The Lady of Toryn Anthology (Lady of Toryn trilogy)

by Charity Santiago

  “It’s such a long story,” Ashlyn said ruefully. “There is an ancient evil here in Cosmea called the Spirit of the Caverns, that has to be trapped with a special kind of stane every nine thousand days- or just about every twenty-five years. The stane freezes time, but the catch is that only an immortal like an Angel can cast the spell without being trapped. When my dad was here on his diplomatic mission, he helped the Chief of Cosmea complete the spell.”

  “And this happened twenty-five years ago?” Vargo said, quirking an eyebrow.

  “Uh…yeah.” Realization dawned, and Ashlyn turned back to Aik. “What’s the deal? Did you guys just activate the spell again recently? How’d you do it with no Angels?”

  Aik looked at Ashlyn, then at Vargo, incredulity in his expression. “I know this may sound ridiculous, but…I’ve never even heard of the Spirit of the Caverns, and it certainly didn’t occur to me that it might still be here in Cosmea. If your father’s journal was written twenty-five years ago, then the Spirit could be released at any moment.”

  There was a long pause as the meaning of Aik’s words sank in for each of them.

  “Okay, don’t freak,” Ashlyn said at last. “We don’t even know if the Spirit is still trapped in the Caverns. Maybe they found a way to destroy it between then and now.”

  “I need to get into the Caverns,” Aik said, standing on his chair so abruptly that the chair legs teetered on the stone floor. “I need to see for myself. There is a door built into the deepest part of the caverns that prevents anyone from going further- I always assumed it was just so no one got lost-”

  “Calm down,” Vargo said, standing and sliding his chair back. “You’ve got to tell Ashlyn the rest of this story. I have a feeling that whatever her dad wrote, it’s a big deal. I’ll send the Spartans into the Caverns, don’t worry.”

  “They could end up trapped. We have no idea just how large the area of effect for that stane is.” Aik shook his head, eyes narrowing. “We don’t even have the stane of Novem Milia to reactivate the magic when the previous stane is drained!”

  “Hey,” Vargo said sharply. “Relax, wolfie. I may not be the Chief of Cosmea, but I’m sure my guys have a pretty good idea of what a couple of dudes and an evil spirit frozen in time will look like. I’ll send a messenger to Jackson and see if a stane of- what’d you call it? Novem Milia? That’s Angelic for nine thousand, right? I’ll see if we have one on inventory. And if- big if- the Spirit of the Caverns is still trapped in Cosmea, we’ll deal with it. You stay here and finish Ash’s story. I’ll be back.” The red-haired man was headed for the door almost before the last word was out of his mouth, and both Aik and Ashlyn watched him go.

  Aik sat down again, looking slightly sheepish.

  “He’s right,” Ashlyn said, even though she was worried too. “There’s nothing we can do right now. And the Spartans have probably been going out of their minds, looking for something to do.” She had met the other three Spartans only briefly- and was surprised to see that two of them were women- but hadn’t missed their expressions of complete and total boredom. Patrolling Cosmea and occasionally fending off the area’s foot-sized alligator fiends was probably not the kind of pulse-pounding action the Spartans were accustomed to.

  Seeing that Aik was still distracted, she finished lamely, “And I’d really like to hear the rest of what was in my dad’s journal. I appreciate you reading it for me.”

  Aik seemed to snap out of his reverie at her words, and he nodded. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. The Spartans will tell us if they find anything. Where…where was I?”

  “You said Chief Redhorse was trapped with the Spirit, and a Cosmean soldier died trying to save him?”

  “Ah, yes. Presumably, if the Spirit is still trapped here, then Redhorse’s body- and the soldier’s as well- are perfectly preserved within the field of magic. But we would be unable to resuscitate them, even if we could successfully extract them from the area of effect. At the time, however…needless to say, both your father and G were devastated at Chief Redhorse’s death.”

  “I can imagine.” Ashlyn tried to picture her father frozen in time, appearing as if he were alive, but completely still. How torturous would it be to look at him, to be almost within reach, and yet know that his heart would never beat again?

