“My queen, you have to come and see this!” someone bellowed in Clythia’s ears. Not someone; it was the Lady of Hypercas.

“Are you mad, woman?” Clythia said, rubbing her eyes, slowly opening them, and glaring at Vina with sleep-addled irritation. Through the small window, Clythia could see it was dawn. Her servants and scholars were sprawled all around her bed, sleeping peacefully.

“Get up,” Vina said, acting as though she was a mother scolding a child. Clythia rolled out of bed and changed her clothes from the ring she wore, selecting a high-collared dress to cover the leash around her neck. Then she followed the rather-blunt-this-early Vina out.

“You better fucking make this worth it or—”

“I know you will cut off my head,” Vina rolled her eyes, making Clythia huff.

They got past the back door of the inn and sped up in the dark alley. It was good she chose cotton in her rush because Clythia could feel the wind lashing on her face, and some of it sinking through the fabric.

Vina led her through a series of left and right turns before stopping in front of a pot with a rose in it, pointing at it.

“I am already looking at it,” Clythia said. “Have you not seen a flower in your entire existence?”

“Look carefully,” Vina said, ignoring the threat in her tone.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, then the flower began to distort, fading out before reappearing and distorting again.

“What am I looking at?” Clythia knitted her brows.

Vina crouched down and stretched her fingers, seeming to wait for something. When the flower started to fracture, she reached for it, but it passed through her palm as though it wasn’t there to begin with. Before Clythia could say anything, Vina reached out again when the flower was opaque and was able to grip the stem.

Vina stood up and stared at Clythia. “The reason why everything looks so bizarrely familiar is because none of it is real. This flower isn’t real. None of it is real. It’s like looking through a mirror.”

“To fool whom?” Clythia began, her mind numb, trying to process what it meant. “It was like this before we arrived.”

“And the Sovereign knows that,” Vina said. “If they are anything like the previous one—omniscient—then they would know.”

“Or if they had their hands on the omniscient Sovereign,” Clythia mumbled.

“What—do you know something?” Vina placed her hands on her waist.

“That I know,” Clythia shook her head. “We are part of some bizarre game, and I don’t think it would be a great sight when reality unravels.”

“My queen,” Vina said impatiently. It was still strange she was addressing her formally quite often these days. “You asked me to find the Sovereign. I have the right to know every little detail you have on them, for both our sakes.”

“The previous Sovereign is held captive by the current one,” Clythia said. “That’s what I know. Don’t ask me how—the source of the information is not important.” It was very important because it was the Evil that was the lord of all the angels here, and she was his slave. And he was latched onto a powerful host.

But Vina shouldn’t know that. She would eventually, but Clythia didn’t want to think about what would happen then.

To her credit, Vina didn’t pester her further. “Perhaps the locals could help us. There is always an outlier. Someone who doesn’t like it here. We could use that creature.”

“No,” Clythia said with more vigor than intended before adjusting herself, but it was too late as Vina gave her a confused look. With a practiced nonchalant tone she said, “The locals are extremely dangerous. If you get close to them, you will lose yourself.”

“Lose myself, how?” Vina crossed her arms, the breeze fluttering her red hood.

Should Clythia tell her the reason? Would it be important? Would knowing it raise suspicion? But Vina was always suspicious of everyone all the time. She had to be careful because sooner or later an angel could make a move on one of her companions. It was still strange that no one had encountered an angel and discovered they were Evil.

“The angels are the Children of the Shadow,” Clythia began. “They are also called the Evils in the previous era and were rampant. They enslaved most of Zyvern with the slavers of Surial.”

“If you have struck a bargain with the Shadow, then why are you afraid of its children?” Vina assessed her.

“I am not afraid of them,” Clythia said with a rather unconvincing tone.

“You are shaking,” Vina’s eyes zeroed in on her fisted palm, and Clythia hid it.

“It’s the chill.”

Vina pursed her lips, eyes narrowing slightly. “You have to tell me why I should avoid them.”

Clythia grinned. “They could make you lose that tightly held bun of yours.”

Vina’s mouth opened; she looked truly concerned as her fingers trailed over her kempt hair. Even at this hour, her hair was smoothly tied in a bun at the center of her head. “How do you sleep like that?”

“I don’t,” Vina was stunned.

“I haven’t seen your hair except like this,” Clythia said.

