The Forest Where the Phoenix Sleeps by Brooke Marley Jones

Author:Brooke Marley Jones [Jones, Brooke Marley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-06-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter twenty

just breathe

Standing in a doorway that was taller than my entire building back home, I squinted into the great hall. I gave Bowyn a wary glance. This couldn’t possibly be the same ball he’d so joyously described. Sparse candles provided little light; they barely illuminated the carved stone pillars running the length of the great hall. All around, ladies dressed in glittering ebony gowns slunk around tables laden with food that looked as inedible as it smelled. The only noise came from the whispers of those brave enough to disturb the silence.

This room felt sick.

As if everything inside died long ago, and rot and decay had taken hold.

This was a ball for corpses.

Bowyn jutted his chin to the far end of the hall. “The Queen.” The only individual seated, the Queen’s presence imposed on the room like a loaded gun. Her dress wasn’t made of light at all, but the absence of it. Darkness clung to her sickly, gaunt body, and charcoal make-up smeared her eyes.

“How old is she?” I whispered.

“Fifty-six.”

“No!” My jaw dropped. “Fifty-six!?” I couldn’t believe it. If Bowyn told me she was one-hundred-and-fifty-six, I still might not have believed him. From back here, I wasn’t even sure she was alive. Behind the Queen, stood a stunning ghost of a girl. Elwyn, the one we’d met in town. White light mimicked delicate folds of lace against her skin. She shone like a pearl in the dark hall. Her shoulders rose and fell as she sighed, staring longingly into the crowd of people. A sweet-looking, baby-faced man stood beside her, uncomfortably close.

“The woman to the Queen’s right. That’s the Truth. The Queen’s spy.” Looking like the offspring of a witch and a clown, the Truth wore garish colours and a gigantic pointy hat. “Stay away from her at all costs.” Bowyn peered around. “I wonder where the Cage is. Terrifying creature, the Cage. I suppose it’s hidden out of sight, trying not to make everyone too uneasy.”

I imagined a ghastly monster named the Cage would be right at home here.

My eyes adjusted to the dark, then my breath caught. Darragh leaned against the wall, several steps behind the Queen’s throne. He hadn’t dressed for the occasion. His clothes were regular, black fabric. He blended into the shadows, keen to remain hidden in the background. Arms crossed, Darragh stared at the ground.

Bowyn stepped into the great hall, but I resisted. “Bowyn, I don’t know about this.”

Dragging me after him, Bowyn whispered, “Have courage, my love.” I glowed like a beacon in the dark, and one by one, people faced us. Whispers rose as we joined the crowd.

“Who is she?”

“Look at her dress.”

“He’s a serpent, that one.”

“I’ve never seen her before.”

Darragh looked up, curious about the commotion. We made eye contact and my heart stopped.

Just breathe.

Darragh’s lips parted, and his arms fell to his sides. His eyes travelled from my face to my feet, and back. I wondered if he was reminding himself to breathe too.

The briefest of smiles crossed my lips.

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