by Megg Jensen
I shrugged and pushed myself up off the floor. I kicked the wig out of my way. It didn’t look like I’d been sick on it, but everything smelled and it was hard to tell what was and wasn’t soiled.
“I suppose if you don’t know what you did, my bugging you isn’t going to make the truth clear,” Jada said. “Now let’s get you and the mess cleaned up. Alia, can you come back in, please?”
Alia scuttled through the doorway, a genuine smile on her face. “I’m happy to serve, my lady,” she said holding up a bucket and a rag.
“This isn’t how I expect to be treated. It’s ridiculous,” I said. “I’ve done nothing to deserve this kind of deference.”
Alia whistled while she worked to clean up the mess I’d made. I grabbed another dress from the wardrobe and changed behind the screen in the corner of the room. I rumpled up the soiled dress and tossed it in the bucket after Alia was done cleaning. Grabbing the mug on my nightstand, I let a little water fall into my mouth. I swished it around and spit into the bucket. The taste was gone, well, most of it. I took a large gulp of water and swallowed. My throat stopped aching and my stomach calmed.
“Reychel, you still don’t understand, do you? You are the one everyone has been waiting for. Whether you like it or not when people find out who you are, they will treat you differently,” Jada said.
My whole life I’d never been treated like everyone else. As a slave Kandek hadn’t treated me normally, so the other slaves hated me. They weren’t cruel but they ignored me, which hurt. They didn’t understand why I was given special treatment, even though I was forced to be inside all the time. Different was bad even if they had more freedoms than I did.
In the past I was loudly ignored and now I was quietly revered. I wasn’t comfortable with either choice. I just wanted to be normal.
Jada patted me on the shoulder. “You’ll get used to it. Do me a favor and lay down for a bit. You can get back to Zelor’s journals later.”
She bent over and picked the bucket, while Alia carried out the dirty towel. They both smiled at me, and for the first time Alia actually looked me in the eyes without prompting. I laid my head back on the pillow and fell asleep.
Chapter Eight
The sound of shouting outside my door pulled me out of a dreamless sleep. Loud footsteps echoed, multiple people by the sound of it. I jumped out of bed and grabbed my wig. I wouldn’t be caught a second time without it. I ran to the mirror to make sure it was straight and tucked in a few loose strands of my hair.
“You mustn’t enter that door,” a voice screamed. I could have sworn it was Jada. My heart pounded. I feared we were under attack. Blorn and my father had no idea where I’d disappeared to, but what if someone found out about me?
Before I could figure out where to hide, my door flew open. I backed up against the wall, fearful of the intruder.
A man ran into the room, he looked around wildly until he found me standing in the corner, my hands up at my chest in fear.
Mark.
He ran over and took me in his arms. The familiar feeling I’d had the other times we’d embraced rose up, except this time what once was tentative, was so sure and strong now. He’d missed me as much as I couldn’t admit I’d missed him. I fought back tears as I reminded myself that he was the one who’d betrayed me. He’d left me at the wedding as he ran off with the Sons.
“When I heard you might be here, I came as fast as I could. I had to know if it was you. If you were safe. I’ve been out of my mind the last two weeks worrying about you.” He whispered all of this into my ear. The warmth of his breath tickled the fine hairs on neck. A shiver ran down my body as I quickly forgot any reason we had separated.
“I told you not to come in here,” Jada yelled as she ran into the room followed by two palace guards.
Mark stepped back, his arms in the air in surrender. I gasped as one of the guards grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back and forcing him to kneel on the floor.
“Let him go,” I pleaded. “He’s done nothing.”
“Do you know this man?” Jada asked, panting and out of breath from chasing Mark through the halls. It was obvious she lived a life of luxury in the castle while he was a hardened army man.
“This,” I said, putting a hand on the guard who was holding Mark down, urging him to let Mark go, “is Mark.”
Jada looked confused and then a smile crossed her face. The guards looked to her for instruction. She nodded.
“Let him go. He’s a friend of my guest,” Jada said. It was the first time the guards had seen me. I wondered if they even knew anyone was staying in my room, but they didn’t question her command.
The guard holding the sword to Mark’s neck backed off while the guard holding him down released Mark’s arm and assisted him to a standing position.
Mark shook his arms and clapped the guard who’d held him on the back.
“Nice work,” he said. “I could have easily disarmed and disabled both of you in mere seconds, but I’m pleased to see Reychel’s being protected.”
I wasn’t sure if they thought they’d just been complimented or insulted based on their puzzled expressions. The guards bowed to me and Jada and left the room.
“I think I’ll be on my way too,” Jada said.
“You don’t mind leaving us alone?” Mark asked.
Jada smiled, a sly look on her face. “I know enough about you to trust you alone with her. Next time, just have yourself announced. If the Sons are here to help us then we need to cooperate, not have you bursting through our security. We’re trying to maintain a low profile, not get everyone excited.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, running his hand through his thick hair. “I just had trouble believing Reychel was here and once I got it into my mind that she might be, well, I just had to see her. Right away.” He turned to me. “I was afraid you’d refuse to see me if you knew I was here.”
Over Mark’s shoulder I saw Jada slip quietly out of my room and close the door behind her.
