Chapter 56: Consequence will come

The day following Riftan's death weighed hard on unease, yet the palace bustled with its usual sounds. Reika leaned against the railing of her chambers and watched out at the horizon. The sun did little to warm that lump of ice in her chest. Riftan was gone, and though her hand hadn't delivered the blow, it was her words that sealed his sentence. She could never take it back. A rap at the door drew her from her reverie. Lyra entered, her features pale but set. "It is getting out," Lyra whispered, closing the door behind her. "The guards discovered him this morning. It would appear to have been some sickness of the blood." Reika let her breath out, her fingers tight on the railing. "And the court?" "They whisper," Lyra said, "but none speak of foul play. Riftan's name preceded him. Everyone just assumed his past had finally caught up to him." Reika nodded outwardly, but in the cavern of her thoughts, emotions raged around. Maybe Riftan's name provided protection against the truth today, but to Reika, this wasn't something one needed. Guilt itself proved quite inescapable for her. "Go," she whispered to Lyra, "leave me. Leave me alone.". The day passed with Reika conducting herself as certainly and confidently as any monarch, holding court and enduring meeting after endless meeting issuing her will to her various underlings. If her disposition seemed somewhat distant compared to the last few weeks no one had the courage to say it. Alpha Ileus wasn't fooled quite as easily. That night, dining together, his gaze stayed on her a fraction longer than usual. Reika picked at her food, her appetite nil. "You've been distant lately," Ileus remarked, breaking the silence. "I've had a lot on my mind," she replied, forcing a smile. His gaze remained steady. "Does this have anything to do with Riftan?" Reika's heart skipped a beat. She kept her expression neutral. "Why would it?" "Because his death seems to have cast a shadow over you," Ileus said. "I know he was a criminal, and he deserved punishment, but he was still your brother." Reika set her fork down, her hands trembling slightly. "I appreciate your concern, Ileus, but I'd rather not speak of him. His actions brought shame to our family." "That does not mean his death should bring you guilt," Ileus persisted. "Whatever happened, it's not your fault." Reika turned her head aside, avoiding his pointed stare. "Can we not talk of this?" Ileus considered her a moment, before nodding. "As you wish. She took off, running into her rooms, blown by the backdraft of her churning thoughts. Ileus was closing in; he must suspect perhaps. She had underestimated just how intuitive he was, and that it might just prove dangerous. It was the weight of what she had done that weighed her down, and she sat for many an hour by the fire, staring deep into the dancing, flickering flames. Her mind rose to the surface of her old life: Riftan's betrayal, his laughter as she drew her last breath. She had been right, hadn't she? She had every reason in the world for ending Riftan's life. Why, then, did it seem as though some part of her had gotten lost along the way? Days melted into weeks, and weeks into months; Reika threw herself into her work, determined to smother her guilt beneath endless layers of responsibility. Yet the palace seemed different, somehow-the walls tainted, it appeared, by Riftan's death. It was one of those evenings when, strolling in the gardens, her way across was cut by a voice. "Queen Reika." She turned to a squatting old woman standing beneath a gnarled tree. Her eyes were keen, her presence eerie. "Who are you?" Reika asked as instinctively her hand made its way to the dagger at her side. "I am naught but a messenger," the woman said with hoarse voice. "It is the Moon Goddess that has sent me." Reika's blood ran cold. "What does she want?" The woman moved closer, her eyes gleaming like knives. "You chose, my queen. And there are consequences to the choices we make." "I've done what was needed," Reika said, her voice level while her heart threatened to pound through her ribs. A thin smile quivered across the woman's lips. "And now you must pay the price. The life you took was not yours to take." Reika's gut roiled. "I carried out the will of the Moon Goddess. A life for a life." "But Riftan's death does not guarantee Daisy's survival," the woman said coldly. "The sacrifice was not pure." Reika's heart raced. "What do you mean?" The woman turned and disappeared into the shadows. "You will understand soon enough." --- The prophecy had left Reika dumbfounded. She made her way to her quarters, her mind deep in thought. Had she acted against the decree of the Moon Goddess? Was Daisy's fate far from being secured? She was brought back to reality by the sudden rap on her door. Lyra came in, white as a ghost. "My queen, there is news from the infirmary," Lyra mentioned with a shaking voice. Reika's breath went stale. "Is Daisy-" "She's stable," Lyra said in reassuring haste, "but the medics are worried. Her state does not improve and still they have no idea about its cause." Reika slumped down into a chair, leaning her head into her palms. She had sacrificed so much, and yet it hadn't been enough. "Leave me, Lyra," she said calmly. "I need time to think." --- That night, standing upon the balcony and staring at the moon, the words of the old woman kept ringing in Reika's mind. "The sacrifice was not pure." What did it mean? She had done what was asked of her. Riftan's death was a necessary evil. Deep inside, however, an uneasy doubt tugged at her insides. What if this was not the offering which the Moon Goddess wanted of her-some other, far greater? The thought put a shiver down her spine. As weeks dragged on, paranoia really set in for Reika. She avoided Ileus, knowing full well he would see right through the mask. Teambuilding became increasingly less frequent as she day-toured to the infirmary to visit Daisy, looking for answers that thus far alluded her. It wasn't until one evening later, as she sat besides Daisy's bed, when for the first time in days the little girl stirred. Reika leaned forward, heart racing. "Daisy?" The girl's eyes fluttered open, her gaze unfocused. "Reika… Tears streamed down Reika's face. "I'm here, Daisy. I'm here." Daisy's hand trembled as she reached for Reika. "Don't let… them take me…" Reika's breath caught. "Who? Who's trying to take you?" But Daisy's eyes closed again, her breathing shallow. Reika sat back, her mind racing. Who was after Daisy? And what did the Moon Goddess's warning mean? It was with a new resolve that she left the infirmary that night; she was to know the truth, whatever it took. Yet, she couldn't rid herself of that feeling as she melted into the shadows of the palace-the feeling that her actions had set something far darker into motion. The words still echoed in her head-that which had been said by the Moon Goddess: "You will know soon enough." And Reika knew the storm was but just coming.