by Payal Doshi
“Trixter potions are side-splitting! They get me every time.”
“Look at us!” Rea raised her voice and Flula hushed. “Look at what we’re wearing. We know nothing about Astranthia. We have different names, and this is the first time we’ve seen a pari or a walking piece of grass or a spontaneously growing twig. We’re more afraid than you can imagine. If you don’t believe us, we’ll portal to Earth with you and show you where we live. You’ll see posters of my brother everywhere; you’ll see he’s missing.”
“Ordinary Astranthians can’t travel through the portal, but maybe people from Earth can?” Leela suggested, staying clear of the flattened twig.
“I bet that’s it,” said Flula. “And who cares for silly rules anyway? They’re meant to be forgotten! Xee, let’s help these girls.”
Xeranther didn’t answer Flula. He looked back and forth between Leela and Rea with suspicion and disgust. His once-friendly eyes had turned cold and hard. Rea could tell he wasn’t going to help.
Suddenly, it was all too much. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Please,” she said, her voice cracking. “My brother has been kidnapped and it’s my fault. My family blames me for losing him. We’ve spent days looking for him and we finally found this portal. I was so excited. I thought we were getting closer. But we don’t know anything about this place. Without your help, we’ll never find him. Please, help us.”
Embarrassed by her outburst, Rea looked at the ground, hastily wiping away her tears. For the first time since he had disappeared, Rea acknowledged to herself that Rohan might never come back. Things might not have been perfect between them, but he was still her brother. Her twin. Her other half. She didn’t care if Rohan never invited her to anything again—she couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. And if he didn’t come back, she knew Amma would stop caring about her altogether.
“We’re begging you,” said Leela, standing arm in arm with Rea. Tears filmed her eyes too.
With a downcast glance, Xeranther handed them each a leaf for a tissue. “I’ll help you, but under one condition.”
All of a sudden, a blood-curdling squawk filled the sky. With a sound of alarm, Xeranther pushed Rea and Leela under the cover of an enormous, spiral-veined frond. Only when Flula nodded that it was safe did he allow them to crawl out.
“The Queen’s spies are everywhere.” He glanced at the eagle-like bird flying in the distance. It was larger than any bird Rea had seen. “My condition is you don’t tell a soul you are Earthlings. It won’t be safe for either of us.”
“We won’t,” said Rea, her heart sighing with relief.
“We promise,” added Leela.
“Tomorrow, I will bring clothes to make you look more Astranthian. For now, let’s make speed to the Whispering Walls.”
Chapter 12
The Whispering Walls
A gigantic, mold-ridden bud sat on a dirt road emanating a buzzing hum. Susurrating voices rose and fell from its walls, and as they got closer, it turned into a cacophony of a thousand whispers. Xeranther led them inside without hesitating. Leela followed nervously and Rea’s skin prickled as she trailed behind them.
Once inside, the bud was musty and cool, and the whispers dulled into background static. Flula flitted along the bud’s inner walls, lighting cobweb-covered lanterns placed within alcoves. She lit them by touching each wick with the tip of her finger and within moments, the bud flickered in hues of amber and shadow. The light revealed its aged facade, peeling and mottled in places. Rea pictured people sitting close to the walls, letting go of their secrets.
“What do we do now?” she asked. The hollowness of the bud echoed her words.
“Ask your question,” Xeranther said, sitting down beside her.
Rea crouched close to the wall. “Have you heard of Rohan Chettri?” she whispered.
The drum of voices lifted and dropped, and Rea only heard gibberish. Judging by the quizzical looks held by the others, they hadn’t picked up anything either.
“Is Rohan Chettri in Astranthia?” Leela asked, more loudly.
Flula sailed to various points on the wall, pressing her ears against it. Rea did the same, but all she caught between the swell of voices was a random word—collyfuzzle, was it?
Rea tried again. “Do you know if a boy named Rohan Chettri has been kidnapped from Earth?”
