Rook and Shadow (Salarian Chronicles Book 1)

by A. G. Marshall

  In front of us stood a desolate valley. Cracks and bits of withered plants covered the earth. I turned. On one side of the hill, green grass and flowers waved in a breeze, leading to the woods.

  On the other, no living thing. Not even animals. Not a sound except the wind. The parched ground stretched over hills to the horizon, silent.

  Chapter 12

  Will’s hands shook at his sides, clenched into tight fists. I stepped towards him, and my ankle gave out. I fell and would have rolled down the hill if he had not caught me. My hand stung. A drop of blood formed on my palm, a ruby against a pearl.

  Will offered me his hand.

  “I can’t.”

  Now that I was down, I couldn’t imagine getting back up. My feet throbbed, and my palm stung. The fall had reinjured my ankle, and now I had no healing charm. A ball of pain formed just above my heel and stayed there.

  “We’re almost there.”

  He said it through gritted teeth.

  “Then go ahead. I can’t walk anymore.”

  I pulled off my boots to make it clear I had no intention of taking another step. The socks stuck to my feet when I removed them. Quite a bit of wool stayed behind in the blisters.

  “The soldiers will find us.”

  “Great! I won’t have to walk anymore.”

  I meant it. At this point, I didn’t care about a scandal. They would take me back to the palace. Lady Alma would heal me. Everything would be better.

  Will retrieved his socks and slipped on his boots. I watched, picking bits of wool off my skin and cringing every time.

  As soon as he was out of sight, I would start screaming. The soldiers would find me eventually.

  Will wrapped an arm around my waist and another under my legs. Before I could protest, he lifted me up and carried me into the parched valley. His feet crunched against the ground as if he were walking on brittle bones.

  “Put me down,” I managed to say. We were halfway down the hill by then.

  He shook his head.

  “I want them to find me. I want this to end.”

  “You think this is bad? You have no idea.”

  His face was too close to mine. Hair stuck to his forehead, damp with sweat. His eyes looked straight ahead. I diverted my gaze and watched the passing rows of the petrified plants. Will stepped between them.

  A breeze cooled my feet. I should have struggled. Made him release me. But that would mean walking again. I felt Will’s sweat through his tunic. He didn’t smell very nice. I probably didn’t either. A drip of his sweat landed on my face. I wiped it with my sleeve.

  The dead valley stretched on for an eternity.

  “Thank you,” I said after a while.

  He nodded. Possibly smiled a little. He was breathing too hard to speak.

  Was I really that heavy? Sir Inkling once said I was delicate as a butterfly wing. Sir Quill said I was a snowflake come to life. But neither of them had ever carried me across hills and valleys.

  Finally, at the top of a hill, Will’s crunching boots met living grass. In front of us, surrounded by green grass and gardens, stood a tiny house and barn. Peeling red paint revealed weathered wood, and chickens pecked around the front yard. A group of children ran and laughed. A boy caught a chicken and chased a girl with blond hair so short I thought she was a boy until I noticed her dress. The whole group laughed and waved to us as we approached.

  Will walked to the house and kicked the front door three times. A woman with a single streak of gray in her hair opened it.

  “Will! I’d expect William to bring home a half-dressed girl in the middle of the night. Don’t tell me you’ve picked up his bad habits.”

  Some of my buttons had come undone, revealing my chemise. My face flushed.

  “It’s morning,” Will said.

  “Even worse.”

  She smiled at me and opened the door wider to let us inside.

  “Is she going to stay here?” a boy asked as we entered.

  He looked younger than me, but he sat up straight, trying to look taller.

  “Finish your breakfast and go help Samuel in the field.”

  “He won’t need much help,” the boy said. He stood and held out a chair. Will set me down in it.

  “My name’s Thomas,” he said. “If you stay, you can have my bunk. I don’t mind sleeping outside if it means you’ll be comfortable.”

  “Um, thanks,” I said.

  “Anything for you, angel.”

  He winked at me.

  “Thomas! Get outside this instant!”

  The woman shooed him out the door.

  “I am sorry about that. He has been spending a lot of time with William lately. My name is Gerta.”

  “Rook’s feet are hurt,” Will said. “Do you have anything? We may need to leave soon.”

  I wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t walk any more today.

  “Oh, I’ve treated my fair share of injuries,” Gerta said. “I’ll see what I can do. What are you on the run from?”

  “Soldiers came to the village.”

  “Oh.”

  Her smiled faded. She poured the contents of a green bottle on my feet. I waited for the instant relief of a magic spell, but felt only a slight tingle. The translucent silver liquid smelled like a garden after rain. I fumbled with my dress and managed to refasten the buttons while Gerta bandaged the blisters.

  “You can stay as long as you need to, of course. I’m a bit short on supplies though. Even feeding the children-”

  “We’ll get you some as soon as we can,” Will said.

  “I know you will.”

  “Has William come back yet?”

  Gerta shook her head.

  “He should be back soon, but it is hard to say. He’s gone to visit Roslynn.”

  “The girl that helps Elsie and Edsel?” I asked.

  “She lives on the farm next door,” Will said.

