by Alicia Fabel
“It was Hutran’s loving way of protecting me from myself.”
“I’m going to tear out his spleen.”
“I planned to take a snack back to Ferrox, so I’m up for as much tearing as you want,” she said.
“He blackmailed you into submission, didn’t he?” Kale guessed.
“You don’t think I’d be submissive by choice, do you?” Vera’s stomach flopped when Kale’s gaze shifted into something different.
“I hope not,” he said.
“Your time is up,” announced Kuwari.
Kale didn’t move. “Do you feel safe here?”
Kuwari made a noise of protest.
“Kuwari’s a piece of scum, but yeah, I feel safe. Where are you staying?”
“Close enough to hear if you scream or cry or any other thing that I don’t approve of.”
“Thank you.”
“Any time.” Kale stood to leave but paused on his way out the door and said over his shoulder, “By the way, you look good as a unicorn, Sprinkles.”
Vera blushed, and Kale disappeared.
“I want to visit Nisaba,” Vera told Kuwari.
“That’s not possible until after you have a champion. You can only go out to observe the challenges. Afterward, your champion will decide if it is safe for you to visit Nisaba.”
“It was safe enough a couple of days ago,” Vera pointed out.
“Because I was your guardian and I permitted it.”
Vera had no idea that’s how it had been working. No one had explained that Kuwari was allowing her movement through the village. He’d just let her do and go anywhere. Probably so she didn’t figure out that she wasn’t free and bounce before their trap was set.
“Are you not my guardian anymore?”
“No, that responsibility now falls to your mate. Until one is proclaimed, I will shelter you, but I cannot allow you to wander the village. It is not my decision.”
“Can Nisaba come here?”
“If the prince escorts her here, she can visit, but I don’t think that will be happening.”
“Why?
“Her nerves are too frayed with the Guardian here. It will be good for everyone when this business is complete and he is gone.”
“Trust me, I’ll be glad when we’re gone too.”
“You think the Guardian will be your champion?” asked Kuwari curiously.
“If you’d ever seen him fight, you would too.”
“Oh, I agree, if the challenge were a series of hand-to-hand fighting, I would count on him too.”
“Wait, what is the challenge?”
“It could be anything. A race, a test of skills, an endurance challenge, a scavenger hunt, anything the prince chooses. There will be three challenges. The prince will reveal what they are tomorrow.”
Vera felt like her heart was breaking open all over again. She’d assumed it would be fights. Kale might actually lose.
“Since the Guardian is unkillable, I would not count on a fight to the death,” Kuwari said. “Likely, killing will be forbidden. Any violation of the rules will result in a forfeit.”
“Kale knows this?”
“Yes. The Guardian was present for my daughter’s challenges. He watched all six males challenge Prince Shun. It went on for weeks.”
“So if Kale loses, someone could still challenge Hutran?”
“That will not happen, you are a half-breed. For Hutran to claim you is a great honor. And I don’t think you can produce another convincing fiancé from off-realm.”
“But why not let the women chose for themselves who to mate?”
“Because we love and cherish our women. Any male who wants the privilege of a wife spends his life honing his mind and body to be the best mate possible. Then he proves his worth in the challenges. Our women get only the best, as they deserve.”
“I mean, it sounds great in theory, and I get what you’re trying to do, but what about women like your daughter? Your system didn’t work for her.”
“What happened to my daughter was unforgivable. Other kargadan men are not like Shun. We are honorable.”
Prince Ashur would issue the details of the first challenge on the steps of the cultural hall. Kale scanned the crowd, looking for Vera. He relaxed when Kuwari led her to the front of the crowd. They took the steps and found a place behind the prince. The girl Vera had been protecting was there too.
“The first challenge, for the right to claim Apprentice Vera, will be a battle of minds,” began Ashur. “Strength of mind to care for a mate is invaluable. As are honor and respect. For that purpose, the challengers will toast each other’s health before I announce a riddle. The first to solve my riddle will be the victor of this challenge.”
