Oathtaker

by Patricia Reding

  A grin spread from his lips to his eyes. “If you don’t beat all.”

  The mood was contagious. She smirked, then reached across the table and placed her hand atop his. “Can you feel that?”

  Head again shaking, his smile now brought unto submission, he grew serious. “All right, what’s going on? How’d you get here? And what do you mean, ‘can I feel that?’”

  “I’m sleeping.”

  He stared. “Great Ehyeh, now I’ve heard everything.”

  “No, it’s true. Nina and I left Polesk like you said. We reached Settleton late today. We spent the evening learning some . . . interesting things. Now we’re down for the night.”

  He stood. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re here with me at the palace. They’ve—that is, Lilith—moved me from my original chambers and had me placed in this,” he motioned around the room, “servant’s room. I’m under house arrest. I can’t go anywhere without an escort. No one can enter my room without the guard’s permission. Yet you show up. What am I to make of this?”

  She approached. She placed her hand on his upper arm. For the span of a breath, the feel of his strength distracted her.

  His eyes dropped to her hand, acknowledging its presence.

  “You really can feel that?” she asked.

  He reached out and pinched her upper arm. “Can you feel that?” he snorted.

  “Ouch!”

  “Well, what a ridiculous question!”

  “You don’t understand, Dixon. I really am asleep. Or, at least I think I am . . . Only this feels so real!”

  She rubbed the spot where he’d pinched her. “Remember when I told you about my dream at sanctuary in Polesk—that some woman would try to take the girls away from me there?”

  “Yes, Lilith.”

  “So it was Lilith then.”

  “Yes,” he said, “go on.”

  “Well, it seems there’s another dimension to this attendant power.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I believe I’m moving from place to place in my dreams. Or, that is, I think I’ve done so.”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

  She sat down. “Listen, I know it sounds ridiculous, but I think I can prove it. I’m not really here. Or maybe I am really here, but I’m also at an inn in Settleton, with Nina at my side, the babies cradled in her arms. Or maybe I’m here and I’m not also at an inn in Settleton—in which case, for the moment at least, the girls are without an Oathtaker’s protection.” Her brow furrowed.

  Dixon resumed his seat. “I may be ready to believe just about anything because I can’t think of any other way you could have made it into this room. What do you mean when you say you think you can prove it?”

  She traced a design with her finger on the tabletop. “I believe you met with a woman named ‘Basha’ last night—here in Shimeron.”

  He sat up straighter, gesturing with his hands, urging her on with her story.

  “Basha is Therese’s Oathtaker. I listened in on your conversation from the place where my dreams took me.”

  He raised his brow.

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything—at least not intentionally. I was just . . . there.”

  “Was,” he said. Then reading the question in her eyes, he continued, “Basha was Therese’s Oathtaker.”

  “No, Dixon, is. Basha is Therese’s Oathtaker.”

  He studied Mara’s expression. “If you heard our conversation, then you know Basha questions whether Therese lives. But I’ve thought about it. Surely you don’t think it would make any sense for her to avoid her Oathtaker.”

  Mara tilted her head slowly right, then left. “I wouldn’t say she’s ‘avoiding’ her, exactly.”

  “What do you know about this?”

  “I’ve met Therese.”

  Dixon’s jaw dropped. “Really and truly? She lives?”

  “Really and truly.”

  “Where?”

  “At the inn here in Settleton. That is, I met her here in Settleton. Or is it . . . there in Settleton?” She shook her head. “This is all so confusing. Am I here? Or there? Or am I in two places at once? I—”

  He shushed her again. “I’m not sure of the answers to your questions, but I can see and hear you in the flesh, right here and now. You may or may not also be in Settleton, asleep, I don’t know. But if you’re caught here . . . Well,” he contemplated, “I don’t know. Would you awaken in Settleton? Or here?”

  She shook her head. “Stop! Dixon, I need answers, not more questions.”

  “One thing at a time. First, did you hear my entire conversation with Basha?”

