Hall of Games [The Celestial Chronicles #1]

Chapter Twenty-Six: Bitter Betrayal

 "So this was betrayal. It was like being left alone in the desert at dusk without water or warmth. It left your mouth dry and will broken. It sapped your tears and made you hollow."   

-Anna Godbersen-

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Chapter Twenty-Six: Bitter Betrayal

Her pounding footsteps thundered as she turned into Mistress Tucana's office.

The metallic doors were sealed tight. Cady stopped and tried to recompose herself.

Okay Cady, take a deep breath and tell Mistress Tucana everything. Firaun shouldn't get away with this.

She knocked on the door.

No answer. Cady knocked again, this time louder.

Still, there was no answer.

She is already asleep, you dummy, Her logical side chided. Everyone should be asleep at this time of the night, especially you.

Cady slunk back, unsure what to do, just as a gentle hand placed itself on her shoulders.

"Is there a problem, sweetheart?"

With her heart in her mouth, she whirled around to find Mistress Tucana staring at her. Beautiful as ever, Mistress Tucana was dressed in a white night gown. Her eyes, however, were rimmed red with fatigue as if she hadn't slept in days.

"Mistress Tucana!" Cady gasped in surprise, half-forgetting why she was there at the first place.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Mistress Tucana unlocked the door of her office with a quick swipe of her hand. "You have something to tell me, don't you?"

Beckoning to Cady, Mistress Tucana vanished into the darkness before clapping her hands sharply and bringing all Celeslights to life. The celestial stones flared, casting a brilliant sheen of golden light across the room.

"You wouldn't believe how hectic things are at the Celestial Court. The Chaldean Order has been driving me crazy with all their assignments and reports on Starling progress. Hell, I don't even have the time to sleep!" Mistress Tucana said, tinkering about with the porcelain tea set behind her.

"Tea or brandy?" she added with a glance over her shoulder.

"Tea," Cady exhaled, throwing herself into one of the squashy armchairs.

Mistress Tucana placed a small china cup before Cady and the smell of Jasmine hit her instantly.

She stirred up the floating tea leaves with a silver spoon. "I didn't know you guys have Chinese Tea here."

"We Starlets love the stuff New Worlders produce," Mistress Tucana said with a wink as she settled down into her large armchair. "Luckily, Havoc Haven brings back enough merchandise and trinkets to keep us happy."

"So Havoc Haven is both a trading centre and gatekeeper?" Cady whistled in awe. "Now, that's new."

"You can put it that way." Mistress Tucana smiled, taking a dainty sip of her tea. "Now, child, what brings you here at this late an hour?"

Cady hesitated. She just realized that she had barged into the High Priestess' chambers without a reasonable explanation. If she told Mistress Tucana about the Fair Necklace, she would put two and two together and diagnose the situation at once.

"Well?" Mistress Tucana prompted.

"Um, actually, the thing is, I couldn't sleep," Cady said sheepishly. "So, I headed out to the compound and saw the doors of the dungeons were unlocked."