Nerissa’s brows furrowed as she took the cup from him. “So he’s already left Darnal?”
“Yes. Once Ildiko confirmed you would recover quickly, he said something about needing to send a message to Silvus as soon as possible. He wanted something brought to Niamh in time for your homecoming.”
“Something for me? From Silvus?” Nerissa couldn’t imagine what Raysel had in mind. If he were sending for a crystal, it would make more sense that it would come from Tao’s shop, or even Rhea.
“I was wondering the same thing myself. I thought you would know for sure.”
Before they could speculate further, Nerissa heard the sound of the front door opening. It was soon followed by the low murmur of male voices and the thumping of shoes being removed. A moment later, Ildiko returned to the kitchen with Einar, Haku, Hania, and Jin not far behind.
As soon as he entered the room, Jin lifted his nose in the air and took in a deep, appreciative sniff. “Ildiko, what do you have cooking? It smells absolutely delicious.”
“Oh, does it?” Einar replied, sounding oddly amused as he directed a knowing look at Ildiko. “I wasn’t aware of your affinity for bone broth.”
“Bone broth? That can’t be bone broth,” Jin declared. “It smells too good to be something so bland.”
Ildiko, who was already standing in front of the stove, lifted the lid from the boiling pot and gave its contents a stir. “It is indeed bone broth. It’s good to eat to help recover from blood loss, so I’m making some for Nerissa. What Einar neglected to mention is that I’ve also added chicken stock and other seasonings to make the taste more palatable. It doesn’t matter how healthy something is if the flavor makes it so that you can’t eat much of it.” One corner of her lips twitched upward. “I’ve made plenty. Would you like a bowl?”
Jin waved away the offer. “I couldn’t possibly take any portion of something you’ve cooked for the benefit of our Heiress’ health. I was simply complimenting your cooking skills.” Behind him, Einar rubbed his eyes and shook his head while Haku mouthed the word “liar.”
“Thank you, Jin. It makes me happy to hear that,” Ildiko said. Her serene smile gave no hint whatsoever of the commentary going on behind his back.
As Hania shuffled toward Nerissa’s bedside, Rian stood and offered his seat. “I should be going anyway,” he said. “I’m sure you all have a lot to talk about, and my mother and Alala are waiting for me. I only saw them for a few minutes when I stopped by earlier to tell them I had returned safely.”
Hania settled onto the stool and cleared this throat before replying. “I think you and your mother have a lot to talk about, too,” he said, looking up at Rian from beneath arched brows. “We have not yet informed Caelan about Casimer’s passing, though I am sure the news is spreading throughout the city quickly.”
It hadn’t occurred to Nerissa until now that the chiefs must have known who Rian and his mother were from the very beginning. They had kept his identity a secret, just like they had hers. How many more secrets did this city hold? She had a feeling she might never know.
“I do have a lot to tell her,” Rian replied, his somber voice breaking into Nerissa’s thoughts.
As he bowed to say his goodbyes to the chiefs, disappointment washed over Nerissa at his impending departure. There were so many things they needed to talk about—not the least of which was the revelation that Casimer was his father. Did he still feel unworthy of her? How would she ever convince him otherwise? Despite how things between them seemed back to normal, she couldn’t help but notice Rian had made one glaring omission. He still hadn’t called her by name.
When he finally turned back to her, their eyes met for a second, and Nerissa gave him a hopeful smile. “You’ll come see me again soon, right?” The question was meant to be a request to him, as well as a reassurance to herself.
“I will,” Rian promised. Then he bowed again, and Ildiko walked him to the front door.
Haku scratched his chin thoughtfully with one hand as he pulled a chair over from the kitchen table. “It seems like the two of you are getting along better than you did before you left on your journey.”
“He was filling me in on what I missed while I was recovering from my injuries,” Nerissa answered evasively. “I hear Raysel has already gone back into Niamh.”