  “Will is at her farm as often as he is here,” Gerta said. “Roslynn does come here to help sometimes, though.”

  “It looks like you need it,” I said.

  Gerta raised an eyebrow.

  “I mean you have a lot of children!”

  She laughed.

  “They’re orphans from all around Salaria. They do pretty well. The older ones especially.”

  Across the room, Will rummaged through a dresser and pulled out a clean pair of socks.

  “Stealing my clothes again?” William asked.

  He stood in the doorway, arms crossed.

  “Just socks,” Will said. “You can keep these.”

  He threw his dirty socks at William’s face. William dodged and punched him on the shoulder.

  “How’s Roslynn?” Gerta asked.

  “Not home. But her parents invited you to stay with them.”

  “That’s kind, but they barely have enough food for their own family.”

  “I know. What are you doing here?” He pointed at Will.

  “Rook and I came to visit.”

  He nodded in my direction. William jumped.

  “I thought you were with Elsie.”

  “I was kidnapped.”

  “Rescued,” Will said.

  “Again? Rook, you should take better care of yourself.”

  “William, can I come with you next time you go to the palace?” I asked.

  “I won’t be going anytime soon.”

  “Elsie said you sell crops there every week. I can disguise myself. I need to get back.”

  “You can’t, Rook,” Will said. “We’re running from soldiers.”

  “I could hide in the hay again.”

  “No.”

  “William has no reason to go back,” Gerta said. Her voice shook. William put his hand on her shoulder.

  “I just need you to get me in! I’ll be fine! You’ll be going to sell crops anyway! Why is this a problem?”

  “We need to check for soldiers,” Will said.

  He picked me up.

  “
Put me down! You have no right!”

  I struggled, but he carried me to the barn and set me on the back of the wagon. Thomas waved at me. He and a group of orphans were putting blankets on bunk beds that lined the barn wall.

  “No soldiers in sight,” I said, staring at Will.

  “You were upsetting Gerta.”

  “It is a simple request! I won’t be any trouble. I just need a ride to the castle.”

  “Will you listen? That black patch of land we walked through was Gerta’s farm. William isn’t going back because there’s nothing left to sell.”

  “Maybe he should water his crops instead of flirting!”

  Will brushed his hair aside and stared at me with dark eyes.

  “This is not a joke, Rook!”

  “Don’t yell at me! None of this is my fault!”

  The children looked at us. Will waved his hand, and they left the barn. Thomas came back.

  “Something for the lady,” he said.

  He handed me a cup of water. I drank it in a single gulp.

  “Thank you.”

  “Hey, is this guy bothering you?”

  He gestured to Will.

  “Get out of here, Thomas,” Will said.

  “Because if he is-”

  Thomas rolled up his sleeves and flexed his skinny arms.

  “I’m fine, Thomas. Thank you for the water.”

  “Hey, there’s more where that came from. I’ve got a whole well of the stuff.”

  He winked at me and left.

  “So all these beds are used by orphans?”

  I gestured to the beds that filled the barn. Will nodded.

  “With this much help, why did the farm dry up?”

  “Royal servants coated the fields with salt. So Princess Salara could go sledding.”

  Chapter 13

  I gaped at him.

  “The picnic happened on that field?”

  “And the salt soaked into the ground. Estrella is coming later, but even if she can heal the land this year’s crops are ruined.”

  “But, but-”

  Will shook his head.

  “They mowed the crops to make a flat surface for sleighing. Even if we can remove the salt, there’s nothing left.”

  I stared at the dusty barn floor. It wasn’t my fault. Not really.

  “Salt powers charms, right?” I said. “Can’t they sell the salt?”

  “Only fairy salt from the mountains works for charms. Regular salt that has been trampled by horses is useless.”

  “Oh, right.”

  I had read about different types of salt, but had assumed the author was exaggerating. All the salt in the palace powered charms.

  Will held out his arms, offering to take me back to the house. I shook my head, and he left me alone.

  Salt.

  The snow was made of salt.

  I twisted my apron in my hands.

  How did a farm work, exactly? They grew food, and now they had none. I glanced around at the beds in the barn.

  There were a lot.

  If I could get back to the palace, I could send them plenty of whatever they needed.

  I just needed a way to get back.

  Something fell out of my apron pocket. I watched it flutter to the ground.

  A rook feather.

  So much for Estrella’s enchantment. It couldn’t even keep a feather in the pocket. I jumped off the cart and groaned as my feet hit the floor. A blister burst, covering my foot in sticky liquid. My ankle ached. Gerta’s potion had done some good, but I was far from being able to walk anywhere. Walking to the palace was not an option.

  I brushed the dust off the feather and twirled it around, watching the dark prism of colors it reflected. Maybe I could arrange a trade.

  I inhaled and blew on it.

  Dust swirled around it. The feather melted into the air and floated around me in inky droplets. More and more droplets circled around me until the barn faded to black. When the darkness cleared, I stood in Delilah’s wig shop.

  “Welcome back, Sara,” Delilah said. She did not look up from the blond wig she was styling. The wagon’s doors and windows were closed, and her wrinkles looked deeper than ever in the flickering candlelight.

  “I’m called Rook now.”

