The smell was the first thing I noticed. A stuffy stale smell, something like dust and animal fur. Choking it back, I stepped into Rayburn’s office. 

Looking over my shoulder once more, I stumbled into an oddly placed taxidermied monkey. I nearly jumped out of my skin. The monkey’s sick grin, haunting me. Dressed up in a funny red outfit, an unnatural smile curved across its lips. I grimaced at it, the monkey's expression warning me off.

I stepped around the strange greeter, ignoring the alarm in it's eyes. I walked out  into the dark and dingy office. Only a sliver of light peeked through the curtain-covered windows. Windows and walls, draped in patterned silks, bright exotic colours. More taxidermied animals lined the corners, all dressed up in the colours and styles of the four capitals.

A tawny elk dressed in brilliant blues for Euphoria. It's a costume, detailed in gold, showing elegance and refinement. Opposite to him was a grey wolf with a black cape and a silver chain around his neck. The wolf, for Discord, both fearsome and regal. A large bear stood with a red vest, embroidered in green, yellow, and white thread. The bear, symbolizing the capital of Mirth. His costume was generous and rustic. Lastly for Manic, a large cat with orange and black stripes was dressed in colourful silks. A large red jewel, hanging around his neck. The cat embodied extravagance and boldness.

The colors and personalities of the four capitals of Tetrad. They looked gleefully happy, in a sickening way. It didn't sit right with me, preserving dead animals for decoration.

“Do you like my pets” a voice rang from around my shoulder. I turned quickly, Sylvester Rayburn the king's advisor of foreign affairs, eyed me from behind his desk.

A wryly man, he was skinny as a stick. Thinning greasy black hair, his teeth rotting behind his sneer. There was something remarkably unsettling about Rayburn, even aside from his unusual fascination with dead animals.

He walked forward and I pushed away the uneasiness in my stomach. I just had to be brief. I could put my personal dislike of the man aside.

“I have more of them you know” -he smirked with those disgusting teeth- “if you want to see them. A whole private collection, these are just the most palatable. ” His voice reminded me of a snake. 

"No thanks," I shivered at his words. I didn't even want to guess what kind of horrors he kept to himself. “I'm here on business,” I said, turning the conversation to something more pleasant. 

I pulled out Malachi's medallion and held it up for him to see. He looked at it squinting, curiously studying it. “Oh yes, I remember you now... Your Malachi's lackey, the pretty little redhead with the big mouth,” he said, eyebrows raised as he waited for a reaction. 

I bit my tongue, stopping the sudden string of insults from leaving my mouth. If I wanted to get out of here fast, I would have to ignore such comments. 

“What brings you here?” Rayburn asked, slouching his shoulders.

I grabbed the letter out from my pack, holding it out to him. “Delivery.” 

He smiled, eyes locked on the seal. “Ah, I've been expecting this” He reached out to take it. I pulled it away, hiding the envelope behind my back.

“First you pay.” I said, with my best stern face. 

He lowered his hand, frowning at my action. “Yes, dear, no need for dramatics.” he walked over to his desk. “Seven hundred right?” He gathered up the coins. 

I hesitated for a second, my voice wavering.“Prices have gone up, it’s eight hundred now.” 

Rayburn rolled his eyes, “Well eight hundred you get then.” He slipped the coins in a little pouch, walking back.

“My letter?” he asked, holding back the money bag. I slowly brought the letter back around. He snatched the envelope with greedy hands, dropping the pouch in my empty grasp. I opened the bag right away, beginning to count the coins. I wasn't about to let myself get stiffed.

“Come back by four and I'll have a reply for you to send,” he said, moving back to his desk. 

I nodded, finishing up my counting. All eight-hundred. I closed up the bag, turning to leave.

“You know darling,” he said in a silky voice,“you would make quite a lovely figurine, yes?”

I gave him a disturbed look. What on earth did that mean? 

He laughed, “When you're dead of course. I mean with lovely red hair like that.” 

My stomach turned. He looked even more snake-like now. Rayburn gave a sly smile.

"I know Malachi has a sweet spot for you, but if you meet an untimely end tell him I'll pay handsomely for your corpse. That is, if it's not too badly damaged. I'm always looking to expand my collection."

I gawked at him. "No, I'm not gonna tell him that! You're insane." Who did he think he was to ask such a thing?

"Disappointing," he sighed. 

I glared at him, tightening my fists. “Well, I'd rather not bank on dying, thanks,” I hissed the words, storming out towards the door.

He drummed his fingers on the desk. "And what time will you be back?" he asked, quizzing me like I was an idiot. 

“Four,” I spat, letting the door slam shut.

I was done. I wasn't coming back here after today. I didn't care how many oranges Malachi bribed me with. Rayburn crossed a line.

My shoes clicked on the stone floors as I walked away. I couldn't get his words out of my head. I wanted to crawl out of my skin and die, but he’d just love that wouldn't he. I gagged at my own humour.

