by Emerson Fray
Excerpt
Ren bit her lip as she stared at the small vial. Howling Jade, Caren had called it. The tiny drops in the glass were all that remained of the miracle cure he’d been given. Supposedly it could fix any ailment, physical or mental. Ren closed her eyes, already knowing that it must have been the same in Mahendra. Archer must have been told the same story and hoped for the miracle cure to work its magic. He confirmed that Barr had been found with a smile as well.
“What do you think it is?” Sheridan asked from across the room. They’d taken a room at the inn when the realized that the boy Caren got the Jade from wasn’t going to return to Dransten until nightfall. It was small, and the bed barely held one person let alone two, but it was all they had available. It was better than a forest or cave floor, so Ren didn’t care much.
“A drug.” She sighed. “Maybe. Why would they call it Howling Jade? It could be from the river, I guess.” Ren thought back to the only other time she’d heard of the Howling Jade, when she was wandering the catacomb of caves called the Undercurrent with Abetha. The river sounded like a howling beast—similar to the ones that had nearly killed them both. “Has there ever been a ‘miracle cure’ on Novae before?”
Ren already knew the answer. “No,” Sheridan confirmed.
Novae might have seemed like a primitive planet when she first arrived, but Ren knew they hid their technology. It might not have been on the same level as Earth, but they were only here because their ancestors crashed in a spaceship. The Novaeans were smart and understood the use of medicine; they understood mental illness like depression or OCD. Things that still had no cure and could only be managed. Still, it didn’t stop two boys from hoping.
From what Sheridan had told Ren there hasn’t been much record of depression here. It was very rare, and easily treated with a local herb. Apparently Barr thought taking medicine was weak, and he refused to even try.
“Have you even had drugs here before?”
Sheridan hesitated. “I’m not familiar with that word.”
Ren gave her a pointed look. “Now is not the time.” Abetha and Sheridan had started a game recently to see how many times they could make Ren go off on a tangent explaining different words. Every so often they would ask what something meant, claiming to have never heard the word before, and foolishly, Ren would explain. It started when Abetha had asked what a comet was during a meteor shower, and then continued when Sheridan pretended to confuse the phrase “chill out” with being cold. The score was Abetha seven to Sheridan’s four.
“I’m not lying,” Sheridan said. “I’m not familiar with it in this way.”
Ren narrowed her eyes, trying to tell if Sheridan was telling the truth. She tucked the vial in her pocket, feeling like it would only be safe there, and stood. “It’s an illegal substance—pretty rare honestly. There’s nothing on Earth, but some parts of the universe have them. They get you…outside of yourself. Different drugs have different effects. Some make you see things, others just calm you down.”
Sheridan nodded. “What do you think this one was supposed to do?”
Ren thought of the twisted smiles that each man had in death. “I’m guessing they make you feel good until they kill you.”
They exchanged a look, knowing just how bad that could turn out on Novae. If Sheridan hadn’t known what the word meant, then nobody else would either. And with someone selling it as a miracle cure…Ren sucked in a breath when she heard the sound of hooves outside. Too many to be a single rider, and she knew that Caren’s friend was back.
The one that had given him the drug.
Outside it was easy to corner Caren’s friend, Allon. He’d been in Mahendra visiting family for the day and had just returned, unsuspecting that the Princess and a Sotarian were looking for him. When he climbed off of his horse Sheridan latched onto him immediately, uncaring of the spectacle she created. Ren invited him inside where they could talk, and between the two women he couldn’t refuse.
“Where did you find this?” Ren asked. She tapped the vial on the table in front of Allon, watched as he paled.
“P-Princess, I do not know what that is.”
Ren rolled her eyes. “You gave it to Caren,” Ren stated, staying calm. She told Sheridan to stand behind her as she sat at the table, hoping the display of power might get her somewhere. It seemed to help when dealing with Weild and anyone in the Monarchy; they were always more willing to listen when Sheridan stood behind Ren.
Ren crossed her legs as Allon tried to think of an answer.
“I was…I just meant it might help.” He looked at his lap.
“Eyes forward,” Ren ordered, sounding exactly like Maks. So much so that it made her flinch and lean forward, uncrossing her legs. Allon did as he was told. “Have you taken any?”
He looked back at his lap.
“When?” she asked, worried he might be next to die.