  “Ah, yes, the girl who almost passed the rook test. I can give you five gold coins for your wig.”

  “Is that enough for passage to the palace?”

  She stopped working. The hair she held quivered as her hand trembled.

  “I should think you’d want to avoid Castlemont.”

  “I’ll trade you the wig for passage to the palace. You could give me another feather to send me there.”

  “I’m not a courier service, dear. But let’s figure out what’s really going on, hmm? Someone’s in trouble, and you’d like to help. Admirable, but whatever valuables you had at the palace are long gone.”

  “I’ll give you these, then. I’m sure they’re valuable. They were in the opera.”

  I pulled the bracelets out of my apron.

  “I specialize in hair accessories, dear. Those would be no use to me.”

  I returned the bracelets to their place in the apron and offered her the healing charm. She shook her head. I started to tie it around my neck, then shoved it into the apron pocket as well.

  “I just want to go home.”

  Madame Delilah gestured to the chair with the smallest pile of fabric on it. I collapsed in it and propped my feet up on an overturned mannequin.

  “Have a snack, dear, and let’s talk business.”

  She handed me a plate of cheese and crackers and a cup of water. I ate while she talked.

  “The wig is valuable, even used. I’ll give you five for it. That will help your friends. But a little more, and you could set Gerta and the orphans up for the rest of the winter.”

  “How do you know about Gerta?”

  “Her girls sell me their hair when things get rough. This hair is from one of hers. I’m making it for Lady Alma.”

  She held up a blond wig shaped like a Castanian star. Eight points jutted out from the head.

  “I just need to get to the palace.”

  “She’s a good woman, Gerta. Been taking care of orphans since she was one herself. And with you being a former member of the court, you must feel some responsibility for her plight.”

  The party had been Sir Gilbert’s idea, and of course he wouldn’t have planned it if he had known the consequences. But he was gone now.

  “The wig is all I have. You used a charm to transport me here. Can’t you just send me to the palace?”

  “No, I can’t. And you have much more than this wig, dear.”

  “I don’t even have shoes!”

  I gestured to my bare feet. Delilah snapped her fingers, and my wig appeared in her hand. My own dark hair tumbled down around my shoulders.

  Oh.

  “Normally there’s not much demand for dark hair, but I had a request yesterday. I need more hair to fill the order.”

  “Dye some.”

  “I’ve tried that. Bit of a disaster. Getting the hair to look natural is harder than you would think. Five for the wig and seven for your hair. That’s more than fair. Enough to help Gerta and pay someone to take you back to Castlemont if you’re crazy enough to try.”

  “Out of the question.”

  “Nine for your hair then. The short hair will be a nice disguise for you.”

  “Would you trade my hair for transport to the palace?”

  “I already told you, no. But I can give you a little something extra.”

  She waved her hands in the air, and a small bottle appeared.

  “A healing potion for your feet. Takes away the pain and repairs the skin instantly. It will even do the bone in your ankle some good.”

  The crystal vial flickered in the candlelight. The throbbing in my feet grew worse.

  “And one more bit of magic jewelry since you seem fond of that sort of thing. This one
is rare. The last I have.”

  She pulled a blue charm shaped like a tear drop out of her apron. It hung on a silver chain.

  “This makes your hair grow faster. It will be past your waist again in no time.”

  “How long is no time?”

  “Ten seconds once the charm is activated. I hate to give away my last one, but this wig is for one of my best clients.”

  My ankle ached. Moisture from the popped blister oozed through my bandages.

  “Fine. I’ll do it.”

  Delilah’s face disappeared into a pile of wrinkles as she smiled. She handed me the bottle. I uncorked it and rubbed the contents on my feet. The pain stopped the moment I applied it, and the throbbing in my ankle lessened. I unwound the bandages and poured more on. My skin showed no trace of the blisters.

  “Have a seat.”

  Madame Delilah pulled a wooden stool to the center of the room. I sat, and she brushed my hair. I stared ahead, trying not to imagine what Mother and Lady Alma would say if they knew. They never had to. My hair would grow back before I saw them again.

  The scissors reflected candlelight onto the walls. The first snip made me jump. Delilah laid a lock of hair on a table. It seemed alive. A part of me removed.

  The pile grew. I grabbed the sides of the stool to keep from falling over. My head spun, my scalp tingled.

  It was so odd to see my hair detached from my head. It rippled like the Ghone on a starry night, absorbing the light around it. Purple, green, and blue rays filled the tiny wagon.

  My head grew lighter and lighter. I felt dizzy.

  Delilah circled around me. The scissors flashed in my eyes. Finally she put them down and handed me the hair growth charm and a pouch of coins. She gathered my hair off the table and put it in a box.

  “Be careful standing up. You’re literally light headed.”

  She snapped her fingers, and the room blurred. I heard her laughing as everything went dark. The last thing I saw was the scissors, sharp and silver and lit with flames.

  I reappeared on the barn floor under the wagon. Thomas stood in front of me.

  “Thank goodness you’re back!” he said. “I saw you get swallowed up by ink and thought you’d been kidnapped.”

  I crawled out from under the wagon. His jaw dropped.