Shimmer: The Revelations of Oriceran (The Fairhaven Chronicles Book 2)

by S. M. Boyce

  No, the voices were coming from behind the walls.

  As she stepped into the hallway, the words became clear. She recognized General Cato’s voice, but he was speaking a language she didn't understand.

  Even though she didn't understand the native tongue, this was great. All she had to do was get Diesel down here, so he could listen in on the meetings while he deciphered the notes in the vault.

  The general’s tone changed, his voice deepening, and it sent a chill down Victoria's spine without her understanding why. There was something about this guy—something off—but she didn’t know what.

  To her surprise, a low and guttural growl escaped Styx. He was staring at the wall through which the voices came, glaring at it as though he were going to strangle someone. He flitted in front of her and put his hands out as if to protect her from some invisible force, but nothing happened. Victoria wondered if the pixie could understand more than just English. It seemed as though he had picked up on something the general had said, perhaps directed toward her.

  Shit. She didn’t like the idea of him talking about her, especially not if it riled Styx so much. Her instinct told her any feud with this Atlantean general would only end in blood.

  She beckoned Styx closer. Careful to keep her voice low, she shared her plan with the pixie. “Keep an eye on the general, but don't let him or any of his minions see you.”

  Styx saluted.

  She wished he could speak English, but he only muttered gibberish. She tapped on her cheek, wondering how he could best be of use. “If our lives are in danger, come boop me on the nose. Okay?”

  Styx nodded.

  Victoria headed back to the meeting room she had used to enter the vault and pressed her ear against the wall. No voices, thankfully. When she pressed her hands against the door, it slid open. She panicked for a second before confirming that the room was in fact still empty.

  Close call.

  Apparently just pressing on the door opened it, so she would have to be careful. She darted through the meeting room and slid into the hallway with Audrey's dress in hand, aimed for Audrey's room with a smile on her face.

  She still wasn't convinced she should steal, but she could at least learn what they had in the vault. These people weren't allies, and if things devolved they might become enemies. She had to know what powers they possessed.

  Plus, if her intuition was right and the general wanted to hurt her or Audrey, Victoria’s whole stance on not stealing from them might change.

  ***

  Luak lounged on an expensive leather couch in an ornate living room filled with golden trinkets and adorned with mahogany crown molding. A little gaudy for his taste, but hey—these people were rich and loved showing off their money. He studied the walls of the mansion, enjoying all the paintings and especially what looked like an original Monet. He bit into an apple, taking the last bite as he examined the gold pendant in his hand. It was covered in red gemstones, and even a soldier like him could appreciate the beauty in the contrast of garnet and gold.

  He stood and tossed the core onto the floor before fetching another apple from the fridge. He leaned against the counter and eyed the corpse of the person he had stolen the artifact from, her blood-stained high heeled shoe sticking out from behind the kitchen island. Her corpse lay across the tile floor amidst the pearls from the necklace that had broken in their short-lived battle.

  Another Rhazdon Artifact for his master. She would be pleased, especially about this one. His master enjoyed wealth and jewelry, and she had been eyeing this Artifact for some time. He was her favorite Artifact hunter, and for good reason.

  He lifted the pendant, trying to recall what it did. He believed this one was about clairvoyance, or maybe it was the one that allowed its host to understand any language. He couldn't remember, but he knew it was exceptionally powerful.

  Perhaps he should keep it.

  He cringed almost as soon as he finished the thought, since his master would be furious with him if she knew. Her servants had to wait decades to be allowed additional Rhazdon Artifacts, and they would be given whatever she decreed they were worth.

  Luak already possessed several of the best Rhazdon Artifacts in existence, and he wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection. That meant the artifact Victoria had stolen from him.

  Soon.

  Patience wasn’t his strength, but he would have it very, very soon.

  Chapter 22

  “You continue to impress me, Audrey.”

  Audrey beamed. She couldn't help but feel pride at her words. She was once again in the palace gardens with her oddly nameless instructor, who had refused to be called anything other than “Miss.” Regardless of the odd custom, Audrey relished the warmth radiating from the hidden Atlantean sun as they experimented with more of the artifacts.

  Down the red brick path, the bullseye still smoked from a brilliant white blast she had loosed using another Atlantean crystal. They had gone through every single crystal in the display, but Audrey still preferred the power in the first one she had ever used with this instructor.

  The instructor returned the crystal to the table. “It astounds me that you were able to use Atlantean magic outside the kingdom, especially with no experience.”

  “I didn't have a lot of control over it,” Audrey said with a shrug.

  “I caution you to not dismiss your power so easily. There is a difference between humility and under-appreciating your talent.”

  Audrey studied the woman, who in turn watched her with an intrigued expression. They stood in silence for several seconds, Audrey unsure of what to say.

  Eventually the instructor smiled. “You have a natural gift, and I hope you continue to use it. I don't believe there's anything more I can do for you, Audrey. It's time for you to advance your studies.”

  “Can I go out in public and not destroy things? If I left Atlantis, would I hurt anyone?”

  The instructor set a hand on her heart, mouth working a bit before she spoke. “I suppose not, but why would you want to leave?”