“A week ago,” he said. “I had some left over and I thought Barr might feel better.” He smiled wistfully. “It was…”
“How much did you take?” Ren questioned.
“A drop, that was all they told me to take.”
Ren wanted so badly to bite down on her nails, realizing that Caren’s statement was right. He did kill his father, if not unintentionally. If a drop was all it took to get high, Ren imagined most of the bottle could kill someone. Caren’s eagerness had killed Barr. Ren shook her head, knowing that was wrong; it wasn’t Caren’s fault. It was the dealer’s. “Who gave this to you?”
“It was only a sample, I didn’t think—”
“Allon.” Ren leaned forward and took the vial, lifting it until it was an inch from his face. “Who gave this to you?”
His eyes flicked to Sheridan before returning to Ren. “A foreigner.”
“Could you describe them?”
He shook his head quickly as Ren lowered her hand. “It was during the Harvest Festival—everyone had masks on.”
Ren grit her teeth. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. She waved him away, and with that simple gesture he rushed out of the inn, leaving Ren and Sheridan to stand under the curious gaze of the innkeeper. She rushed into the room as soon as things finished, pretending as if she hadn’t been listening.
Ren did her best to ignore her. Again, Ren was in over her head. The only people she thought could help her were the ones she was fighting against. She squeezed her eyes shut and covered them with one hand, the beginnings of a headache beating against her temples.
“Will you be staying for dinner?” the innkeeper asked. Her name escaped Ren then as she tried to think of an answer.
“It’s too late to leave now,” Sheridan answered. “We’ll be staying overnight.”
“Hopefully Elian doesn’t send a search party,” Ren murmured, an attempt at a joke. But it was very plausible, considering the number of times Ren had been kidnapped in the past weeks. How many times her life had been in danger.
“Wonderful!” the woman cheered. Her entire body bounced as she moved. “So many guests, and ones so honoured.” She clapped her hands together. “It will be quite the feast.”
Ren and Sheridan were last to arrive at the table even though they were the only ones at the inn for an excruciatingly long hour. The innkeeper, Deena, knocked on their door every few minutes to make sure everything was all right. She was so excited that the Princess had chosen to stay at her inn of all the choices; Ren wasn’t sure what other choices she’d had. It was the only inn around.
“Your Majesty,” Deena said, “please, sit here.” She pulled out the chair at the end of the long table, eager to please. Ren gave her a smile as she sat down, hesitating only a second and hoping nobody noticed. Everyone was so kind, she didn’t want to insult them. Once she was planted firmly in the wooden chair Sheridan took the seat to her right, also saved by Deena. Completely at ease, Ren noticed. She wished she could say the same for herself.
/> “Majesty?” the woman to Ren’s left asked. There was a twang in her voice, something Ren had only heard in movies.
“Oh, you’re not from here, right!” Deena giggled like a child. “This is Princess Loren Argent and her private Sotarian, Sheridan—um…”
“Just Sheridan is fine.” Sheridan gave her a courteous nod.
Deena nodded back. “They’re visiting from the capital; I was very surprised when it wasn’t the King.”
“I thought I would give him a break,” Ren said before any more questions could be asked. It wouldn’t do any good discussing the drugs and death. But as she said it she realized that one of the people at her own table could be responsible for the deaths. She clutched her hands together beneath the table, knowing that any foreigners here were suspects. And all of the other guests at the inn were foreigners; it was obvious by what they wore.
The woman to Ren’s left was dressed as if she were about to go hunting, wearing full camouflage gear as well as a large pair of round sunglasses on top of her head. When she noticed Ren staring at them she lifted her hand and felt the top of her head, her mouth forming a small “o”.
“Whoops!” she cried. “Not exactly royal manners, sorry your Majesty.” She pulled them off and hooked them on a pocket on her shirt.
“Just Ren is fine, Mrs…”
“Mrs. Barry Lancome!” she cheered. The twang that forced her words to rise was only worse with her excitement. She looped an arm around the man beside her, wearing matching clothes. “But you can call me Annabelle if you like.”
“It’s nice to meet you Annabelle, Mr. Lancome.” She nodded at the man who only gave a gruff grunt in response. Ren arched one brow; clearly he wasn’t as impressed with her status as everyone else. He kept his hands flat on the table, as if unsure what to do without a fork and knife in his hands. Ren noticed Sheridan tilt her head to observe him, considering him a possible threat. To Ren he just looked nervous.