  “No. I only heard you discuss whether Therese might still live.”

  “How did you awaken?”

  “Reigna cried.”

  “Oh.” He hesitated. “Well, assuming you really are experiencing an attendant power and that you’re here in your ‘sleep,’ let’s not take the risk of your waking here since we don’t know what would come of it.”

  “You really think this is real?”

  He pinched her arm again.

  “Ouch! Stop it, Dixon!” She slapped his hand away. Again she rubbed the spot where he’d pinched her. “Of course I feel it.”

  “So do I, and I’m not dreaming.”

  “But how can I test it? Wait! Maybe I have. Or, maybe I’ve begun to anyway.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I met Therese, I quizzed her with facts I’d learned from your conversation with Basha. When she tested true, I revealed my identity and introduced her to the twins.”

  “You sure the woman you met is Therese? You think she can be trusted?”

  “Absolutely. I mean, I might have wondered, but she took an oath.”

  He jerked his head back. “And it was confirmed?”

  “The same as for you and Nina.”

  “Huh. Those little ones are gaining quite a following.”

  “Yes. And Dixon—she’s been staying with Lucy.”

  “Lucy!”

  A knock came at the door.

  “Dixon!” a voice cried.

  “Stop!” someone else shouted.

  “What is it?” Dixon called. “I’m . . . ahhh not dressed. I’ll be just a minute.”

  “Dixon, they won’t let me in!”

  “That’s Basha,” he whispered.

  “Dixon!” she called again.

  “You can’t go in there!”

  Mara gestured to Dixon that she would wait behind the divider while he answered the door. She stood, but as she stepped away, she suddenly felt lightheaded. She placed one hand on the table to steady herself, her fingers lighting upon his flint.

  The room spun, the colors melded and fused.

  She turned to Dixon. Her voice began with a whisper, then faded to nothingness so all he could make out at the end was the shape of her lips as she spoke: “Reigna wakes.” Then, as mysteriously as she’d arrived, Mara vanished.

  As he grasped the doorknob, he noticed the band on his wrist. Blast! I should have thought to have her remove this!

  Mara gasped as she awakened to the sound of a baby’s cries, her linens rustling beneath her.

  “Is everything all right?” Nina asked.

  “Yes. Why do you ask?”

  “You jumped like you were startled.”

  “It’s nothing.” What an odd dream! She laid back, placing one hand beneath the pillow. There, she felt something unexpectedly. She grasped the object, then bolted upright. “Great Ehyeh!”

  “What? What is it?”

  Mara lit the lamp at her side. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the light, then stared at the item she held, her mouth gaping open.

  “What is it? Are you all right?”

  The Oathtaker reached toward Nina, a flint in her hand. “Have you seen this before?”

  Nina took the item. She turned it over a couple of times. “No.”

  “It’s Dixon’s flint.”

&n
bsp; “So?”

  Mara stared at it. “This is very odd, but I just dreamed of him.”

  Nina grinned. “Nice dream, huh?”

  Mara felt herself blush. “No, that’s not what I meant. I meant I was just in his room.”

  “Oh, it gets better. I’ve seen how you look at him.”

  “Stop it,” Mara said, grinning good-naturedly. She sat at the edge of her bed. Nina’s comments set her thinking. Was she attracted to Dixon? Was there something there? No, of course not. And Dixon loved Rowena. Besides, I’ve taken an oath. End of subject.

  “So what’s the problem?”

  Mara went to the window and looked out.

  “What’s going on?” Nina prodded.

  “I think I’ve just discovered another attendant power.”

  “Go on.”

  “It seems I can go elsewhere in my dreams. Not just in my mind, but . . . physically.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “That flint there? It’s Dixon’s. In my ‘dream’ I was with him, having a conversation that was every bit as real as the one I’m having with you now.”

  The Oathtaker returned to her bed and sat. She took the flint from Nina. “I took this as I was leaving there and awakening here.”

