by Eliza Tilton
“No, but—”
“Leave.” She shook her head. “Incompetent fool.”
The queen pushed me into the room. “You, inside.”
My hands shook, shaking the case with it.
“Your veil.”
I slid off the hat. “I removed it while working, and was so thrilled with the final piece, I forget to place it down again.”
“Let me see.” She held out her hand and I handed over the case.
“My, my.” Her eyes sparkled, and her lips curled into a smile. She slid the necklace out and dangled it in the light. The colors bounced around the room. “You have talent.”
“Thank you.”
“Here. You may keep it.”
“Really?”
“It’s lovely, but you can do much better. This first one is yours.” She gave me the necklace and I resisted the urge to jump up and down.
“You may go there and work. I’ll arrange it. If Krischa approaches you again, do not speak to her.”
“Who is she?”
“Trouble. She’s the royal seer, and I don’t trust her.”
I wanted to ask more but fought over what to say and what not to say.
“She’s had her eye on my son since they were young.”
“Lucino?”
“Yes. I’ve never seen my son concerned with anyone other than himself. If he’s protecting you, it is because he wants or needs something from you. And if she knows that, well, you’ll need to be more careful.”
“But how could she know?”
The queen laughed—a first for me. “She is the seer. She can see the future. It’s not absolute, but she’s rarely wrong in her visions.” The queen shook her head. “Our brethren from Alta are so sheltered. How have you survived this long?”
She chuckled again, leaving the room, and leaving me even more terrified than before.
Chapter Eleven
Jeslyn
Hadda had been alone in Romulus’ horrid lab for almost two weeks. Even though Lucino assured me she had plenty of food and water to last until his return, I couldn’t chance something happening to her. She needed me, and I needed to see her.
No one questioned when servants passed, and with the queen retired for the night, this was my opportunity to sneak away to the lower levels.
I took out the piece of fabric I had used to scribble a map. The palace was much bigger than my sketch, but I had forced myself to remember the way to Romulus’ lab. I memorized the path, then shoved the fabric back in my dress.
Using the cloak to hide beneath, I slipped out of my room. Two guards stood by the queen’s entrance. While the queen ordered me to stay in my quarters, I didn’t know if she had relayed that to her guards. The main transporter on this floor was passed the queen’s chambers. I’d have to go the opposite way and find another.
With slow, silent steps, I headed down the quiet hallway. I wanted to run, but if I did, the guards would certainly notice. Keeping my head low like a servant, I moved as if walking on broken glass, careful to leave only the faintest sound in my passing, my heart beating louder with each step.
Around the corner, the red gleam of another transporter illuminated the corridor. No one in sight. Relief flooded through me and I quickened my pace to reach the teleporter just as the sound of footsteps echoed behind me. I slammed the large circular button to close the door.
The buttons all contained strange runes, which I couldn’t possibly understand. My mind raced, and I thought desperately about which button Lucino had pressed when we were here. A fork. I searched the buttons for the rune resembling an upside down fork. I remembered how strange it looked when Lucino had first brought me to the palace.
The rune glowed, then red light washed over me. I closed my eyes while my head spun. When the vibration stopped, I opened my eyes and slammed the ‘open’ button.
Darkness cloaked the hallway outside. Dim yellow blocks stuck to the wall at long intervals, giving off little light. I stepped out, gripping the cloak around me tighter. Fear pricked my skin, making it hard to move. I stayed by the teleporter, breathing heavily, and wondering what dangerous creatures lurked nearby. Like a fool, I hadn’t brought any weapons. What would happen if I encountered one of Romulus’ strange creations?
But Hadda needed me.
Ripping myself away from the safety of the transporter, I dashed to the left, not caring about the sound of my clamoring feet. The large metal door to Romulus’ lab came into view, and I pushed my legs faster.
I patted my pockets for the disk that would open the lock—the disk I had stolen from Lucino before he left. I placed the hexagon-shaped emblem into the space on the wall and waited.
The door hummed and slid open. I grabbed the disk and stepped inside.
Warm feathers slammed against me just as the overhead lights turned on. “I missed you so much, Hadda!”
Hadda squawked as she nuzzled her feathery head against my neck and face. I hugged her tight, my eyes brimming with tears. Her presence washed over me like a blanket, soft and soothing.
“Are you okay? I’ve been so worried.”
I stroked the silver feathers trailing down her back. “I know you want to go home. I’m sorry I dragged you here.” I pressed my head to hers, and she cooed. “We’ll be back home soon.” Large furs lay piled in the corner where Hadda had slept. Her water bowl held plenty, and the enormous jug pouring into it was half-full. Next to the water bowl sat a larger barrel, the size of three normal ones, swimming with fish. The other barrel of orange fruit had barely been touched.
Hadda flapped her wings, which were now longer than I was tall, and hopped up onto the barrel. She pecked her beak inside the water and her head popped up with a squirming fish that she threw at me.
“No, Hadda.” I laughed. “These are all for you.” I scooped up the flapping fish and tossed it back to her. She caught the fish mid-air and gulped it down. She ruffled her blue feathers, then squawked again, before flying back to me.