The whispers ebbed and intensified, pounding the wall like a headache. Flula hit her fist against it, producing a faint knock. “Help her, secret keeper! I demand you tell her what she has traveled all this way to know,” she said.
The voices went on, fighting and scratching over each other. They escalated like chants from a hundred lips and Rea, still kneeling near the wall, wanted to scream for silence.
“I’m sorry,” Xeranther said, kneeling beside her. “I hoped you would learn something.”
Rea rested her face against the bud, defeated. They had portaled between worlds for nothing. A tear slid down her cheek and fell onto the edge of the wall.
Suddenly, the voices were silent.
Everyone exchanged glances except Rea, who was too deep in her misery to notice the change. She brushed away another tear and Leela grabbed her tear-streaked hand.
“Ask the question again and place your hand on the wall,” she said.
Rea caught the twinkle in her eye and did as she was told.
“Rohan lies locked—” a raspy voice began, loud, lucid, and clear. Rea’s heart leapt with hope. But before the voice could finish its sentence, the march of whispers rose and stomped out the rest of the sentence.
“Flaming flintstools!” Xeranther exclaimed. “How did you do that?”
“I think it’s the tears,” Leela said, her eyes round like chikoos.
Rea wiped another wet spot on her cheek and placed her damp palm on the wall. The bud went mute.
“Oh greatness,” Xeranther bellowed and broke into a song.
“Come one, come two, come three, come all
Bequeath onto me your prayer calls
Those far and few on sincere pew
Leave behind a salt of dew
Now hear, now here
The whispers veer
As one does fall
Into one’s ear
Sincere, and
In a drawl
A secret
from
the
Whispering Walls.”
He finished his song, and looked at the girls.
“It’s a rhyme every child in Astranthia grows up listening to. As children, we would come here, hoping to find out other people’s secrets for fun. We’d leave behind dew drops or water from seas and rivers. Nothing ever happened, so we’d piece together the words we caught and make up our own secrets. Can we try your way again?”
Rea nodded. She repeated her question and touched the wall with her tear-wet hand.
“Rohan lies locked...” the voice said again before trailing off.
“It worked!” Rea yelled, and the bud swam in soft, golden light.
“Oh!” Flula shouted joyfully. She twirled, pari dust falling around her like glitter. Flula’s body glowed brightly, and Rea felt a sudden warmth in her chest.
“When a pari is truly happy, her inner happiness flows out for all to partake in,” Xeranther said, smiling at Flula.
Rea pushed back her tears, touched that a stranger cared so much. She went over to Flula and sat beside her.
“I have an idea,” she said.
Rea repeated the question and counted to three before placing her tear. Since the voices stopped for only a moment, she had to pick the right time to hear the rest of the sentence.
“—locked in the Cellars of Doom,” came the crackly voice.
Everyone’s eyes lit up and she continued, waiting six seconds this time.
“—For the Night of Nilaya,” the walls said.
Next, she waited nine counts.
No whispers came. Rea tried four more times. The secret about Rohan had ended.
&
nbsp; “Rohan lies locked in the Cellars of Doom for the Night of Nilaya,” Leela recounted once they were back outside. The sunlight was waning; the day was almost over.
“Where are these Cellars and what is the Night of Nilaya?” asked Rea.
“The Night of Nilaya is the most important ceremony for every living soul in Astranthia. It’s the night the Som, our sacred flower and giver of life, rises to replenish the realm,” explained Flula.
“Um... okay. When is it?”
“Four days from today.”
“And what about the Cellars?”
The sky, a luminous purple, turned a shade darker and a cloud of worry passed over Xeranther.
“The Cellars of Doom are the most treacherous prisons in all the land,” he said.
“You mean Rohan was brought to another world to be locked in its most dangerous prison like a criminal?” Leela asked, astounded.
“That’s what the secret said,” Xeranther replied grimly. “The Cellars exist somewhere underneath the castle. They’re called the Cellars of Doom because each cellar is cast with a spell. They say that once you are locked inside, death is the only escape.”
