Pray for the Wicked | ATEEZ

13.

"Dahlia," my mother said, the sound of my name on her lips neither a greeting nor something that expressed endearment or relief of seeing me healthy and well after what the others had told the palace were days of battling illness.

It was a warning. She was angry. I bowed my head a little, trying to push away the knowledge of the demon who, to my relief, was still hiding in the closet behind me as I let go of the doors and took a step closer to the empress of Illenium.

"I don't often find myself being disappointed in you," she said, regarding me for a moment with a look of distaste as she took in the dress I had chosen. To be discarded, I noted, keeping my eyes focused on the floor.

Hongjoong would be able to see and hear everything clearly from his spot behind me, but there was nothing I could do about it, nothing I could do to stop it. I didn't have that kind of power over her, over my mother, but the feeling of those dark eyes looking through the opening between the closet doors, burning into my back, made my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"What happened a couple of days ago was unacceptable," my mother said, slowly making her way toward me. I glanced over at the servants by the door who were all averting their eyes from us, used to this by know, knowing better than to intervene.

"You embarrassed me," she continued, "You ignored your responsibilities, and then," she paused, now standing right in front of me, towering over me, "You disappeared for days."

I stayed silent, reminding myself that she hadn't mentioned anything about the portal, demons, or unreliable stories from the heirs which, despite what I knew was to come, made a small flicker of relief lighten the pressure of the tendrons of panic slowly wrapping around my heart.

"If you ever put me in a situation like that again, I will not let you go unpunished, daughter or not," she said, her voice dipping a little as he tilted her head to the side and regarded me for a moment, "Do you understand, Dahlia?"

And then, the entire truth was out, ugly and terrible as it was, and I barely had time to realize that she had asked me a question before the look on her face changed from beautiful to furious and she raised her hand at me, immediately making me flinch as I was shaken from my thoughts, closing my eyes as I braced myself for a hit that never came.

"Do you understand?" my mother asked again, her voice back to the sweet and bright melody that made it seem as if each word she spoke could have been sung. I quickly nodded, "Yes," and flinched a little again as she gently caressed my head, "Good."

"Doesn't it seem a little too convenient that the empress of Heaven just so happened to get her hands on every last sliver of light before the two worlds were suddenly ripped apart?"

"Nothing captures human interest more than human tragedy,"

"Lailah killed for those stones. Now, tell me, why wouldn't she hurt her?"

Hongjoong's words echoed at the back of my mind as I bit my lip and tried to keep my stance tall and proud as my mother sighed a little, "I'm glad to see that you're back in full health," trying to ignore the feeling of her hand trailing through my hair, knowing full well that she hadn't checked on me.

And then it was gone, the touch was gone, and, despite everything, I found myself slightly disappointed at the lack of warmth.

"Get changed," she said, and my eyes immediately flickered to hers; much brighter than mine, on the border between grey and perfectly white. I furrowed my brows a little, asking a silent question.

"The Courts are gathering for a meeting. I trust that you'll show this time." It wasn't an expectation. Once again, it was a demand, though, this time, I didn't lower my eyes again, realizing with a start that Hongjoong was still in the closet, "The Archangels were.. disappointed, to say the least. Gabriel very much so."