Haku sighed wearily, his long white hair spilling over his shoulder as he sat down. “Yes, unfortunately. Once he was done briefing us, he insisted on departing with the first squad we sent into the city. I don’t know what his hurry was, but he was adamant about it. Ebba and the girls were disappointed he left so soon.”
“You were disappointed too,” Jin said from over his shoulder. “You just don’t want to admit it.”
Haku folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t need to ‘admit’ that I miss my son. There’s no need to state the obvious.”
Hania and Jin chuckled softly at Haku’s discomfort, but Einar seemed not to notice the banter between the two. He stepped around the other men to gently place one of his callused hands on top of her head. “How are you feeling?” he asked, his keen eyes probing hers.
“I feel fine,” she said, ignoring the constant throbbing from her arm.
His grip on her head tightened ever so slightly. “Now you’re going to tell me the truth.”
Nerissa let out a breath that was partly a sigh and partly a reluctant laugh. “The pain in my arm is more intense than anything I’ve ever felt before,” she finally admitted. “And I feel exhausted—like I haven’t slept in weeks even though I’ve been asleep for the greater part of three days.”
Einar’s hand lifted away, and then he patted her gently. “That’s better. You don’t need to be stoical with us. How can we help you if we don’t know what is wrong?”
“We had to promise Ildiko that we wouldn’t wear you out too much,” Hania said as he slipped his gnarled hands into the wide sleeves of his outer robe. “So, we’ll keep our discussion today brief. We can talk more in the coming days.”
Nerissa nodded and waited for him to continue speaking.
“News of Casimer’s death has surely begun to spread throughout Marise. While the Senka are preoccupied with the fallout of his death, we have the perfect opportunity to eject them from Chiyo. I suggest we start with Niamh, by announcing your return alongside the news of Casimer’s demise.” Hania looked over his shoulder at Jin. “Jin has suggested we spread word through both Darnal and the rest of Chiyo that you infiltrated the palace in disguise with the intention of taking back control of Chiyo and avenging your parents. I think this is a good idea.”
Nerissa’s lips parted in disbelief. “That isn’t what happened at all!”
“We’re aware of that. But now, more than ever, it is imperative that you project a strong appearance to the public. Telling the public that Casimer was killed in the course of a botched negotiation would hardly strengthen your position.”
Nerissa hung her head in shame. “That wasn’t how it was supposed to go.”
“So Raysel told us,” Haku answered gruffly. “What made you think that would go well? If Raysel hadn’t pulled you out of the way, if Rian hadn’t been as quick to draw Bane, if Casimer’s sword had connected with your chest instead of your arm, we would be dealing with a disaster today instead of a mere injury.”
Nerissa wanted to argue, to protest that they had made the best decision they could have under the circumstances, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. There really had been too many “ifs” where things could have gone horribly awry. “I was so confident in the prophecy I didn’t doubt for a second that events would play out exactly as it described,” she murmured. Everything leading up to the confrontation with Casimer had matched the prophecy’s predictions, so why didn’t it go as described? Was the prophecy incorrect? Or had something altered the course of the future? Was Renatus still in danger?
Einar folded his arms across his chest. “Your group’s mission was to retrieve the six books, not to take back Chiyo. We are he
re to serve as your advisors. You should have known to consult us first. All of you should have known better. Then we could have come up with a plan to support you. Now we are left scrambling to secure our hold after the fact.” His stern tone rankled Nerissa at first, but the look on his face made it clear that the reprimand was born from his concern for her.
“I was wrong,” she said ruefully. Though the admission left a bitter taste in her mouth, it had to be said. He was right. All of the chiefs were right. She was supposed to lead an entire country, and yet she had allowed herself to get caught up in her own ambitions without stopping to carefully consider all of the options available to her. “I should have consulted you before confronting Casimer. I will not make the same mistake in the future.”
Einar nodded in satisfaction, and she turned back to Hania. “Can we really lie to everyone about what happened?”
“I’ve already told you—not everything in the Records of the Ohanzee matches what is written in the history books,” Hania answered solemnly.
Nerissa let out a long breath and balled her hands into fists. “Then let’s do what is best for the security of Chiyo.”