The prince waved his hand, and one of his guards came forward with goblets. Someone handed one to Hutran and one to Kale. The rest were handed out to those overseeing the challenge. Well played. When Vera received a goblet of eitr, her eyes widened with alarm. She opened her mouth to protest, but Kuwari quickly shushed her, whispering in her ear. If Vera claimed Kale could not complete the challenge, no matter that it was complete shit, it would only make him appear less capable of protecting her. Like it or not, they had to play by the rules. And the rules said there were no rules except to play the game. Whatever it was.
“To Vera, and the best man to keep her well,” toasted the prince. Kale lifted his glass in salute and then drained the liquid, which burned his mouth and throat. He coughed, and the idiot smirked. The stuff worked fast. Kale’s head spun while his stomach threatened to revolt.
“Now, the riddle. Listen closely, I will speak it only once. There is a house. One enters it blind and comes out seeing. What is it?”
The riddle sounded familiar. Like Kale had heard it before, but he couldn’t remember the answer.
“It is a house of learning,” Hutran answered immediately, obviously familiar with the riddle as well.
“Hutran is correct,” said Ashur. “He is the victor of this round. The next challenge will start as soon as the sun begins to set from its peak in the sky. Hutran you may take that time to visit Apprentice Vera.”
Kale’s ears felt like they were full of cotton. He wasn’t sure if he was swaying or not. However, he understood that he only had a few hours to sleep off the eitr. There was a shuffle on the steps as Kuwari restrained Vera. She was trying to get to him.
“I’m okay, Vera,” Kale slurred as well as he could.
She stopped. The prince’s intended reached out to squeeze her hand when no one was paying attention. Feeling like a wooden puppet, Kale turned and moved through the crowd. A few kargadan grumbled when he bumped into them, but Kale couldn’t make out any of their words. He didn’t head back to Kuwari’s hut. There was no way he’d make it that far. Instead, he made his way to the nearest uninhabited section of the village before vomiting the vile drink into overgrown weeds behind a decaying hut. After, he forced his legs to carry him through the broken door into the cool shade before they gave out. He collapsed into the dirt and didn’t bother moving again. He had only one thought before blackness overtook him: He couldn’t miss the next challenge or he’d lose Vera.
Hutran followed Vera to Kuwari’s. The man had an arrogant smile, but Vera refused to let him see her shaken. She’d tried staying optimistic about the challenges, but she hadn’t realized that kargadan would cheat. So much for honorable. Why I’m surprised, beats the crap out of me.
“Shall we toast my victory?” Hutran taunted. “I could use another cup of eitr.”
Vera swung around and attempted to launch herself at the man, letting her fury wash through her. He batted her away like a fly, and she sprawled on the floor. Kuwari turned away to pour tumblers of eitr, pretending not to see what happened.
“Are you afraid to face the Guardian without having to drug him first?” Vera asked. “Are you too pathetic?”
Hutran tensed. Vera braced for him to grab or kick her, but he didn’t move. Kuwari offered him a
drink, but he backhanded it across the room. White and gold splattered across the floor and dripped down the walls. The man spun on his heel and crashed through the front door.
“I’m going to take a wild guess and say that Dipwad is the head of Ashur’s guard.” She remembered Nisaba’s fear for the man with a temper.
“Yes.” Kuwari tried to help her to her feet.
“Don’t touch me.”
She pushed herself to her feet and walked to her room, back straight while her hip cried out from where she’d struck the floor. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she climbed onto the center of the mattress. Folding her legs beneath her, she closed her eyes and willed her mind to empty. She didn’t look at her magic, didn’t try to peek behind any doors. All she wanted was for it all to go away.
“Vera? I have food,” Kuwari called from the hall.
She did not answer. If he called again or came in, she didn’t hear him. She’d finally figured out how to close off her mind. All it had taken was realizing that she was completely and hopelessly screwed.
When Kale woke, an orange cat sat licking a bloody paw beside him. Kale frowned at the claw slashes across his arm. Tiny beads of blood welled to the surface. That’s what had woken him—being clawed. Since cats were not native to Nibiru, it was no mystery where the creature had come from. How the weaver communicated with her spies was another matter.
