A Gathering of Souls

by Dianne Keep

  She needed to find Ehre and ask about the charm.

  Bree ate everything placed in front of her and tasted none of it. She tried to avoid the Resh’s eyes and tried to turn away from Bayan as much as she could. Basically, she ogled her plate and screamed at the other girl inside her head to please say something, even though the girl might not be real.

  Zeir Bayan stood and offered her his hand. “The dancing has begun. Do you need another drink? How are you feeling?”

  She hadn’t heard the music. “Wonderful.”

  She placed her hand in his. He brought it to his lips and kissed it, and she smiled. Her amber necklace seemed dormant at the moment. Everyone expected her to be happy and content. She could play the part.

  Sparkling gowns and suits packed the dance floor. The lamps on the walls dimmed and the overhead chandelier brightened, causing the people to glow like Seyhs. She only needed one Seyh now and that Seyh was purple.

  A lump grew in Bree’s throat as she watched the courtiers twirling.

  Her vision went white.

  She blinked and a different room spread out before her.

  Eight people bathed in gold, spun in a circle surrounded by people clapping.

  Every move spoke of grace and agility.

  A man leapt in the air, shooting fireworks from his fists.

  A woman swirled like a tornado sending her alhor out to cover the crowd.

  A young girl sang as she danced, lifting her hands toward the heavens.

  The girl could have been her twin. The girl stopped dancing and stepped toward her. Her green eyes glittered with recognition. Bree stepped forward, and the scene dissolved.

  Lips touched her earlobe.

  “What’s the matter?” Bayan’s breath tickled her neck.

  She jumped, touched her temples, and arms. Her body didn’t feel like she belonged in it. The charm’s liquid fire seemed foreign in her veins. “I don’t know.”

  Are you there? Did you see that? Was that you? Is that me?

  No answer.

  “Don’t worry. The steps are easy.” He pulled her into his arms and led her to the middle of the floor. “It’s one-two-three. Anyone can do it.”

  Bree let the music scatter her tangled thoughts into oblivion. Bayan glided her over the polished tiles, briefly pressing his hand on her ribs or squeezing her hand to direct her.

  Ten minutes later, the dance ended and Khrisk asked for her hand. Bayan gave her over with a wink, and with Khrisk’s touch, she relaxed.

  What was it about Khrisk? Even with all the people in the room, she wanted to press closer to him. Gold sparks from her alhor glittered his arms. At least, her alhor wasn’t taking it too far and smothering him.

  Did he feel the same way? He had to.

  “I think I must be cracked,” said Bree.

  “What?” He bent his head closer to her mouth.

  “I keep seeing people who aren’t there. People I might have seen before but can’t remember.” She spun and Khrisk pulled her back into his arms.

  “What do they look like?” He glanced over her head and gave someone the slightest nod.

  Someone was always watching. “Nothing. Never mind.”

  Khrisk probably didn’t know his father wore a pendant exactly like hers. All they wanted was for her to become some cure for sick people and remain locked up forever. As long as she activated relics for Osling, she’d live.

  She felt Khrisk staring. “What?”

  “You’re not crazy.” His smile turned her belly into a flight of birds.

  Focusing on his face, his eyes, she believed him. “Maybe not, but I will be. Soon.” She glanced at the people swirling around them. “Everyone here knows more about me than I do.”

  Khrisk’s shoulders tensed, but the mask of calm never left his face. “No, they don’t. They only know what Osling tells them.”

  “And what does he tell them?”

  He chuckled. “A very fine story.”

  As soon as the dance ended, Ehre was at Bree’s side. “I’ll take her.”

  Finally. Maybe they could have a private conversation on the dance floor. “I’ve been looking for you. I didn’t know girls danced together. Who leads?” Bree extended her arms.

  “Seyhs don’t normally dance at such occasions.” Ehre’s shoulders straightened, her eyes lingered on the figures fluttering by. “The Rishi wants you.” Ehre slid her arm around Bree’s waist. “Now.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “She’s still healthy. She wanted to say goodnight personally, away from the crowds.” Ehre motioned toward the courtyard doors. “You only have a few hours before you have to retire.”

