Sterling stifled a yawn as she followed Kai through Daralis. It was a long walk from the inn where they were staying to the palace, but Kai hadn’t wanted to bring the horse. He thought it would bring more attention to them, but it seemed to her they were drawing plenty of attention, anyway.

She felt eyes on her with every step, but whenever she looked around, there was no one there. The two of them had darkened their hair to a muddy brown the same day they’d arrived, so there shouldn’t have been anything about them to stand out. And yet, she couldn’t help feeling there was a sign hovering over them, pointing them out as different.

“Are we almost there?” Sterling asked. Her feet ached in the too small slippers that pinched her toes. While she’d been asleep, Kai had gone to the market and found them clothing suitable for an audience with the king. For her, that meant a dress in a soft peach color with little purple flowers embroidered along the hem. Nice enough to appear respectable, but not too nice as to stand out.

“Soon,” Kai responded, his hand going to rest on the coin bag she’d advised him to bring. They might need to part with a bit of money if they wanted to be let into the palace.

“What will we do after this?”

“That depends on what we learn here.” His eyes flicked back and forth across the road ahead, taking in everything. “Assuming we learn where the missing people are, we can visit them and locate Seraiah’s father.”

“And if we don’t?” Sterling noted the use of Seraiah’s father and not your father. In her mind, Papa was still Papa to her, no matter how she might try to distance herself.

“Then we leave.”

Sterling almost tripped over the hem of her dress. “So soon?”

“There won’t be a point in staying if there is nothing more to learn.”

“But—”

“We’re here,” he announced. “We can talk about this more after.”

Sterling tilted her head back to take in the palace before her. They hadn’t quite made it to the palace itself, but they’d joined the crowd of their fellow petitioners shuffling toward the entrance.

Kai motioned her to the back of the group. They wanted to ensure an audience with King Berenger, but they did not want to be the first ones to see him.

The columns at the entrance to the palace were ornately carved with the faces of the gods or at least Sterling assumed they were the faces of the gods. For all she knew, they could be faces of past kings. Either way, she swore it felt like they were watching her, judging her every move just as the people in the street had been.

Perhaps Seraiah’s paranoia had rubbed off on her.

Sterling ducked her chin and hurried after Kai.

The sandstone floors gave way to polished marble run through with veins of sparkling gold as soon as they stepped through the doors. It was so shiny, Sterling could see her reflection in it. She didn't doubt that it was some poor servant's sole duty to ensure the floors stayed that way.

Sterling clutched Kai’s arm to keep herself upright on the slippery floor as they passed through the space. Maybe it was the king's intention for the petitioners to fall and crack their heads, so he wouldn't have to listen to their grievances, Sterling thought darkly. She wouldn't put it past him.

The king's attendants ushered the stream of petitioners toward the large double doors of what Sterling assumed was the receiving hall. A scene of a man wearing a large golden crown while decapitating a beast was carved into the doors. It was likely meant to be imposing, but Sterling doubted it was real. From what she knew of her history, the kings of Himera never ventured outside their walls. They had other people to do that for them.

One by one, the petitioners ahead of them were sent into the receiving hall. When one would exit, another would take their place.

Sterling studied their faces carefully, trying to guess what they’d asked for and if the king had granted it. Most who were leaving seemed disappointed. A few had clenched fists and thunderous expressions. She saw maybe two people at most who appeared pleased as they exited.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Little by little the group waiting to enter the hall dwindled until only a handful of others and themselves remained.

"King Berenger has time to see one more today," the attendant near the doors informed the waiting group. "The rest of you will have to try again tomorrow."

At his announcement, three people turned a left. The rest of them stayed, hoping they were the lucky ones to be chosen.

Please, please, please, let it be us, Sterling thought. She couldn't stand having to go through this ritual again the next day, even if it meant remaining in the city longer.

Sterling tracked the attendant's movement as he looked over the waiting people. Finally, his eyes landed on them.

"You," he pointed to Kai. "Come."

Sterling glanced around and immediately knew why they had been selected. They were the best dressed of those who were waiting, and Kai had left his bulging coin bag in open view.