  “You really believe that?”

  “Remember the colors?”

  “Of course.”

  “And I was right, wasn’t I? This is just more attendant magic, though I’m not sure what it’s for or how to use it.” She shook her head. “You know, in some ways these powers are frightening.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because . . . Well, take these dreams for instance. When I was with Dixon it was so real. That was when I realized this ‘dream journey’ wasn’t the first time I’d gone elsewhere in my sleep.” She told Nina about her dream of the falls and of Dixon’s conversation with Basha.

  Nina listened intently as she finished nursing Reigna, then handed the infant to Mara. “It seems you need to learn more about these powers. How do you think you can do that?”

  “Therese said I should test them. Maybe that’s what I was unconsciously doing when I took Dixon’s flint. But you’re right. I need to know more. Perhaps we might head to the City of Light. There are libraries full of information there.”

  The crisp bedding rustled beneath Nina as she laid her head down and put her arm around Eden. “Well, whatever you decide to do, I think you’d be wise to get some rest now.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry I awakened you.”

  “No, you didn’t. Reigna did.”

  “Yes, that’s right. Her cry brought me back.” Mara cuddled the infant. She looked back at Nina. “Aren’t you going to feed Eden now?”

  The young woman groaned. “Not until she asks to be fed.”

  “Oh. Why wouldn’t you feed them both at the same time?”

  Nina pulled herself up on one elbow and opened her drowsy eyes. “Because she’s not hungry. When she’s hungry, she’ll awaken. I’m not going to create a schedule that doesn’t fit her.” She put her head back down. “With any kind of luck, she’ll start sleeping through the night soon.” She snuggled nearer to Eden. Within moments, she was breathing steadily.

  “Sleep well, Nina,” Mara whispered. Then she got back into bed, snuggled Reigna, and turned out the light.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Candlelight flickered off the walls and mirrors of the grand bedchamber. Red damask drapery hung from ceiling to floor, shutting out all external light. Down pillows covered the canopied bed.

  Lilith sat at her vanity, its mirror proclaiming her beauty. She admired herself as a young handmaiden combed her hair with a steady stroke. “Ouch!” she cried, turning around to slap the girl soundly.

  “Sorry, ma’am.” The maid rubbed her cheek to lighten the sting.

  “You are worthless. I should have you expelled from the palace for all time.”

  “Sorry, ma’am.”

  “Just go away!”

  The young woman limped off.

  “Adele—”

  The maid turned back. “Yes, ma’am?”

  “Come.”

  She returned to Lilith’s side.

  Lilith placed her finger below the maid’s chin, then tilted her head up.

  Adele flinched. She’d been at the woman’s mercies too many times to ignore the warning signs. Lilith could go into a rage at the slightest provocation—or at no provocation at all—and she didn’t hesitate to employ her own form of “discipline.”

  “Look at me.”

  Adele raised her eyes. They sparkled with unshed tears.

  “You know the rules.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Lilith slapped her lightly on the cheek.

  Adele closed her eyes, seemingly in anticipation of more to come.

  “If I hear any rumor of what goes on in this room, I’ll know you’re the source.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Don’t you forget it.”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Be gone before I render the punishment you so rightly deserve for failing to attend to me to my satisfaction.”

  The maid turned to go.

  “Adele.”

  She stopped in her tracks. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am, for correcting me.”

  “That’s better.”

  As the young woman left the chamber, a low chuckle came from behind the sheering-draped bed. “You sure know how to handle the help.”

  “Yes, I thought it best to remind her to keep her mouth shut. If she should speak of your presence here . . . But I needn’t worry about that. I’ve warned her.”

  “Perhaps you should cut her tongue out.” He laughed.

  “Funny you should say that. That’s exactly what I told her I’d do if she spoke out of turn.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “I did! Rowena was too soft on them all. They need to learn their place. And can you imagine? Taking a cripple into the palace?” Lilith swung her hair back and folded her arms. “It’s obscene.”