“The cells are guarded by spriggans,” quivered Flula. “They can light you on fire with a single breath.”
“How do you know so much about these prisons?” asked Rea. “Maybe it’s all just rumors.” She couldn’t believe Rohan was stuck in such a terrible place.
Xeranther lowered his head and Flula’s glow dimmed as she landed on his shoulder.
“My Par was thrown in the Cellars because he gave a portion of haukernut harvest to a beggar woman without taking her coins. Under the Queen’s reign, rations have to be bought no matter the price and no matter how poor we may be. Giving priced goods for free is a punishable offence under the new Covenants.”
“The Queen detests any show of kindness,” Flula added, softer than a whisper. “If she were our ruler, the pari-folk would have kicked her out of power.” She kicked the air to mimic her words.
“If only it were that easy,” grumbled Xeranther.
“What do you mean if she were your ruler?” asked Leela.
“The Queen’s rule extends only to humans in Astranthia. Not pari-folk. We live by our own rules and don’t meddle in their affairs. It’s the only way we can live together in harmony.”
Rea was beginning to understand the strange ways of this realm, but she needed to know more about the Cellars.
“What happened to your father?” she asked.
Xeranther’s face hardened.
“It was the middle of winter. My Par found an old lady clothed in rags lying faint by the side of the road. She was sickly and hungry with barely a coin to spare, not nearly enough to buy food. So, he smuggled a few haukernuts and berries out of our landlord’s orchard to feed her. When the Court of Coin inspected the ledgers, my Par confessed and explained why he did it. The Queen would hear none of his reasons. She berated him for having a weak soul and imprisoned him, making him an example to all. Our family begged the landlord to appeal to the Queen, but he would do nothing. ‘Rules have no exceptions,’ he said. My Par had worked for him for twenty-three years. On the day of his hanging, he yelled about the torture he had endured at the hands of the spriggans and the bewitching prison cells. His words haunt me still.”
“And… what happened to the old woman?” asked Leela. Her face looked like she didn’t want to know the answer.
Xeranther’s voice cracked with anger. “She was a ruse sent to test the obedience of the common folk. She wasn’t even a real person. The Queen had created her using her evil Shadow Magic.”
“Oh…” shuddered Leela. “I’m so sorry, Xeranther. What a horrible thing.”
“I’m really sorry about your father but Rohan doesn’t know the rules of this place. How could he have broken them?” Rea said impatiently. “I mean we’re from Earth! There’s no reason for him to be locked in these Cellars.”
Leela gave Rea a look, but Rea wasn’t sure what it meant. She had said she was sorry for what happened to Xeranther’s father. What else was she supposed to do? They needed to focus on Rohan. He was the one who needed help now.
“There’s a chance the secret of the Whispers isn’t true,” Xeranther said, his expression somber. “Although, you’d be a fool to think the Queen needs a reason to hurt people. She rules by her own fancy. Since she became our ruler, we live in fear that anything we do could be pronounced treasonous. A stray word can cost someone their life, their livelihood, and their family. Par’s story is not the only one like it. Everyone in Astranthia has lost someone to the Queen’s law. Yet, we live on and do nothing.” His jaw clenched.
“Then help us to get to the Cellars. I won’t have Rohan imprisoned for a second longer,” said Rea.
Xeranther shook his head. “Not only is it nearly impossible to get to the castle but it’s also extremely dangerous. It isn’t wise at all.”
“I don’t care if it is wise or not,” she snapped. “I finally know where my brother is, and you think I’m going to give up on him now?”
“The castle is surrounded by a venomous lake. Only those invited by the Queen can travel across it. Others have died trying. Do you want to die?” Xeranther’s mouth tightened.
“What about you, Flula? Can’t you fly over it?” Leela asked, trying to find a solution.
“My Earthling blossom, I can fly over the waters but there’s nothing I can do about the dangers which reside under it. Those who want to enter the castle must traverse the lake themselves.”
