On their way to the palace, they discussed how their night would flow. The target is Rickard Alfonz, a well known gambler who may or may have cheated his way in a game and won a big amount and triggered someone's anger to the point that Asteria is in a tacky dress in a carriage, on the way to the palace to kill him. Rickard is known to have a reputation with women and with her appearance, he won't be able to resist to approach her. The effects would kick in within an two hours and before that, the two would be gone. All she needed was to touch him or a part of his bare skin at least.
But first, they have to pretend to blend in. It is a relief that it will be a masquerade ball, her eyes are too remarkable and anyone could point their fingers at her and that Mareena is a genius that their masks had a thin veil in the eye holes to hide their eyes but still let them see. They will be Lord Enzel Montag and Lady Olivia Tywell, heirs to a considerable amount of wealth and lands in Brent, the northernmost province of Vardeen. Before getting out of the carriage, the pair exchanged smiles that promised no good and slipped on their masks, hers white and also encrusted with crystals while his was black with golden thread arranged in flowers matching those in his jacket.
Hand in hand, they walked to the enormous doors to the ballroom, their eyes darting around to look for secret exits if things go south. The only thing that gave Asteria hope is the very thin line on a portion of the wall that she's very sure concealed a secret passage. She hoped that they won't need it. Niel gave the servant their invitation and nodded before they walked through the doors and into the ballroom. Their names are called and they stepped down the grand staircase hand in hand with such grace and elegance that stole everybody's attention. So much for blending in, Asteria thought. Unexpectedly, a handful people wore white but not too white like them.
In the Summer Night, they brought winter to them.
And more.
At the foot of the staircase, Erwan kissed the back of Asteria's hand, a second too long but she didn't mind it, she would never mind it in the slightest because if she's honest to herself, she wants to spend this beautiful night with him. Asteria gave him a smile before they parted ways. She smiled and chatted as she wove in and out of the crowd, counting the soldiers posted on each window and doors while popping chocolate in her mouth. Erwan did the same too, in his side of the ballroom, ladies batting their eyelashes at him and made Asteria throw one of her pins at them.
The guy is so handsome it made her heart clench. She remembered the first time they met in the muddy fighting pit, two boys, one looking clean and healthy than the other, his black hair neat on his head and blue eyes filled with determination and the other boy, thin and gangly but held swagger, hair a mess of brown curls on his head, green eyes full of life and mischief and a smirk promising no good.
She was barely thirteen at that time but feared by anyone in Ravens under twenty. She wanted to mess that lordling's hair and splatter mud on his face, swipe that smirk off that troublemaker's face and lastly break a bone or two. And she did. Asteria messed the lordling's hair, had his face and clothes dirty, swiped the smirk off that troublemaker's face and broke a bone or two. All within two minutes or less.
The two of them showed up next morning with bruises on their faces, burns and surprisingly, a smile on their faces and a loaf of bread. The curly-haired one introduced himself as Jacques and the lordling introduced himself as Erwan and ever since, the three of them had been inseparable, not to mention deadly. On their own and together. Jacques has water on his side, Erwan has the speed that could rival lightning while Asteria has more. She can control fire and water while having monstrous strength that can rip the earth open. The only downside was that she couldn't use two at the same time. Her energy is too spread apart which made it thin but she made up for it using her mind.
Twilights are the people who has abilities that a normal human doesn't have which makes them powerful. They are divided into which as further divided into more, at most four. Elementalists, Mentalists, Corporeal, Tellies, and Jacks, Jacks being the people who possess more than one kind of ability. Elementalists are those who can control elements, water, fire, air and earth. Normally, each house controls one specific element, House of Fire, House of Water, House of Wind and House of Earth.
Mentalists have the abilities related to the mind, reading, breaking, digging, pulling out memories, and controlling. Twilights who can control minds are very rare and mostly, they are not allowed in meetings without wearing Damp Chains, chains that nullify the Twilight abilities of the wearer.
Corporeals have the abilities related to the body, flexibility, resiliency, strength and speed. Tellies aren't divided into different houses since their ability is to lift objects without needing physical contact. Jacks are probably the most powerful Twilights because they have more than one type of ability. They can control the elements and also have superhuman strength. The possibilities are endless with Jacks which makes them very rare. Though in most cases, Jacks aren't able to use a huge amount of their power at once since it is spread too thin between different abilities.
Every seven years, each child undergoes Trials where they undergo tests to know what kind of abilities they have. Even if the parents are both Corporeals, there is a big possibility that their child can be a Tellie. When the results are out, the children will be sent to the house where they belong where they will be trained and will serve as their homes.
After generations and generations of living in harmony, simple feuds between them regarding territories became an all out war, parents had to fight their children in the battlefield, friends, lovers, siblings, and families fought each other in the battlefield. Innocent people were killed regardless if they're a Twilight or not. The war raged on for five years that almost wiped out Twilights and when it ended, they were chased away by furious and grieving masses of normal people, they were killed, tortured and put in dungeons to rot. The generations after that suffered the same fate so some wore Damp Chains to hide who they really are. The few who couldn't afford them became pariah, outcasts.
She was barely twelve when she almost killed a child like her in one of the back alleys in Siege for attempting to steal the loaf of bread in her hand that's meant to be their dinner. Her hair is cut short and she wore a boy's clothes that she stole while it's drying out, it is dirty and muddy, not to mention that it stinks but what repulsed her was the sight in front of her. The kid's back was onto the wall, a spiderweb of cracks spreading slowly then fast on the wall until she feared that it would crumble to pieces.,
A man appeared from the shadows, he was hiding to watch her, to watch how she almost killed those kids. He approached Asteria with a small smile who shrunk in fear that he will call the guards and will die. He's wearing fancy clothes that day but at that part of her life, everything that aren't rags or worn out clothes are fancy to her. A black coat with gold accents, grey waistcoat and a black cravat over a white shirt, he also wore leather gloves.
"What do you want?" Asteria asked him, hiding my fear as much as she could. Her fingers trembled but she held on to the loaf of bread to stop or hide it.
"I want to talk to you, child," he said, smiling.He looked not older than twenty-five but there is a curious streak of white hair on one side of his head, his eyes were of onyx, his hair black and tied, his left eyebrow scarred up to the lid, and his perfect white teeth. A rich man, for sure.
"What about?"
"Your abilities," he replied. "I have a group of people who work under me with special abilities like you but I can train you and you don't have to work or pay for me. I want to help you."
"I want the job."
"I cannot give you that."
"Why?"
"It is illegal, child."
"I still want it."
"I will only train you," he said, voice firm and stern, like a father scolding his daughter.
"My mother is sick. We don't have money anymore."
That is how she's standing inside the ballroom, a small vial of poison with her while wearing a fancy gown and trying as much as she can to stay away from the chocolates on the buffet table. Asteria was talking to some women when they noticed Rickard walking to them with a disarming smile on his face which prompted a triumphant smile on her face.
"Good evening ladies," he greeted them but his eyes are glued to Asteria.