Deceiver

Chapter 9

Saeya

I had been in the court of the sister god for four days when Idaise arrived. It was clear that she, at least, had not been kidnapped or found, and had perhaps come of her own free will, which was very intriguing given where I assumed her loyalties lay. When she sat down at breakfast with us, she looked simultaneously changed as a person and very surprised to see me.

She approached the table cautiously and slid a chair out before she began speaking in a low tone. I stopped her.

"She can hear everything. The whole palace echoes like it was built for it." I murmured, and Idaise nodded.

"I know. She can also hear some thoughts, but not others." She paused. "I was told that you two had left already." She whispered. Aoife stared into her muffin, and I shrugged.

"It's interesting that she can read minds. There must be some sort of telepathy blocking with me, at least. I've tested her a few times. Maybe it's an illusion master thing." Idaise nodded, and Aoife spoke.

"How is it being the new puppet confidante of Annas?" She asked flatly, and Idaise went pale. "Must be nice. Careful, he'll disappear the one you love the most and tie you to his rule forever." The statement of 'one you love the most' jogged my memory, but I put thoughts of the shade who had freed me away for now. That was a conversation for not right now.

Idaise closed her mouth and then opened it again.

"How did you know?" She whispered.

"The god of this palace told me last night." I looked at her, and she waved me off. It must have been after I went to sleep. "She can see into your mind, but you already know that."

Idaise went silent.

"She changed my mind about him, you know. My family isn't really from this realm, apparently. We were taken." Idaise whispered.

"So was I, which you knew. Apparently the whole 'lying and erasing memories' thing only really is a dealbreaker when it applies to you." I no longer wanted to be present for this argument, so I loudly cleared my throat.

"Well, ladies, this has been lovely, but I'm going up to my room. Aoife, come talk to me later, I just remembered something. Farewell." I made a swift exit out through the kitchen.

My shoes clicked softly on the purple marble floors as I rushed down the hallway and far away from the inevitable argument between two people who had history that I was not a part of.

My mind strayed to the one person that I did have recent history with and I stopped walking.

I wondered where she was. If Idaise and Aoife were both here, then I assumed and hoped she was with Kapeo, or maybe someone I didn't know at all. I just hoped that she was no longer in the palace. There was no way I'd ever be able to know that, though.

"Crescent for your thoughts?" The god's voice drifted down to me from behind.

"I'm worried, is all." I changed the subject. "How did you lose your name?"

The response took her a moment. I could tell that it was not something she'd been asked anytime recently.

"I can't remember." She whispered. I knew not to push her anymore, so we walked on for a bit in silence.

"Would you like to learn some spellwork?" She asked quietly. "I know Annas doesn't let his courtiers have but one 'talent'."

"What do you mean?" I responded. "Annas can only have multiple because he's a god. We simply cannot have more." The god scoffed.