Suddenly, he remembered the challenge. The sun was high in the sky, but he couldn’t tell if the sun had begun it’s decent yet. He shoved to his feet, and the room tilted. There was no time to let it settle, he had to make it to the second challenge. At a slow trot, the fastest he could manage, he made for the village square. His stomach lurched with the movement. Sweat coated his brow. Not enough sweat, though. There was still plenty of the poison pumping through his veins.
Vera’s shoulders sagged with relief when he rounded the corner. He wasn’t sure how long that relief would last if this challenge went like the last one. Pushing down his nausea, he slowed to a walk and hoped he looked more in control of his senses than he felt. When Ashur greeted the waiting crowd and announced the second challenge, Kale struggled to focus. A race. Treasure. Then, like the last time, the prince waved the vile drink forward. This will not end well. Vera glared at the idiot beside him. She didn’t stop until it was obvious he’d seen her.
“Wait,” the idiot called. “I will toast my opponent, but I will not drink. When I beat him, he will know that I am the best mate for Apprentice Vera. That way he will leave our home and people in peace.”
Well would you look at that, the idiot might have a tiny bone of dignity in him after all. Vera nodded in approval. Kale blinked to make sure he was seeing things right. Had she gotten the kargadan male to show that dab of honor? Not that he should be surprised. Vera had an uncanny way of getting exactly what she wanted out of people. Fortunately for the world, what she wanted was for people to generally be more decent than they were.
“This challenge will test your speed and your cunning. You will locate and bring back a pearl for your intended mate. The first to do so will be the victor. Go.”
Kale frowned. A pearl? The ocean was days away. The idiot slunk into the crowd. Kale followed, since it was clear everyone knew something that Kale did not. But the kargadan led him on a goose chase back to the village square before vanishing into the crowd.
Vera’s voice, berating Kuwari as he led her inside to wait, cut through the other noises. “Can we slow down?” Vera made eye contact with Kale. “Have you seen how short my legs are?” She emphasized those last words clearly.
Based on the robes and layers covering her, down to the tops of her sandaled toes, no one here had seen how short her legs were. Kale had, though. And she’d said those words to him before. When he’d told her to jump across a river in Summartir.
There’s a pool across the river.
Kale took off for the old bridge. He caught a glimpse of Vera as he ran past. Her head was bent meekly, but her cheeks hitched up with a smile.
Vera stood on the village side of the river with the rest of the crowd. They’d gathered there once Kale had crossed the death-trap bridge, making it clear that he knew where he needed to look for the pearl. All the villagers pinned their attention to the undergrowth on the other side of the river. They waited anxiously for whichever challenger would emerge first. The sun had moved a third of the way toward the horizon before the sound of crashing reached her ears. Vera’s heart fluttered and then plummeted as Hutran appeared. He patted a pouch at his waist and pumped a fist into the air victoriously. As he reached the bridge, Kale stumbled from the trees as well, dripping wet. Vera’s heart ratcheted up into her throat. Come on, Kale. But Vera knew there was no way he’d catch up to Hutran. Neither man showed any sign of slowing, though.
Hutran made it three steps onto the bridge when a rope snapped, like the crack of a whip. His eyes widened as the bridge gave out beneath his feet. Somehow, he snagged the ledge with one hand instead of falling. Vera couldn’t help but wonder if his jumping like a lunatic the other day had led to this. Sweet karma. Kale looked down at the struggling man, who dangled over the shore below. One slip and Vera’s problems could be over, if she was lucky and the jerk bounced off one of the big rocks—headfirst would be nice.
Surprisingly, Kale seemed to have other ideas. He grasped the man by the forearm, his arms and neck strained against the weight of the colossal douchebag. Despite Kale’s efforts, though, the kargadan continued to slide farther over the ledge, dragging Kale with him. For a minute, Vera thought they were both going to go over. Kale reached around, grabbed Hutran by the back of his belt, and heaved him away from the ledge before letting go. Instead of crashing into the rocks, Hutran’s momentum carried him into the river. Part of the crowd surged forward to peer over the ledge as he surfaced.