I wished I could just leave, but I wasn’t about to go back to Malachi empty handed. I shouldn’t push it, not after my fight. Especially since they would probably make a deal behind my back, literally over my dead body. Malachi only cared about money and if I was already dead, well he wouldn't hesitate to profit off it.

A bunch of guards stomped through interrupting my thoughts. The captain shouting orders, they came around the corner in a focused procession. I froze, standing still as the rows of blue blurred on by. 

Thankfully they seemed to not even notice me. Focused on who or what they were chasing after. It was probably best to avoid the excitement.

I changed my course, heading for the stairs. I made my way outside to the courtyard. Avoiding popular pathways, I kept my eyes open for a good place to spend a few hours . I passed through the gardens, the shrubs trimmed into animal shapes. The castle wall, casting a shadow across the courtyard. 

Entering the stairwell below the battlements, I slowly climbed up to the top. There were a lot of stairs, winding up into a spiral. Running out of breath, I cursed the castle architects. 

Making it to the top, I walked out to the open view of the wall. Spanning around the city, the same whitish grey stone as the palace. This was my favourite spot in Euphoria. You could see everything from here, the town below, the marketplace, even the ocean. I followed along the wall heading towards the view of the sea. 

It was good to see the ocean again. I smiled, watching the waves crash against the cliffs. I lived by the ocean once. Those months were good ones, rare moments of happiness. Back when my friend Freya was still around. She would have loved this.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I shut my eyes, the sun warm on my skin. The sea breeze, finding me. I let my hair lose, removing the tie. My fire coloured curls, chasing after the wind. I brushed the hair out of my face, freeing my view. 

"Phynley Okie." A voice called from behind me. I turned, Luca standing behind me. A half smile and wind tossed hair. He looked older than the last time I'd seen him, or maybe just a little more weathered.

"Luca…" I muttered, my eyes falling to his bloody lip. He looked a bit disheveled, probably a result of his struggle with the guards. I was surprised that he was still here. After his speech in the throne room, I would've expected him to get thrown out. 

“Fancy meeting you here.” he said, grinning at me. 

I stared at him like a scared cat. It had been so long, I didn't know what to say.

He paused a second, stepping back. "I'm not here cause Merle's coming, if you're worried." He raised his hands to reassure me.

I squirmed at the wizard's name. "I know, I saw you in the throne room," I said, relaxing my shoulders. 

"Yes that" -he rubbed his fat lip- "that definitely could've gone better." 

I smirked at him, that was an understatement. Challenging the King of Euphoria was a fool’s errand. The whole incident had me curious though. 

"What were you talking about back there? About the alliance and the fall of Euphoria or whatever," I asked, taking a step closer. 

He hesitated, searching my eyes. "To be honest I don't know completely. I can’t work out the whole picture. I don't know what's coming or even what the deal is. Just that this deal will be the start of it." He frowned, staring at the ground. "From what I've seen though it will be terrible and If there is a chance I can stop it."  

"Then you have too." I finished his words. He nodded, meeting my eyes. Something shining behind that serious look. 

I grinned, the wind pushing my hair back into my face. "Is this what you do now? Run around saving the world from impending doom." 

He laughed,"I try, it's better than doing nothing." He folded his hands, leaning against the wall. Something about his answer made me envy him.

"What about you? What are you doing here?" He lifted his head, squinting through the sun.

I froze, struggling with my answer. I didn't want to admit that I was part of the crime underbelly of Tetrad. I didn't want to lie either. 

"I'm here to deliver something, that's kinda what I've been doing lately." I kept my description vague.

He smirked, "Your gifting must give you quite an advantage."

I smiled, "Ya, it does."

Luca gave a half grin, walking up to the wall. "Fastest delivery time in all of Tetrad," he said hopping up on the wall ledge. Taking a seat, he turned his head. “You should see the view from up here.” He patted the spot next to him on the wall. 

“Is it that much different on the edge?" I put my hands on my hips.

“No, but I’m sick of standing.” He slouched his shoulders, giving me puppy-dog eyes.

I pursed my lips, debating. “If I fall it'll be your fault.”

He raised his eyebrows, “I will make sure that you don’t then.”

I sighed, "Fine...I'm  convinced." I swung my leg up, sitting down beside him. We both turned to face the world below. It all looked so small, waves crashing in the distance.

I leaned my head further, peering over the drop. It would be such a long fall to the bottom. The chaotic blue swirling beneath my feet. My vision blurred, refocusing. The height was making me dizzy.

Luca put his hand on my shoulder, eyes wide. “I was serious about the ‘not letting you fall’ part.”

“Sorry,” I laughed, scratching my head. “I promise to avoid leaning over the edge in the future.” 

He nodded, taking his hand back. “That would make my job easier,” The worry faded from his face, a weight still left behind. Tired bags under his eyes, he looked like he hadn't been sleeping much.

“Are... you surviving okay?” I asked, raising my voice above the wind. 

