by Devyn Jayse
"It's a reverse map!" I pointed excitedly at the parchment. "Look here, see those lines that make a circular pattern?"
"Yes?"
"You think it's the sea, correct?"
Oscar nodded.
"Well, it's not," I continued. "I think it's land instead. It's to deceive anyone into thinking they're looking at something, but they're seeing something else. This is some clever trickery."
Oscar's expression turned thoughtful. "Why do you think this is what's happening here?"
I shrugged. "I used to do it when I was younger. Hide things in plain sight."
I caught a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "You may be on to something here."
"Does this map leads to a treasure?"
"It could lead anywhere," Oscar replied.
"Well, if it's a treasure map and I helped you figure it out, I'd expect some form of payment for my troubles, sir," I teased.
"Well, the customer was hasty in trying to decipher what it meant. It could very well be a treasure map."
"Wouldn't it be funny if it were a pirate map and the key to some great treasure? Let's hire out a ship and go searching for this great pirate's treasure," I joked, thinking of Penny's call for adventure.
Then a realization hit me suddenly. I could actually do that. I could leave. I could travel and explore other lands. The only thing keeping me close to the castle was Gwen.
"My customer will not appreciate that."
"Do you do this often? Decipher maps and such?" I asked, resting my elbows on the table.
"From time to time." Oscar took off his glasses and wiped them with his handkerchief. "I believe customers view me as a last resort, and as such, I come across some interesting items."
"What's the most interesting thing you've seen?"
"I'm afraid I can't divulge that. You see, along with trusting me with their items, clients appreciate my discretion."
"You're showing me this map," I said.
"The client didn't ask me to sign a letter of confidentiality. I thought you may have a different insight. I was right."
"Well, if it does turn out to be a treasure map, I would still appreciate some form of compensation for my troubles."
Oscar gave me a fleeting smile. "In that case, I should have you figure it out completely. I don't have any deliveries for you today. Spend your time trying to see what other idea you can wring from this parchment."
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting there, trying to work out what else I could discover while Oscar went about his tasks. It was a good distraction from thinking about all the people trying to kill me.
26
Much later, after the sun had set, I found myself sitting alone at a corner table in the tavern. That night was busy, noise permeating every table. People seemed upbeat. The serving girls were rushing around, bringing plates and drinks as quickly as possible. Blaze, Ragum, and a couple of members of their gang were in the opposite corner. Blaze raised his cup toward me. I raised my knife back at him.
I looked down at my plate. My dinner was delicious. The cook had outdone herself that night. I was having a generous slice of meat and potatoes. As I cut my meat, someone slid into the chair across from me.
Blaze had taken my greeting as an invitation. I looked up, a smile on my face, and was startled out of my smile as I found Garren sitting across from me instead.
"How did you do that?" I asked incredulously. "How do you appear out of thin air? I was just looking around the tavern, and you weren't here."
He ignored my questions, his face serious. "Have you reconsidered your decision?"
"What decision?" I knew what he was talking about, but I was determined to have him answer at least one of my questions. Obstinate? Me? Surely not.
"Your decision regarding living in the castle." His voice was patient, but I could tell from his eyes that he knew I was being contrary.
"No."
"This is the only time I can get you safely in there." His tone was urgent. "There will be a shift in guards soon, and until I know who can be trusted to turn a blind eye, it will be difficult to get you in."
"I can't. First of all, it's a crazy idea. Going back to the castle is incredibly risky. And second of all, I'm needed here."
"Please reconsider. Think about it seriously."
"I have thought about it. My decision won't change." I couldn't leave Penny behind.
"What about your sister?" he demanded, a touch of frustration showing in his tone.
My heart clenched. Gwen was the one thing I tried not to think about. The thought of being able to see her again was tearing me apart. I missed her desperately, but living nearer her wouldn't change my situation. I was still exiled.
If they caught me within the castle walls, they would guess that she knew, and if that was confirmed by whoever saw her visiting me, then she would face the wrath of the prince. I couldn't do that to her. I wouldn't.
"She has the best caretakers looking after her health. I won't be able to help her when the time comes. You know I'm right."
I didn't like the look of recrimination Garren was giving me. He grabbed my wrist, hard enough that the knife fell from my hand. I tried to break free, but his grip was too strong. From the corner of my eye, I saw Blaze start toward us, walking slowly.
"My brother didn't want this for you."
Blaze was halfway to us. Men made way for him to pass, throwing wary looks behind his back.
"Your brother is dead because of me," I said, my voice low. I tilted my head toward Blaze. "You're attracting attention. Let go of me."
He released my wrist, and Blaze changed direction, approaching another table instead, but his eyes were still on me. I forced myself to look away from him.
Garren rubbed his hand across his face. When he looked at me, his eyes were weary. "He's dead because of the prince." The way he said the words sounded as though he'd often repeated them to himself.
"He died to protect me."
"Yes, but it wasn't your fault."
