The Broken Ones

Chapter 13:1 -The escape

The minute they were seated in the white carriage that had taken them to the Academy, the door was closed and it drove off, Ana stared at Soi furiously, her eyebrows were wrinkled together, her lips were pursed and her grey eyes had narrowed. She was mad.
-You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut?! She shouted at him.
-What are you angry about, I lied anyway. And why did you lie about the flute?
Sidetracking her off the topic was his only chance to stay alive.
-Because it seemed so ridicules when I was standing in front of the council. How could the flute be real? That was what I was thinking, so I figured that if I said that I’d actually seen it, they would at least investigate it further, even if it’s just a myth and a stupid rumour.
Ana sighed. Soi’s trick had worked.
-I think the flute’s real, how else could anyone have killed Mack? Soi said.
-In his sleep for instance. In his dreams it doesn’t matter if he can foresee his death, he still can’t prevent it, he’s already lost to the dreamer.
Ana put up her legs on the white leather seat leaving dirty footprints.
-Sam’s a dreamer.
Soi remembered their meetings.
-Yes, I know, Ana said sarcastic and rolled her eyes.
-I forgot about it after everything that’s happened on the plains and in the mountains. He hasn’t attacked us again.
-He’s probably busy with something else.
-Let’s say it was he who killed Mack, he’s a monster and you two have history together…
-What are you implying?! Ana stared upset at Soi.
-I’m not implying anything, simply stating facts, Soi said and let Ana examine his innocent expression before he continued. –But he seem to care a great deal about you, and if he killed Mack wouldn’t he worry about what you might think of him if you find out the truth and therefore sent the monsters to attack Jagger, the only witness?
Ana sighed, closed her eyes and sunk back against the leather seat.
-Doesn’t that seem likely? Soi pressed for an answer.
-Soi, Ana said with a tired voice, her eyes still closed.
-Yes, he said impatiently.
-As you didn’t keep your mouth shut at the meeting even though you were told specifically to do so, how about you do so now instead? I need the silence.
It wasn’t a question and Soi knew there lay a threat hidden somewhere in there. He wasn’t happy about it but what could he do. Silence was better than a mad Ana.
The coach turned a corner and up ahead lay Ana’s mansion . On the steps leading up to the house sat Jagger waiting for them. That reminded Soi of something he'd almost forgot.
-Ana, who’s Jack? He asked and Ana’s eyes flared open with the same fear they’d shown at the Academy.
She rose quickly and jumped out of the carriage before it came to a complete stop. Soi followed her as she limped up the stairs to her house. Jagger rose and she and Soi walked inside together, trailing behind Ana.
-Nibbles! Ana called with a loud voice and somewhere in the house came the sound of something fragile breaking. Then several steps approached from the second floor.
-How did the meeting go? Jagger whispered to Soi while they both watched Ana nervously clamp back and forth in the hallway.
-Not so bad, I think. Didn’t really get what happened.
-Why’s Ana upset then?
-Right now I think it’s about someone called Jack who’s the new chairman for the Academy, but she’s upset about a lot of things. Me, as usual.
-And you still say it went alright? Jagger frowned her forehead skeptically.
-Well, she didn’t set fire to the council.
Jagger’s green eyes widened.
-She’s done that before?
-From what I’ve heard today, yes, last year when she and the council had some disagreement.
-I wished I’d been there, Jagger whispered with glowing green eyes.
Nibbles finally arrived from upstairs, brushing off what looked like sheds of china from his purple vest and adjusted his hat to sit straight on his head.
-You called, madam.
-Nibbles! Ana cried and limped towards him quickly.
-Calm down, dear girl, it can’t be that bad, can it? Nibbles took Ana’s hands and squeezed them gently.
-It’s worse!
-Oh, come now, you’re overreacting. First things first, I need something to drink.
Nibbles took a step away from Ana who grabbed the back of his vest.
-Careful, it’s velvet, Nibbles chided and looked concerned over his shoulder.
-Nibbles, we need to talk! Ana squeezed the velvet cloth in her hand.
-Yes, yes, of course. Let’s hear it then. What’s so bad that you have to ruin the velvet?
-Jack’s the new chairman, Ana said desperately.
Nibbles eye widened, if in surprise or fear Soi couldn’t tell but Nibbles face turned a lot more serious.
-Let’s talk in the garden, he said and his voice had turned cold and strange.
He took Ana by the hand and led her away. Jagger turned to Soi.
-It must be a lot more serious than you thought, she said.
-Seems so.

Soi took a turn around the house, exploring every room that was open and most of them were. He had taken the stairs to the second floor and turned left walking into a corridor captured in darkness. Dark blue velvet curtains hung around every window preventing the sun with its white light from entering the mansion. There were no paintings covering the walls, they were naked. Soi peeked into the different rooms he passed by. They all looked the same; dark, no paintings and dark wooden furniture. Then he came across another one, different from the rest of them. It was Nibbles’ room.
He had put his own mark on the room, velvet and silk garments strewn over the furniture, colourful dots in an otherwise gloomy room. The curtains had been drawn apart and the window stood open letting the birdsong float into the room along with the sun. The green of the garden lit up the room pleasantly. Soi was sure this was Nibbles room when he saw the shatter of a broken vase on the floor.
Suddenly Soi could hear something that wasn’t birdsong. It was human voices. Ana and Nibbles’ voices. It wasn’t his meaning to eavesdrop but unconsciously he had crossed the room and crept up to the open window and hid behind the curtain.
-Have we an agreement then? Soi could hear Ana ask with a serious voice.
Nibbles laughed.
-It sounds like fun. I’ll do it.
Ana sighed in relief.
-Good.
-Just one thing, Nibbles added and Soi could almost hear Ana’s body stiffen.
-What? She asked with a hard voice and Soi could picture how her eyebrows wrinkled together.
-Please stop wearing high heels, you look ridicules.
Ana snorted.
-I thought you liked my faults. Anyway, at least he’ll see me even if I look ridicules.
-You know he can’t love a little girl.
For a moment there was no reply, only the birds singing. When Ana spoke again her voice was hardly a whisper.
-You will protect him for me? She asked with worry in her voice.
-Yes, Ana, as I said. It’ll be fun, Nibbles calmed her with a soft voice.
A maid entered Nibbles’ room with a box in her arms. When she saw the vase shatters she put away the box and kneeled down by the window to pick them up. When she noticed Soi hidden behind the curtain she skipped back scared. Soi turned his attention to the maid.
-Sorry, sir. Didn’t mean to… I didn’t see you.
-It’s alright, Soi said and started to walk out of the room.
-This came for you sir, the maid called after him and Soi turned his head back. –Where do you want me to put?
Soi looked at the box and something twitched inside of him. The box was large enough to contain a sword or a spear. Or a… Soi walked straight up to the box and opened it. On the blue velvet lay the silver flute. Suddenly it was hard to breath. Soi backed away from the box, staring at it as if it would attack him any second.
-Sir?
-This isn’t my room, Soi excused himself and run out of the room.
He run back to his own room, closed the door and pulled the dark curtains so they covered the window and left him in complete darkness. He sunk down to the floor and tried to even his breath but fear had him in its grip. Nibbles had the flute. He could have killed Mack. Was he controlling the organisation that controlled the monsters, controlling the organisation that had made Ana a broken? Was Nibbles their enemy? Had Nibbles smashed Ana’s leg?

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick