I Died While They Celebrated

Tonight was the night I was to be invested as Commander of the Dragon Rider Corps. It was also my sister's coming-of-age ceremony. But my mother was afraid my investiture would steal my sister's spotlight. So she had my brother lock me in the basement with anti-magic chains. They said they'd make it up to me after Lina's celebration was over. They didn't know that dragon hunters broke in and carved out my heart. I used the last of my dragon flame to send a mind-link plea to my blood kin. My brother's voice finally came through. "Can't you just let Lina have one happy night?" He was busy placing the coming-of-age crown on my sister's head, and with his own hands, he snuffed out my mind-link to them. Later, they thought I was sulking and refusing to leave the basement. They didn't know I was already dead. I was never coming out. Chapter 1 While my sister received everyone's congratulations, I died at home. At first, I didn't even know I was dead. Applause drifted down from upstairs. I instinctively stood to see if Lina's celebration was over. But my hand passed straight through the iron door. Behind me, another me was curled in the corner, wrists hanging from the chains, wearing the new uniform I'd prepared for my investiture. Mother had thought the gold buttons on the uniform were too flashy. Before she closed the door, she'd covered them with black cloth. Now that cloth lay on the floor, soaked through with blood. I reached to pick it up. My fingers closed on nothing. Someone upstairs called my name. "Eve?" My head snapped up. My brother stood at the top of the stairs, the basement key in his hand. I lunged toward him, mouth open to call his name. But he turned and caught Lina as she ran up to him. "Brother, we're cutting the cake. We're waiting on you." "Coming." "Is Sis still mad?" My brother put the key back in his pocket. "Leave her. She even used the distress link. If I go now, she'll only throw a bigger fit next time." I followed his footsteps through the floorboards. Mother was straightening Lina's crown. Father was pouring her wine himself. My seat had been removed. It was piled high with gifts. My brother placed the first slice of cake on Lina's plate. "Today you're the most important person here. Ask for anything you want." Lina bit down on her fork. "I want the honey cakes Sis makes." My brother frowned and pulled out a messenger stone. Down in the basement, the stone at my waist lit up. "Eve, Lina wants honey cakes. Come out before the celebration ends, and I won't hold your little tantrum against you." I grabbed desperately at his hand. Go downstairs. Just thirteen steps down, and you'll see me. But Father put a hand on his shoulder. "Stop calling her. She spent years in the army. She could have burned through that chain long ago. If she really wanted out, do you think that door could hold her?" That chain had been specially borrowed from the armory by my brother. Before I left for the front, he'd asked me if the anti-magic iron the dragon hunters used could hold even a commander. I'd told him the truth. Yes. Now he lowered his head and drank, and didn't correct Father. "Let her reflect for one night," Mother said. "She'll come out and apologize tomorrow on her own." Lina lowered her head and fiddled with the messenger stone. I leaned in and saw what she was writing to me. "Sis, how does it feel to be tormented by dragon hunters as a commander? Are you hiding in some corner right now, shaking with fear?" "You'd better just die. Then no one will ever compete with me for Mom and Dad's attention again." She hit send, glanced around, then retracted two of the sentences. Soon, new words appeared. "Sis, Mom saved you some cake. We're all waiting for you." She held the messenger stone up for Mother to see. "Sis still won't answer me." Mother pulled her into her arms. "Sweetheart, don't think about her tonight." Chapter 2 They celebrated until the early hours of the morning. When Lina opened her third box of gowns, Mother called for the housekeeper. "Eve's room faces south. Turn that side into a walk-in closet." The housekeeper hesitated. "Where will the eldest miss stay when she comes home?" "How many days a year is she even home? The guest room is good enough for her." I squeezed into the bedroom that was about to be emptied. On the nightstand was an old notebook, one corner of its cover burned. My brother came in to find a small knife for Lina to cut ribbons, and casually flipped it open. The last page held only a number. Ninety-nine. He snorted. "Still keeping score." That wasn't the number of enemies I'd killed. It was the number of times they'd promised me something and failed to deliver. The first entry was from when I was ten. Before my awakening, Mother promised that no matter what color my dragon was, she would hold me. My brother unfurled his black dragon wings first. Then Lina