“As you shouldn’t,” Vina said, and Clythia raised her brows. “My queen. Now how will they manage to do that?”

“Take off your invisible ponytail?” Clythia mocked, making Vina grumpier than her usual. “Easy. They would morph you to Casarda.” Vina’s jaw slacked. Clythia didn’t need to explain further as the gears in Vina’s mind were turning. It was a sight to watch how her face still remained blank, a smooth surface of ice to hide the boiling emotions beneath, but some of it made it to the surface. Clythia didn’t miss the twitch of her lips and the stiffness of her shoulders.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“I will be careful then,” Vina said. “This is what I came to show you and to share my theories. I will keep on searching for the Sovereign.”

“We have to leave this place immediately,” Clythia said. “We aren’t safe here. We are in a beautified trap, and Kay, rather pompous of it, made a fool of all of us.”

As they were returning to the inn, they saw Kay doing pushups at the back door, blocking their path. He was naked from the waist up, every lift and push bulging his sculpted broad back, which was gleaming with sweat despite the chill, his hair ruffling in the breeze.

Clythia cleared her throat, snagging the human king’s attention. With one leap, he was facing them, his chest heaving, surprise gleaming on his face. “I didn’t think anyone would be up,” he said, giving them a dry smile, and stood aside to let them pass. Clythia gestured for Vina to go on, but she remained there.

Once Clythia knew she was out of earshot, she said, “I need to speak with you.”

“About what?” This man was handsome. When did he develop such a sharp jawline?

“How did you know about the angels?” Clythia crossed her arms, partly because of the chill but also to send the notion to Kay that she was interrogating him.

Kay cocked his eyebrow. “How did you know that I know about angels?”

“That’s not important.”

“I know because I know,” Kay shrugged.

“Stop playing games for fuck’s sake. If you know something, it could help us all,” Clythia said, sounding desperate.

Kay gave her a once-over, which sent a chill where his eyes rested, but it could have been the weather for all she knew. “They are myths from the old world.”

Clythia was waiting for him to elaborate further, but he didn’t. He just stared at her blankly. “And for some apparent reason, the myths are here. Why?”

“Because they weren’t a myth,” Kay said with a tone that insinuated she was inquiring the obvious.

Clythia wished for nothing more than to smack his head on the floor where he had been doing pushups moments ago. “Does your tongue only work when flirting with women? Is that how you stayed on the throne for so long?”

The human king’s lip tilted to one side. “My tongue can do many, many things,” his voice dropped to an alto. “Do you want to find out?”

“How did a human secure an inn in a strange land? You could strike a deal with the innkeeper, but that doesn’t guarantee the locals behaving. Yet somehow, they looked the other way.” Clythia knew it was because of Tiyus, but what part did Kay play? “How did a human happen to be talking about angels while heading to Stormia, the one place they reside?” Kay’s expression was blank. “Happenstance? I think not. I dare say you are part of something that you aren’t sharing with us all. And if you don’t tell me right now, I will tell the rest of the travelers.”

Kay sighed before bursting into laughter. “Please do that and see if anyone would believe a human can conspire this greatly.”

Clythia chuckled. “Never have I ever heard you downplay yourself. We do that to you, but you, at every point and turn, try to fight for your equality, as if you matter.”

“So it was deliberate.” Kay’s face went grim, hatred flickering on his features as he glared at her. “You were ignoring me, my ancestors—all of you.” He pointed at the door. “Why?”

“Because you are human,” Clythia said. “You are weak. If it wasn’t for the Sovereign, you wouldn’t be our equal.” She said the last word as though it was rotten food in her mouth. “Perhaps now that the Sovereign is gone for good, you will learn your place.”

A gust barreled through her chest as Kay lifted his hand, tossing her until her back collided with the stone wall, sending a sharp pain through her. The cobblestones spiraled towards her face, and in a last-second reflex, she sent a gust of wind that arced her sideways before darkness claimed her.

When Clythia opened her eyes, she was sprawled on the muddy cobblestones, her joints and back screaming in pain as she struggled to pick herself up. A hand was stretched out, veins bulging against the creamy skin in a mouthwatering way, stirring heat deep within her. The smell of dew was her final confirmation of who was helping her as she grasped the arm as dear life.

