"Midnight Chapter 5" by Victoria Lia Yu

I stood up, his cloak falling onto the floor. The gold swirls danced in the light and all the more did it remind me of his capricious, but warm nature. Fraeya waited for me as I dressed, slipping into a pair of dark leather pants and a white half cut top.

 

Outside in the halls, the others stared at me, whispering behind my back. The attention was suffocating; almost as bad when no one really cared I existed. Strangely, some of them greeted me with the Jas’heque posture, the one we of lower rank give to one of a different temple, the highest greeting of honor there is apart from Kuj’huaj greeting we give to the members of the Children of the Sun. Since we rarely ever see them here, Jas’heque is the highest greeting of honor.

 

I doubled back to ask them why and they lowered their eyes to the floor. “How could we not, now that you are marked a consort of our own Lord Kail?” The two spoke with a tone of distaste at the mention of me being his consort. Me—a consort, of Kail?

“Jenna! Where are you going?” Frae called, as I ran off in search for Kail. Her confused face etched with worry.

 

“Go eat! I’ll come soon!”                                      

 

Running was one of the few things I was good at. If only I was as strong as my agility. Before long, I found Kail sitting in a conference with the three Lords. They all turned to look at me and I wished I never came to search for him. “Do you have any business with us?” Lord Basil said, while drinking from his silver goblet.

 

“Uh no, I only need to talk to Kail.”

 

“Then sit Jenna, we all need to talk. You must have heard of your marking as Kail’s consort. I believe that’s the reason you came for him.” Mistress Gabrielle said, smiled cordially between a bite of a bread.

 

“Yes. Please, about where I was yesterday, I can explain. The real story of what happened that had almost nothing to do with Kail.” I took a deep breath, working up the best look-up-and-smile-kindly-to-the-leaders- you-hate tone.

 

Lord Basil chuckled. I stopped mid-smile, unsure what to do. This is the first time one of the higher ranks had smiled at me, and to say the highest rank out of the council. “No, that won’t be necessary. Kail told me the real story last night. You were foolish to drink the waters of the Well of Eternity and even more surprising that you aren’t insane right now. Nonetheless, we are fortunate that you are still here in the right mind.”

 

“Oh. So…my side of the story won’t be needed right?”

 

“Not unless you want to waste our time and your own.” Lord Gregor said stiffly. He must have been shocked that Lord Basil had actually smiled at me. For all these years, I rarely see Lord Basil and I had never talked to him before. Though he has a square and angular face with bushy brows that make him appear menacing, in reality, he is a very nice man. It’s no wonder Kail is so tolerant. His master is too.

 

“I wanted you to come with me to his quarters last night, but you ran off before I could explain what I was going to do.” His sorry face made my anger soften; however, I didn’t want to forgive him so easily. He’ll think that I’m easy to convince. I glared and snapped back.

“If you had a plan you could have at least tried to explain to me. Suddenly grabbing me is not a good explanation. I was scared to death and greatly embarrassed. How do you expect me to forgive you?”

 

The three masters watched with amusement at our argument. Ignoring them, I continued to glare at Kail, hoping that my anger flared more so he could tell clearer. “My dear, you should forgive my subordinate after all he’s done. It was a rash act, pure impulse and instinct, and if he didn’t, you would have been condemned by the others even if you weren’t guilty. However, we do believe the deaths are somehow tied to you.”

 

 My head snapped to Lord Basil with anger, retorts ready at the tongue. “Indirectly,” he said with his hand in front, “indirectly.”

“Explain.”

 

“How dare you order the highest Lord! Do you cherish your life?!” Lord Gregor howled from his seat. Mistress Gabrielle silenced him with a dark glare.

 

“It is you who does not cherish your life. Be silent.” With a flick of her fingers, a red spark flew from her palm and hit Lord Gregor’s lips, and soon the place where his lips should be became bare soft flesh as if he never had a mouth. His eyes widened with fear, a kept his eyes low over his breakfast.

 

I watched her in reverence as she silenced him. How I wished to learn magic from her! Only members of the first divisions get instruction directly from her. The other Dawn must learn from her disciples or learn from their team leader. “Now, let us resume.” She smiled and even that was ever graceful. Her blue eyes dark and mysterious bore into mine and I had to drop my head to escape the intensity of their glow.

 

“It is said that you came late the other and what had stopped your return with Fraeya Fortescue was a group of Midnight.” I nodded. “It is also said that they let the two of you leave unscathed, not even touched. Agrabelle had assumed that you were in league with them, but I doubted it or they wouldn’t attack to begin with. Unless, they know that you are a half-ling because I do know that there are rumors about you flying around in the middle world, the human world. So this might be a threat or a sign that they want something from you. It’s not likely that they were able to get so much Dawn in one night without a good plan a fine leader to execute it. So all I ask of you is do you remember who led the group of Midnight that surrounded Fortescue and you?” Lord Basil’s voice was urgent and for once, I caught some edge to it. It wasn’t just pure concern, but also as if he’s hiding something.

