A Gathering of Souls

by Dianne Keep

  “Yes, yes, I know.” Bree couldn’t keep her eyes from rolling. “I’m so honored.”

  “That’s enough from you, missy.” Tosha’s booming voice echoed off the domed ceiling. For someone who was sixteen and a head shorter than Bree, Tosha managed to hold her own.

  “I don’t think they’re listening,” Bree murmured.

  “It never hurts to assume they are.”

  Several tugs later, Bree was free of her corset. “I need a moment.” Her aching ribs expanded as she took a deep breath. She traced the grooves left by the stays along her sides and stomach. Carefully, she lifted the camisole and winced at the purple stripes.

  “So sorry, Superior.” Tosha brought her a cup of water from the dressing room. “There’s no time for salve. Zeir Bayan will be here soon, and I can’t have him seeing you in your underthings.” She clicked her tongue as she hung the gown by the window for airing. “Not that he’d mind.”

  The Zeir had introduced himself the instant she had arrived in Stav. She needed him to have some interest in her if she wanted to leave the palace for an hour or more a day, but lately he acted more than a little interested. Everyone knew the law about Seyhs and non-possessors mixing, so she shouldn’t be worried, but she couldn’t help it.

  Bree closed her eyes and counted to ten. She imagined the stress of the morning floating away, dissolving into nothingness. She opened her eyes and noticed the spark lilies flickering in the light, their red and gold petals dancing in sunshine. The flowers’ crisp scent tingled her tongue. The rest of her day would be better.

  “You noticed I have a new guard,” Bree said. “Or a different new guard. The other one was dismissed for talking to me.” She didn’t want to say anything about the triggers yet.

  Tosha mumbled a reply.

  “His name is Shane. And he’s a captain,” said Bree. “Ehre asked him his name. Right in front of me.”

  “Did she now? I wonder why?” asked Tosha.

  “Is he a distant relative? Because he looks like you, if you hadn’t noticed.”

  “All of my brothers are deployed. And we’re not the only fair-haired family in the country.”

  “Because everyone I see in the palace and in the city—” Bree hinted.

  “Oh, stars above! Stav isn’t the only city in Rysa,” said Tosha. “There are plenty of blond-haired, blue-eyed people on the continent. The Romoons are not the only ones!”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” Bree sat on her bed, smoothed the silky lace bedcover, and shucked off her slippers. Since gossip traveled faster than light in the palace, she added, “And I did activate the device.”

  “Really?” Tosha poked her head out of the dressing room.

  “Yes, really.” Bree smiled.

  “Your talents are returning?”

  “I think so.” Bree couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

  Tosha smiled. “Good for you.”

  Bree pulled on a pair of wool stockings, picked up a green tunic, and shoved her head and arms into the appropriate holes. She slipped into a pair of soft, leather pants and tied the matching split skirt around her waist. The thin leather gave her plenty of room to wiggle and slouch.

  Tosha helped lace up Bree’s riding boots and buttoned her riding jacket. “Let’s make your hair more manageable.” Tosha led her into the dressing room and sat her on the threadbare stool in front of the mirror. “Would you like a braid? Zeir Bayan adores braided hair.”

  “Only if it’s simple.” She traced the intricate designs stamped on her leather jacket. The patterns raced to life under the influence of her alhor.

  Tosha swiped the pins from Bree’s updo and tossed them into a little green glass dish on the vanity. The amber necklace twinkled in the mirror. Its web of energy still clung to Bree’s skin, not burning, just waiting for her to do or think about something she wasn’t supposed to. She growled at it.

  Slapping her shoulder, Tosha tsked. “That won’t help anything.”

  “Never know.” Bree shrugged, watching Tosha’s expert hands glide through her plain brown hair. Her vanity was covered with colorful toiletries she never used. She avoided looking directly at her own face, because every time she did, a stranger gazed back.

  Curiosity nudged her to lift her gaze.

  A woman with a silver alhor, matching hair, and sky-blue eyes stared at Bree.

  Cold slithered up her spine and down her limbs. Goosebumps prickled her arms. The cage of emotions in the back of her mind stirred. Despair and grief slipped out. The sense of longing for something precious nearly tore her in half.