On the other side of the room, Ildiko lifted the lid on the pot of broth again and began ladling some of the steaming liquid into a bowl. “I think that’s about enough discussion for today,” she said. “I told you four not to push her. She needs time to rest.”
“Very well, but there is still one matter we need to address today,” Hania agreed.
Ildiko pressed her lips together in a thin line. “You have until the broth cools.”
The corners of Hania’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he watched Ildiko pick up one of the cloth pot holders and begin fanning it over the bowl to speed the process. “It looks like I’ll have to talk fast,” he said. Ildiko’s pronouncement spurred the others into motion too. While Hania spoke, the other men began moving chairs back to their proper places.
“As you already know, Raysel has gone into Niamh, along with the small advance party we sent to get a count on the most current number of Senka in the city. Based on our previous observations, we have readied three parties to enter the city tomorrow afternoon to begin the process of taking back the capital. If the new report shows an increased number of Senka in the city, we’ll send additional men. Our intention is to have the city secured within two weeks in preparation for your return.”
“Two weeks?” she asked, excited by the possibility, yet incredulous at the same time.
“The sooner your presence is back in the city, the better,” Jin answered.
“If you want her to recover that quickly, then you need to let her rest,” Ildiko gently reminded him as she approached the bed with the bowl and a spoon in hand. She extended the container of broth toward him. “Are you really sure you wouldn’t like to stay and have some?”
He shook his head vigorously and was out the door ahead of the others, making Nerissa wonder exactly what she was about to be served.
Chapter 18
Wishes
Nerissa
After a week of being covered in a thick layer of clouds, the sky over Darnal was ablaze with sunlight. Yet, despite the sky’s warm appearance, winter’s icy breaths rolled down unseen from the mountaintops. The only evidence of their presence was the occasional shivering of the skeletal trees.
Nerissa watched from the comfort of her bed as the last withered leaf was plucked from a branch outside the window and carried away. She swished her feet back and forth against one another, enjoying the warm fluffiness provided by the thick wool lining of her new slippers, and burrowed deeper into the blankets Ildiko had heaped on top of her. It was a perfect day to relax indoors, and she fully intended to take advantage of the fleeting downtime. Once she assumed her duties as the Blood of Chiyo, opportunities like this one would be few and far between—for the foreseeable future at least.
Even now, most of her time was spent in briefings with the chiefs. Fortunately, updates from Niamh were growing more optimistic daily. Though several skirmishes and arsons were reported as the Senka resisted leaving the capital in the first few days, there were no critical injuries among the Ohanzee and few civilian injuries reported. By the fifth day, the remaining holdouts voluntarily vacated the city, apparently having been recalled to Marise. With the city secure, all that remained was to finalize the arrangements for her return.
Nerissa still hadn’t heard anything from Raysel, so she didn’t know if he had been directly involved in the fighting with the Senka. She could only hope that he was safe and wonder what he had requested from Silvus on her behalf. Whatever it was, it must be important. This was the longest she had been apart from him since they met, and she greatly missed his company.
It was strange to be lonely when she was surrounded by people, but that was exactly how Nerissa felt. Although Jarold, Leal, and both of the twins had come by to visit, she had been away attending meetings with the chiefs at the time. And from Desta and Rian, she’d heard nothing at all. That would soon be remedied—for one of them, at least.
A wry smile came to Nerissa’s lips as she snaked one hand out of the blankets to pick up a mug of warm bone broth Ildiko had left on the nightstand. She had moved off of the recovery bed in the kitchen, but being back in her old bedroom didn’t mean Ildiko fussed over her any less. She had lost count of how much broth she’d consumed in the past week in addition to her normal meals. Gallons, easily.
Jin’s reaction to the concoction had initially made Nerissa apprehensive about trying it; however, her fears turned out to be unfounded. Though the broth was thicker and oilier than normal soup, it was savory and perfectly seasoned. She had no idea why the apprentice chief seemed to have such an aversion to it.
