by Lisa Morrow
It was easy to tell magic what to do, but in my experience, it rarely worked exactly the way I wanted it to.
The smell of smoke drifted to me in the darkened room, and I made my way cautiously to the hall, where a tiny light filtered through the shadows. My hand reached out, feeling what I couldn’t see. I moved forward, turning to slide down the hall. I walked for some time and frowned, wondering if perhaps I’d turned the wrong way, when a light appeared ahead of me.
“Can you believe this?”
I paused, letting my hand linger on the cold stone. The voice was familiar, but I wasn’t quite sure from where.
“I never imagined being Chosen, and now I’m here!” The speaker dissolved into giggles, and I relaxed. It was Yara.
Continuing forward, I saw, much to my surprise that the light was coming from a missing row of bricks about as wide as my shoulders. Kneeling down, I glanced through the space. Pressure grew at my temples. What exactly was I looking at? And then, I realized. I was on the other side of a fireplace.
Could this be another way out of the dark passageways?
With one finger I touched the brick, then jerked back at the flash of pain. It was blazing hot. Using my skirt, I pushed and shoved at the wall separating me from the fireplace until it started to slide free in one direction. Pushing harder, a huge wall of brick rolled soundlessly out of the way.
At the same time, I leapt back from the fire, burning dangerously close to me. This was a way out, but not one I could exit without help.
“I always hoped I’d be Chosen, since I am the prettiest girl in town and all,” Bethenny said, followed by a loud burp.
Rolling my eyes, I shouted, “Yara, it’s Rose! I’m behind the fire.”
“Rose,” I heard Yara stammer.
I wiped sweat from my forehead. “Yeah, I’ll explain later. But can you just put the fire out?”
Seconds ticked by, and I moved back into the coolness of the passageway. I wasn’t sure if the aching in my head was from using magic, or from the dust and smoke I’d been inhaling. More time passed, and I started worrying that the girls had passed out drunkenly somewhere when I heard the sound of water splashing. The light from the fire was snuffed out, leaving me in near-darkness. Smoke filled the passageway.
Coughing, I tried to wave the smoke away from my face.
“The fire’s out!” Yara shouted.
Making a quick prayer to the goddesses that the drunks hadn’t left a few embers simmering, I ducked down and ran through the huge fireplace, doing my best to lift my dress as I stepped over the sopping logs. When I got to the other side, I held onto a chair, coughing until my lungs felt clearer.
“You all right?” Yara asked, putting a comforting hand on my back.
I nodded and straightened, brushing soot off my sleeves.
Then, I looked back at the fireplace. I’d need to slide the brick back into place, or else someone would know I’d been back there. Holding my breath and using my skirt, I trampled back through the fireplace, nearly stumbling over the half-burned logs. With great difficulty, I managed to slide the bricks back into place.
Again, I emerged into the great open space.
My head cleared slowly as the details of the bedroom came into focus. It was lit by candles in delicate scones made of colored glass hanging from the walls. From the roof, chains made of silver held more colored glass hanging in glass scones, and light flickered from these as well, giving the impression of stars.
“Wow,” I murmured. “Beautiful!”
“Forget the room,” Bethenny said, wine sloshing from a goblet in her hand. “What in Hadia were you doing spying on us?”
I shrugged. “I got lost.”
Betheny looked as if she might argue, but stared off blankly instead.
“Thanks for helping me,” I said, weaving toward escape. “But maybe… eat something.”
“I couldn’t eat another bite! That food was to die for!” Bethenny belted after me.
Turning, the words tumbled out before I could stop them. “Maybe drink a little less then.”
My words hung awkwardly between all of us.
“Oh come on,” Bethenny said, rolling her eyes. “You heard The Protectors. They said tonight we’re supposed to have a little too much fun. I know you didn’t fit in back home, but you’ve got a chance at fitting in here. Don’t you even care?”
“I can fit in without drinking.”
