by Megg Jensen
Ella’s laughter was contagious. Even Roc, who’d done little but follow our every lead, allowed a smile to pop out.
“Is Ivy gifted too?” Ella asked. “We’ve all been wondering about that.”
“She is, that’s how she got to Kandek,” I said. “It’s time to stop her. I need a window. Where’s the nearest?”
Ella thought for a moment.
“I can’t think of one anywhere in the slave areas,” she said. “Is it true what the stories say about the Prophet? Can you read the clouds?”
“Yeah, I can. I need to use my gift now. We have to find a window.”
“I saw one,” Roc said. I smiled at him, glad to see he was perking up. “It was in the main hallway near Kandek’s chambers. But I don’t know how you can get to it without being seen.”
I held out my hands to Jon. Knowing exactly what I wanted, he pulled the cloak out from his pack and gave it to me.
“I need to spell it, right?” I asked him.
“No, it’s good for a while yet. You should have plenty of time.”
“Thanks,” I said. I turned to Mark. “While I’m gone you need to come up with some kind of plan. I know that I’m trying to discover the details of what will happen, but you need to make solid plans. You and Ella have been in the main hall where the wedding is. You two need to come up with a plan.”
“I don’t want you to go alone,” Mark said. “It’s too dangerous.”
“There’s only one cloak. I’ll be fine. I promise. I’ll be back before you know I’m gone.”
I slipped the cloak over my shoulders and pulled the hood over my head. Without a backwards glance I walked out the door. Even though I was hidden in the cloak, I still stuck to the servants hallways. Better to be safe until I needed to be out in the open. At the last entry to the common halls, I took a deep breath to calm myself.
I stepped into the hallway and was assaulted by droves of people heading to the main hall for the wedding. I tried to weave carefully through the throngs of well-wishers without bumping into anyone. I might be hidden, but it didn’t take away my body mass. Anyone would feel me if I touched them.
“It’s so dark in here. Why doesn’t Kandek put in any windows?” a short woman next to me grumbled.
“I know! And who is this girl Kandek is marrying?” a woman asked another as they scurried down the hall. I walked directly behind them, eavesdropping on their conversation.
“Some young tart, no doubt,” the short one huffed. “My father attempted to match us a few years ago and Kandek would have nothing to do with me.”
“It’s shocking, really. No one thought he would get married after all these years. He’s nearly forty. Most men his age have daughters getting married.”
I buried the snort that nearly escaped my lips. It was true. I was of marrying age.
“I hear she’s a bit of a tyrant,” the tall one said.
“How would you know?”
“My servants talk. They think I don’t hear, but I do,” she laughed. “One of them even said she was a former slave of Kandek’s! How ridiculous is that?”
“Servants really don’t know much, do they?”
I rolled my eyes in disgust at the attitude of those women. It was people like that who would never even conceive of my people being free. But, they had provided me with the perfect plan. Forgetting my rendezvous with a window, I sped back to the servants’ quarters.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I burst back into my old room to find my friends arguing.
“No,” Mark said, staring down Jon. “That won’t work.”
“You’ve only been a soldier for a few months, boy. I’ve been working for years to bring down this regime,” Jon said, moving closer to Mark, his fist clenched. “Your plan won’t work.”
“Stop it, both of you,” I ordered, pulling the cloak off. “This is the worst time to be arguing. We need to work together.”
“I agree with Reychel,” Tania said, placing a gentle hand on Jon’s arm. “You’ve been fighting the entire time she’s been gone.”
“It hasn’t been that long,” Mark said. He turned to me. “That was fast. Did you find a window already? What did you see?”
“I don’t need prophecy to solve this,” I said. “Ella, you said the slaves had figured out who Ivy was, right?”
“Yeah,” she said. “But no one was able to prove it. We can’t get close enough to her. She doesn’t allow servants in her presence.”
“What if everyone else found out she was a slave?” I asked.
“They’d just die from the horror. Then they’d kill Ivy,” Tania paused, “and that’s not an understatement. The Malborn wouldn’t allow it. They believe they are so far above us.”
“We need to expose her,” I said. “The ruling class won’t allow the marriage to happen and we’ll be rid of her one way or the other.”
Though I couldn’t stand the thought of her dying at the hands of the Malborn, it was the quickest way to discredit her and stop the wedding. I’d find some way to give her over the council before letting anyone kill her.
Ella smiled and nodded her head. “I see where you’re going with this, Reychel.”
“I don’t,” Mark said, confused. “How do we prove it?”
“She has the mark on her,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Her birthday was just a couple weeks before mine and Kandek had her branded. We need to rip the wig off her head, expose her hair and the mark of the fox.”
“The nobles might riot,” Tania said, smiling.
“Which is a great way for us to escape,” Jon agreed.
“You’ve forgotten one thing,” Roc interjected. “We came here to free the prisoners. We can’t leave them and I certainly can’t go home without them. I won’t fail anyone again.”
“I know,” I said, giving him a quick hug. “I thought about that too on the way back. I’m going to wear the cloak and expose Ivy, but I need all of you to let the prisoners go. Can you do that?”
“Of course, Reychel,” Tania said. “Those poor people have been held long enough.”