As she lifted the mug to take a drink, the wood in the fireplace snapped, sending a quick burst of flames licking upward. Their reflection glinted off the angular surface of the earth-fire crystal on her nightstand. The transparent, smoke-colored pillar was one of four large stones Ildiko had positioned around her bed. Nerissa didn’t know exactly how the healing stones worked, yet she had no doubt the rapid speed of her recovery was partially attributable to their presence. Well, the stones and the gallons of bone broth.
A knock on the front door echoed through the house, and a quick glance at the clock confirmed who the visitor must be. She was right on time. After a brief exchange with Ildiko, a small figure timidly stepped into the room from the hallway.
“Desta! Come in! I’m so glad to see you,” Nerissa said.
The girl looked up, a tremulous smile on her face. “R-really?”
Nerissa set aside her mug and leaned forward. “Of course I am, though I’m disappointed you didn’t come to see me on your own. Did you think you had to wait for me to send an invitation?”
“No,” she said in a small voice.
“Then why didn’t you come to see me sooner?” Nerissa asked, genuinely confused.
Instead of answering, Desta took a step forward and bowed so deeply her nose might have touched her knees. “Heiress Nerissa, I owe you an apology. A thousand apologies even!”
“An apology? Why? If anything, I owe you one.”
Desta’s head whipped up, her expression earnest. “I do! You are the Heiress of Chiyo. How could I spend so much time with you and not realize you were a woman? Not only that, I failed to recognize that you were the Heiress!”
“I can hardly expect an apology for that. Fooling people about my identity was the point of pretending to be Caeneus,” Nerissa said. She hoped her soothing tone would allay the girl’s concerns.
“I called you my older brother,” Desta moaned. “How can you ever forgive me?”
Since the direct approach didn’t seem to be getting through to Desta, Nerissa decided to try a different tactic. She scrunched her eyebrows together and pursed her lips in a severe frown. “For that, you should be ashamed,” she scolded, and Desta bobbed her head in agreement. “At a time when I had lost my family, and everything that
I held dear, you came along and called me brother. It warmed my heart to know you regarded me that way. So, if you wish to make amends for your audacity, then correct your mistake and call me sister instead.”
Desta’s bobbing suddenly stopped as she finally comprehended what Nerissa was saying. “Really?” she asked, breathless with disbelief.
Nerissa couldn’t stop herself from chuckling. “I certainly think of you as a younger sister. I would be honored if such a diligent, dedicated person held me in the same regard.” She patted the bed, inviting Desta to come sit beside her.
“Yes! I’ve always wanted a sister,” Desta declared as she rushed over to the bed and jumped on, only realizing after the fact that the jostling might have hurt Nerissa. “Oh dear, I’ve done it again.”
“It’s alright. Those are helping me heal much faster than normal.” She gestured toward Ildiko’s crystals. “Although the pain isn’t completely gone, it gets better every day.”
“Crystals are amazing,” Desta said. “I’ve always liked them, but I never realized how powerful they were until I met you.”
“Neither did I, actually,” Nerissa said, chuckling. “So, why did you take so long to come see me? Because you felt bad?”
Desta turned her eyes to the floor again. “Yes, I was afraid you wouldn’t accept my apology. I’m sorry.”
Nerissa gave the girl’s shoulder a playful swat. “Stop apologizing!”
Desta giggled. “I’m sor—” She cut herself off abruptly when Nerissa arched one eyebrow. “I mean, I’ve also been spending time with Raysel’s sister, Aravind. We’re about the same age! You’ve met her before, right?”
Nerissa nodded in confirmation. “I saw her often when I spent time with Raysel last summer. Plus, she’s the one who made Harbinger.”
“She told me about that!” Desta said excitedly. Her eyes flickered to Nerissa’s bandages ever so briefly. “Even though she works hard every day, she said she’s still clumsy, so she has a lot of scars from burns. But she’s not ashamed of them. She thinks every scar she has is proof of her determination.”
Reflection- Dragon's Bane Page 15
