Chapter 4

“Hector. Look at me when I’m talking. I asked which dress you prefer?” My fiancée asks harshly, striding forwards and grabbing my chin, forcing me to look upwards and meet her eyes.

I hate her.

“They’re both lovely, my dear. I’m sure you will look exquisite in either,” I reply quietly.

I hate her.

“Oh come on my love, we’re finally going to be wed! It’s my 25th birthday next month, and I couldn’t be happier to be marrying you then,” she huffs, crossing her arms and looking at me disapprovingly., before continuing. “I do wish you’d cut your hair before then though. If not then I’ll have it done in your sleep.”

I hate her.

“Of course, Princess. Whatever you want.”

I hate her.

Agnaria smiles, placing her hands on either side of my face, holding me still. “Kiss me, Hector. Prove that you really do love me, or I’ll tell my father that you’re being mean to me again.”

I hate her.

She has taken everything from me.

For the last six years, I have lived in another castle, in another country. For the last six years, I have been a prisoner in luxury. Unable to leave, unable to escape. And I’ve had to do everything Agnaria has said.

Because apparently, if I marry her, if I do exactly as she says…she’ll tell me where Lisette is.

Six years ago, my family was betrayed. My parents were executed by their own guard, while Lisette and I were separated and I was brought here, to live with Agnaria. Apparently Lisette is still alive, so I’m living for the chance to see her again. 

She must be twenty now. She was only fourteen, the last time I saw her. 

I’ve missed so much of her life.

I tried asking the spirit of life if she really is alive still, but not once have I heard a squeak from the spirit since it finished explaining this world to me.

I just have to hope.

And then finally. Finally the spirit responds to me, after six years of waiting for an answer. 

“Yes. She is alive. But she is far away. Agnaria does not know where she is. But I can take you to Lisette.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” I ask angrily, pacing around the empty room, relief flooding over me. The spirit is silent for a moment, contemplating its answer.

“It is not easy to find most souls, little one. You and I are connected, because I brought you here from your world. But most souls I only touch once, to give them life in the first place. I touch millions of souls - I could not remember the feel of your sister’s soul. I have been searching for her, all this time. I did not want to give you perhaps false hope, if she had already passed. I am sorry, little one. You have been through much pain, in your two lives.”

Sinking down onto the bed, I rest my head in my hands. “Thank you, and I’m sorry for getting angry. I didn’t realise it was so hard for you to find souls; I have no idea how any of it works.”

“That is alright, little one. Fate is being cruel to you; you were meant to die, and so Fate does not like that your course has changed. You must either follow the path that Fate wants you to take, or you must forge your own path, as far from Fate’s wishes as possible. Only then will Fate disregard you as a lost cause; if you stray far enough, Fate will not care to bring you back to its desired path for you.”

“I don’t understand how any of that works, or what you really mean. What am I supposed to do?” I ask softly, running a hand through my hair. 

“You must keep Lisette alive. Hector was meant to die at fifteen years old, and Lisette was meant to die alongside your parents in the fire.”

Cold washes over me, before I shake my head. “That can’t be right…that night with the fire, Lisette was nearly kidnapped - she wouldn’t have been in the fire at all. And the kidnapper - he mentioned something about me being alive, and how I was meant to be dead.”

“Hmm, that is strange. I did sense a strange new soul, a few years ago - a soul that I did not give life to. It appeared, with its own life, fully formed. I tried to find out where it appeared from, but Fate warned me against it. All I managed to discover was that the soul now belongs to a man named Lyon.”

Sucking in a breath, I close my eyes. “Then what the hell is happening here?”

“I cannot say for sure, little one. Fate wants your death, I am sure. You are not meant to be alive, and perhaps I should not have interfered, but what’s done is done. Fate wants you gone, and it wants something with Lyon, or it wouldn’t bother protecting him. Fate must have brought Lyon - or Lyon’s new soul, at the very least - into this world, as Fate is the only spirit strong enough to do something like that.”

“What other spirits are there?” I ask quietly, basically understanding that everyone wants to kill me. Yay.

“There are four spirits: Life, Death, Fate and Nature. Fate does not like when I or Death interfere with its plans, and Nature keeps to itself. Only Death and I cause Fate issues.”

The spirit of death sounds like a pretty morbid title. “How does Death cause Fate issues?”

“The same way Life does. Death may interrupt the flow of Fate’s paths.”

Standing up, I give myself a shake. “It’s sounding like maybe the spirit of Death might be able to help me. Life and Death working together should put Fate off, right?”

“Correct, little one. Helpfully for you, your sister is somewhere near to the spirit of Death currently. She is not within the territory the spirit inhabits, but she is on the way to our destination.”

I frown slightly. “How come this spirit has a territory? You don’t, do you?”

“Correct again, little one. I do not. But Death craves destruction and chaos, so it chose to interfere with Fate’s path by saving the life of one who will do its bidding. Death lives within this little one’s mind, doing its work from there. Death is careless and does not often cause Fate trouble, but when it does…Fate is angry. But Death is powerful, and so Fate does not want to anger the spirit in return.”

My brain is going to explode, this is too much information. “I don’t really understand, but sounds like Death possessed someone and just hangs out there?”

“In short, yes. Death possessed a lord, one who craves destruction just as much as Death itself. In this Lord’s land, you shall be safe. Fate will not dare bother you there, and these mortals will not want to incur the Lord’s wrath. He is well known for killing any who enter his lands uninvited.”

“Wow, what a lovely guy,” I whisper, suddenly remembering that story Rachel used to talk about. Agnaria, Lyon, and a villainous lord.

I want revenge.

Revenge for my parents’ murders, for everything that happened to Lisette, and for me. Revenge against Agnaria.

She and her father killed my parents, stole our country and imprisoned me here for six years.

It’s time I left this awful place.