“Is he here with you?” Mark asked, his eyes both hurt and hopeful. I saw the glimmer of his gift and knew he’d let his guard down. He could detect secrets, mental walls, in anyone’s mind and he usually kept his own gift concealed.
“Who?” I asked, confused. “Nemison?”
“Not Nemison. That guy. The one whose arms you couldn’t pry yourself out of at Kandek’s wedding.”
Grey. The last time Mark had seen me, Grey had his arm around me. Ace had ordered me to come with him, to run away into the woods with him and Mark. Grey had stopped him from forcing me and then kept his arm around me for protection. That was all Mark had seen. And I’d let him believe what he saw. I was hurt by the Sons’ surprise attack and by their unnecessary violence in a situation I had well under control.
“You’re the one who ran off into the woods with the Sons like a little boy escaping from the mess he’d made. How could you do that? How could you set up that attack and ruin what I was trying to do? An innocent man died. A man who was only trying to do his duty and protect his master. If you would have kept the Sons out of it, no one would have been hurt. Nemison would be here with me now.”
Mark looked confused. “What happened to Nemison?” he asked, ignoring everything I’d just said.
“I don’t know. He’s probably been taken prisoner. No one has heard from him since I escaped.”
“I’m sorry,” Mark said, hanging his head. He reached out for my hand. “I asked my brothers in the Sons to be there, to hide in the woods in case you needed help. Ace took things into his own hands as he tends to do. He’s a good man, he just has a skewed sense of how to accomplish goals. You and I might want to sit back and plan but Ace jumps in when the situation dictates. He makes the hard decisions. We need him and his instincts.”
“He tried to force me to go with you guys.”
“He knew that’s what I wanted,” Mark said. “He knew I didn’t want you to go with Nemison.”
“I thought you said you
’d come with me wherever I went,” I spat out, pulling my hand out of his. “Not try to force me into going with you.”
“I thought you wanted to be with me,” Mark retorted.
I balled my hands into fists. I wanted to hit him, to make him shut up. The hurt welled up again, pushing me to the brink of tears.
“Why did you run off into the woods with them? Why didn’t you try to talk to me?” I asked, almost pleading. I needed to know the answer. “Was it because of Grey? Was that the only reason?”
Mark’s fingers raked through his hair. I waited, but he didn’t answer. My eyes gazed into his, unwavering. I wanted the answer. I needed to know. Maybe I had only been a diversion last summer after he’d come home from training with the army. Maybe the feelings I’d had for him weren’t the same as his feelings for me. I trembled, suddenly unsure how ready I was to know the truth.
“I couldn’t stand seeing you in his arms. I don’t care who he is. I don’t care if he’s your best friend or your brother or your old boyfriend. It hurt, more than anything I’ve ever had to deal with. After everything we’d been through together, Reychel.”
Relieved, I let out a deep breath. I’d hurt him, but only because his feelings for me were as strong as mine for him. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d found him in the arms of another girl. He’d tried to protect me and Ace jumped the gun. It wasn’t his fault that I was hurt. But it was all my fault that he was hurt.
Tears slipped from my eyes. I quickly lowered my head so my hair could cover my face and he wouldn’t see. I’d finally discovered one advantage to having a long wig.
“I am so sorry, Mark. There was so much going on and I wasn’t thinking straight. Ace brought out the worst in me. I was reacting to his actions. I never should have projected them on to you. Can you forgive me?”
Mark’s hand found my chin under the cascade of hair. He lifted it until my eyes emerged. I looked at him, straight into his blazing blue eyes.
“I forgave you before I ran into the woods,” he whispered. “Can you forgive me?”
I nodded, falling into his arms and resting my face on his strong chest. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst through my chest. I wondered if he could feel it against his chest too.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered into my hair. We embraced in silence until Mark slowly pulled away. “But I have to go back.”
“Back? Back where? Why won’t you stay here?” I grasped his arm with both hands. I didn’t want him to leave, not so soon. “There’s plenty of room in the palace. You’d be surprised how many empty rooms there are.”
“I can’t, Reychel. I have to go back to my men. What would it say to them if I left them camping on the ground while I lived in luxury in the palace? It wouldn’t be right.”
I wanted to argue, but I knew he was right. I wanted him to stay here with me. I could be myself with him. I didn’t have to worry about him fawning over me or expecting anything from me. He didn’t care if I knew how to use my gift or not. He liked me for me and sometimes I thought he might be the only one.
“Stay. Just today. You can go back this afternoon.” I felt all the needy parts of me bubble up. The selfish parts I so often suppressed. The pieces I didn’t like to admit existed inside me.
“I can’t. Ace —”
“Ace needs you.” I interrupted, taking my hands from his arm. “Of course Ace needs you. He needed you after the wedding and he needs you now. You should go back to him.”
I spun around on my heel, so my back was to him. The pressure was getting to me. Everyone expected me to perform for them. I needed to be the great Prophet. I needed to learn how to use my gift. I needed to save our people. I didn’t want any of those things at the moment. What did I want? I wanted Mark to stay. To remind me I was human. Normal. Worthy.