  He grabbed his pants from the floor. “Rowena was soft?”

  “She was always preaching about how the Select were supposed to serve the masses.” Lilith grimaced. “What utter bunk. It’s the masses that should serve us. They need us. They need a real leader. They need me!”

  “Well, it seems you know how to elicit the greatest loyalties from the people.”

  “Adele wouldn’t dare say a word. Fear is the best means for instilling loyalty in those like her.”

  He stood behind Lilith, brushed her hair to the side, and then nuzzled at her neck. “Is that why you’ve placed Dixon under house arrest?”

  She turned in his arms. “Exactly. Imagine him packing his bags to leave the palace. How dare he! I made it perfectly clear that I expected him to remain here. Oathtakers are intended to serve the Select and he’s no exception.”

  She ran her finger along her guest’s jaw line. “Now that I’m rid of Rowena and that ridiculous child, I can move forward. I’m in charge now and Dixon’s trial will be the icing on the cake.”

  Extricating herself from her guest’s embrace, she turned away. “I’d like to be alone now.”

  “When will I see you again?”

  She pressed herself against him again. “Later tonight,” she whispered, her lips flitting softly upon his. “After dinner. I need to see if Basha has been trying to visit with Dixon—though I’ve instructed the guards to forbid her entrance to his room.”

  “What’s the harm? She can’t remove his band. And she’s not likely to make an issue of it. Had it been put there by anyone else, perhaps. But you’re the ranking member now. She wouldn’t challenge your authority.”

  “Right. Mmmm, I like the sounds of that. I am the ranking member! Things are looking up.” Lilith stopped to pout. “Still, I don’t trust Basha. She’s behaving strangely. Why don’t you see what more you can find out from Dixon?”

  “My pleasure,” he murmured as h
e indicated with a hand to her breast that he would in fact find his pleasure elsewhere.

  Lilith nodded toward the door. It was time for him to leave. After some delay, he did.

  She sighed, her hunger for all things physical, momentarily satiated. She sat at the vanity and turned the light down. A wisp of smoke drifted upwards.

  Gazing into the mirror, she murmured softly. It was finally time to connect with her spirit guide. He would be pleased with her. Slowly she placed herself into a trance. Her eyes rolled up. Then, with a rush, her spirit moved as though transported elsewhere.

  Like a blackened skull with decomposed flesh hanging, and with eyes like burning lava, a face slowly came into focus in the looking glass.

  “Daeva, my guide,” Lilith whispered, “nothing stands in our way now. I lead the Select!”

  Fire burst forth.

  Gasping, she stared at the malevolent countenance before her, stroking her cheek pained from the inferno.

  Daeva sneered. “You have failed,” he said, his voice heavy and thick.

  “But Rowena has been removed!”

  “Yesssss . . . but the child livessss.”

  “Ahhhhh!” she screamed, as she swept her hands across the vanity, propelling various items from its surface, to the floor.

  “How could you have missssed the clear sign, Lilith? This newssss should come as no surprisssse to you.” His voice, eerily quiet but unyielding, mocking, shook her. “You. Have. Failed. Me.” With each word, he sent a jolt of pain out that racked through her being.

  Her head snapped back. She fell to the floor, groaning, then stumbled back to her feet. “I don’t understand! How could the child live? What sign?” She faltered. “How could I have known?”

  He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I fear I have given you too much. Promissssed you too much. Been too eeeeassssy on you. Perhapssss I should bide my time and choose another—a better woman—another day.”

  The air grew thick with smoke.

  “I have waited too long to let you stand in my way. I cannot grant power and immortality to a failure. I cannot allow you to lead if you are inept.”

  Lilith struggled for air. “No, tell me! How could I have known?”

  Daeva tilted his head. His red eyes burned into hers. “Think,” he sneered. “Rowena was to die before she releassssed her power. What ssssign would accompany that change?” Each word he spoke was drawn out, the whole having the quality of a hissing snake.