Kale’s kindness would probably cost him the win. As soon as Hutran staggered to the bank, he grinned up at the Guardian before leaping up to take hold of the dangling ropes. He was climbing up to where the prince waited for the first challenger to arrive with their token.
“Jump!” Vera yelled to Kale and earned a few dirty looks. Apparently, it was bad form to cheer for the non-kargadan challenger.
Kale squinted at the chasm and gave her a pained look as he backed up to get a running start. Hutran was halfway up the wall already when Kale went airborne, his feet kicking. It was close, but he was going to be short. Vera resisted the urge to cover her eyes. Kuwari held Vera back until she planted an elbow in his ribs and slipped free. She peered toward the river with dread uncurling in her gut, but Kale clung to the wall below, searching for a hand or foothold. He was okay. Meanwhile, Hutran powered forward.
“Do not touch him or he forfeits,” warned Nisaba, to her groom’s obvious annoyance. Vera tucked her hands into her robes so no one could accuse her of anything.
Kale swung his body to the side and hooked an elbow onto the ledge of the chasm. As he did, Dipwad heaved himself over the edge. Kale lifted himself up a moment after, but he wasn’t fast enough. In the end, Hutran made it to Prince Ashur first. Kale rose, slowly unfolding himself. Kuwari ushered Vera to face the victor. There wouldn’t even be a third event. Not since they’d played dirty. Kale hadn’t had a shot.
“Hutran, you’ve won the second challenge,” announced the Prince, “Present your pearl to apprentice Vera to complete your claim.”
Hutran’s chest heaved, just as Kale’s did behind him. He reached to pull out the item of Vera’s doom. He frowned. His eyes widened as he searched for the tiny pouch.
“Missing something?” asked Kale.
The kargadan whirled around, and Kale opened his hand to display two pearls.
He hadn’t been trying to pull the man up, he’d been picking his pocket before dumping him into the river. Vera threw her hands over her mouth to hide her grin and smother the bubble of glee bubbling up her throat. She couldn’t stop herself from a few happy bounces. Kale took her hand and deposi
ted both pearls there. His fingers were torn and bleeding, either from holding onto the wall or from prying oysters open without a horn to assist him. He squeezed Vera’s hand reassuringly and then stumbled.
“There’s only one of you, right?” He squinted one eye. “Because I see two…nope, three of you.”
“Just one me.”
“Oh good. I don’t think I can handle more than one of you.” Kale sank to his knees, placing a hand to the ground. “I may puke again.”
Vera swung on Ashur and the crowd. “He’s won.”
“Yes,” agreed the prince unenthusiastically. “The Guardian is the victor. The challengers are tied. The final challenge will begin at sunrise tomorrow.”
Hutran offered one last dirty look and departed with the sagging crowd. Vera moved to assist Kale, but Kuwari shook his head, eyeing the few who still lingered. All trying to look like they weren’t hanging around to be nosy.
“I will help him,” Kuwari said.
Kuwari lowered Kale onto a cushion in his living room. He slumped against the clay wall to keep from falling over. The coolness of the room felt incredible against his skin. Vera’s face floated in front of him.
“Kale?” she asked gravely.
He tried to smooth the crease between her brows with her thumb. “M’fine.”
“Hate to argue after what you’ve been through, but you’re not fine,” she insisted.
“Yeah. No.” Kale smiled sardonically. “I think someone poisoned my eitr this morning.”
“Someone poisoned your poison? You’re sure this isn’t just the eitr?”
“Nope.” He popped the p on the end of the word.
Vera’s jaw tightened. “I’m gonna draw out the toxins okay?”
That sounds lovely. She sat on her knees in front of him and tugged him forward.
“Whoa.” Kale tipped to the side.
Vera barely kept him upright, settling him back against the wall. “How in the world did you beat Hutran like this?”