  The sky was pink with shades of purple. Her days were always over too soon.

  “Goodnight Khrisk. Thank you for the dance.” Bree touched his hand for a second. Khrisk’s face remained a blank page.

  Bayan waved to Bree from across the room. He must have known her evening was over. Out in the hall, Bree’s quad encircled her and Ehre.

  Ehre turned down an empty hallway. “Here, drink this.” It was another cup of that gold liquid.

  “Do I have to? It makes me feel funny.”

  “Yes. You need it.”

  Bree gulped the contents. “I’ve been looking for you all night. I’m having more visions. I just saw one of me, possibly.” Her stomach gurgled. Reassuring warmth spread throughout her body.

  “I told you not to worry.” Ehre sighed and pulled her close when a couple passed them in the hallway. “Tonight, we’re celebrating you. Have you heard what the people are saying?”

  “No one speaks to me directly besides you and the royal family.”

  “They believe you can save Rysa.” Stopping, Ehre faced her. “I believe you can save Rysa. Ignore the visions if you can.”

  “So, I’m just going to be some cure for his people?”

  “Our people. Even if we’re not from Rysa we are still people of the continent Leoshi and of our world, Parsa. The people need you. We can’t let the plague spread to other nations.” Ehre turned down another hall. “And why wouldn’t you want to help? After what happened in Anthea, I would think you’d more than happy to have people admire you for something good rather than fear you.”

  “I’m happy to help our people,” Bree said, but the sound of our people felt wrong. The people she saw each day didn’t feel like they belonged to her or she to them. Her people were silent, taunting ghosts, floating in and out of her life. She couldn’t follow them when they left.

  Bree shivered at the last vision of the dancers. That girl had looked so much like her. The image swept through her mind, chasing away some of the giddy warmth from the golden liquid. Her head spun.

  They had passed the grand courtyard and other halls leading to smaller gardens.

  Ehre turned another corner and the door to Osling’s study opened.

  “The Rishi is in there?” Bree whispered.

  “Yes, with the Resh and Keir Ryne.” Ehre motioned for Bree’s guards to stop at the door.

  It wasn’t really Fara who wanted to speak with her, it was Osling. She walked twenty steps and stood at the edge of the plush, red carpet. The crimson snakes slithered to the seam of the rug, piling on top of one another, trying to get near her slippers.

  Fara came over. “How was your evening? I hope you felt genuinely appreciated.” Her eyes went to the bracelet on Bree’s wrist. “Are you feeling more like yourself? I didn’t get the chance to speak with you at dinner.”

  Because you ignored me the entire time. “I’m fine. Please don’t worry about me.”

  Osling moved and paced behind Fara for exactly twenty-three seconds. The snakes left her to trail after him. He stopped and came forward. “For curing the illness and ending the suffering and death of our people, I cannot repay you.” His eyes sparkled with gratitude. “Transportation of the infected has begun. They should arrive at the stadium after the Ranking.”

  He waited as if she would say something. Bree nod
ded.

  Fara reached out and squeezed Bree’s hand. “Tomorrow night, Bayan asked that we dine together privately as a family on the patio during the festivities.”

  “I believe he will be successful in the Ranking.” Osling sat in the chair near the edge of the rug. Half the snakes stayed near him while the other half returned to her. “Khrisk will watch over him. He’s very protective of his cousin.”

  Bree clasped her hands and forced herself not to react, not to feel. All the good feelings vanished. Rage rattled her like demon mutants trying to eat her alive. She had to hold herself together.

  Stuff it down. Lock it away. Feel nothing. Numbness settled over her. Better.

  Keir Ryne went over to the sapphire fireplace. The two connecting snakeheads that made up the mantel seemed to move their heads away from each other to get a better look at him. He tapped their heads, and their diamond tongues flickered out.

  There was a knock at the door behind the desk. Ryne opened it and took a package from a servant girl. He brought it to Osling.

  “Ehre, would you mind terribly?” Osling asked.