"I've accepted that it was. The prince may have dealt him the killing blow, but I was the reason he was there. What I didn't realize is that I was caged up in the castle. Exile is the best thing to happen to me. Yes, I miss my sister, but I don't miss much else. Isn't that strange? Did you miss your home when you were sent for your first assignment?"
He nodded.
"I don't. Yes, I miss the little luxuries of life, but this is the most alive I've ever felt. The best part of my days up in the castle were when I could find your brother and we could sword fight. I hated the rest of it. There were times when we'd talk about running away from the castle and experiencing the world. That's not the case anymore, but in the end, I think he would want me to be happy and this does."
Garren looked around the tavern, and his expression couldn't have been clearer. He didn't understand how I could be satisfied living in the Blights. "He'd want you to be safe."
"I wouldn't be safe up in the castle. I would be within reach of the prince," I pointed out.
"You would be protected," he insisted, his jaw set.
I studied him. "Your power and network is greater than that of the prince?"
His eyes burned into me, and I wondered how many secrets he was hoarding within his silence.
"I miss my sister desperately, but even I know my return to the castle would be worse for her than my absence. I can't risk her raising his ire. He'll have two targets now, her and the child. I think it's best for everyone that I stay away."
"Word on the street has it that you're so close to Blaze that you may just burst into flames."
"I make sure his sister gets to wherever she needs to go safely."
"He doesn't trust his people?"
I didn't like the implication of Garren's words. "Not that--I'm kind of a companion to her."
"I don't have to tell you about his history, do I? You are aware he has a criminal background. There isn't anything that happens in the Blights that he doesn't have a st
ake in."
"Your point being?"
"Be careful. I don't think you realize the magnitude of the people you're dealing with. Some of them put the prince to shame. You're not as safe as you seem to have convinced yourself you are. A lot of it has to do with your being in good graces with the notorious leader. Be careful you don't risk that."
"I think I'm fine."
"It doesn't hurt that you're a noblewoman, exiled or not, It's a valuable addition to his list."
"We don't talk about that."
"But he knows."
I nodded and waved my hand. "Here, I can be whoever I want to be. I can decide to wake up and do whatever I want."
"Except go back to the castle," he said with a twist of the lips.
"You never know. The guards could shift."
"Funny."
"I appreciate all you're trying to do, but I'm sure you know what it's like to have left the castle and venture out to the outer territories."
He straightened up, leaning forward toward me. "What do you know about that?"
"Nothing. What did you do all these years away?"
Garren relaxed and leaned back into his chair. "I was a guard. I guarded."
He left some coin on the table and got up to leave. "If you need me, you know how to reach me." He hesitated. "If you're ever in danger..."
"I know." I should go to Alice at the Honeycomb Inn. I gave him a nod of thanks.
I watched him leave, noticing other eyes watching him leave as well. Someone sat in the chair next to mine, and I turned my gaze to Blaze.
"For a moment there, I thought you needed help."
"I can take care of myself," I replied, dismissing his concerns.
The last thing I needed was for Blaze to set his sights on Garren--not that I was sure he hadn't by then. He was aware of everyone who stepped into the Blights, but I didn't want him to actively dig into Garren's background.
"Penny and I had an interesting conversation today."
"Oh?"
"We discussed friends. And how she doesn't have any."
I regretted my words as soon as they were out of my mouth as I saw the pain that crossed his face. Scrambling to fix my mistake, I quickly added, "So we've decided that I'm her new friend."
I was embarrassed by the gratitude that appeared in his eyes.
"That's kind of you."
"She's an amazing young woman. I didn't realize she had been an advocate for women for so long. I never did as much volunteer work as she does. It's nice to see someone giving back to those in need."
"She's always been that way, taking care of people." The warmth in his voice almost matched the pride.
"You should be very proud."
"I am."
"Why do you have Ragum trailing after us? I can tell he doesn't like it."
"Can you, now? Did he express his dislike?"
"Would you like it if you had to walk a young girl back and forth when you could be doing more important things?"
"It is important."
Oh. Right. His sister's safety.
"I'm sure anyone else would be just as effective."
"I want my best there." Blaze studied me. "Is this because he made a joke?"
"No," I grumbled. I could take a joke. Clearly, I wasn't going to be able to get Ragum reassigned. He would stay hulking over me, watching me with disapproval.
I returned to eating my now-cold meat and potatoes. Blaze stayed where he was, leaning back in his chair, his eyes roving around the crowd.
"So why does he keep coming back here?" he asked.
After some time, I realized he was talking about Garren. His curiosity must have been gnawing at him. I felt a perverse sense of satisfaction that he didn't know who Garren was.
"He won't be coming back anymore."
"Oh?" He waited for me to tell him more.
"He wanted to take me home. I said no."
"And where is home?" His too-casual tone didn't mask his curiosity.
"Upstairs, third floor."
