CHAPTER 379: UNITED IN CELEBRATION, PART SEVEN

The palace guards were running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Melisa sat on a plush couch in one of the guest chambers, watching Aria pace back and forth. The queen had thrown on a silk robe and her white hair was still damp from the springs. Every few steps, she’d mutter something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like cursing. Very elegant cursing.

"Are you okay?" Melisa asked.

"Fine." Aria stopped pacing and looked at her. "Are you shocked they’d go this far? Trying to kill the Matriarch in her own palace?"

"Well... yeah, actually. It seems pretty fucking stupid."

Aria shook her head and sat down next to Melisa. Close enough that their thighs almost touched.

"It’s not stupid. It’s desperate." She ran a hand through her wet hair. "The Shadow Mages are dying, Melisa. We’ve rooted them out of Syux, killed or imprisoned most of their leadership. This?" She gestured vaguely at the chaos outside. "This is the last gasp of a dying beast."

"So, what? You think they’re just... lashing out?"

"Exactly. They know they can’t win anymore, or at least, win right now, so they’re trying to either set up a future victory or cause as much damage as possible on their way down." Aria’s grey eyes were hard. "They’ll fight harder than ever now. Sneakier than ever. Even outside of Syux. Especially outside of Syux, where they think we can’t reach them."

Melisa thought about that for a moment. The Shadow Mages had been a pain in her ass for years now, but she’d never really considered what would happen when they got cornered.

[They do say animals are most dangerous when they’re wounded and trapped.]

"Should I be worried?"

"You?" Aria actually laughed, a short, sharp sound. "You’ve killed more Shadow Mages than anyone else I know. If anyone should be worried, it’s them."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"It’s not confidence. It’s fact." Aria stood up. "I need to coordinate between my own knights and the palace guards. Will you be alright?"

"Yeah, I’ll go check on the Matriarch."

Aria nodded and swept out of the room, her robe billowing behind her.

[That woman really knows how to make an exit.]

Silviana’s chambers were fucking ridiculous.

The ceiling was painted with what looked like an orgy between various mythological creatures. The bed could fit at least ten people comfortably. There were silk cushions everywhere, incense burning in golden holders, and what Melisa was pretty sure was a sex swing in the corner.

The Matriarch herself was lounging on a divan, completely naked except for some jewelry that drew attention to all the right places. She was smoking something from a long pipe that made the air smell sweet and heavy.

"Melisa! Come, sit." She patted the spot next to her.

Melisa sat down, trying very hard not to stare at the massive breasts literally right there at eye level.

"How are you holding up?" Melisa asked.

"Oh, I’m fine. This isn’t my first assassination attempt." Silviana took another drag from her pipe. "Though I’ll admit, having a nim Shadow Mage try to kill me is new. Usually it’s jealous ex-lovers or political rivals."

"How does that even work...?" Melisa asked, more to herself than Silviana.

"Mmm, strange things like that come with the territory in Yalmir. Perhaps she was the self-hating type. Who knows? Who cares? All I care about is who sent her."

Silviana stretched, and Melisa’s eyes immediately dropped to watch her breasts move.

Silviana noticed.

"See something you like?"

Melisa’s face went purple.

"I... uh..."

"Relax, dear. I’m not offended. These things are magnificent." She cupped her own breasts and gave them a little jiggle. "Cost me a fortune in back support charms though."

[This woman has no shame whatsoever.]

"Right. Um. Did you want to talk about something specific?"

Silviana’s expression turned more serious, though she didn’t stop idly playing with her nipple piercing.

"Actually, yes. These next few days are going to be stressful. The lockdown, the investigation, the paranoia... it’s going to make things worse between nim and kitsune."

"Yeah, I figured."

"It would have been even worse if the nim woman had succeeded. If you hadn’t been there, or worse, if you hadn’t noticed her, we’d be in a much, much bigger political mess right now. But, luckily, you intervened. Which means you and Rakia might be able to fix this better than I can."

Melisa blinked.

"What? How?"

"The festival, dear. Nothing brings people together like a good show. And Rakia tells me you’ve got something special planned."

"I don’t even know what we’re doing yet!"

"That’s fine. Rakia works best when she’s improvising anyway." Silviana leaned forward, and Melisa had to physically force herself to maintain eye contact. "The point is, you’re a nim who saved my life from the attack of another nim. Word will no doubt be spreading already about that. That counts for something. If you can put on a good performance, show everyone that nim and kitsune can work together... it might be enough to counter whatever the Shadow Mages are planning."

"No pressure or anything."

"Oh, enormous pressure. The fate of inter-species relations might literally rest on your ability to dance."

"I can’t dance!"

"You’ll learn. Rakia’s very persuasive." Silviana winked. "In more ways than one, if you’re interested."

Melisa stood up quickly.

"I should go. Check on my friends. Make sure they’re not freaking out."

"Of course. But Melisa?" Silviana’s voice stopped her at the door. "Thank you. For saving my life. I won’t forget it."

Melisa nodded and practically fled the room.

[That woman is going to give me a heart attack.]

---

The guest quarters were eerily quiet when Melisa got back.

Most of her group had been moved to a secure wing during the lockdown, but she could hear voices from different rooms. Isabella’s distinctive giggle from one direction, her mother’s voice from another. At least everyone seemed calm.

She was heading to her own room when she heard it.

"...definitely her. Did you see those blue flames?"

Two kitsune maids were whispering in an alcove, not noticing her approach.

"But why would she save the Matriarch if she was trying to kill her?"

"To throw off suspicion, obviously. She saw that the attempt wasn’t going to work, so she tried to make herself look like a hero, instead."

"That’s pretty smart for a nim."

"They’re not as stupid as everyone thinks. That’s what makes them dangerous."

Melisa’s blood went cold.

[Oh fuck. Oh fuck fuck fuck.]

The first maid continued:

"I heard from Suki who heard from her cousin in the guard that the assassin won’t talk. But she’s nim, and so is that Blackflame girl. Can’t be a coincidence."

"You think they’re working together?"

"Have to be. Nim helping nim. They’re probably planning to take over, just like in the old days."

"Should we tell someone?"

"The guards already know. They’re watching her."

The maids moved on, their voices fading down the corridor.

Melisa stood frozen in the hallway, her mind racing.

If this outcome was even partly intentional, then the Shadow Mages were playing a different game entirely. They didn’t need to succeed in killing the Matriarch. They just needed to plant the seed of doubt. Make the kitsune suspicious of her, suspicious of all nim.

[And the only reason it didn’t work was because I specifically helped stop it.]

She could already see how it would play out if she hadn’t. Whispers would spread. The nim who mysteriously knows magic, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

And in a city already on edge about nim-kitsune relations...

[Ugggh, fuck the Shadow Mages. Fuck them so hard.]

She headed toward her parents’ room.

Behind her, she could feel eyes watching from the shadows.

The game was set, and Melisa was starting to realize she might have to adapt to new rules.