“Really?” she grinned stupidly. “Have you even tasted this wine? It’s the best thing I’ve ever had. It makes me feel… free… amazing.”
Her complete sincerity unnerved me. “Maybe it’s drugged.”
Yara took a step towards me. “Rose. You can’t be serious.”
My cheeks heated. “Just maybe get some sleep.”
I opened the door and stepped out into the hall, trailing soot as I moved. Sirena’s room was directly across from Bethenny’s, and it had a stunning carving of a deer on the dark wood. I tapped lightly on the door, then opened it.
The brightly lit room had a huge window, with long orange curtains drawn back to reveal the dark night. Multi-colored lights hung by silver chains from the ceiling, like a scattering of enchanted stars. On one end of the massive bedroom, a lavish four-poster bed with orange drapes dominated the space. Sirena sat on the other side, where two plush chairs faced a roaring fire.
Sirena’s bored eyes widened as she turned to me, and she jumped from the chair. “What happened?”
“The girls are still drinking,” I said, crossing the room to plop into the chair across from her.
She frowned. “That’s not surprising, but what happened with that Protector?”
For the briefest second, I considered not telling her. But the urge came and went in an instant. This wasn’t the kind of information I could protect her from. She needed to hear the truth.
“The woman, Meisha, says we need to choose to stay,” I explained.
Sirena sat back down in her chair across from me and pulled her knees to her chest. “What happens if we don’t?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’ll be good.” I bit my lip, hesitating for only a second. “Meisha said they would’ve killed us or forced us to go if we’d refused them at the portal.”
Sirena’s head jerked off her knees. “Why would anyone need to be forced to go if this is such a great place?” She shook her head. “We need to be careful here. Something’s going on that we don’t understand.”
Suddenly exhausted, I slid off the chair and lay on the rug. The colorful glass candles full of light danced mockingly above. My eyes closed as an unexpected exhaustion raced through me. It was long past the time I usually went to bed, and there wasn’t anything I wanted more than sleep.
“I wish I hadn’t gotten Chosen,” Sirena said, startling me from my thoughts.
Opening my eyes, I stared at her. She looked tiny with her knees drawn up to her chest, and far younger than her sixteen years.
“What was it that changed your mind about this place?” I asked, knowing my necklace was probably a big part of my anxiety.
She looked at the fire. “I don’t know. I guess it’s that I’ve never seen you so nervous. Usually you’re the brave one.”
“Me?” I repeated, shocked. “You’re the brave one.”
She shook her head, her expression completely serious. “No. I’m brave when it comes to talking to a cute boy or stealing pastries from my mom. But you… I’ve never met another person like you before. That’s why I wanted to be friends with you. It’s like every time something scary comes along, you just deal with it, without blinking an eye.”
I stared at her, astounded. “I just do what I have to do.”
She met my gaze. “No. It’s more than that.”
Looking away, I stared at the flames as they danced in the hearth. “So what are we going to do? You think we’re just nervous, or do you think there’s really something strange going on here?”
“I don’t know. But is it silly if I kind
of want to go home?”
I shook my head. “Not at all.” Holding the cord around my neck, I thought of what waited for me back in Duggery. “But I want to be sure about this place before we do anything rash.”
Silence stretched between us.
“I’m not going to be able to sleep here until I know what these women are planning for us.”
I rubbed at my aching head. “Yeah, if only we could read minds.”
A little bit of fear crept into her voice. “At least we need to find something out before the ceremony. The way they talked about it, well, it gave me the creeps.”
She was right. If only we had a way…
My eyes opened, and I sat up. “Maybe there is something we can do.”
“What?” Sirena asked, letting her legs drop onto the rug.
“I found a passageway behind the fireplace in Bethenny’s room. If there are others behind all the fireplaces, maybe we can spy a bit.”
Sirena’s mouth formed into a surprised oh.
“But, we’d have to go right away.”