 

“Lester. I remember the leader was called Lester. However, he seemed only a leader of their patrol group because they mentioned someone called Lugh or was Lute?” I pondered the leader’s name when Lord Basil suddenly stood up eyes wide and blank.

 

“My Lord, are you ok?” Mistress Gabrielle asked; voice tense and frightened.

 

He grabbed my shoulders shaking, “are you sure his name was Lugh?”

 

“I don’t know!” I shouted and Kail soon took me away from the shaking Lord Basil.

 

“My Lord!” Kail cried out as Lord Basil collapsed to the ground, out cold.

 

Mistress Gabrielle gasped and the spell on Lord Gregor fell, leaving him normal again. “He fainted….”

 

Mistress Gabrielle quickly picked him up and Kail put him on his back, head slumping on Kail’s shoulder. “Take him to his room and I will let Celestine bring in his medicine.” Kail nodded and left. Lord Gregor stood up running off to find Celestine.

“What about me? What do I do?” I stood blankly, wondering what’s next.

 

Mistress Gabrielle looked at me and said, “Follow me. I have some unfinished business with you.”

 

She led me down to the Second Temple and to do so, we had to pass by the middle section where everyone eats. Some caught sight of us and stared, possibly wondering what Mistress Gabrielle had to do with me. Agrabelle saw me and called out. “Where are you going with Madame? Don’t tell me you’re being punished.”

 

“Agrabelle, eat and prepare for your test later. I will hear none of your complaints against Jenna.” Mistress Gabrielle snapped at her and that was all that was needed to make them ignore that we passed through.

 

The Second Temple was much well furnished than the Third. The blue velvet curtains were fluid even when motionless and the carpets of the marble floor spotless and bright with its turquoise color. Every bit of the Second Temple resembled the sky and the ocean, or a melded version of both; the cross where sky and sea meet.

 

The arch painting in the dome of the pantheon was a multitude of blues and greens, the signature colors of Sabir. Then I remembered that Sabir was born a member of the Second Temple only to be dropped when diagnosed with bipolar by Quez. It resembles the swirls and turmoil of a seemingly calm river. People believe it to be calm onto be caught by the tensions within, drowning.

 

That is the strategy of the Second Temple; they have mastered the art of appearing harmless when they truly are lethal. After many turns and watching helplessly as the servant angels greeted me with Jas’heque. Once we were deep inside, the surrounding ornaments became even more elegant and fluid. I recognized at once that we had entered her private quarters, also very big. Her room was the size of ours times three.

 

Shells of different sizes lined the walls in intricate patterns forming pictures of animals and plants. Her floor was as unique as it was sand contained in glass frames to form different pictures. A single mermaid shaped with sand was shown in the center of her room.

 

“Sit.” She gestured to a chair shaped as a clam and I sat, nearly sinking right into the soft thing. She sat in the same kind of seat opposite of me and sighed. Her light hair hung limp with sweat and her eyes were dull if not blank. “You didn’t eat yet did you?”

 

I shook my head.

 

“Fine. I’ll get you something.” She rang a bell and a servant angel came in the tradition copper brown uniform of the servants.

“Yes, Madame, you called?”

 

“Bring me a plate of eggs and sausage and a glass of rose tea with some honey.”

 

“As you wish, Madame.”

 

As soon as she came, she left with no expression at all, a face of stone. I hated the idea of being a servant. They begin their service full of glee and pride as they are allowed opportunities to please the gods of the Dawn, until they realize that it is just one task after another with no stop. After awhile, they lose the passion they had for it and just do their duty for the sake of finishing it, and then they drop into a state of despair when they know that they are as invisible as the air around when not needed.

 

At first, when I joined the 30^th division, people stared, waiting for the half-blood to make a mistake. I wish I was invisible just like them. Then at the age of six, I saw a servant angel get hurt for not caring out his duties as asked. No one could have done the task the stubborn Dawn asked him to do. Who could hold a stack of a hundred books in their arms from the first temple to the main library in the Second Temple without dropping one? Maybe someone with good balance or magic might manage, but not a common angel with any ability what-so-ever. I watched him get whipped in public without his uniform of copper brown robes with black stitches on the hem of the sleeves and the train. He was clothed in nothing but a loincloth and the blood streamed down his back staining the ground around him.

 

No one had protected me from the brutal scenes of as they did for Frae and for Ophelia. No one cared. Did they believe that I had a streak for cruelty like the Midnight? Maybe so for they thought I needed no protection. It mattered no more, but from then on, I had a silent respect for the servant angels. They deserved more gratitude then they received.

“While we wait for your food, listen to what I have to say.”

 

I remained silent and nodded for her to continue.

 

“Since you had been marked as Kail’s consort after a hard dispute between Lord Basil and Lord Gregor and with the situation of my divisions being short on members. We are moving one from some teams of the First and Third Temple. I chose to move you to my tenth division. It is the lowest rank among my own, but higher than what you would ever achieve in your Temple. That was proven when I even suggested it to Lord Gregor. He rebelled at the very thought; however, he has no say in my judgment and that is that you will prove to be the worthy of the place I give you.”