“But we can’t just leave him there.” Leela’s eyes welled up.
“And we won’t,” Rea said. She turned to Xeranther with fire in her eyes. “If you could go back in time and rescue your father, wouldn’t you do it? Or would you be too afraid to die?”
A piercing shriek tore the skies and Xeranther shrank under the cover of a tree. The others looked up as well, expecting to see the large eagle flying above. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw a small robin-like bird and nothing more.
“That’s it,” Xeranther said, throwing up his hands. “I’m done living in fear. I’m done doing nothing when people get killed for no fault of their own.”
“So, you’ll help us?” Leela asked, hopefully.
Xeranther hesitated. “I’ll take you as far as the lake.”
Leela enveloped him in a hug. Blushing, he clumsily patted her. Flula glowed a bright pearly white.
“Tomorrow, Floo and I will make arrangements for crossing the lake. We will meet you at the market. Make sure your landing is inconspicuous, else you’ll be handed right to the guards.”
Rea held his gaze.
“Thank you so much,” she said softly.
The journey to the banyan was quick and uneventful. After spying soldiers of the Imperial Guard patrolling the streets, Xeranther took them along a guard-free back road. When they reached the market, he and Flula created a diversion while the banyan roots swooped Rea and Leela into the canopy.
The moment they landed in Sanobar, the hands on Rea’s watch jumped from 1:11AM to 5:57AM. The glow of dawn brimmed above the treetops. As they mounted their bicycles and followed the marked trees out of the forest, Rea hoped no one at home had noticed she’d been missing through the night.
Chapter 13
Ravishing and Ruthless
A motif of tendrils carved in gold filigree ornamented the lulewood door. It gave the impression of needing burly hands to open it, but as Queen Razya waved her fingers over the lock, the tendrils snapped backwards, and the door clicked open.
She entered her private quarters, a space where no one else was allowed, not even her chambermaids. What if they poisoned her bath or murdered her in her sleep or strangled her with a curtain rope? With everything she had gone through, she wasn’t going to let them win that easily. For twelve years, she drew her own baths, dressed herself, and tidied her rooms. The cooks had to sample her meals lest they were poisoned.
Raz
ya strode down the crimson-carpeted vestibule. Her gown, awash in shades of aquamarine, was made from Astranthia’s finest silk. A frothy swirl of ruffles silhouetted her body, showing off her tall, svelte figure as a cloud of luminous red taffeta swam around her ruby-studded sandals. She appeared wrapped in a wave while gliding in a pool of blood: her exact instructions to the dressmaker. Her father’s crown of branch, leaf, and petal, once crafted in gold, sat on her head forged in copezium, the metal of the occult, glinting a brilliant, glossy black. Razya slipped her hand into her dress pocket and checked for the pouch. Feeling the supple lump beside her thigh, she relaxed.
Then she chided herself.
These days, paranoia seemed to rule her every thought. It wasn’t as if the pouch could be stolen when no one was allowed to step any closer than the distance of a fully drawn sword. It was unbecoming for a Queen to give into such insecurities, but the hostility of the past weeks had made her doubly watchful. Her plans were far from over.
With a flick of her wrist, she unlocked the door to her bedchamber. The air inside was stale, lingering with the scent of myntroot perfume. Similar to the corridor, the room had its natural light blocked with red velvet drapes. Candles in sconces offered the only source of light. After the room’s completion, she had the architect and builders beheaded so none but herself had walked within these walls.
It wasn’t the layout of the chamber she wanted to keep secret—the layout was similar to bedrooms in other castles: A grandiose suite containing a bedroom and a boudoir, a queen-size bed with a lace canopy, a bathroom furnished in porcelain and quartz, and an adjoining sitting area overlooking a labyrinth of iridescent scarlia blossoms many stories below—it was what she did in there, the enchantments she performed, she didn’t want anyone knowing about. The last time she had been caught, she had to take cruel but necessary action. And now it seemed, fate was rearing its ugly head towards her to exact its revenge.