revealed her snow-white scales, and Father was so happy he had three barrels of wine opened. When it was my turn, I had only a pair of dull gray wings. Mother stopped in front of me. The hand she'd extended turned instead to smooth Lina's hair. "Your sister gets cold easily." I stood there until everyone had left before folding my wings away. Later, those gray wings blocked fire arrows for the capital. They were broken twice. The day the investiture notice arrived at the house, Father glanced at it. "No matter how great the merit, it doesn't change bloodline. Remember, don't outshine your sister in public." My brother tossed the notebook back onto the bed. I reached for it. My hand passed through the pages. The notebook hit the floor, and the invitations tucked inside spilled out. Three of them. One each for Father, Mother, and my brother. Two months in advance, I'd asked them if they would come to see my investiture. They all said yes. Until Lina said she wanted her coming-of-age ceremony moved up by a day. "It'll be livelier on the same day. Sis won't mind, right?" I said I minded. At dinner that night, no one spoke to me again. In the living room, Lina unwrapped another necklace. Mother fastened it around her neck herself. Father had her stand under the light so they could see the color of the gems. My brother brought over shelled nuts. "Eat slowly. No one's going to take them from you." I remembered he used to shell them for me too. Then Lina said that if he treated both sisters the same, she wouldn't be the special one anymore. From then on, the little dish of nuts sat only by her hand. At one in the morning, the housekeeper started clearing the desserts. Mother finally remembered me. "Save some for Eve." She scraped the leftover strawberry tart from Lina's plate onto an empty dish and added half a cake with the frosting collapsed. "She really has to force me to get angry." I stared at that plate. Before, as long as Mother saved me a little something, I'd feel like she still loved me. Even if it was only what Lina didn't want. "Put it by her door," Mother instructed. "So tomorrow she can't say we play favorites." My brother picked up the plate. I chased after him, blocking the basement stairs, holding out both hands. He couldn't see me, but he paused at the top of the steps. I practically pressed my face to his. Brother, just look down. "AH!" Lina's scream came from behind. The plate was set on a cabinet. My brother turned and ran back. Lina was clutching her hand, tears streaming. An open gift box lay on the carpet. "Mom, it hurts so much... There's a curse stone inside!" Chapter 3 My brother grabbed Lina's wrist. There was only a red mark on her palm, but his breathing turned frantic. "Who sent this?" Mother saw the name on the gift box, and her face changed instantly. "Eve?" I recognized that box. Inside had been a protective charm. I'd bought it with my first military pay. When Lina was little, she always said she was afraid of dragon hunters. I spent half a year searching the border before I found someone who could get me a charm that could block one fatal attack. But now the charm was gone. At the bottom of the box lay a curse stone with Lina's name on it. Lina pulled her hand back into her sleeve. "Don't blame Sis. I found it myself." Father's voice dropped. "Where did you find it?" "On my nightstand... It had my name on it. I thought she was still willing to give me a gift." I rushed forward, trying to turn the box over and show them. Under the charm was my custom order receipt. If they just pulled it out, they'd know the box had been tampered with. But my hands passed through it again and again. Father raised his foot. The gift box hit the fireplace. The velvet lining inside fell into the flames. "Is this what she learned in the army? Using dragon hunter tools to hurt her own sister!" "I'll go drag her out," my brother said. I turned immediately. "Get medicine first!" Mother stopped him. "Lina's hand is what matters!" My brother pulled open a cabinet and found an empty medicine box. "Where's the gauze?" "Used it last night bandaging a guest's mount," the housekeeper said. "There's another box in the basement." My brother was already at the stairs. I raced down along the railing, then turned back to wait for him. One more step. The key in his hand had already touched the lock. Then Lina grabbed the hem of his coat. "Brother, don't go." She was crying so hard she couldn't breathe. "I'm scared... Take me to the healer, please?" My brother crouched down and lifted her into his arms. "Okay. Brother won't leave." He put the key away and walked right through me. Mother grabbed a cloak. Father sent for the carriage. No one mentioned the medicine in the basement again. I chased them to the door and reached for Father's sleeve. He was angrily instructing the housekeeper. "When Eve comes out, have her kneel at the