  “G eventually realized that with her father deceased, leadership of Cosmea had fallen to her. She told your father that she could not return with him to Toryn.”

  “Oh gosh. Poor Dad,” Ashlyn said, with feeling. She knew a little bit about rejection, and it certainly wasn’t easy to deal with.

  “He truly loved her,” Aik said, placing a paw on the table to wipe a few crumbs off onto the floor. “Your father decided to return to Toryn and decline leadership so that he could remain in Cosmea with G.”

  “Mmm.” Ashlyn knew that something had to have happened to G, since her father clearly had become Lord of Toryn anyway and gone on to marry Susyn. She waited impatiently for Aik to confirm her suspicions.

  “G didn’t believe him. She told him that she hadn’t truly understood family obligations until Chief Redhorse had died, and that she knew he hadn’t fully grasped the concept of his responsibilities yet either. So she reassured him that no matter what happened, Cosmea would be allied with Toryn for as long as she was chief, and that she would name their daughter- your sister- after him. Then she bade him goodbye.

  “When he returned to Toryn, your father discovered that your grandfather, the reigning Elder Lord, had finally succumbed to his illness. And, just as G had predicted, the obligation of your family birthright suddenly became real and unavoidable.”

  “My dad decided not to return to Cosmea?” Ashlyn breathed, and her heart was aching for the horrible decision that her father had been forced to make.

  Aik nodded. “He sent a letter advising G of his decision…and apologizing. He then ascended the pagoda and became Elder Lord.”

  “Oh, gosh, I feel so awful for him,” Ashlyn said quietly, twisting her hands in her lap. “I can’t even imagine how that must have killed him, to abandon the woman he loved. And for her to be pregnant, too…”

  “He was extremely distraught,” Aik agreed. “There were many pages dedicated to venting his…frustration. He went on living, believing that he had given up everything for Toryn.”

  “How did G die?” Ashlyn asked. “That must have been even more devastating for him.”

  Aik paused before answering, flipping open the first journal in front of him to a page near the front of the book. “It wasn’t discussed in your father’s journals, but I checked the public records before I came here and found a chart that listed births and deaths of previous Cosmean chiefs. It appears she was killed by Lord Angelo during his takeover of Cosmea.”

  “Lord Angelo’s takeover? But when Lord Angelo took Cosmea, that was way after…I think I was four or five…” She trailed off. “Wait a minute, Aik. What are you saying?”

  He pushed the journal across the table to her, and she took it, frowning down at the paragraph that he indicated.

  ***

  SUSYN AND I WERE MARRIED YESTERDAY.

  She is under no illusions as to what this “marriage” is- a farce, a sham with no legal basis. She knows of my marriage to G, which cannot be dissolved according to Toryn law. Unfortunately it has now become apparent that G has no intentions of ever relocating to Toryn. She made it clear in her last letter that she has severed her ties with me, remarried, and that her current husband has adopted our daughter as his own.

  With my little girl lost to me, I have no choice but to produce an “Elder Heir” for Toryn, and Susyn has graciously agreed to assist me in this deception.

  ***

  Ashlyn drew back, her hands to her neck, as if her fingers could somehow loose the tension in her throat.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” she muttered, her voice cracking in the middle of the sentence. “This is impossible. This is…this is unbelievable.”

  “
Ashlyn. Look at me,” Aik said, and she looked up, stricken, at his earnest wolf face.

  “You and I are the only ones who know about this,” he said, articulating every word clearly and carefully. “No one else knows. No one else will know unless we tell them. Do you understand what I am saying?”

  She tried to respond, but her throat was so tight that she couldn’t force the words out. Instead Ashlyn buried her face in her hands, utterly overwhelmed.

  Tears did not come, and she wondered why, when up until a few weeks ago she had cried at nearly every emotional upset she had encountered. This revelation was absolutely monumental. In the Free Lands, it was not uncommon for children to be born out of wedlock, or for partners to sever ties and marry others, but it simply was not done in Toryn.

  After a long pause, punctuated only by her gulping breaths as she tried to regain control, she looked up at Aik.