Sure enough, before the attendant let them into the receiving hall, he held out his hand expectantly. Sterling was tempted to spit in it, but Kai didn't hesitate in passing over a few coins.

"Good luck with your petition," the attendant said with a smile, pulling open the door.

Sterling stepped through first. A plush red carpet ran from the double doors up to the base of the stairs leading to the raised throne at the other end of the room. The room itself was cavernous, and she was sure without the carpet in place, their steps would have echoed off the walls.

Side by side, they made their way down the carpet to the throne, where King Berenger and a few of his guards waited for them.

Sterling snuck peeks at the room as they walked. Every inch of the walls was decorated with gold leaf, and she realized this must be the reason for the rumors the palace was made of gold. The columns and the ceiling were also covered in it. Only the floor seemed to have been spared.

It was the most revolting room she had ever seen.

When they reached the end of the carpeted path, Kai knelt and lowered his head until his forehead touched the floor. It took Sterling a second longer to join him. It irritated her that, as a queen in her own right, she should have to grovel before this man.

After the king bid them to rise, Kai began their story of the missing people while Sterling studied the king through her lashes. He was much younger than she’d thought he would be. A golden crown studded with rubies the same shade of red as the carpet beneath her feet was perched on his brow. There was a faraway look on his face that said he wasn't listening to a word Kai said.

When Kai finished speaking, the king straightened on his throne. “What you’ve told me isn’t anything new,” he said. “I’ve had others coming in here for months now to tell me about these empty cities. It makes no difference to me where these people have run off. Others will take their place.”

Anger burned in Sterling’s chest at the callous way he spoke of his people.

“Has this happened before?” Kai asked. “Have people vanished without a trace?”

The king’s eyes shifted. “People disappear all the time. I can’t be expected to keep track of all of them. They want to leave? Let them leave. They’ll come crawling back once they realize how good they had it.”

He doesn't know anything, the voices murmured. He’s an incompetent king. One brush of your power and this place would be yoursss.

Sterling felt the power awakening within her and like a sleeping beast after a winter hibernation, it was hungry.

No, she thought frantically, no, I can't do this now. Why today of all days had her magic decided to appear? Why not before?

Yesss, the voices hissed. This human king shall bow to you.

Before Sterling could do anything to stop it, her magic erupted from the carefully contained box she’d put it in. The force of it was so strong, it drove her to her knees.

The king was on his feet in an instant. "What is wrong with that girl? Guards!" Berenger waved his men forward.

"No! Please!" Sterling managed to get out. "You have to leave now. All of you. I—" Another wave of magic ripped through her body, making her forget what she was trying to say.

Kai had knelt down next to her, but unlike the last time this had happened, he didn't attempt to touch her.

"Control it, Sterling."

"I'm . . . trying," she ground out. Frantically, she tried the box trick again, but the power kept coming faster than she could shove it inside.

A shot of it burst from her like a bolt of lightning, ricocheting off the ceiling. A rain of plaster and liquid gold fell around them.

Berenger and his guards were staring wide-eyed at the hole she’d burned in the ceiling.

"Leave!" Sterling shouted at them again.

This time, they listened, disappearing through a concealed door behind the throne. Seconds later, another bolt of power brought a larger chunk of the ceiling crashing down right onto the king's throne.

"We have to get out of here before you bring the palace down around our ears. Can you walk?"

Could she? She wasn't sure. Sterling was afraid that any movement was going to unleash even more.

Please, make it stop, she begged, squeezing her eyes shut.

The ground beneath her shook, and more debris fell from the ceiling. Then, as fast as it had come, it was gone.

Cautiously, Sterling peeked an eye open to take in the damage around her. The receiving hall was in ruins. The once resplendent red carpet beneath her feet was dotted with holes where the melted gold had burned through and then solidified.

"Come on," Kai said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet. "We have to get out of here before they come back."

Sterling let herself be pulled along, her body weak in the absence of power.

Thank you, she said silently.

Next time you will do as we sssay, the voices whispered back, or we won't ssstop.