Lucino would be furious with me for leaving my quarters, but I didn’t care. Being with Hadda washed away the constant ache in my chest.
“Are you happy to see me?”
Hadda nudged my arm, forcing my hand to the spot by her head she loved me to scratch.
She peeped and tilted her head to look behind me.
“Lucino’s gone … just for a bit.”
Hadda cooed and blinked her big eyes.
“I miss him.” A tear slipped and I wiped it away. “I’m trying my best to be brave, but it’s so hard.” Another tear, then two more, until my cheeks were wet and I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
I buried my face into my hands, sobbing.
Hadda cooed and nudged my arm with her beak.
“What?” I wiped my face and looked up. A rose made out of water hung in the air. “Did you make that?”
Hadda squawked and the rose floated to me. I held out a finger and touched the watery image. “It’s beautiful.”
The rose shifted into a boat.
“Soon, Hadda. We’ll go home soon.” I held out my arms for her and she hopped back into them, changing the water’s shape into different animals and flowers from the beach.
After a few more fish tosses, hugs, and laughs, it was time for me to leave. “I’ll be back every night.” I hugged her again, an ache already spreading across my chest. I didn’t want to leave. “Be a good girl. Everything’s going to be fine.”
She grabbed my dress, tugging me away from the door.
“I have to. If someone notices me gone, I’ll never be able to come back and visit.”
She released my dress, blinking at me with her big black eyes.
“You’re safe here.”
Leaving Hadda tore at my heart, but I would come back. I would rather spend my nights with her than sleep.
I
yawned. Maybe I did need a little sleep.
“See you tomorrow,” I said, hitting the open switch.
Krischa stood outside the door, scowling.
“Krischa?”
She ripped the locket off my neck.
“No!” I reached for her hand but she was too fast.
Her eyes widened. “You.”
Hadda squawked behind me. I threw the key disk inside the lab, then punched the close switch. Whatever happened next, I didn’t want Krischa getting to Hadda. Lucino would find another way into the lab.
When I turned back to face Krischa, she held a black object in her hand, aimed straight at my face.
Chapter Twelve
Jeslyn
I opened my eyes to blackness. A blindfold covered my sight and rope tied my hands together. Fabric gagged me, and there were no clues to where I could be, but I knew who had taken me. I sat on a metal floor. With my legs unbound, I moved them around, sliding across the cold ground. Emptiness. I scooted forward using my legs and feet to search for any nearby walls or objects. I slammed my feet into a wall.
Panic beat against my chest. If anyone saw me, my humanity would no longer be secret. I was too terrified to cry, to think. What could she want with me? Was I bait for Lucino? I twisted my wrists, rubbing so hard my skin broke. The rope was too tight.
Footsteps sounded to my left and I scooted back against the wall, trying to protect my body with my bound arms.
Someone untied the blindfold.
Krischa towered over me, her nostrils flaring like a wild beast. I glanced around the room. We were in a storage area with boxes, crates, barrels, and metal shelving on the opposite wall.
“What are you doing here?” Krischa said in a deep voice.
I held her gaze. If what Queen Velaria had told me was true, Krischa couldn’t be trusted, and I wouldn’t put Lucino in danger. She didn’t know why I was here, and she didn’t need to.
“It doesn’t matter.” Krischa pulled a clear vial out of her cloak and held it up in the light, shaking the contents. “Soon, you will be dead.”
She knelt in front of me and I shot my leg forward, kicking her back. She stumbled, but quickly regained her footing, snarling at me. “Stay still!”
I wiggled, kicking my legs and arms, trying anything to get her off me. She slapped me, then dug her knee into my legs while she untied the gag. Before I could scream, she grabbed my face and squeezed my mouth open, forcing down the pungent liquid.
“Drink up.”
It burned like fire causing my eyes to water. I coughed as the last drop slid down my throat. She placed the fabric back in my mouth, gagging me even further.
“Disposing of you here is too risky.” She smiled sweetly. “You should be thankful; I’ll let you die in your own world.”
She slammed my head into the wall and I slumped to the ground.
Lucino’s face drifted in and out of my mind. Memories of us on the beach, laying across the backs of the big blues, at the sacred grotto in Daath … beautiful thoughts that warmed me. Blue butterflies tickled my skin and brushed my face with their gossamer wings. They were everywhere, urging me to wake. Was I sleeping? Was I dead?
Slowly, I opened my eyes. My vision blurred. Tall white pillars circled me, under an open sky. I blinked and rubbed my eyes.
The temple?
Did Krischa plan for me to end up here, or was this a mistake? Here in this temple, I almost wed Lucino, and almost lost my life. The blindfold and gag lay beside me, though I still struggled against the binds at my wrists. Slowly, I tried to sit, the movement sluggish like I waded through mud. Dizziness washed over me. I leaned forward and vomited. Poison still ran through my veins making my breaths shallow and my limbs heavy. Droplets of sweat slid off my head and splashed the ground. If I could find the grotto, the butterflies would heal me. They did it once before, surely they would heal me again. I didn’t know how far away the grotto was from the temple, but I was determined to try.