Movement from beside him drew Ren’s attention.
“Silly me!” Deena said. She gave her forehead a slap. “I forgot the cutlery—give me a moment. I’ll grab the buns too.” She disappeared behind a door where Ren soon heard a clatter of dishes. She looked down at her plate, with its intricate flower and vine design dancing over the porcelain. It was pretty and inviting, and she bet Deena picked them out herself. Ren wondered where her partner might be in this business.
“And who might you be?” Annabelle questioned. Ren flinched, thinking she was trying to coax a conversation out of Sheridan but found her leaned over the table, her hair falling onto her plate. She was staring down a woman at the end of the table, eyeing her like prey. The woman looked up.
“Oh, me?” she asked, pointing at her face. “Name’s Val.” Ren spotted a small silver “V” charm hanging around her neck. Monarchy? Ren thought. She doesn’t look like Monarchy.
“Val,” Annabelle repeated, “well it’s awfully nice to meet you. Come to see the legendary planet too, eh?”
Val nodded her head back and forth. “Yup, pretty much.” She brushed a stray lock of black curls behind her ear, bunching her hands in her lap as she shrugged. Her movements looked so familiar to Ren, and she realized it was because she’d done them herself a million times over.
Val was anxious. It tore across Ren’s chest as she debated on what to do. She wanted to make Val feel comfortable but Val was still a suspect. There was a chance that she was the dealer from off the planet that brought the Howling Jade with her. Still, looking at the woman she knew it couldn’t be her. She couldn’t have been much older than Ren, and she looked too terrified to even talk now. There was no way she could be smooth enough to sell a miracle cure to anyone.
“Here we are!” Deena cried. The door slammed against the wall as Deena shoved it open with her hip, forks and knives in hand. Everyone except Sheridan and Barry flinched at the clatter, and Ren could feel the adrenaline surge through her system as Deena placed the cutlery by her. She set them on either side of the plate and moved quickly down the line, giving everyone a set. As she rounded the table to give them to Sheridan Ren saw Val begin to switch her set around. She picked them up three times, switching them back and forth before finally settling on how Deena had arranged them. Carefully she poked her fork into place, making sure it was perfect.
A ding came from the kitchen, and Deena was off again. Ren never took her eyes off Val.
She kept tapping her fingers, drumming them along the edge of the table. Her eyes darted between the Lancome’s beside her to the empty chair next to Sheridan. The door to the kitchen burst open again and Deena all but danced to the table and set down a large roast. Ren’s stomach gave a small growl in response to the delicious smell, earning her a small snort from Sheridan. She pressed her lips together, peeking at the others to make sure they didn’t notice. They didn’t; the Lancome’s were too busy eyeing the roast while Val kept her eyes trained on the seat next to Sheridan. Ren thought she saw a small shimmer of sweat on the woman’s brow, but knew it didn’t mean anything; the inn was warm, bordering on hot.
Deena noticed it too. “Is something the matter dear?”
Val flinched, as if she hadn’t been aware there were other people in the room. Quickly she set her cutlery on her plate and stood. “I’m just going to change seats—no offense Mr. Lancome, you’re just swell and you don’t smell. Ha, that rhymed. Anyway,”—she moved around the table and fell into the chair beside Sheridan with a heavy sigh. A very satisfied sigh. “I just think it’ll be better if I sit here.” She waved a hand in the air as if that explained everything.
The strange action didn’t stop Deena or the Lancome’s from gushing over the food as more dishes arrived. It was only Ren and Sheridan that exchanged a glance, unsure of what had just happened. Ren had her suspicions, but decided to leave it alone.
Once the final dish was on the table Deena took her seat at the opposite end, directly across from Ren. Plates were passed around, and after being served large portions of everything first, Ren started to eat. Everyone around her had waited until she took the first bite to start talking. She gave a smile and complimented Deena, knowing how hard it must have been to serve up so much food herself. Ren hadn’t seen anyone else in the inn to help.
“So what are you two doing on our fair planet?” Deena asked the Lancome’s. Barry carefully cut a piece of pork and lifted it to his mouth, while Annabelle talked with her mouth full. She thrust a fist into the air and replied, “We’re here to kill some beasts!”