  Audrey couldn't answer. She wanted to share the beauty of Fairhaven’s palace and the magical hob glob of creatures living there, but the words wouldn't come. Everything in her core told her to stay here instead, to celebrate the fact that she was special even among the powerful Atlanteans.

  After all, hadn't she come home?

  ***

  Ever since Victoria had ducked her guard the Atlanteans had been far less subtle about the fact that she was being watched. Now two or three followed her everywhere she went, and she hated every step of it.

  But with a bit of Diesel’s help, the two of them had shed their tail and gotten into the vault unseen.

  And man, how she had hated asking for Diesel’s help!

  “This isn't what I had in mind for our first date, but I'm happy to be spending time with you, my love,” the wizard said as he scanned the notes pinned to the various pillows in the vault.

  Victoria rubbed her temples. “You exhaust me, Diesel.”

  “That’s an improvement from ‘I don’t even like you,’ so I’ll take it.” He hummed happily, finger tapping on his chin as he studied the Atlantean Artifacts.

  Victoria groaned in annoyance.

  Styx flew laps around the massive vault, ducking and weaving around the piles of gold and treasure he was using as his own miniature obstacle course among the fortune that had been stored in here.

  “What do they say?" Victoria nodded to the notes pinned beneath each Atlantean Artifact.

  Diesel stroked his chin. “They're fascinatingly organized. Every single Atlantean Artifact—and yes, that is in fact what these are—has its power listed, along with the spirit or entity attached to it. For those missing from their pillows, a note has been added about who is currently using it.”

  “Which one does General Cato have?”

  “I haven’t seen his name on any of these notes yet, but it’s inevitable that he has at least one. The queen ca
n charm men to do her bidding, though I find it odd for a regal woman to have seduction powers. I always imagined queens were above such information-gathering methods.”

  “Hmm. Are there any that give the host immense strength?”

  “I haven’t seen one yet, but I’ve only just started. This is too much to remember. I need to write it all down.”

  He whipped out his journal, but surprisingly didn't use a pen. He stroked his chin again while he studied the pinned notes and ink appeared magically on the paper.

  “What's going on?" Victoria examined the book over his shoulder.

  He grinned charmingly and leaned in, tilting the book toward her as he took advantage of the excuse to be close. Script continued to appear on the page as Diesel put his arm around Victoria’s shoulders. “Neat, isn't it? I came up with this. I never run out of ink, and it's much easier to take notes this way.”

  “Neat.” Victoria smacked him hard across the knuckles and he released her, flinching a bit as he shook out his hand.

  “I love it when you play hard to get!”

  “Focus, please,” Victoria said with an eye roll.

  “It will take me a few hours to get everything down,” Diesel said. “There's so much information here.”

  “Make it as quick as you can,” Victoria said. They didn't have the luxury of time, and they certainly didn't want to be caught in the vault. With only one exit, they would be sitting ducks.

  He nodded and returned to his journal, occasionally checking his notes as he scanned the papers pinned to the pillows.

  Victoria paced the room, enjoying the soft flutter of Styx’s wings as he flew his laps through the towers of gold coins and piles of jewelry. It was better than silence. Or worse…a conversation with Diesel.

  Mostly there was gold. Jewelry, goblets, and piles and piles of gold coins. There were chests overflowing with riches, so Victoria understood why the crime boss Drefus would want to come here. Whoever had this much wealth could live like a king. Hell, they might even be able to overthrow a king.

  She shuddered at the thought of the crime boss ruling Fairhaven.

  To occupy herself Victoria looked in every chest, but found nothing fun—just more of the same. When she had gone through them all, she studied the wall display. Even though she didn't understand what any of them did, she could at least appreciate what they were. Necklaces. Earrings. A few crowns and tiaras. Little white figurines like the ones Audrey had bought in the marketplace. Swords. An axe. She ran her finger along the dagger in her arm.

  The seconds ticked into minutes, and the minutes ticked into hours.

  “How much longer, Diesel?" Victoria asked eventually.

  “I'm almost done. I'm writing as fast as I can, darling.”

  “Stop calling me—ugh.” She didn't bother finishing her sentence.

  He grinned.

  “Did you find anything that can give me strength yet?”

  With a shake of his head, Diesel tapped his finger on an empty pillow. “Some fruity lord has it. We would have to kill him to get it.”

  Victoria sighed. Not a chance. She wouldn’t be like Luak, killing others to take their power.

  Too bad.

  Voices filtered in and Victoria's heart leapt into her throat. She ran to the door, summoning her sword just in case, and peeked into the passage.

  Empty.

  She let out a slow sigh of relief and nodded to Diesel to indicate everything was okay. He resumed his note-taking, but the voices grew louder. She recognized one of them.

  General Cato.

  Styx fluttered beside her, growling again as he heard the man's voice. Victoria needed to know what he was saying. If it set her otherwise happy-go-lucky pixie on edge, it couldn’t be good news.

  “Diesel,” she whispered.

  He looked over, and she gestured for him to join her.

  “I'm not done yet,” he said, pointing toward the Artifacts.

  “This is more important.”