I slid to my knees, waiting briefly for the dizziness to subside. One leg at a time, I stood slowly. With the strain came more perspiration, soaking my dress to my back.
The temple wavered around me, blurring into the background. I walked forward with my hands stretched out before me, searching for the exit. Sunlight shone through the only entrance, green sparkling in the distance. I focused on that shimmering green, walking closer until my feet grazed the grass. Heat smothered me, forcing my eyes to flutter in drowsiness. I wanted to sleep. If I just lay for a moment to catch my breath …
No, the poison. I had to remember the poison. No time to rest. If I fell asleep, I had no hope of survival.
Trees blended with the bushes, which blended with the grass, making travel difficult. Was I walking in a circle? With every step, my head swayed, and I held onto trees and branches for support. The mossy bark slicked under my warm hand. My mouth tasted of cotton and an ache began traveling through my body as my head became lighter and lighter.
A black shadow twinkled in the distance, moving closer. I stumbled and held onto the trunk of a tree. The shadow grew larger as it moved closer, morphing into a large tiger, slinking through the grass.
My shoulders fell, and I sunk to the ground; I had no defense against such a beast.
The tiger’s eyes gleamed brilliant blue, just like Lucino’s. Had he come? Did he shapeshift into an animal to rescue me?
“Lucino?”
I reached out and the tiger stepped forward, allowing me to run a hand against its thick fur.
“It’s you, isn’t it? You’ve come for me.” I leaned against the massive beast, falling onto its back. “I knew you would come … I just knew it.”
The tiger hung its head and brought its body low to the ground. I stretched my arms out, sliding my bound wrists over the beast’s neck, then struggled to maneuver myself astride the animal. With my legs on either side, the tiger stood. I tightened my grip on its long neck and squeezed my legs around the torso as it tore off into the forest. The tiger’s fur was warm, comforting. I closed my eyes, unable to focus on the landscape as it whirred past us, pressed my face between strong shoulders, and held on with what little strength I had left.
Chapter Thirteen
Avikar
Father sat on Jimri’s cot, his gaze intent on what he held in his hands. I wiped my eyes and rolled to a sitting position, stretching out my shoulders. What is he doing up here?
“When you were gone,” he said, “I came up here in the mornings before anyone was awake. Two sons gone.” He shook his head softly.
“I wasn’t dead.”
“I hoped.” He sat straighter. “There is a small company of our band, Red Hand, located in Jehoia. They know the location of a secret cache of blood crystals hidden in the northeastern tunnels of the Crystal Caverns. With the crystals, we can make more weapons. The crystals are the only power we have against the shifters. Give this to the men.” He handed over a clay amulet on a leather string, a red hand in the center of a circle with three wavy lines in the palm. “Tell them who you are and what you know. Go now.”
“But I just got back.”
He leaned over and clamped a hand on my shoulder. “You are my son. A warrior. This threat is bigger than our family, bigger than anything we have ever faced in the past, and this task falls to you.”
“Will you come with me?” I focused on the amulet in my hands, unable to watch his response, already painfully aware of the answer. My gut sank with the knowledge that, again, I would leave my family behind.
Still, I hoped. I had only been home for a day. Did I really have to leave already?
“No. I must stay here and secure Lakewood. We are the center of Tarrtainya. If Lakewood is lost—”
“The trade routes, then supplies … I know.” I slipped the necklace over my head and held back the sadness rolling in my stomach.
; “You will come back to me.” He squeezed my shoulder, and I lifted my head. His eyes shimmered. “You will come back, my son.”
I nodded, feeling my father’s love through his touch and words. “Or let death take me.”
I didn’t want to leave home so soon, but Father didn’t give me a choice. The weight of Tarrtainya’s survival fell on my shoulders, and I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to carry that much responsibility.
Chapter Fourteen
Avikar
“That must be the place.” I put the map Father had given me back in the sack. An old stone home sat nestled among thick woods, candlelight filling the one round window. “Doesn’t look like a secret hideout.”
Raven slid off her horse. “Do we knock?”
I didn’t see any movement inside, but the window was small. “Let’s check it out. Leave the horses here.”
Wind rattled the wooden shutter on the open window, banging it against the home. An annoying sound, and no one came to close it. Why? The bang echoed through the silent forest. Where were the owls, or even a wolf? Uneasiness filled each of my steps as we slowly walked to the door. I expected an arrow to come flying my way. Two strangers knocking on the door of a secluded cabin in the middle of the night … how could we not get an arrow in the face?
Raven stayed behind me, her hands resting on the hilts of her daggers. My palms sweat and my mouth went dry. I wanted my sword in my hands, but if I approached while holding a weapon, they might attack. Holding my breath, I knocked on the door, and it swayed open beneath my touch. A stringent odor wafted out from the cabin and I covered my nose.
Raven gasped behind me, and I quickly unsheathed my sword. Moonlight shone through the open doorway, exposing the aftermath of a massacre. Blood coated the walls and floor of the main room, and four bodies lay on the floor, faces shredded and ripped apart. A metallic rotting scent filled the room as I stepped through the doorway.