“Don’t act like such a childish brat,” Mark said. “I have responsibilities. Has staying in this palace with servants for just a couple weeks spoiled you so much that you can’t see that anymore?”
“Spoiled brat?” I spat, whirling around and facing him. “Is that how you see me? Then maybe you should go.” I pointed to the door.
“Are you going to call your guards to have me escorted out?” Mark retorted.
“Maybe I should,” I said.
“There’s no need for that,” he said. “I can find my own way out.”
“And then forget how you got here,” I said, regretting the words as I said them but unable to stop myself. “I don’t want to see you again.”
Mark’s face grew red from the neck up.
“If that’s how you want it, great Prophet,” he said, bowing. I had the strangest urge to kick him. What was wrong with me?
“Get out!” I screamed.
“Leaving,” he insisted. Mark turned around for the door. As he stepped into the doorway, he stopped. I held my breath wondering which insult he wanted to leave with me.
To my surprise, he turned again, strode across the room, and took me in his arms. His mouth met mine with a strong kiss. I melted into his embrace, feeling the softness of his lips combined with strong insistence.
As quickly as it began, it ended. His arms disentangled from mine, he turned around, and walked out of the door.
A stupid smile spread across my face.
Chapter Nine
Zelor’s Journals: Book Two
I woke up this morning refreshed for the first time in three days. The headaches kept me in my bed, away from the light, away from people. Nothing but lying in the silent darkness could cure my aches.
The visions keep coming. The useless pieces of drivel that I can’t block. But there was something new a week ago. A girl. A bald slave girl. I continue to see her. I’ve seen her in the back of a kitchen wiping dishes. I’ve seen her serving her master. I’ve seen her laughing with another slave as they lie awake at night talking when they probably should be sleeping. I’ve seen her read the clouds, just like me. I’ve seen her lead her people.
I see this girl, all the time. Every day for a week she haunted my visions until the headaches came and forced me to lie down.
People are beginning to laugh at me. I hear them outside my house, laughing, joking. I know they are pointing at my house asking each other, “What is wrong with that crazy man?”
I wish I knew what was wrong with me too. Why do my visions continue to disturb my life? They used to offer peace, solace, and friendship. Now they do little more than vex me.
I must do something to change this. But what? What could I possibly do?
Chapter Ten
The next morning I woke up determined to do something to change this situation. My vision showed people dying in the streets below, but so far none of my visions had been totally accurate. Maybe it was possible that nothing in them was etched in stone. If I had the power to change things, then I needed to know how to use it. I had to find out what I was missing from Zelor’s journals.
On my first day here, Jada mentioned The Book of Secrets, supposedly hidden in his cottage. Unfortunately I was as much a prisoner here as I was at my old home, not allowed outside where anyone would notice me. If gossip was as rampant here as Reese claimed, an unaccompanied noblewoman would be noticed. Too bad I didn’t have one of those cloaks I’d used back home that left me invisible.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. It was probably for the best. I wasn’t getting anywhere by thinking; I needed to come up with a plan.
“Breakfast, mistress,” Alia called through the door. Alia! My mind spun with possibilities. She could be the key to everything I needed.
I pulled on my slippers and ran over to the door. I opened it and peeked to see who else was in the hallway. No one else was there. I grabbed Alia’s arm and pulled her in. The dishes on the tray rattled, but she steadied herself. A wide grin spread across my face and she looked at me like I’d just offered her a plate of live slugs for breakfast.
“Do you truly believe I’m the Prophet?” I asked her, takin
g the tray of food from her hands. I turned around to place it on my table and when I turned back Alia was kneeling on the floor, her forehead on the ground, and her hands held upward.
“I take it that’s a yes,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Please get up, Alia. It isn’t necessary for you to be on the floor.”
I placed my hand under her elbow and helped Alia stand up again. “I need you to shave my head,” I told her. My plan was brilliant. I needed to be invisible and Alia was the only one who could, or would, help me.
“Shave your head? But you’re no longer a slave,” she stammered.
“I know,” I said. “But I need to go out into the town and I can’t do it with the wig. People might question who I am. I can’t do it with the small amount of hair I’ve grown either. If my head was bald then I could move around unnoticed. You know just as well as I do that no one notices a slave.”
Alia nodded her head.
“But I don’t have any of the tools needed to shave my head,” I said. “Can you get them for me? And a change of clothes?”
She was a bit shorter than I was, but our builds were similar. Fitting into her clothes shouldn’t be an issue.
Alia stood still, staring at me.
“Please?” I asked.
“When I was growing up,” Alia said, “I heard the stories about you. We were told that one day you would come to us, shining in glory with golden hair. You would appear over the mountains in a ray of light and lead us away from the Malborn. Some people believed your simple presence would render the Malborn helpless and they would collapse to the ground, dead, never to hurt us again.”
My eyes grew wider. I hope she didn’t expect that of me. Great Eloh, how could I ever live up to that?
“I always believed that was silly,” Alia continued. “If you were a mere Serenian, like me, then why would you arrive that way? Why would you if you were one of us? I always hoped our Prophet would be just like the rest of us. I’m beginning to believe you are. Plus your hair is black, not blonde like the stories told.”