  Ehre took the package from Ryne and brought it to the table. She unfolded the paper to reveal two silver rods. Covering the rods, she placed the bundle into her black, long coat. “It’s ready.”

  Osling stood, and kissed Fara. “Goodnight, my dear.”

  “Goodnight.” Fara turned to Bree. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight,” Bree said. She watched Fara go through the door that led to her room. Lantern light glowed. The empty space had dissipated and was now just a normal hall.

  “What happened to the darkness?” Bree asked.

  “Once Fara was healed, we no longer needed the barrier to protect the other palace residents,” Ehre answered. “We must be going. We’re running out of daylight.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  The library doors were locked. Osling pressed his thumb on a pad, and the doors clicked open. Bree walked within her quad, following the Resh, Ehre, and Keir Ryne through the entryway. All the lanterns were extinguished, but a small bit of light flickered on the floor where Ehre stepped, glowing from her alhor, and vanishing seconds after she passed. Bree’s alhor remained close.

  They walked past row after row of bookshelves and scroll storage compartments until they reached a wall. Ehre placed her hand on it and the wall slid open. Chilly air whooshed out as bright light above blinked to life in what looked like a large, metal box.

  “Wait out here,” Osling told Bree’s quad. “Make sure no one else comes down.”

  Shane saluted and glanced at Bree. Concern and something else reflected in his eyes.

  Ehre pressed her hand against the metal surface and the wall shut. The floor shuddered, and they moved slowly down.

  Bree’s ears popped. The box stopped at exactly one hundred and twenty-three seconds. This time, the wall to the box opened of its own accord.

  “Follow me,” said Ehre.

  They had to be in the vault beneath the palace. Was there a relic down here they wanted her to activate?

  Rows of silver cylinders lined glass walls with more rows behind. The rows seemed to go on and on. At the end of the room, Ehre turned right and they continued down a hallway also lined with the silver cylinders and cases. Hundreds of objects were held behind walls of glass. The sizes and shapes varied from as small as a tack, to huge machines with attached arms that had varying types of slots for tools likes knives, pinchers, or round knobs. Ryne had said his brother was a collector, but this was obsession.

  At the end of the hallway, Ehre turned left into a clean, white room. Osling and Ryne veered right and entered a room made of glass from floor to ceiling.

  “Why are we here?” Bree asked Ehre when Ryne closed the door.

  “Remember how you tested the relic inside the energy production plant?”

  Bree fought through the hazy memories to the time before the she entered the hospital. “I sat in a chair.”

  Ehre pulled the package from her black jacket. “We have another device we’d like you to try.” She took the rods out and threw the paper on the floor. “Wait, sorry, you need to eat this first.” Ehre pocketed the rods and handed Bree a small piece of bark the size of her pinkie finger.

  Bree sniffed. The bark smelled like berries. She popped it in her mouth. The stick dissolved like chalk on her tongue. Her mouth tingled. “My…” Her tongue went limp. “Mu muth z…” Her heart raced. “Whuz uz gv mu?”

  “Don’t worry. It’s normal.” Ehre took out the rods once more and tugged at the ends. Silver cords emerged from the rods, and Ehre went to the wall and plugged the cords into two open sockets. “We need to know if you can make them work.”

  “Bo mu muth,” Bree managed to gurgle. Why did her mouth need to be numb?

  Ehre dropped the rods into Bree’s hands. As soon as the metal touched her skin, her alhor flared. Her teeth snapped shut. Oh.

  Energy bloomed under her ribs, shot up through her arms, and out of her hands into the silver rods.

  Gold light covered the floor and walls, continuing up until it saturated the ceiling. Then it snuck out into the hallway.

  Release the rods.

  Bree tried. I can’t.

  Try again.

  Why? Bree asked.

  We’ve never used our power like this before. I’m not sure what it will do to us.

  The energy inside Bree pulsed but didn’t fade. It churned and simmered in her center. Bree pushed against it, and it pushed back. It’s never-ending. The core of her power expanded, and with it, a small piece of herself withered. She could lose herself in the expanse of power.