Sheridan smirked, maybe entertained by the thought of Annabelle out in the forests battling an arenthrope. The huge spider-like creatures were probably like nothing she’d ever seen before. Just thinking back to the way they growled in the dark gave Ren goose bumps.
“You’re hunters,” Deena stated, darting her eyes away a moment. Did she not like hunters? Still, she continued to be pleasant. “What kinds of beasts are you hunting for?”
“Anything,” Annabelle replied. “We’ve hunted all across the galaxy and now we’re here for whatever else there is.” She looked to Sheridan. “So, tell me, what have you got here? Spindlers? I love a good Spindler hunt.”
Sheridan narrowed her eyes, and even Ren had to do the same. What was a Spindler? She’d never heard of such a thing.
“I think it would be best to discuss that with the Princess,” Sheridan finally said as she cut into a vegetable that Ren couldn’t name. It was large and spiky and she had one of her own on her plate but she couldn’t bring herself to eat it. It looked more dangerous than edible.
“Are you a hunter, Princess?” Barry asked, more curious now. Ren knew she looked nothing like a hunter, or even like someone that could defend themselves in the wild.
“Not exactly,” Ren replied. He didn’t seem surprised or disappointed when he looked back at his plate and gingerly cut another piece of pork off. Annabelle, however, gasped and clutched a
t Ren’s arm. Sheridan flinched, prepared to attack but holding back when she saw there was no real danger. Still, she kept a tighter grip on her knife, just in case.
Annabelle grinned. “You’ve done some killing though, haven’t you? Isn’t it a rush to battle a beast and come out the victor?”
Different images flashed in Ren’s mind; running for her life beside Abetha and Sheridan through the forest, hiding in a cave as arenthrope threw themselves at the wall in hopes of getting in. How she’d skewered one just as it was about to wrap its jaws around her head. And finally Garret, a former Advisor for the Monarchy. She gulped, remembering how he’d shot Kian just as Kian was about to kill her. And how she’d Transported him onto the Absolution to drown.
Ren glanced at Sheridan, wondering if she’d been able to smell the copper at the time. Sheridan had been knocked out a short time by Garret, and she didn’t actually see Ren send a man to his death but…Ren shivered and Annabelle finally let go of her arm. Annabelle was still smiling as she shoved half of the spiky vegetable into her mouth. “See? You got the fever. I always get the chills too.”
Ren took a gulp of water before she could answer. When had her throat dried out so much? “I don’t actively hunt, but there was a time when we were lost in the forest and attacked.” She reached for the necklace she hid under her shirt, showing them the tooth of the arenthrope she’d killed. “It was only one.”
Annabelle stared at the tooth like the trophy it was meant to be. Abetha had been the one to suggest taking the proof, as evidence of the feat Ren had accomplished. Everyone on Novae saw it as a trophy, much like Annabelle did, but Ren thought it was something very different. It wasn’t a reward for her accomplishment, it was a reminder of how she’d changed. There was once a time when Ren would have accepted her death at the hands of the arenthrope, and given up all her power to the Monarchy. But not anymore. Barry tilted his head as he looked at the large tooth. She let it fall against her chest, letting the familiar weight calm her down in the unfamiliar setting.
“We gotta get ourselves one of those,” Annabelle stated. She shoved a forkful of everything mashed together into her mouth while Barry just gave her a nod.
As the conversations continued Ren found it was really only Annabelle and Deena talking. Everyone else had sunken into their chairs and avoided any kind of speech. Well, Sheridan didn’t. She was her usual stoic self, similar to Barry, actually. It was only Ren and Val that had tried to stay out of the interactions. It gave her the perfect opportunity to observe the foreigners and debate on what questions to ask. She couldn’t see any of them as drug dealers, but she knew looks could be deceiving. That was something she’d learned the hard way…more than once.
If she had to make a bet, she would put all her money on Annabelle. The exuberant and uniquely charming woman was the life of the dinner now. Ren could see her selling something easily, claiming it was a miracle cure that could fix anything.
Ren also noticed that Val was doing something similar to herself; watching. Observing. Studying. She would have found it suspicious if she hadn’t been doing the exact same thing, but it made her wonder why Val would. Ren also noticed how comfortable Val was now that she’d moved further away from the Lancome’s—even if it was just a single table’s distance away. Ren shifted her eyes towards the Lancome’s, wondering if Val knew something about them that she didn’t.
