Chapter 33: The Mice
**Ester**
For the first time in a long time, I felt fulfilled. The disaster was avoided. The citizens of Tetherfield County are safe. As I gazed out at Nightveil, I felt a little more confident. I smiled. This is it. I can do this.
Chester cleared his throat. "We can get Alice Bailey to take part in the seminar. She started her own small business years ago when her family had gone bankrupt. Since then it has become a huge success and turned into multiple businesses. I’m sure she will have a thing or two to share.”
I looked back at Chester with a smile on my face. “I’ve heard of her! That sounds good. I heard that Brian McNilly will be flying back home soon. If we can recruit him, I’m sure he won’t say no.”
“He’s the one who created that adjustable helmet for NASA, right?”
I nodded. “That’s the one!”
Chester looked up at me then. His eyes stayed on me for a while before he cleared his throat again and focused on his tablet.
A knock sounded on the door, disturbing the tranquil mood. He called out for them to come in.
Some servants came in with a trolley of light food we could have for lunch. They carefully put it on the table where his documents were. Enough of a distance was created between them to make sure the documents didn’t get anything spilt on them. After they were done, they bowed to his majesty and to me, before making their exit.
“I didn’t realize it was time for lunch already,” I said. Taking a seat, I crossed my legs and reached out for one of the cupcakes. The sandwiches were right there but why have the main course when I can have dessert? Besides, dessert tastes sweeter.
“Uh…” I glanced up and raised my eyebrows. Chester pointed to his right cheek. “You have something on your…”
“Oh, where?” Don’t tell me that I made a mess. I wiped the right corner of my mouth but I didn’t feel anything. “Is it gone?”
“No. Allow me.”
He reached out his hand and brushed the left corner of my mouth. I became strangely hyperaware of the temperature of his fingers. They were so warm, like a thick blanket in the cold winter. I breathed in, then breathed out.
I smiled. “Is it gone now?”
He nodded. “All gone.”
“Thanks!” I turned away. I couldn’t look at Chester. I couldn’t. There is a strange urge inside me that feels confusing. Chester is very perceptive. If I keep looking at him, he might realize that something is wrong.
But it feels so right.
To keep my mind busy, I opened my phone. Just as I thought, the topic of what went on in Tetherfield County is still trending.
It’s been a few days since the incident at the ruins. There are tons of posts about it on social media. I didn’t realize that so many people were awake that night. A lot of the posts have the same blurry image of Chester’s dragon flying in the sky. Some internet users turned the image into memes.
Some people were wondering if the dragons had returned. Some others were skeptical. An account posted a picture of the section of the plateau where the landslide was. They claimed that based on the hardness, it could have only been done by a large amount of heat. This is further proof that a dragon was there that night.
I scrolled past post after post. It’s become so popular that I’m certain Chester saw at least a few posts. I sighed and closed the app. If I didn’t already know that dragons still exist, I would have been just as curious as they were.
________
**Sirius**
I slammed the glass against the counter and held my head down. The bartender refilled my cup. I tilted it at my lips and downed that in less than a minute.
I was so angry that my blood was boiling. He’s still alive. That bastard is still alive.
Not only that, but his dragon was being praised for saving the residents from being buried. I shouldn’t have left this job to a bunch of idiots.
“They should have summoned a stronger demon,” I muttered under my breath.
“What? I can’t hear you.”
I looked up at Adam. He had his long dark brown hair in a bun. I couldn’t find it in me to force a smile. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just thinking about all the work I have to do.”
Adam furrowed his eyebrows. “Is your father still passing off most of the work to you?”
I sighed as if I was troubled. “You’re making it sound bad. It’s not that much. I need to be familiar with the workload for when I become king. Father is a smart man. He knows what needs to be done.”
“Heh.” Adam shook his head and drank some of his liquor. “Based on what you told me, I’m forced to think otherwise.”
I smacked his back, laughing. “Don’t say that! He’s a complicated man, just like the rest of us. You can’t blame him after all these decades of maintaining the court.”
Conversations like this have become easier overtime. I knew some of the other officials could hear me. Adam doesn’t think much of me. He thinks I look up to my father and that I would make any excuses for him despite being smarter than that. That helps me a lot.
I bid them all goodnight and left the bar. If I stay too long then the mouse might run away.
They were hiding in an alley. Her head was covered by her hood. She looked out at the street, hiding herself behind the wall although there was no one there. I sneaked up behind her.
“Are you one of Henry’s followers?” I asked.
She jumped with a start and turned around. Her eyes opened in shock. “It’s you? You’re the one who’s helping Henry? But you’re…”
My lips stretched into a smile. “You’re right. I’ll take you to where the others are.”
I revealed my daggers and used it to slit her throat. Blood flowed down her shirt. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop the blood from flowing. She couldn’t scream. The woman stared at me in horror as she slumped to the filthy ground.
I flick my knife until it’s free of blood. “You guys should have done a better job.”
There should be three other survivors left. The question is, should I kill them or use them for one final time?
________
**Ester**
I stared at the letter. It should have felt like a normal piece of paper, but instead it was as if I was holding a branch covered in thorns. I glared at the name at the bottom.
With love,
Your father, Christopher.