  The mirror shattered.

  Bree blinked.

  The mirror was intact—the woman gone. What?

  The upsurge of feelings needed to be pressed into oblivion. Not now! Not today. She couldn’t allow her emotions to destroy everything she’d worked for.

  But her lungs forgot she needed air. She’d seen…she’d seen…her brain hiccupped. That face. She checked the mirror one more time. Just Bree. Brown hair. Green eyes. A smattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose. No family name. No Seyh tribe.

  Something was seriously wrong. She shivered.

  “Are you cold?” Tosha’s hands paused.

  Bree shook her head. She waited for the charm to recognize the slip up. Had she seen a person from her past? Memories didn’t show up in a mirror. She’d grown accustomed to not recognizing her face, but to see a completely different person? Never.

  Right when she thought she’d get away with whatever it was, the necklace sent a warning. The amber gem flickered. Too late, Bree told it. The incantation agreed. It decided she wasn’t going to kill anyone. The fiery network funneled inside the gem.

  First the jewelry, then the guard, and now a what? A vision? Seyhs had visions, but in a mirror? She was going crazy. Or the magic in the pendant was making her crazy. Her head spun. Breathe. Breathe. She had to calm down. She was on the verge of vomiting or screaming, possibly both at the same time.

  Think about this. She bit her nail. Be logical.

  “Stop that.” Tosha swatted her hand.

  Bree didn’t trust herself to speak.

  What was it about that woman with the silver hair? No one in the palace had silver hair. White hair, because of age, not silver, at least none she’d seen. None of the Seyhs had a silver alhor either. The woman might have been an Anthean Seyh. She might have been important. But trying to access a memory about someone in Anthea would activate the charm. Or would it?

  She pressed against the barrier in her mind. The charm brought up the blackened battlefield. Every moment before that, gone. Every moment after that, intact—her first meeting with Superior Ehre and Second Zeir Khrisk and his father, Keir Ryne in Anthea. The journey to Stav, full of painful triggers. Meeting Zeir Bayan in the market. Her introduction to Tosha.

  All the boring days to follow, except today.

  Nothing else.

  Perfect. Simply perfect.

  Bree bit her lip and looked at the mirror again. She studied her almond-shaped, green eyes. The woman had almond eyes too. She touched her face. No scars, just smooth, tan skin. As an active military Seyh, she should have some deformity or scars, but no. Nothing to remind her of her past.

  The too perfect face frowned in the mirror. Ehre would know what to do. As soon as she got back from her ride with Bayan, she’d tell her mentor.

  “There. Finished. You look beautiful,” Tosha said, pinning a final lock on top of her head.

  Instead of a simple braid, Tosha had woven her hair on either side of her head, back down her neck, and up again in the best bun masterpiece yet. Bree swallowed and licked her lips. “Thank you. I’m sure Bayan will love it.” She managed to make her voice sound normal. Bree gave the braids a tug, making sure they would hold up to wind and riding.

  “I know he will,” said Tosha.

  The bedroom door opened, and Captain Shane announced Zeir Bayan. Before Bree could walk out of the dressing room, Bayan strode in, b
rushing locks of black hair from his face. He bowed, a little too low. He shouldn’t bow to her anyway.

  She curtsied. “Good afternoon, Zeir Bayan.”

  His smile was brighter than usual. “Afternoon, Superior Bree.” He grabbed her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

  He really shouldn’t have done that either. Touching was against the Resh’s rules, but if Bayan wanted to kiss her hand, she’d have to let him. He was the Zeir, and Resh Osling wasn’t going to chop off his own son’s hands.

  When Bayan glanced at her face, she forced a smile. My escape.

  His violet eyes sparkled as he studied her from head to boots. He beamed at her maid. “Tosha, you made her absolutely gorgeous.” He folded Bree’s hand in the crook of his arm. “Ready?”

  She left her hand in place but stepped sideways a few inches. “Ready.” If she didn’t get out of the palace soon, she might explode, or….