“But what about you?” Mark asked. “How will you escape?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll just have to let that one play out,” I said.
“I’d feel better if you had checked the clouds.”
“Just trust me, Mark,” I sighed. “I’d like to think the visions act as a guide, not showing me a definitive path. Besides, I don’t have to be the Prophet to fix this mess. It’s a good plan.”
Mark looked to Tania for an answer. She held up her hands.
“I don’t know. I am not a scholar. Nemison would know better than I would but he’s not with us here. Honestly, I think Reychel’s plan is solid. It’s better than anything we thought of while she was gone.”
“I’ll use the cloak,” I said. “Easy in, easy out.”
“Nothing is ever that easy,” Mark said. “You should know that by now.”
I ignored his last comment and turned to Ella. Now was not the time for negativity. I may have been lied to my whole life, but I refused to give up the hope of succeeding.
“Can you get them to where the prisoners are being held without raising any suspicion?” I asked.
Ella looked at each of my friends.
“I think so,” she said. “We have to pass through the main hall. You were being held in a temporary cell, but the prisoners are down in the dungeon. Once we get them out, there’s a servant’s access door they can escape through. That will get them as far as the town. But some of these prisoners aren’t from here. They can’t get home on foot.”
“We’ll help them,” Tania said. “They can hide at our house.”
Ella nodded. I marveled that the shy girl I had known was gone. The young woman before me was decisive and thorough. Her shoulders thrust back and chin up, Ella was a natural-born leader.
“While we’re in the hallway, everyone will have to play their part. Mark, you and Roc and Jon are soldiers, obviou
sly. You may not be dressed for it, but there are plenty of them hidden in the crowd wearing plain clothes. I don’t think you’ll be questioned. Tania, I don’t quite know how to disguise you. You’re not wearing a fine enough dress to be one of the ladies attending.”
“I can blend in as easily as you, Ella,” she said. Tania reached up to her hair and gave it a tug. Her long locks fell, revealing a shaved head beneath.
“Tania,” I gasped, staring at her wig and her shining scalp. “Why?”
“I was a slave too,” she said. “And I swore I would never forget where I came from.”
“She still shaves it every morning,” Jon said, putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders and kissing her on the head.
Tania turned around so her back faced us and we all saw the mark of a fox clearly branded into her neck.
“You lived here?” I gasped. “When?”
“Years ago,” Tania said. “I was seventeen when Jon freed me. Kandek was my master too. I can walk the halls with Ella and no one will notice me.”
I smiled and hugged Tania.
“Does everyone understand what needs to be done?”
Roc stood a little taller and nodded his head. Jon and Tania grabbed Ella in a tight embrace. Mark stood to the side, unable to take his eyes off of me.
“Can we have a minute?” Mark asked me. “Before we get separated?”
“Of course,” I answered, taking his hand and leading him to the only bench in the corner of the room. We sat down next to each other, so close but only holding hands.
“I don’t want you to go by yourself,” he said.
“It’s not your choice, Mark. It’s mine. I can do this.”
“I know you can, but what if someone discovers you first? What if it doesn’t work?”
“It will,” I said. “Somehow it will all work out.”
He brushed my cheek with his thumb.
“If anything happens to you…” he started.
“I know,” I whispered. “You’ll find me. Why do you think I feel so brave about this? It’s because I know that wherever you are, you’re thinking of me. Together we can do anything.”
“When all of this is over...” he trailed off into silence.
“I have to train with Nemison,” I said. “I promised.”
“Do you think he’d have room for one more?” Mark asked.
“Are you willing to reveal yourself? There are only a few of us who know your secret.” I moved closer to him until our legs were touching.
“If it will keep me closer to you, I just might.”
“There may be better reasons than that to keep your secret. It might be useful.”
“When?” he asked.
“If I’m really this great Prophet everyone thinks I am, it sounds like my destiny is much bigger than just freeing a few prisoners from jail. I’m going to need every advantage over the Malborn I can get. You could be my secret weapon,” I said.
“Knowing if someone has a secret isn’t exactly the most useful skill in the world,” he said.
“It was enough to warn me about Ivy, someone I never would have suspected of lying to me,” I said. “Without you and that night under the stars, I don’t know where I’d be right now. Even if I didn’t want to believe you, it made me suspicious. Now that I know the truth, I’ll never question you again.”
“I hope not,” he said, leaning in closer.
A not-so-subtle cough from across the room disturbed us.
“It’s only a few more minutes until the wedding,” Ella said. “If we’re going to do this, we need to leave now.”
Mark looked at me, his eyes staring into mine. As he let down his guard I saw the spark come to life in his eyes.
“Be careful,” he said.
“Always.”
I stood up and threw the cloak around my shoulders.
“Wait,” Tania said. “Take the cloak off.”
I removed the cloak, holding it in the crook of my elbow.
“Put this on.” She handed me her wig. “In case your cloak falls off, maybe you can blend in.”
