Not My Nails

#5

Camilla

Kael's hand landed softly on my head, patting it, stroking it, just the way he used to.

For a moment, I couldn't separate the Kael before me from the boy who had cared for me nearly all my life.

His touch made something inside me threaten to break.

“I won't be touching a kid," Kael said, taking his hand off my head. "Instead, I may have another way of testing her.”

Nicasia's brows furrowed. “What way?"

“You. You're all I can see," he said to Nicasia, “Your beauty distracts me way too much."

He took Nicasia by the chin, and placed a kiss on her lips.

She closed her eyes, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

Kael murmured, his kisses traveling down her neck, “Let her watch."

I swallowed, moving my hands behind me as they clenched into fists.

Kael was bent on breaking every last piece of the ethereal image of him I'd kept in my head.

Kael kissed Nicasia with the gentleness that had once been mine. His hands glided over her skin smoothly.

His eyes locked with mine.

And yes, I managed to turn my expression into one of embarrassment, looking away.

But deep down, my heart was pricked by needles.

My fists trembled with the effort of holding back my anger.

Nicasia's breathing became labored, and her nightgown was flung at me.

It slipped down my head to my shoulders then to the floor.

A slow smile crawled up my lips, even as my nostrils were flaring. There was no reason for a chamber maid to be mad at her master and his mistress making love. The natural reaction should be embarrassment.

I will show you, Kael, that I'm not something you trample on. You said I'm weak, right? That's why you replaced me. Well, you were the one making me weak. Watch just how strong I'll become.

Kael and Nicasia made love right there in the room.

Eventually, I was spared the humiliation, and the harassment.

After it all, Nicasia walked out, her head held high, her cheeks flushed.

And me? I stood at the door, keeping watch over my master.

"Luna!” I suddenly heard, and running towards me was Melinda, my chamber maid.

She grabbed my shoulders, "Lu…”

"Shhh!” I pressed my hands hard against her lips.

Melinda was four years older than me, and had been my chamber maid from a very young age, trained only to meet my needs, care for me and to love me.

She looked around, and slowly, I released her.

"Follow me,” I whispered, even though I knew leaving Kael's door was a risky choice.

We turned down a corridor, and went down a dark stairwell.

“Where have you…?”

“You can't act like you know me, and you certainly can't call me that. If you must call me, then I go by the name Aries,” I warned her fiercely.

"What's happening? Talk to me. You went missing, and…”

"Melinda.”

"Why is Nicasia Luna? Why is not a single person questioning that she doesn't look like the late King and Queen? Why did Kael lie to the people? Didn't you say he was taking you out on a ride? Why didn't you come back? Why are you dressed in rags?”

I interrupted her, “Look, there's a lot I can't explain right now, but for now, I have to pretend to be Kael's chamber maid, and to have lost my memories.”

She opened her mouth to say more words, but then closed them back again.

"But I can tell you one thing for sure. I'm here to take back my place."

Tears rose in her eyes, “It is my duty to help you when you need me. Tell me. What is it you'll have me do?"

“No. You can't associate with me because what I'm here to do is equal to treason.”

"You're the only one I'm loyal to...”

"No, I'm doing this on my own. Every great warrior definitely has a weakness. All I need to do is find Kael's.”

Her lashes lowered, and she bit her lip, her expression troubled.

She took a deep breath. "His tonic. The maids say something's not right about it."

~

I stayed at Kael's door through the night, thinking of Melinda's words.

His tonic.

Kael had mentioned his tonic at the stables. Nicasia had also mentioned it in the room. Now, even Melinda knew about it.

Why was Kael taking a tonic? I didn't notice any signs of ailment while I was still around. Was Kael hiding something?

If he didn't have his tonic, what would happen?

I looked at the door, my expression taut.

Only one way to find out.

I pushed open the door.

The room was dark with only a single lamp burning faintly on the wall.

Moonlight streamed through his open windows, illuminating his bedside table.

I closed the door gently, and tiptoed to his bedside.

Kael was asleep, his hair tied in a bun atop his head. His expression was not exactly peaceful. Well, I wished him the most terrible dreams.

I bent, and scanned the table for signs of tonics. Any tonic at all would do.

Could it be the drawers? My fingers had barely grazed the drawer when the mattress creaked behind me.

I turned.

Too late.

A hand clamped around my throat, and the next thing I knew, my back struck the floor. The impact knocked the air from my lungs. Before I could scramble away, Kael was on top of me, one knee pinning my arm while his fingers tightened around my neck.

“What are you doing?”

His voice was low, each word pressing against my throat with the force of his grip.

I clawed at his wrist, trying to pry his hand away, but he only tightened his hold. His eyes glowed bloodred in the darkness.

“Answer me!”

I tried to speak. Nothing came out.

Then his nails lengthened.

Sharp points pressed into my skin.

My body went rigid.

The horse.

The forest.

His claws sinking into my belly.

The cliff.

The cold water closing over my head.

I was back there again, staring up at the face of the man who had left me to die.

Kael's fingers dug deeper into my throat.

My lungs burned. I bucked beneath him, twisting my free arm between us, but he caught that wrist too and slammed it against the floor.

I couldn't breathe.

Couldn't move.

Couldn't let him do this to me again.

Something inside me snapped.

A snarl tore from my throat before I could stop it.

Kael's eyes widened.

I wrenched one hand free and swung at him with everything I had.

He jerked back, but not quickly enough.

My nails raked across his cheek.

For one suspended moment, neither of us moved.

Then blood trickled down his face, warm drops falling onto my skin.

I stared at my hand.

Those weren't my nails.

Dark claws protruded from my fingertips, long and curved, glinting beneath the faint moonlight—claws that I'd never seen before.