Morning came too soon.
I woke to the sound of screaming.
Not the fun kind of screaming either. This was the high-pitched shriek of someone who had just walked in on something they really didn't want to see. It echoed through the castle halls like a war horn.
I was out of bed and reaching for my magic before I was fully awake. The shadows in the room responded instantly, coiling around my fingers like loyal serpents. Six hundred years of combat instincts didn't care that I'd barely slept.
The screaming continued.
I followed it to the west wing, where the guest quarters were. A small crowd of demon servants had gathered in the corridor, their faces a mix of horror and confusion. They parted when they saw me.
"What's happening?" I demanded.
One of the servants, a young succubus named Mira, pointed a trembling finger at the door to the bathing chamber. "She's... she's in there, Your Majesty. The Saintess. She's using the bath."
"And?"
"She's using holy water to bless it first!"
I stared at her.
Then I pushed open the door.
The bathing chamber was a large room with a sunken pool in the center, fed by a natural hot spring that ran beneath the castle. Steam rose from the water in thick clouds. The air smelled of minerals and lavender.
Aurelia stood at the edge of the pool, fully dressed in her white robes, holding a small silver vial over the water. She was muttering something under her breath. The water was glowing faintly.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
She didn't look up. "Purifying the water. I'm not bathing in demon water."
"It's just hot spring water. There's nothing demonic about it."
"Everything in this castle is demonic. Including the water. Including the air. Including you."
I sighed. "The servants are terrified. They think you're going to bless the whole castle and turn them all to ash."
She finally looked at me. "That's not a bad idea."
"Please don't."
She considered it for a long, dangerous moment. Then she capped the vial and tucked it back into her robes.
"Fine. I'll tolerate the water. But if I grow scales, I'm blaming you."
"Fair enough."
I turned to leave, then paused. "How did you sleep?"
She didn't answer. But the shadows under her eyes told me everything.
An hour later, I found her in the dining hall.
She was sitting at the far end of the long table, as far away from the other occupants as possible. The hall was mostly empty at this hour. A few demon nobles lingered over their breakfast, casting nervous glances in her direction. The kitchen staff had clearly been alerted to her presence, because the food in front of her was untouched.
"Not hungry?" I asked, sliding into the seat across from her.
"I don't eat demon food."
"It's bread. And fruit. And cheese. Not exactly evil."
She looked at me like I'd suggested she eat a live snake.
I picked up a piece of bread from the table and took a bite. "See? Safe."
She didn't move.
"Suit yourself." I continued eating, watching her out of the corner of my eye. She looked exhausted. The night had taken a lot out of her. The memory ritual, the visions, the emotional whiplash.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Like I shared my soul with a demon. Which I did."
"The ritual wasn't that bad."
"You saw my childhood."
"I saw a girl who lost her parents and promised to protect her sister. That's not something to be ashamed of."
Her jaw tightened. "You saw more than that."
"Maybe. But I'm not going to use it against you."
"Why should I believe that?"
"Because if I wanted to hurt you, I've had ninety-nine chances. And I've never once used your past against you."
She was quiet for a long moment. Then she picked up a piece of bread and took a small bite.
"How do you know so much about me?" she asked quietly. "Even before the ritual. You knew about my sister. About my parents. About the raids."
"Six hundred years of loops. I've spent a lot of that time learning everything I could about you."
"Why?"
"Because you're the one who kills me. I thought if I understood you, maybe I could find a way to survive."
She chewed slowly, considering that. "And did you?"
"Find a way to survive? No. But I did learn that you're not the villain I thought you were."
Her eyes flickered. "Then what am I?"
"A pawn. Just like me."
The door to the dining hall burst open.
Vex stormed in, his scales bristling, his tail lashing. "Your Majesty! We have a situation!"
I set down my bread. "What now?"
"The prisoners. The human scouts from yesterday. They're dead."
The dungeon stank of blood.
I stood in the corridor, staring through the iron bars at the three bodies. They were still chained to the walls, but their throats had been slit. The cuts were clean. Professional. Done from behind, while they slept.
"Who found them?" I asked.
Vex shifted behind me. "The morning guard. He came to bring their breakfast and found them like this."
"When?"
"An hour ago. Right around the time the Saintess was blessing the bath."
Aurelia stood beside me, her face pale. "You think I did this?"
"I didn't say that."
"You implied it."
"I stated a fact. The timing is suspicious."
She grabbed my arm and spun me to face her. "I was in the bath. Then in the dining hall. I didn't come down here."
"I know."
"Then why..."
"Because someone in this castle killed those scouts. Someone who wanted them dead before they could talk to you."
She stared at me. "Talk to me?"
"You're the Saintess. If they knew you were here, they might have tried to appeal to you. Confess their mission. Beg for mercy." I glanced at the bodies. "Someone didn't want that to happen."
Her grip on my arm loosened. "You think there's a traitor."
"I know there is. There was one in the other loops too. I just never cared enough to find them before."
"And now?"
"Now you're here. And someone just committed murder to keep a secret." I looked at Vex. "Seal the castle. No one leaves until I say so."
"Already done, Your Majesty."
"Good. Summon all the senior staff. Guards, servants, kitchen workers, everyone who had access to this floor last night."
Vex bowed and left.
Aurelia looked at me. "What are you going to do?"
"Find the traitor."
"How?"
I smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. "I've lived this loop a hundred times. I know exactly what everyone in this castle is supposed to be doing. If someone's out of place, I'll know."
The air shimmered.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Hidden Quest Unlocked: The Traitor in Our Midst
Objective: Identify and apprehend the traitor before sunset.
Reward: Loop Stability -3%, Affection +10, Hidden Clue ×1
Failure: Castle defenses permanently weakened for the rest of the loop.
I read the notification twice.
"What?" Aurelia asked.
"The System just gave us a quest. Find the traitor before sunset."
"What happens if we fail?"
"Castle defenses weakened. Which means the Holy Army gets here faster."
She nodded slowly. "Then we'd better not fail."
She turned and walked out of the dungeon without waiting for me.
I followed.
End of Chapter 7