  No, she didn’t want to think about the possibilities.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Zeir Bayan?” Bree tried removing her hand from his person when the doors to the main floor opened. Now that they were in public, he’d have let go of her.

  “What?” Bayan frowned and pressed her hand harder to keep it in place.

  People walking down the corridor stared at her hand on his arm and his hand on top of hers. She could hear their whispers. Could they see her blush? They probably thought she’d bewitched their precious Zeir. By the time they returned from their outing, the entire capital would be talking about her hand on Bayan’s arm and what that meant.

  “I heard about your charm,” Bayan said as they passed a group of gawking ladies.

  Her alhor flashed. The gray palace walls were suddenly covered in white snowflakes. Behave. The snowflakes fell harder. “I thought you might have.” The ladies took their focus off her and stared at the animated blizzard. Bree knew the walls would return to normal as soon as she left the hallway.

  Bayan eyed the new décor. “Ehre thinks it’s a malfunction of some kind.”

  She shrugged. Her alhor skittered toward a lady, who promptly ran in the other direction. Get back here. Her alhor sparked as if cackling evilly at her attempt to control it. “You spoke to her?”

  “Of course. If something happens to you, I want to know.” He squeezed her hand. “We have to make sure you’re safe.”

  His words shouldn’t have surprised her, but for some reason they did. What else did Bayan know about her that she thought was private? “I assure you, I’m perfectly fine. None of my memories slipped through.” Her heart raced. Would Ehre tell Bayan about the woman in the mirror once she told her? No, she could trust Ehre.

  “You’re perfectly perfect. Even with your crazy alhor.” Bayan gave her one of his rare, real smiles.

  She couldn’t help but grin in return. “Stop. People are watching.” And if they didn’t notice the touching, they’d be sure to notice his smiles. Bree fiddled with the buttons on her jacket.

  “People are always watching, Bree.”

  More doors opened and closed as they made their way to the stable yard. People continued to ogle, and her alhor continued to misbehave. She tripped twice over the planks of the palace’s old belt walk system that ran along the main corridors. Heavens above, she needed to get away from all the courtiers. She could barely put one foot in front of the other.

  Bayan furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you sure you’re feeling well?”

  She shrugged. “It’s nothing. Just a little clumsy, I guess.”

  The last door of the palace opened, and Bree caught the aroma of hay mixed with dust. A brisk, spring breeze stung her cheeks and tugged at her hair. Horses whinnied and stomped their hooves. Her muscles unwound, releasing the tightness in her chest. She tipped her head toward the sun, letting the afternoon light warm her cheeks.

  “Come on, you,” said Bayan. “We don’t have all day.”

  “I wish we did.”

  The look he gave her made her stomach flip. He thought she meant with him. Stupid boy.

  The master groom led her white mare, Nikki, to the mounting block. Her polished saddle gleamed. Zeir Bayan let go of her hand and held the reins while she mounted. She stroked the horse’s neck, sending a thread of golden alhor up Nikki’s braided mane that glittered around her ears in a sparkling crown. Right before the glow faded, Bree’s alhor changed Nikki’s mane pink.

  Please, change it back. Bree glanced around. No one was paying any attention except the new guard, Shane. His lips twitched.

  Behave! Bree told her alhor one more time as she stroked Nikki again. The pink dispersed. Thank you. Her alhor popped from her fingers, dancing down the reins to the bridle. I don’t need any more trouble. Not today. Okay? The light settled.

  Bayan mounted his black stallion, Heru, and the guards topped their brown mares. Bree guided Nikki next to Bayan within the quad of guards. Once outside the city, her quad would follow her, not surround her. Her heart soared at the approaching freedom. She glanced at the mountains stretching into the clear, blue sky. A perfect day for riding.

  The palace gateman rang the alarm, distracting her from her thoughts. She twisted Nikki’s reins and counted the clicks and clanks of the thick metal gate as it rose. Ten sentries on horseback filed in around them, dissolving Bree’s sense of impending freedom. Usually only the quad escorted them and sometimes one or two bodyguards for Bayan.