  “Are you…” Her voice cracked a second time, and she cleared her throat before continuing. “Are you suggesting that we hide the fact that I am…illegitimate…from the people of Toryn? That we allow people to go on believing that I am the Elder Heir?”

  “I realize that it’s incredibly dishonest, but let me explain. Your father went to great lengths to hide his first marriage, knowing full well that he had to produce an Elder Heir or Toryn might fall into chaos upon his death.”

  “Boy, I really screwed up his plans,” Ashlyn said flatly.

  “Yes, and think how much worse it would be now if the people of Toryn learned that their Elder Heir, who has only just returned from her travels, is an illegitimate daughter. They will lose all faith in the pagoda. The monarchy will disintegrate.”

  He was right, of course, but it still felt so wrong. Ashlyn sighed, rubbing her temple. To think she’d thought that Restlyn might have been Lord Li’s illegitimate daughter. She’d pitied Restlyn earlier, actually pitied her, as if Ashlyn had any right to be arrogant at all!

  “Okay,” she said. “I understand what you’re saying. I’ll go along with it. But before we do that, I need your help- I need you to do something for me.”

  Aik cocked his head to the side, indicating that he was listening.

  “The real Elder Heir…my father’s eldest daughter. I think we all know by now that it has to be Restlyn.”

  “It…could be,” Aik conceded. “That would certainly make sense.”

  “You said you were browsing the Cosmean public records earlier. Obviously that includes records of death- does it also include records of birth?”

  His eyes gleamed as he nodded, understanding her intent. “Yes, it does.”

  “Find Restlyn’s birth certificate. If it has my father’s name listed, that will be proof that she is his daughter, and…and…” Ashlyn couldn’t believe she was saying this. “And she can be acknowledged as Elder Heir, which means that she can ascend the pagoda and become Lady of Toryn.”

  Aik frowned. “Are you sure you want me to do that?”

  He was such a good friend, fully aware of how difficult this was for her. Ashlyn’s heart splintered, just a little.

  “Yes, I’m sure. She’s my father’s daughter. I’m almost sure of it. I wouldn’t take that away from her. I…couldn’t live with myself.”

  Aik jumped down from the chair. “In that case, I will begin the search for her record of birth immediately. It will give me something to do while we wait for Var-“

  At that moment, Vargo breezed through the door. “All taken care of,” he announced, clearly pleased with himself. “The Spartans are headed into the Caverns, and there is a messenger en route to Civitas as we speak. If Jackson has the stane, it’ll be in hand within a few days.” He suddenly realized how silent his companions were, and fell silent, looking suspiciously back and forth between Ashlyn and Aik. “What’s going on?”

  Another pause.

  “Nothing,” Ashlyn mumbled. “Aik was just leaving to look some things up for me.”

  “Yes,” Aik said, and nodded to Vargo. “Excuse me.” He padded out the door, obviously relieved to be escaping at that moment.

  Vargo turned back to Ashlyn, “What’s up? You’re all…pale.”

  “Thanks,” she said, leaning over and grabbing the other journal. She wasn’t sure why Aik had brought two. “I’m fine. Aik just…had some surprising news.”

  “From your old man’s diaries?” Vargo grabbed a chair and spun it around, straddling it backwards. “What’s the deal?”

  “Nothing.”

  His expression was skeptical. “Doesn’t look like nothing.”

  “It’s nothing!”

  “Are you seriously gonna lie to the guy who risked his life to save you?”

  “How long are you going to hold that over my head? It’s not like I asked you to attack a bear when you were completely unarmed. You did that all by yourself.”

  “I did it to save you, sweetheart. Is lifelong servitude really so much to ask in return?” At her wry expression, he held up his hands. “All right, all right, I’ll settle for brutal honesty. So spill. Is Restlyn your sister?”

  She’d already forgotten that they had discussed Restlyn’s possible blood relation earlier. Somehow the fact that he asked a direct question made it easier for Ashlyn to focus. “I don’t know,” she said. “Aik is going to check the public records for her birth certificate. It should have her parents listed.”

  “What if she’s not…you know, your sister?”