 

I pondered for a moment, considering what she had said. Through narrowed eyes, I asked, “am I supposed be pitied and put into your last division as a charity case and because of my recent rise in position?”

 

“Partially, but mainly is because I believe you have the ability to rise through the ranks. The only problem was your blood. No one wanted a half-blood in the higher temples and especially a half-blood of the Midnight, not the Dawn. The reason we kept you was because of the fact that if the Midnight had you, they would have turned you into a cold-blooded murderer like the rest of them. If we could do anything, it was to rescue you from that fate.” Her words were considerate and tempting to believe, still, I didn’t.

 

“Am I supposed to nod and say that I absolutely believe you? The Dawn haven’t been exactly welcome and tolerant about me.”

“You are a delicate case of controversy. Many believe that we should have left you to the Midnight while others believed that we should have killed you when we found you all alone since no one would care if a child was lost.” Those last words stung. No one would care—those were some harsh words. I tried to be brave about it and ignore the fact that she wounded me.

“So who is else is moving up among the ranks?”

 

“Agrabelle will be moved up to replace a member in my 7^th division, Gaeb will be moved up to replace someone in the 8^th, Helena of your 2^nd division will replace the loss of my 6^th division and Uldrael of your 9^th division will be replacing my lost 9^th division member.

 

“I can understand the moving of Gaeb and Helena, but Agrabelle, Uldrael, and me? These are some strange choices.”

“You only find that the choice for Agrabelle is strange because you have a bias against her and though Uldrael is dense and rude, he is also a very determined one. I need someone determined in my 9^th division. The leader, Purj, is an easily swayed man and he needs someone stubborn to keep him on the ground. His team is too soft-hearted to go against him.”

“I admit we aren’t on the best of terms, but I still don’t see why she has been raised. I don’t even know why I am raised. But after all these years here, I’ve learned not to question those commands from above. I will report to the 10^th division tonight right?”

 

“Yes.” Her eyes shown with her calm ease and soon the food arrived. “Please eat.”

 

The plate of eggs and sausage proved a good breakfast after I devoured it in less than ten minutes. The rose tea with honey was sweet and delicate like the woman Mistress Gabrielle is making it no surprise that it is her drink of choice; however, the last sip was edged with bitterness as Agrabelle entered.

 

Her eyes trailed to me and stayed for as long as I took to drain the tea. “You called for me Lady Gabrielle?”

 

“My dear niece, like I have told you before, you are being raised to the 7th division to fill up our holes. Some of the others in the Third Temple will come up with you.” She gestured at me with a smile. “That includes those whom you don’t get along with. It would please me if you will learn to get along with Jenna. I know that you feel she has stolen your place in Kail’s heart, but you must rise above your own personal problems if you ever want to sit in my seat in the future.”

 

Agrabelle’s eyes widened fear and bowed her head. “Lady Gabrielle, never have I even thought to steal that seat from you. Years are ahead of my youthful life and aunt, even if you were gone; I am still much too young to sit upon the command of the Second Temple.” Her hands were trembling and for once, I saw Agrabelle in reverence of those above her. She had always appeared to believe that because she is a relative of a leader, she can do whatever she wants, but now she understands the consequences of such thoughts.

 

“So you weren’t plotting against me? Talon had seen you in the crowd yesterday and he saw otherwise. You were only thinking of it, playing with the idea. In that plan, you were going to use Jenna I suppose. Am I not right? You impudent girl!” Her hand widened and closed with crushing force. Agrabelle fell to the floor and cried in agony as the bones of her legs were crushed.

“Please, I beg your forgiveness! It was only a thought! I would never have even dared try to achieve it! Please, aunt…” Tears streamed down her face and for once I really pitied her. I watched in complete horror and pleaded Mistress Gabrielle with my eyes to stop her torture. She let go and Agrabelle ceased to twitch on the carpet floor. “Now go and find Lune. She will see to your wounds as Quez and Celestine are still identifying the source of poison and wounds inflicted on our dead. I don’t want to see you until tomorrow. Before then, do not appear before my eyes.”

 

“Yes, Lady Gabrielle.” With that, she left leaving me in horror, fear, and awe.

 

Mistress Gabrielle looked at me again with an amused face. “Was I too harsh?”

 

“Even I have yet to see Lord Gregor hurt his subordinates like that.” Hopefully, I wasn’t too straight forward. After seeing her in her rage, I wasn’t too keen to tick her off.

 

Yet she laughed deeply at my reply. “You believe it was frightening? It was what had to be done to let her remember her place. Though she is my niece, she has not the ability to rise through the ranks. Rising through the ranks isn’t just on ability but also luck, which she has been depending on all her years so far. She needs to understand that family cannot protect her forever. That’s what I like about you. You don’t depend on anyone but yourself and work as hard as possible even though you know almost everyone hates you.” I bit my lip at those words and she realized her mistake. “Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. Sorry, I tend to be very frank myself when in comfortable company. Since you are free for most of the day, I’d like you to check on Lord Kail. He must be feeling exhausted after what happened last night and this morning. He hasn’t got a wink of sleep of yet.”