  What disaster did they expect? The Zeir wore more than enough charms. Perhaps the Resh didn’t trust her to be with his son since the malfunction this morning, but then he would have cancelled the ride.

  A nagging desire to flee formed images in her mind—of her charging ahead of the guards and escaping into the mountains beyond the fields.

  Reality slid in like a sharp knife.

  Leaving without permission was ridiculous and impossible. She frowned and jammed the idea deep down. Keep it contained. Don’t cause another trigger. Who knows what the Resh would do if her charm’s defense mechanism tripped in Bayan’s company? She might never see the outside of her tower bedroom again.

  Bayan tapped her shoulder. The Zeir of Rysa hated being ignored. She gave him an indulging smile. “I finished your Honor necklace this morning.”

  His eyes widened. “You did what now?”

  “I helped Ehre with it. It’s quite pretty.” The list of possible maidens went through her head again. Who had caught his attention? “I’m sure the girl you have in mind will adore it. Do all heirs pick out their wives before the Ranking? What if something happens to you?”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “Not that anything will happen to you. But Second Zeir Khrisk isn’t married. And as far as I know he hasn’t chosen an Honor—” Normally, he picked up the conversation by now and would tease her in some way. His silence gnawed at her.

  Say something else. “Are you looking forward to your cousin’s return?”

  “I suppose.” Bayan shrugged.

  What a strange response. If there was a person Bayan loved as much as himself, it was Khrisk. Bree couldn’t blame him.

  “I activated a device this morning,” said Bree.

  “You did?”

  She couldn’t decide if Bayan sounded pleased or annoyed. “As if you didn’t know. The charm had just triggered for some reason, and after getting some air on the balcony, I walked back in, and the disk just activated. Ehre and I haven’t discovered its use yet. It only beeps.”

  “I’m sure you’ll discover its purpose by the end of the day.” Bayan rubbed the back of his neck. “How long does it take to open a gate?” he asked the guards in front.

  As if by magic, the palace gate eked out a final clack, and the quad moved forward. The horses’ hooves struck the cobblestones of the first tier in the city.

  The view of the upper tier stole her breath every time she saw it. Sprawling villas and manicured lawns covered the hillside. The estates belonged to the wealthy tradesmen who had become the Resh’s best friends during t
he last twenty years of war. Hundreds of people, mostly young eligible ladies, came out to watch the procession, in hopes of catching Zeir Bayan’s notice. Their preference for pastel-colored gowns with plunging necklines had to be in tribute to spring, or they figured Bayan loved ladies who resembled fluffy flowers.

  Bree twirled her fingers in Nikki’s mane while Bayan waved and shouted to the girls he knew. Some of the darlings actually swooned. Bree double-checked the degree of Bayan’s attractiveness. He had the same dark features as most of the other Rysans she’d met. He looked like a younger version of the Resh. Both had oval faces and long, elegant noses. Bayan kept his face clean-shaven while the Resh opted for a beard to frame his jaw and lips.

  Bayan must have noticed her inspection, because he turned his attention to her. “Do you like my new jacket?” He stroked his arm and his chest. “It’s a silky-smooth skin from some animal in Theodel. I had the final fitting this morning.”

  His tailor knew Bayan’s body well. Every inch of the black jacket accentuated his muscles under the leather. The fine cut was no doubt the reason for the swooning girls.

  “It’s lovely.” The jacket was stunning, but Bree couldn’t help thinking the animal would have preferred to keep its skin.

  “Thank you. It’s sturdy, too. It won’t tear, even stands up against a sword, and it’s virtually fireproof. Another suit is being made for the Ranking. That one will have a metal mesh lining.”

  “That sounds very practical,” said Bree. “It’ll be extra hard for the animals to eat you.”

  Bayan winked and returned his focus to the giggling girls hurling flowers at him.

  The second tier’s alarm rang as they approached the next wall. Guards came out of the checkpoint station and waved the company through the open gate. No one came out to cheer Zeir Bayan here. He sat back in his saddle and nodded to the few people who bowed to him. Some people glanced her way, never with a friendly face. They didn’t smile at Bayan either.

  It was unlike Bayan to be silent. “What did you do all morning?” she asked.