Neco rubbed his face, growling. “Niteo....” He wrestled the thought of his brother and returned to the conversation. “How do I know you won’t instigate?”

“We will sign a contract. If I break my promise then I will relinquish my rights to the brothel and, of course, to Fate.”

He relented but remained skeptical of her proposal. “Fine, we will test our agreement.”

“Good, I will send a messenger to deliver a contract by morning. Fate shall be in my hands.” Fortuna called Fate to her arms and slowly led her out of the room.

Fate met Firmus’s gaze. Though she could not speak with him, she did her best to convey her feelings.

Protect him.

Fortuna held Fate’s hand on their walk back. Fate looked back on the community, knowing full well she could never again awaken to stare down from the palace balcony. The sunken faces she used to watch from a distance looked at her closely now. She realized that they watched her as much as she watched them, and perhaps they even knew of Neco’s transgressions.

Perhaps they pitied her as she had pitied them.

Fortuna squeezed her hand. “You decide your own fate, and you make that man pay for what he has done. You deserve more than this, don’t you ever forget that.”

Fate staggered through the snow behind her new caretaker. Each step she took drove the pain deeper inside. She pressed a hand to her chest as large tears poured from her eyes.

Fortuna guided her inside the brothel, gently pushing her by the shoulders.

They may have been walking but Fate could hardly tell. Before she realized it, she stood in front of the same room from which she’d escaped.

“Stay here,” Fortuna said. “I’ll bring blankets.”

Fate dropped to her knees, her lower lip trembling, and hunched over while holding her churning stomach. Her throat strained as she choked out a faint plea for her brother.

She should have run away with him to the Capital. Now her window of opportunity had closed.

“Get up, you lousy girl.”

Before she could look something hard cracked against her spine.

The old woman stood out of reach, extending her cane. “Can’t handle the life of the low and sultry, girl? Fortuna will ruin my brothel, bringing in every lousy rat from the street. Get to work!” She swung again.

Fate scrambled back until she hit her arm on a low table. The jarring impact caused a shudder of pain from her elbow to her shoulder as she spotted Fortuna’s silhouette moving through the hallway.

The Madam carried an armful of blankets, so she used her foot to open the gate.

Before Fate could cry for help, the cane struck the side of her head and she balled up, using her arms to shield herself.

Fortuna tossed the blankets aside and gripped the old woman’s cane tightly. “Stop that!”

The old woman struggled to pull her cane back. “Fortuna, I will not allow you to coddle another one of these rats in my brothel!”

Fortuna ripped the cane from her hands. “This is my brothel, and I will raise my girls however I please! If you do not relinquish your rights, then I will crush you with them!”

Fate watched Fortuna in awe and fear. For the first time in her life, she saw the form of a true Royal and the strength of a caretaker.

The old woman hissed, “Wicked thing!”

“Leave. I will not tell you again. This is my brothel, and you are not welcome here.” Fortuna waited for the former madam to leave, and then quickly returned to Fate. “Are you all right?”

Fate’s thoughts were lost to the wonders of her new mentor. She questioned whether or not Fortuna expressed the love and care of a mother figure. Fate had never known the care of a mother; it was painful to behold. She hugged Fortuna, hoping that she would prove to be as wonderful as she seemed.

“You can’t let them break you now,” Fortuna said. “You must rise again and take back the land that was stolen from you. The kingdom is yours.” She brushed away the hair from Fate’s ear and leaned in closely. “This is your time. You must be strong. You must prevail and bring balance back to this kingdom. I’m here for you. You will grow up and become the very queen you were made to be.”

Made. Fate riddled over the word in her head. She wanted to sleep away the pain in her heart and never awaken. The time she had with her brother—that which she longed to protect—slipped through her fingers. She now regretted her negligence towards Neco’s chronic misdemeanors.

Fortuna sheltered her with the blanket. “Cry as much as you need, little Fate, and rest well. There is much to learn, but I promise that by the time I am done teaching you, there will be hell to pay in Nex.”

The Madam’s warmth brought Fate to tears.

The Igni did more than conjure up fire; their passion burned deep within their souls. Fate had read that their fervor often made its mark in history, and more frequently, left reminders of how easily the world fell at the hands of the Tainted.

Fortuna seemed to have somehow escaped the fate of her people. In fact, her siblings carried the same, pure warmth. Their family had fought extinction many times, but they always survived. Whenever anyone spoke of the Igni, they always said the same thing: They are survivors.

Fortuna had exited again, leaving Fate with her thoughts. She wrapped herself in her blanket and shuffled to the round window in her room.

She gazed upon the snowflakes outside, which drifted so peacefully that she envied them. The bite of winter was harsher in Nitor. Fate had always considered the weather in Macellarius particularly frigid, but now understood that it was because she knew nothing of the conditions beyond the border.

The air rushed against her cheeks, stinging her skin and nearly cutting through her the moment she opened the window. She shivered and pulled the blanket tighter, until only her nose and eyes faced the bitter wind.

Her new quarters offered no view of Macellarius, merely one of Nitor. The palace rested behind an iron gate, past a prosperous community. Women bustled down the path in their extravagant gowns. They walked beside their counterparts and laughed, careless of the suffering in Macellarius, or even right under their noses.

Fate observed her room to remind herself that she had a new home. Her living space contained few pieces of furniture: a tall bureau, a small table, and an oval mirror. She maneuvered to the mirror on her knees and gazed at her reflection. Her violet eyes burned with tears, and her dark hair tangled around her cheeks. She failed to see the same queen that Fortuna sought.

“I am nothing, not even Cruentus Fate.” She appreciated the blanket, for it hid her heart and her tear-streamed face.

Fortuna shortly discovered her new pupil encased within the ball of fabric. She approached carefully, set down a mug of tea on the table, and made no attempt to remove the blanket. It appeared she respected Fate’s desire to hide.

“At first it will be difficult,” she said, “but with time you will come to know your own strength.”

Fate heard her words and wanted to become stronger. She wanted to conquer the land and restore it. She sought to protect Abyssus with what little power she possessed.

“You must persevere,” Fortuna said. “No matter how difficult or painful it may be, you do what you must to survive. I will aid you to the best of my ability, and you will grow up to be queen, but not Neco’s queen—a queen of your own volition.”

Fate rested her head against Fortuna’s chest. At that moment, she pushed her feelings far to the back of her mind and clung to the hope of restoring Nex. She received affirmation of her new goal and submerged herself within it.

I will reclaim Nex, no matter how difficult, no matter how long it takes. This kingdom is mine.

—-END OF SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW—-

~~~