  He sighed wistfully, looking at the Artifacts for second before joining her. “What is it, my dear?”

  Victoria suppressed her usual groan. She needed to focus, even if he wouldn't. “What are they saying?”

  Diesel stared at the wall, his eyes going out of focus as he listened. His ears twitched a little, and he nodded to himself. “The general is saying that the king favors Audrey. He's considering adopting her as his heir, because she's powerful and has so much potential.”

  A pang of loss hit Victoria hard in the chest. In this country, Audrey would be a princess. Talk about temptation!

  She swallowed hard, wondering if she could in good conscience ask her friend to give that up. Victoria didn't want to lose Audrey, but she didn't want to stand in her way either.

  “The general says they've traced her lineage to some war hero. Even though it's not true the public would believe it, and that would solidify Audrey's rule when she took over.”

  “Wow,” Victoria said softly, running her hand through her hair.

  Diesel bristled, face distorting with anger as the men in the next room continued to talk. “Those bastards.”

  “What?”

  “They just want her to rule because she can be controlled. This is the general's attempt to take over the throne. They're saying that the human genes reduce willpower and allow the Atlantean within her to run the show. He's going to control her like a puppet.”

  Victoria balled hands into fists. “That asshole!”

  “Shit,” Diesel said.

  “Fuck, there's more?”

  “He's going to tell her to kill us.”

  Victoria shoulders drooped. “Awesome.”

  “They're going to give her some special Atlantean Artifact that allows her to change shape, and they’re going to make her stay in that form forever. Apparently we make her weak. She’s not supposed to treat us as equals, and he thinks her affection for us is holding her back.”

  “This is bad,” Victoria said, pacing the small hallway.

  Diesel nodded. “We have to get out of here.”

  “Let's find Audrey and get out. Tonight. Finish up what you’re doing, but we don't have much time.”

  “How about we, shall we say, make free with some of these Atlantean Artifacts?" He flashed her a dazzling grin.

  Victoria stood a little taller, looking him in the eye. These assholes were not only planning to manipulate and control her best friend, they wanted Victoria and Diesel dead. They had immense power, an entire army on their side, and an intuitive knowledge of a kingdom Victoria barely knew. She needed every advantage she could find, and while she believed in doing what was right, she also wanted to live. Besides, she didn't care much about stealing from someone who wanted to force her best friend to murder her. “Take whatever you want.”

  Chapter 23

  “Whenever you're ready, Audrey,” the king said.

  Audrey took a deep breath, but she wasn't nervous. She had spent so much time practicing with the instructor in the gardens that she didn't question the magic in her blood anymore. She knew it would do what she wanted it to do when she wanted it to do it.

  The question was merely how much she wanted to show.

  For the king, she wanted to give a special performance, provide proof that the time and money he had spent on her while she was a guest in his home had been well worth it. She had mastered the bolts of energy, but there was another technique that took more effort and attention. One that took more skill.

  With the artifact in her left hand, she raised her right and summoned the white light from within the stone. It pooled and shimmered in her hand before slowly crawling upward as gentle and elegant swirls of light that she could control. They wafted from her, spinning like ribbon dancers through the air. She was careful not to touch anything with them since they would ignite whatever they touched, just let them be a beautiful display of her power.

  The king clapped his hands, a broad smile on his face as he watched the show. “My dear, you
have far surpassed what I expected. I am so impressed!”

  Audrey smiled, grateful for the recognition. “Thank you for the opportunity to learn.”

  He caught her eye and beamed like a proud father, which made her stand up straighter with pride. “Audrey, the queen and I have something we would like to share with you tonight. Please be ready for a dinner in your honor and some incredibly exciting news.”

  “Can you tell me now?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

  He chuckled. “I'm afraid not. We will see you tonight.”

  With that, he bowed his head slightly toward her and exited the throne room, leaving via the route she had seen him and the queen take whenever they left. Their quarters were probably in that direction, but Audrey didn't dare follow.

  After all, she was only a guest here.

  She headed toward her room, mind buzzing with ideas about what the king and queen wanted to share with her. He had said that he was impressed by her skills, and everyone she spoke to acted like she was here to stay. The thought of her leaving seem to fill them with horror.

  After all, she was one of them, and an Atlantean’s place was in Atlantis.

  When she reached her bedroom, she threw open the double doors and inhaled the sweet air. It was like summer and Christmas rolled into one, and she tasted happiness every time she stepped into this room. The open balcony ushered in another fresh breeze, and she stood on it, hands on the railing, as she stared at the beautiful kingdom. Its lakes glistened in light she still didn't understand, and she had to confess something difficult to herself.

  She loved it here, and she didn't want to go.

  Audrey fetched her hairbrush from the silver vanity, but her reflection caught her off-guard. Her long dark hair now had the same silky shimmer as every other Atlantean in the kingdom, and though they had only been here two weeks, it had grown a foot. Smiling, blissfully happy, she wove her hair into the same braid she had seen the queen wear and tied it off with a silk string from the vanity.

  The door slammed.

  Audrey jumped, heart hammering in her chest. It wasn't until she saw Victoria pressed against the closed door that she was able to calm down.