Binarius by Kendra McMahan

where preserved foods,
grain, and bread were stored. The Second door held the meat from
the butcher. The third door led to the kitchen. Firinne had been
standing behind the wall leading to the kitchens, watching the
activity. She needed to know, roughly, how often someone from the
kitchens left to get something from the pantry or the butcher room.
Luckily, it was midday, so the activity was relatively minimal. So
far, only one person had come out to retrieve a small loaf of
bread. From Firinne’s angle, she could tell the pantry was full —
which was good because they wouldn’t miss much.
    Quickly, Firinne moved down the
corridor and into the pantry. The shelves were stuffed full with
fruit preserves, loaves of fresh bread, potatoes, grains; there was
no hunger in this place. She thought fast — bread, jerky, apples,
and a sack of almonds. She stuffed everything hastily into her
satchel, out of the pantry, and down the corridor before anyone
knew it. She felt reckless. She also felt a little bit alive. She
smiled smugly back to her chambers, where she stuffed the food in
the open space between the floor, and the bottom drawer of the
wardrobe.
     
     
     
    This was her last feast. By early
morning, she would rid herself of this place. As she entered the
room, she bowed her head momentarily in respect of the King and
Queen. The faces at the table were the same judgmental strangers,
but their faces were more familiar to her now than Firinne liked.
Etheldra was sitting where she always sits — next to Bricius. Her
Uncle barely acknowledged her — Firinne didn’t really care anymore.
Etheldra smiled fondly at her.
    King Gryndon was discussing his
latest hunting trip with various people around the table. They
craved the kill and the power of slaying innocent creatures.
Gryndon was reenacting how he straddled a deer — making stabbing
motions with his fist. Everyone laughed, except for Firinne and
Etheldra. Firinne told herself that she couldn’t afford to lose her
appetite now. She needed to eat as much as she could before she set
out the next day. While she had managed to take more than she had
hoped in provisions, the journey ahead of her was long, and it
wouldn’t be enough to sustain her.
    The women in the kitchens had
outdone themselves. There were platters upon platters of food.
Firinne filled her plate with a turkey leg, creamed spinach, wild
rice, and ginger glazed ham. She wondered how her meal was killed.
Was it violent? Did the animal screech as it was slain? Again, she
fought the churning in her stomach. It helped that everything
tasted wonderful, and because Archen was provided with untainted
food, she could feel the spectralin being nourished within her.
Silently, she gave thanks to the animals.
    Etheldra was on her second glass of
blood. She watched as Etheldra almost spilled after knocking her
glass into one of the platters. Etheldra giggled. People around the
table were beginning to glance, nervously at Etheldra — whispering
things to themselves back and forth. But Etheldra wasn’t so far
gone that she wasn’t paying attention.
    “ Is there something you would like
to say to me?” her speech was sluggish and presumptuous.
    One of the women replied “Oh, no
dear we were just discussing how beautiful your dress is. Is that
satin?”
    “ Don’t try to deceive me. I’ve
known enough of your kind to know that your whispers are anything
but good natured.”
    “ I’m not sure I understand what
you mean” the woman rolled her eyes, and turned back to her
partner.
    “ Oh, of course not! You, people,
are ridiculous. You claim to be so righteous, but that could not be
further from the truth. I’ve played along to your tune and
I—
    Bricius interrupted. “Etheldra,
perhaps you should retire to your chambers”
    “ Oh, you would love that wouldn’t
you? For me to continue to keep quiet all because you rescued me.
No, I have had enough of it. I can’t take any more of this shit!
You are not