She leapt from her chair, beaming at me. “Brilliant.”
I stood too, the pressure at my temples easing. “We just have to—” A knock at the door made me swallow the remainder of my words.
The servant entered, her face a mask of indifference. “The ceremony will begin in one hour.”
“A ceremony tonight?” Sirena looked at me in shock. “But I thought we were supposed to be celebrating tomorrow.”
The servant’s blank eyes gave nothing away. “The Choosing Ceremony will begin in one hour.”
“Why so soon?” Sirena pressed, terror in her voice.
Her question was met with silence.
I swallowed down my panic. “And what happens at the ceremony?”
She didn’t react.
“Ask her something else,” Sirena whispered.
“Where is Blair’s room?”
The girl’s young face twisted, and she shuddered. “Lady Blair is six rooms that way,” she answered, her voice monotone as she pointed.
She waited, her light brown hair tied back into a knot at the base of her neck, the same hairdo as all the servants. The girl didn’t blink as she stood, but she seemed to be wrecked with frequent, small muscle spasms.
“You can go,” Sirena blurted. “You’re dismissed.”
The girl turned slowly, almost drunkenly. She walked to the door, far too closely, opened the handle with firmness, and then was gone, closing the door softly behind her.
Sirena gripped her arms. “Why would they encourage all of us to get drunk and then surprise us by having the ceremony tonight?”
The only thing I could imagine is that they didn’t want any of us in our right minds
I tore my gaze from the door. “I guess all we can do is go investigate.”
“Or run away?” she gave an awkward laugh.
My mouth went dry. I hadn’t really thought of that. Sirena didn’t really have a reason to stay, if she was scared. She had a loving home and dozens of adoring men to return to.
“If you want to leave you can.” A desperate note tinged my words, even though I tried to hide it.
She took my hand in her smaller one. “Remember, we stick together. And besides, I haven’t completely given up on this place.”
“If you’re sure…”
Smiling, she walked to the fire. “I am. So now what?”
I found a water bucket and threw the contents over the fire. It was swallowed with a loud hiss of flames being quenched. I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for the smoke to clear a bit, and then started pacing the room, feeling a need to move.
“Artemay, protect us,” I whispered, wondering if the goddesses could hear me even in this strange place.
“Is it good enough now?”
I turned back to her. “I guess it has to be.”
Grabbing a blanket, I stooped into the fireplace, searching for the row of missing brick. It was harder to find on this side, just a couple inches visible at the very top of the back. But eventually, I got my fingers, wrapped in the blanket, into the crack, and slid open the passageway.
I took a break to catch my breath in the room. “There has got to be an easier way.”
“I’m sure there’s a lever for it, somewhere.” Sirena watched me as she spoke, a small smile on her lips.
I forced myself to smile back. “Wish I’d thought of that earlier.” Wiping sweaty hair out of my face, I took another breath of clean air. “Ready?”
She nodded.
We stooped as we walked through the fireplace, trying our best not to touch the scalding brick. Reaching the passageway, we stood up, and Sirena took hold of the back of my skirt. We passed fireplace after fireplace, known to us by the tiny slit of light streaming into the passageway, and the piping hot brick we turned sideways to avoid touching. At last, we reached number six. We sat down, drawing our knees up to our chest to avoid being burned.
And waited.
The light from the tiny slit just above us sent shadows dancing in the confined space. Minutes of absolute silence ticked by before Sirena shifted restlessly beside me. My knees and legs cramped and ached, and I began to doubt our plan altogether. Was there a better way? Should we have been escaping instead of spying all this time? Would I even be able to speak the name of the Goddess of Travel well enough to open the portal if we were to reach it?
I started to rise when I heard the sound of a door slamming.
“We shouldn’t have chosen all of them!” It was Meisha speaking, and her voice was almost a growl.
Clarissa giggled. “It’s so cute how much you value life.”