front door. No food until I say so." The door closed in my face. I struck the door panel. My body passed straight through to the outside. The carriage had already pulled away. The housekeeper stayed on the steps, still holding the plate of dessert. "Eldest miss, where did you go?" I stood in front of him. He looked down at the fallen cake and sighed. I wanted to tell him I hadn't gone anywhere. Last night, when Mother locked me in, I'd even thought that once the celebration ended, I'd take my uniform to the military headquarters. If I missed the investiture, I'd just apologize to the general. I'd even wrapped the brooch carefully so it wouldn't get damaged in the basement. When the dragon hunters pried open the vent window, the first thing I heard was the iron grate hitting the ground. I rammed the door with my shoulder and called for my brother. The music upstairs drowned me out. The chains pressed my dragon flame against my chest. I couldn't even light up the crack under the door. Finally, I squeezed out a spark and lit the blood-kin link. I thought that was my last chance at survival. Outside, the housekeeper set the dessert by my bedroom door. "Eat something when you come back." He turned off the hallway light. No one went down to the basement. Chapter 4 After dawn, I followed Mother to the healing clinic. Lina's hand had already been dressed, but Ryan was still at her bedside, holding her hand and refusing to let go. He was my fiancé. Seeing the blue ribbon at his waist, I reached to touch my own empty chest. I'd given him that ribbon last year. He said he'd always wear it. When I became commander, he'd pin the medal on me himself. "Where's Eve?" he asked. Mother sat down by the bed. "Still sulking. You talk to her. She only listens to you." Ryan picked up the messenger stone. "Eve, come to the clinic immediately and apologize to Lina." He waited a moment, and his voice turned colder. "Now that you've got the commander's position, you think no one can control you anymore?" Lina tugged at his hand. "Forget it. Sis probably didn't mean it." "The curse stone was on your nightstand, and you're still defending her?" Ryan pressed the messenger stone again. "I was going to give you the family gem after the investiture. Now it seems you don't deserve it at all." "If you don't show up by tonight, the bonding ceremony is canceled." The stone went dark. I stood within arm's reach, watching him tuck the blanket tighter around Lina. We hadn't bonded yet. He couldn't feel my heartbeat. Couldn't feel that it had already stopped. Before I went to the front, Ryan made me promise to come back alive. "I'll be waiting at the city gate." I did come back alive. That day, only the adjutant was at the gate. Ryan had sent word through him that Lina was having her first scale change, in too much pain to be left alone. The flowers I brought back froze overnight on horseback. They shattered at a touch. The healer came in to check Lina's hand. "No damage to the bones. Just change the dressing tomorrow." But Mother insisted on observing her for another half day. Ryan immediately offered his own room. "She can stay as long as she needs. I'll stay with her." That "stay with her" lasted until evening. My parents wanted to go home to get Lina's usual sleep stone. My brother got up to go with them. I followed. In the carriage, Mother rubbed her temples. "If Ryan's bloodline were just a little better, he'd be perfect for Lina." Father nodded. "A pity." "Not really," Mother said. "Let him marry Eve. He'll take care of Lina just the same. We're all family. No need to draw the lines so clearly." My brother leaned against the carriage window and said nothing. The keys at his waist swung with the movement, striking his sword again and again. When we got home, Father opened the cabinet where the sleep stone was kept. It was empty. "Get the spare from the basement. It's next to the medicine box." My brother took out the key. I looked at the clock in the living room. It was less than a minute from when Lina had worn her crown the night before. He finally stepped down the first stair. "If she's still in there, I'll ask her how long she plans to hide after hurting someone." Mother followed behind him. "Stop indulging her." I passed through the iron door first. I was still in the same place. The blood on my uniform had turned black. The commander's brooch I never got to wear was caught between my curled fingers. Outside the door, my brother stopped. "What's that smell?" The key turned. The runes on the anti-magic lock went dark. A full day's worth of blood and death spilled out. Mother covered her nose. "Is it a dead rat?" My brother pushed the door open and raised the light stone. The white light fell first on the black cloth on the floor, then on the footprints dragging toward the vent window. Finally, it stopped on me. The hand holding the key dropped. "Eve...?"