  “I don’t know,” Ashlyn admitted. She propped an elbow on the table and rested her chin on the heel of her hand. “I guess I just forget this whole nightmare ever happened.”

  Vargo pursed his lips, still staring at her. “I’m not exactly buyin’ that the possibility of Restlyn being your sister is what’s got you all worked up.”

  “You know me so well,” she said, wishing he didn’t.

  “You don’t want to talk about it?”

  “No, I do...I just-“ She broke off as the barkeep walked through the door, carrying several bags. When he saw her, he offered a nod and smiled. Typically he wouldn’t have let anyone stay in the tavern while he was gone, but there were certain perks that came with being a member of FLD. All the same, Ashlyn wasn’t all that keen on airing her dirty laundry in front of him.

  “Want to go for a walk?” she asked, standing and scooping the journals up.

  “Not particularly…” Vargo trailed off as she rounded the table and brushed past him. “But I guess I will,” he said, clambering to his feet and following her. “Did you forget I’m still recovering from that whole mauled-to-ribbons incident?” he complained, lengthening his stride to catch up as she walked out the door.

  “Did it affect your ability to walk?” Ashlyn asked. She looked skyward, noticing the storm clouds lingering above for the first time.

  “Ha. Funny.” Vargo put a hand on her shoulder, steering her slightly to the left so they were headed towards the well-used walking path that ran through Cosmea. The path was generally used by mothers with toddlers and the elderly, most people preferring more challenging hiking expeditions. “Have a heart, and let’s just go this way,” he said when she opened her mouth. “You may have forgotten, but Lockhart didn’t offer me any vamp blood when I was near death. My healing is taking a more natural timeline.”

  She rolled her eyes, but didn’t veer off the path. “Okay, you want to hear the real story?”

  “Sure.”

  “You have to promise me that you’re not going to tell anyone. I mean anyone.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m serious, Vargo. Not a soul!”

  “What do you take me for, Ash?” he said indignantly. “Did you forget I’m a Spartan?”

  “No, but-“

  “But nothing. I’ve got war stories you wouldn’t believe, but you’ll never hear them because…because…” He paused, appearing to think it over. “Well, I guess you’ll never hear them because you’ll probably never be interested, but even if you were, I wouldn’t tell. I’m good with se
crets. It comes with the job.”

  “Fine, then.”

  Silence followed her words, until they both cracked a grin, exchanging a sheepish look.

  “All right, all right. I trust you not to share this with anyone,” Ashlyn conceded. A raindrop glanced off her cheek, and she crinkled her nose, looking up. She should probably make this quick, but there was so much to tell. “It’s a big secret. Aik is the only one who knows right now, and may end up being the only one- besides you- who knows, ever, because it would be such a huge disaster if it ever got out.”

  “Should I guess what it is? Wait, let me guess. Are you secretly a man?”

  “Oh, shut up.”

  “Because if you are, I’m ticked that you let me kiss you without even telling me beforehand-“

  “Shut up!” she exclaimed, and almost punched him in the arm, but thought better of it and shook her head instead. “You are such a clown. And now you’ve successfully sucked all the seriousness out of this situation, thank you-”

  “You’re so welcome.”

  “-But anyway, it turns out that the chief’s daughter and my dad actually got married before Chief Redhorse died. Like, married for real.”

  “No kidding.” That surprised him, at least. Vargo’s eyebrows knitted, and he said, “So what’s the deal? Did she and the baby die somehow?”

  “Nope. Well, not as far as we know.”

  Vargo was silent for a moment. “I thought Toryns couldn’t sever marriage ties?”

  “We can’t. Once you marry a Toryn, it’s permanent- at least according to Toryn law.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  Ashlyn shook her head, raising a hand as if to say, Neither do I, and letting it slap against her thigh. “There’s not much to get, really. They got married, but my dad went back to Toryn and she stayed here. They kept their marriage a secret. Aik found a journal entry where my dad admitted that his marriage to my mom was a total sham. Not even legally binding.”

  “What?” Vargo stopped walking, and Ashlyn took another few steps before stopping reluctantly and turning to face him.