Time didn't seem to pass that much since she was knocked out because the sky maintained its dark pink hue, and the pain in her back was fresh as she grunted, trying to make sense of why she was sprawled on the stones instead of the silky sheets of the inn in the first place.

Vina... the glitching plant...

“Where’s Kay?” Clythia asked, craning her neck in agony.

“Heal yourself,” Tiyus said.

Clythia sent a wave of energy from her Inner Sense, mending skin and bone. Then Tiyus said, “He is somewhere where he couldn’t harm you. Have you discovered the current Sovereign?”

“This place is a sham, isn’t it?” Clythia rubbed her forehead, feeling lightheaded despite being healed.

Tiyus furrowed his brows, his silvery eyes confirming the answer to that question. “What did you see?”

“Something you would expect when you gaze upon a distorted mirror,” Clythia answered quietly, her heart racing faster. “How did Kay have such power? He is human.”

Tiyus chuckled, folding his arms across his chest, revealing more bulging veins. He wasn’t trying to seduce her; effortlessly, he was the master of seduction, and she was falling prey to it like always, even while unnerved by what was going on. “Your arrogance is your shortcoming, my queen. You underestimate the most powerful ones.”

“The most powerful ones?” Nothing was making sense. She barked out a laugh. “Kay can’t be the most powerful; a witch in the slums can crush him to dust with a thought.”

That was an exaggeration, of course. No witch in the slums or wizard could do such a deed. If that were the case, they would have taken a better place in society. If Tiyus knew this fact, he didn’t show it.

“Again, arrogance,” the Evil said.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was the most powerful until now?” Clythia asked.

“I am not going to do your homework for you,” Tiyus shrugged.

“Homework?” Clythia was confused. “What does that mean? Does Kay have anything to do with the Sovereign? He does, doesn’t he? He’s the most powerful, you just said...”, she trailed off.

“I didn’t say that,” Tiyus interjected.

“I wonder why that is." Clythia ignored him, being carried away by the thoughts that was spewing out her mouth. "I have a feeling you know where the Sovereign is but something is holding you back. You keep pestering me about finding the Sovereign, because the end is nigh whatever that means. Somehow, Kay is involved in all this.” Clythia shook her head, twirling her rings as she paced side to side. “No wonder Kay was at ease once we reached Stormia, no wonder he struck a deal with the innkeeper and no one bothered us. He knew about the angels before any of us. I wouldn't be brazen to say, Stormia is like a second home to that twat.” Tiyus chuckled by the remark but remained silent. Vina’s words seeped into Clythia's mind: ‘And also there’s the human king. Each and every move of his is calculated.’ Clythia couldn’t see it because, as Tiyus said, she was arrogant. “And if he is the most powerful-”

Clythia stopped in her tracks, and her eyes trailed up the stoic angel before her. Memories began to click, when her eyes fully took the enthralling silvery eyes: the first time when Kay arrived at the island, she thought it was the light from the ship it never was. It was Tiyus looking at her through the human. Then there was the promise of Tiyus, vowing to protect her if she he did his bidding. Then Kay swooped in and told her the lightning trick to defeat the Charybdis, even when s.

“You are the most powerful of the Evils, anchored with the most powerful being on Zyvern.” The last admission tasted like ash in her mouth.

Clythia’s heart was beating faster in her chest, drumming in her ears. Beads of sweat were trailing down her back, and her hands were shaking. How could a frail human being, a nobody, achieve such a thing? She should have listened to all the talks of civilization and advancement, of all the ways the human king made something for his kingdom and even surpassed it to the point of an Evil lord admitting him to be the most powerful.

“What’s next then?” Clythia asked, more to herself than to Tiyus, but the master he was, he answered.

“Bring Morven to the third shop from the inn, the yellow-painted three-story building, the one co-joined with its twin, the red-painted house.” Tiyus grinned, and a chill raked down her spine. What on Zyvern was he planning? “At noon.”

“Why?” That was a stupid question, and she knew the answer as soon as the word left her mouth. The Evil was going to deliver the revenge he promised the vampire. Clythia tossed Tiyus an apologetic look before his patience ran out on her rabid questions for the day.

Morven had become her enemy. He wouldn’t accompany her for one stride willingly unless she convinced him to do so or forced him. In all honesty, she wished she wasn’t involved in this, but here she was, ready to be a part of the vampire’s demise.