slipped her gray hooded cape off and draped it around Ceres’s shoulders.
“How will I ever repay you?” Ceres said, embracing Anka again.
“You owe me nothing,” Anka said with a smile.
Ceres nodded, remembering speaking those exact words when she rescued Anka from the slaver cart.
“On second thought,” Anka said with a smirk, “join the rebellion and make them pay for every person that was ever forced into slavery.”
“I will,” Ceres said.
Just before Ceres left, she snatched her sword from beneath the bed and fastened the scabbard around her waist. She drew the hood over her head and darted down the stairwell, thrilled to finally be joining the rebellion from within, to stand beside Rexus in the fight for liberty.
She ran down the corridor, eyes peeled, ears alert, her heart galloping. She knew exactly where the guards stood watch, and as she maneuvered through the palace, she made sure to avoid those areas. Moving swiftly, quietly, and above all, in the shadows, she made herself invisible. She reached the kitchen and weaved through boxes of food and past cooks and servants busily working on the royals’ next meal.
Stepping into the courtyard, she slunk behind crates of wine and carts of food, passing slaves and Empire soldiers who had their attention elsewhere.
Just as she exited the side gates, she saw an Empire soldier holding up a scroll, speaking from the platform right in front of the palace, dozens of citizens huddling around.
“It has been declared that Prince Thanos will marry the commoner, Ceres. Due to this union, King Claudius and the rebellion have agreed upon a truce. All citizens are hereby commanded to cease and desist any and all opposition to the Empire, which includes…”
His voice faded as she skirted around the corner of a building.
For a few moments, Ceres became breathless, paralyzed, her heart pounding in her throat. The marriage was being publicly announced even though she hadn’t agreed to it.
Ceres ran as fast as she could, sprinting down the street. Panting, lungs on fire, she flew by carnage and wreckage southward toward the ocean, the breeze streaming against her body. She cautiously followed the back roads leading to the bay.
The rocky shore was difficult to maneuver, but Ceres dashed as fast as she could towards Rexus’s cave. On she ran, hopping over large boulders, stepping on small stones, the sun a globe of fire on her head, causing her to sweat. Even when her legs demanded she stop, and her mouth became parched, she continued on past fishermen and boats, the seagulls above soaring against the blue sky.
I will rest once I am at the cave, she told herself, and with every stride, the excitement in her bosom grew. So much had changed since she had last seen Rexus, and even though it had only been days, it felt as if it had been months. Would things be the same? She needed to share her mourning of her brother with someone, someone who would understand.
By the time she reached the cave the sun had started to set, and the cavern in the mountainside was a gaping black hole behind warped vines and slimy mosses. Other than a handful of scouts hiding on the cliffs and behind bushes, watching her, the outside looked abandoned.
Ceres found herself stopped by flaming arrows shot to the ground right before her feet. She looked up, irritated that they didn’t recognize her.
“I am here for Rexus. Nesos and Sartes are my brothers! I am with the rebellion!” she yelled.
Two watchers climbed down from the mountainside, bows strung with arrows, approaching Ceres.
“I must search you for weapons,” one said.