“We should all value life,” Meisha snarled, and I cringed as something hit the wall. “Every life!”
Sirena yanked on my skirt, no doubt gripping it fiercely in her small hands.
“And we do,” Blair interrupted, her monotone voice a much needed break from the tension. “Or else we would not be here.”
Silence enveloped the room, and I stiffened. My own breath sounded loud in my ears.
“The truth is,” Blair continued, “Sacrifices must be made for the greater good.”
“But none of their magic is strong enough, except the girl’s,” Meisha murmured, so quietly I had to lean forward to make out each word.
“So the others will die.”
Chapter Six
Sirena squeaked and shifted in reaction to Clarissa’s words.
I stiffened, waiting. Had they heard the noise?
“You monstrous she-demon!” Meisha shouted, apparently still unaware of our spying.
“Stop!” Blair cried, this time her voice was no longer calm. “You might not like what we are, Meisha, but we‘re necessary to the greater good. Now go freshen up. The ceremony will begin soon.”
A door slammed, and I reached out, pressing Sirena forward. We rose and made our way quietly back to Sirena’s room. Once there, we collapsed onto the rug, neither of us speaking for a long time.
“Who do you think ‘the girl’ was?”
I lay on my back, staring up at the candles strung like stars above us. But I wasn’t considering Sirena’s question. Even though my instincts had told me there was something wrong with this place, I wish I’d been wrong. I wish it’d been everything I’d always dreamed of.
“It doesn’t matter. We need to do something or chances are that only one of us is going to live to see tomorrow.”
She paused for a long minute. “Maybe we shouldn’t tell the others.”
My breath caught in my throat. How could she even consider something so terrible?
“We have to tell them, at least to give them the chance to escape.”
“But we’ll move faster.” She argued.
“No.”
“And what if they don’t come with us? What if they tell The Protectors?”
“No!” I shouted the word, sitting up and piercing her with a glare. “We can’t just leave them to die.”
Sirena said nothing more, but her disapproval sizzled between us.
“We should get ready.” I stood up, trying to hide my irritation with her. “It’s going to be cold, and… goddesses’ teeth, I left my cloak in the dining hall.” I knew there were probably more cloaks in Sirena’s wardrobe, but it was my finest one, and I dreaded leaving it behind.
She pointed at her bed. “The servant brought them from the dining hall while you were talking to Meisha.”
I hurried over to find my dark green cloak folded neatly on the bed. It felt wrong to draw it over my ash-covered dress, but we couldn’t waste time changing.
Sirena pulled her black cloak on, opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Silently, we walked across the hall. When we entered, Bethenny and Yara had changed. Their long gowns were the color of gold, and they spun and danced in the expensive attire. Joy lit their faces as the light material drifted around them like clouds.
I envied them.
Yara stopped when she saw me, a silly smile on her lips. “Do you see our gowns? There are more in the chests than I’ve ever seen in my life!”
I crossed the room and took her hand. She swayed slightly, but her eyes locked onto mine. “Yara, I’m sorry, but we need to go.”
She stared blankly back at me. “What?”
“Sirena and I heard The Protectors talking, heard Blair. We’re going to die tonight at the ceremony. We need to leave.”
Bethenny came towards me, pushing between Yara and myself. “Liar!” she shouted, although the word came out slurred. “If you want to leave, then go, but we aren’t going with you.”
Anger leapt inside me, but I forced myself to remain in control. All that mattered right now was getting Sirena, Yara, and… Bethenny, if she wished, to safety.
“Tell them,” I said, eyeing Sirena.
“It’s true,” she glared at the angry red-head. “We aren’t going to line up like sheep to the slaughter. We’re leaving now, and anyone who wants to come can.”
“Please,” I begged, staring at Yara. “Please. I promise we’re telling the truth.”
Yara’s eyes were solemn. “You’re sure about what you heard?”
I nodded.
“All right.” Her gaze met mine. “I trust you.”