A chill emanated from Blaze's side of the table. He sat up, his whole body coiled with tension.
"What?" I asked, alarmed, looking for danger around me and poised for another attack.
"He laid hands on you because you wouldn't sleep with him?"
"What?" I was confused. Whatever had given him that idea?
His nostrils flared, and the look he gave me scorched me. "You said he wanted to take you upstairs."
"Oh." My fault. I shook my head violently. "No, no. He wanted to take me to my former home. I told him this was home now. So he won't be coming back."
Feeling rattled at his reaction, I started telling him about all Penny and I had seen at the port and the delight she had taken in going there. I also told him she had purchased several volumes of a book that he might not have been very happy with. Despite my light banter, the tension didn't leave his body for some time.
Even then, his last words to me were, "Don't bet on him not coming back here. He'll be returning."
27
I glanced sideways at Ragum and sighed, not knowing why his presence made me feel so uncomfortable.
"What are you doing at school today?" I asked Penny, for the sake of conversation.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
Penny gave a half shrug, pulling her red coat close. "We decide what we want to do when we get there."
"There isn't any structure to your learning?" My sister would have laughed at my scandalized tone.
"No," Penny replied, giving me a strange look. "We just decide if we want to work on our reading, writing, or numbers. Sometimes we hold story time, and people share their experiences."
"What kind of experiences?" I frowned.
"Things they learned at market, their job, how numbers helped them with a problem, things like that."
I turned to Ragum. "Is that how school was for you, too?"
"Yes, when I went. Which wasn't much."
"How many people in the Blights know how to read and write?" I wondered whether most of the people I encountered didn't have that basic learning.
"As many as the ones that went to get their schooling," replied Ragum.
"How many get their schooling?" I pressed him.
"As many as you'd expect, here in the Blights," he admitted. "Learning isn't useful unless it brings in coin."
"How often did you go to school?" Penny asked me.
"Never. I didn't go to school," I replied distractedly. "I had a governess. She made sure I attended my lessons."
"Just the one governess?" Ragum asked.
"No, I had several over the course of my youth. Each one had a different focus."
"What kind of focus?" Penny's expression was curious.
"Oh, things like reading and writing are expected, but others focused on languages or history or art. Some of them made us study nature. I liked those lessons because they were usually outdoors." I reminisced on days spent outside the castle walls without having to run away.
Penny's eyes widened. "You learned all that?" Her awed tone made me aware of how much I was divulging about my former life.
"I'm exaggerating a little. I didn't learn as much as I was supposed to."
"You also learned how to pick up a blade," Ragum drawled.
"Yes, but it was just a hobby."
"Did you have any free time?" Penny asked.
"Not really. I was supposed to be busy so I wouldn't get into mischief," I said.
"Who are you?" Ragum asked simply.
"Someone who had a habit of running away from her lessons."
As soon as I said that, the realization of why I wasn't comfortable around Ragum came to me. I had picked up on the fact that he didn't trust me and had been distrustful and guarded in return.
I couldn't tell them who I was, though: Darelynn Valari, daughter of the King's Voice, sister-in-law to the prince, aunt to the upcoming heir, and castle exile. Oh, and did I mention the part where the prince w
ants to get rid of me?
I watched Ragum adding the new pieces of information he had just learned about me and storing them away. I shifted my shoulders in discomfort.
"It sounds like fun," Penny said, drawing my attention. "I don't think I would have time to learn all that, but it seems like all those different things would be exciting to study. Are you interested in teaching at the school?"
Huh. I raised an eyebrow. That was another way of earning coin.
Before I got excited, I realized the truth of the matter. "I wish I could, but I'm a terrible teacher. I may have the knowledge, but I find it very difficult to explain it to someone else, and I get frustrated when they don't understand. I don't have the patience for it."
"You could practice," Penny said hopefully. "It might make people more interested in attending school if they knew they had a range of topics to learn from."
If they weren't interested in basic skills like reading and writing, I doubted my additional knowledge would make any difference, but I didn't tell her so. Instead, I just said, "We'll see."
I raised my head to the sun and listened to the chirping of the birds, deciding I should enjoy the quiet walk before the prince sent his men after me.
I should have known better than to tempt fortune and fate.
28
Everything was quiet and going well until it suddenly wasn't.
Boys burst out from an alley in a storm of noise and chaos. They began to hurl things at us.
I drew my sword. "Penny!"
Ragum and I stood back to back with Penny between us. I raised my arm, trying to shield my head and Penny from the projectiles. From the smells reaching my noise, I recognized the items as refuse. I winced as a stone hit my shoulder. And stones. They were throwing refuse and stones. I was going to kill them.
As a distraction, it was effective. We had to shield our bodies from the objects and take care no more dangerous weapons were used against us.
They surrounded us. I counted around seven of them. They hooted and hollered, making as much noise as possible as they lobbed items at us. I didn't see the glint of blades, but that didn't mean they were weaponless.