  No, the girl warned. Be careful.

  But it wouldn’t be that bad.

  No.

  This is a way to escape. Bree showed the girl the cage of feelings as it shuddered, longing for release.

  Not this way. We must go home.

  Cold fused around her core. Bree shrieked.

  Ehre ripped the rods out of Bree’s hands.

  Bree’s gold alhor funneled back around her skin. “Ef fink…”

  Ehre handed her a vial of clear fluid. “Drink this.”

  Bree gulped the liquid, which had no taste, not realizing how thirsty she was. The numbness of her mouth vanished. She handed the bottle back to Ehre. “I think that…”

  Osling and Ryne came out. “Very good,” said the Resh. “You did well.”

  “You performed well.” Ryne looked paler and greener than before.

  “What did I activate?” Bree asked. None of the objects in the room were powered.

  “The rods are used for communication between other devices.” Ehre placed her arm around Bree and pulled her out into the hall. “We had scientists in the other rooms.” They walked past a room with a large glass window. Inside, four researchers huddled around a floating platform with handlebars.

  “By sharing your talent through the rods, multiple relics were activated,” Ehre said.

  “But I’m not activating them now,” Bree said.

  “Remember when you powered the disk? Your talent faded away from it when you ceased contact.” Ehre was leading her out of the vault now. “But you’ve improved since then. Your talent lasts longer.”

  Ehre ushered her into the metal box. Resh Osling and Keir Ryne came in afterward, and Ehre pressed the wall. They moved upward.

  Bree’s stomach shifted. She waited for the girl’s voice to say something. Are you there? What did you do? Did you know we could do that?

  No response.

  The library was still dark when the metal door opened. Bree’s quad surrounded her as soon as she was out of the door. Their footsteps echoed on the tile floor.

  At the library exit, Osling spoke to Ehre, “I expect a report on those the results by tomorrow.” He glanced at Bree, tipped his head, and strode down the hall.

  “I wish you a pleasant sleep, Bree,” said Keir Ryne. He bowed and hobbled after his brother.

 
; Shane’s eyebrows furrowed. His gaze drifted over Ehre to Ryne’s back. He looked at her with an expression of sorrow.

  “Will I have lessons tomorrow?” Bree asked. The dim shadows on the walls made her shiver.

  “You have the morning free, and then the Resh has yet to decide. We’re all wondering how you’ll fare after healing all those people today, and after tonight.” Ehre pulled another vial of purple liquid from her coat. “You’re feeling the side effects of using your dormant talents. Drink this. It chases away the cold.”

  Bree hadn’t noticed her teeth chattering. “Thank you.” She drank. The potion scratched the flesh of her mouth and throat. “Ow.” Her head spun.

  The world went dark.

  ◆◆◆

  Bree blinked, but saw nothing. “Ehre?”

  “Khrisk said you were looking for me?” Ehre asked.

  She had been looking for Ehre. Keir Ryne’s charm looked exactly like hers.

  “Open your eyes, Bree before you trip over your feet,” said Ehre.

  Bree opened her eyes. They were outside the dining hall. People laughed and danced. She hated to leave the party especially after dancing with Khrisk. No, don’t think about him. Ryne. Ask about Ryne.

  “Do you know anything about the charm Keir Ryne wears?” Bree’s quad came to her. Shane made eye contact for a split second. Bree gave him a small smile. It was so nice to have a guard who seemed to care about her.

  “He wears many charms. Did he show you one?” Ehre walked with her down the hall toward the tower.

  Don’t tell her.

  Bree was so relieved the girl was back. Where have you been? “Uh, no, I was just wondering. He looks so sick. Is he okay?”

  “I’m sure he is.”

  They turned down another hallway. A group of Seyhs stood close by. Ehre nodded to them and they dispersed.

  “No lessons tomorrow,” said Ehre. “Zeir Bayan will be busy and I have some things to attend to.”

  “Can I go outside the palace?”

  “I don’t think that should be a problem,” said Ehre.