“Thanks.” I smiled, adjusting the wig on my head, and gently laying the hood over my head. “Is everyone ready?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
I slipped through the entryway back into the main hall. The crowd was similar to the one that attended my birthday party. The same party dresses, the same men talking politics. Only this gathering drew more people. The gowns were more intricate and the men noisier. What would they do when they saw Ivy’s brand? It wouldn’t be pretty, I was sure about that.
A bell clanged and the twitters fell silent. Everyone looked to the head of the room where Grey stood dressed in his finest uniform. Of course, the messenger about to deliver a message. How could I have forgotten about him over the last couple months? He hadn’t changed a bit, still handsome enough to keep the attention of the noblemen’s wives.
“Please exit to the formal gardens,” he announced, sweeping his arm to the left. I saw Ian, who leaned on the door for support, holding the way open for all of the lords and ladies. I fell in line behind them, wishing I could say hi to Grey or give Ian a hug. Seeing them, I realized I missed them almost as much as I had missed Ella. Hopefully that could all come later, after I finished what Ivy had set in motion.
As I emerged through the doorway, I gasped at the transformation. The gardens had always been beautiful with their winding pathways leading to a grand sweep of land. But today the open space was filled with hundreds of embroidered blankets, wide enough for the nobles to sit on for the ceremony. There would be no straw bales acting as seats. Each guest was assigned to their own personal blanket complete with wine, apples, and an assortment of cheese. A grand dais was erected at the front so everyone could see the ceremony.
White lilies and orange starbursts gushed forth from tall vases and the dais was flanked on each side by three poles, each with streamers of pink and golden damask. A trellis stood over the top covered in vines cascading with burnt orange flowers. It was beautiful, I mused. Ivy had gone to a lot of trouble to make her wedding day perfect. With the small amount of time she had, it was amazing she’d gotten so much done.
A hush fell over the crowd as Kandek strode into the garden. Gone was the worry I had seen earlier in the day, instead a smile shone from his face as if this were the happiest day of his life. It wasn’t surprising. I knew he was a good actor considering everything he had been hiding from me for the last fifteen years.
He raised an arm and bowed to the people gathered before him.
“Thank you for coming everyone,” he said. “My bride will be arriving soon and we’ll have our little wedding. Then let the celebration begin!”
Cheers erupted followed quickly by thunderous applause.
I kept my head ducked inside the hood. I was grateful the sky was clear of clouds and I could scan the entire area without being overtaken by a vision.
As the musicians played the wedding melody, Ivy emerged from a tent at the back of the lawn. I gasped along with the crowd. Ivy was beyond beautiful. Her hair, her wig I quickly reminded myself, flowed down past her waist in long golden ringlets. Her face glowed with a smile that had I not known better, I would have assumed was genuine. But it was her gown that took everyone’s breath away.
The radiant silk fell gracefully across her body as if Ivy were draped in liquid gold. Every inch of the dress hugged her curves and when she walked, the fabric billowed around her feet giving her the appearance of walking on clouds.
For a moment, I was lost in the vision before me. I followed Ivy’s eyes as they swept the crowd and settled for a moment on Gerrold, who was seated in the fourth row of blankets. Seeing him snapped me out of my reverie and brought me back to my task. I did not know his gift, but hoped that whatever it was, it wouldn’t get in the way of what I was about to do.
I skirted along the side of the crowd, making sure not to touch anyone in the slightest. The wind was calm and the lightest touch mig
ht alert someone to my presence. I kept pace with Ivy as we walked together, I on the outside of the row and Ivy in the middle.
As Ivy approached the steps to the dais, she paused. I grabbed the opportunity and ran past her. Reaching out with my hands I pulled the wig off of Ivy’s head, letting it drop to the ground. Before I even cleared the end of the row, I heard the scream.
I turned around and saw Ivy’s hands covering her short hair. It was only a few inches in length and the fox brand glared out from the back of her neck. It hadn’t fully healed yet and its pink edges rippled as Ivy whipped her head from side to side. I caught her eyes and shrank back in my cloak. I had planned to run after the wig fell, but my feet wouldn’t move.
“Where is she?” Ivy snarled, turning around to face the crowd. Guests were already talking and not quietly.
“What’s that on her neck?”
“Is it Kandek’s mark?”
“A slave!”
“That’s impossible.”
“Kandek,” a voice from the crowd roared. I recognized him as the man who had been at my birthday party. Blorn. “What is going on?”
I looked at my father as he rose up from his chair. I saw his eyes, but could make nothing out of his expression. For once, I didn’t know how to read him.
“Who are you?” he bellowed at Ivy. “Let me see your neck! Guards!”
Two of Kandek’s honor guards ran over to Ivy and grabbed her flailing arms.
“Bring her to me.”
They dragged Ivy over to Kandek, her dress tearing at the bottom as it caught under a guard’s shoe.
“Bind her hands,” he ordered, tossing them the scarf he’d had tied around his neck. The guard on the right held Ivy’s hands behind her back as the second tied her wrists. Ivy’s face twisted in agony as he tightened the knot.
Kandek grabbed Ivy by the elbow and spun her around so she faced the crowd. He pushed her head down until he could view her neck.
“You bear my mark,” he yelled. Then he spun her around again so all could see. Murmurs of disbelief and anger rippled through the mob of wedding guests.