He scratched his head “Ya, I guess so. You know better than anyone what the open-road  is like.” He looked at me with a shrug.

“Isolated,” I muttered, finishing the thought. The loneliness wasn't something easy to forget. Luca didn't say anything but from the look on his face I knew he understood.

Diggery was the first friend I'd had in a while. I usually didn't stick around long enough to make friends.

“How about you, Phyn?” he asked, a grin coming back. “Surviving?"

I smirked,“More or less. I've been able to stay in one place for awhile, so that's been nice.” 

He nodded, “I wish you didn't have to keep running.”

“You and me both.” I muttered, turning my head.

Luca gave me a weak smile. His face changed as his eyes fell to the bruise on my cheek. “What's that?” He leaned forward, pushing a piece of hair out of my face. I shoved his hand back, breaking eye contact. The pained look on his face surprised me. 

"Who did that to you?" his voice grew serious.

"It's not a big deal. It was my fault. I made him mad," I stuttered out.

Luca frowned, his eyes drilling into me. "Don't say that! No one has the right to hit you, ever. Even if you make them mad." 

I just stared at him. I was uncomfortable with his concern. I didn't know what to do with it. Bruises were normal at the camp. No one showed any sympathy for them.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his eyes softening on me. 

I smiled reassuringly. "Not much, looks worse than it feels." 

Luca looked away, obviously still bothered by it. He shouldn't feel bad about it. I wasn't worth this kind of concern.

"You don't have to worry about me being hit again, he won't be around me anymore." I muttered, picking at my nails. 

"Good." He shifted awkwardly. Both of us moved our eyes away from each other. Silence eating up the tension.

The wind picked up, messing my hair. I shivered against it, looking over at Luca. He stared down at the world below. His knuckles white on the stones. 

"I’m sorry if that was overstepping," his voice broke the silence, “I...just hate being helpless.”

"You don't have to apologize, Luca." I pushed my hair back behind my ears. 

He stared dully at my bruise, "Please don’t let people treat you like that, Phyn." His eyes were pleading with me. I opened my mouth to speak, my words failing me.

“There you are, you little miscreant!” someone yelled from behind us. I whipped my head around, a score of guards crashing through the entrance. They bounded straight for us. Fast clumsy steps, like a charge of wild boars.

Luca cursed under his breath. "Sorry I've got to go." He swung himself around from the wall, hopping back onto the walkway. He marched straight towards them, hands in the air. "Don't worry, I'm going peacefully. No need for the whole song and dance." A confidence in his tone I hadn't heard before.

The guards' stern faces didn't break. A cold and angry wave of bright blue uniforms. They reached him, circling. They knocked him to the floor. Luca, swallowed up in the sea of blue. Pulling his arms back, They shoved his face to the ground. I winced, my heart, pounding in my head.

"Hey!” I shouted, standing up on top of the wall. “He said he'd go peacefully, no need to hurt him!”

“Get out of the way girl.” The closest guard hissed, threatening me with his fist. I shut my mouth, stiffening.

The guard in charge, based on the number of medals pinned on his uniform, walked around the commotion. Graying hair and cruel green eyes, he wore a severe expression. 

He sighed, staring down at Luca. "Pathetic." He crouched beside him, lifting up Luca's head by his hair. "You should've run while you could. You're going to regret this." 

Luca glared up at him, yanking his head free. "What you'll regret is not taking me seriously."

The captain raised his eyebrows."Are you threatening the captain of the guards of Euphoria? You have no idea of what I'm capable of, boy. I can bury you," he sneered, motioning to the other guards. They dragged Luca up to his feet, pulling him by his collar. Luca held his glare.

The captain frowned, tilting his head."Throw him in the hold, we'll see how long it takes to wipe that smug look off of his face," he said to his soldiers, walking on ahead. A rage slowly built up inside me. I tightened my fists. They started taking him towards the exit. 

"Wait!" I jumped from the ledge, chasing after them. I don't know what I was trying to accomplish, my heart aching for the boy who had saved my life countless times. He didn't deserve this.

I grabbed at their hands, fighting to peel the guards fingers from him. One of them let go of Luca, shoving me against the wall. I slammed into the stones, the wind knocked out of me. I turned over, pushing myself back up. 

Looking up after Luca, he fought back against the guards. A new fever in his eyes, he wrenched free for a second, stalling in the doorway. "Goodbye Phyn!" He gave me a weak smile, before he was dragged back down the stairwell. 

I sat there in shock, my back against the stone wall. Cursing those boarish guards as I caught my breath. 

Why on earth had Luca broken back in? It was fool hardy, stupid, he- 

He came back to see me. My heart fell to my stomach, panic rising. It was my fault he was in this mess. It was always my fault.

The guilt was quickly overshadowed by angry swirling inside me. They wouldn’t get away with this. I wouldn’t let Luca rot in prison because of me. I stood up dusting myself off. I had just gotten afternoon plans. I marched to the stairs, determination fueling my steps. I had a prison break to pull and no one was getting in my way.