“That was wicked!” I sputtered in amazement.
Mirra turned to stare at the huge domed city, lights winking on an off eerily in the structure's ceiling and casting a warm glow outward in all directions for hundreds of feet. “I’ll assume that means you enjoyed it. Hold that thought, you may need it. Come on, the Council is waiting,” she said.
She turned as she spoke, gliding through the open waters, leaving me to follow in her wake.
#
Tarus had been nicknamed The City of the Lake long before I came along. It was that, though city might have been a generous term. The last time I’d been there I’d been a child with eyes that saw things differently. It seemed so vast to me then. Now I saw a town similar in size and scope to Bitterroot. Still, the massive domed roof that encased the entire town and a fair chunk of land in all directions was impressive, as was the single building and grounds that took up more than its share of space inside. The massive castle was as impressive as any palace any Onlander could lay claim to.
We were all of us, even the Seascrill whose social status was clearly and unfairly delineated, Mer-folk. We could live wholly in the waters of the lake and survive there. Our ancestors had for millennia, making our appearances to ships and fishermen, and astounding the locals. Mostly those had all been accidents, but a few had been bored teens striking out, showing who and what they were, just to see the Onlanders scream for sport. This had led to the legends, a small percentage of which were actually true.
In the last 150 years, our cousins from the sea had taken to creating air breathing cities where they could take advantage of the genetic make-up that allowed them to transform and live on land—and remain beneath the water. There they enjoyed the anonymity of the open sea and some of the same cultural proclivities as the human population. Not to be outdone, my lake ancestors had built Tarus. It wasn’t nearly as extensive as some of the vast and hidden burgs that existed in the larger oceans, but it was no less impressive.
Mirra and I paused above the small city, taking in the long sloping valley that contained it, several hundred feet beneath the surface. Surrounding it were fields of open lake-bed. Movement on the field pulled our eyes. Mer-folk, men and women alike, scrabbled and moved back and forth. To the untrained eye it looked as if a war was going on, but I was a second-year student at Rule 9 Academy, and I recognized a practice field when I saw it. The numbers impressed me. There were at least fifty practicing below me.
Mirra caught my eye. “Come on, we have to tell the Captain of the Guard about your attack, anyway. Then we’ll go into Tarus.
I followed her down, struggling to keep up again without the aid of the Abaneki’ to lend me speed. Mirra was wickedly fast on her own—maybe because she was part Seascrill, but probably because I was just that out of shape. The muscles required to use my Mer-maiden body were not the same as what I used on land. I was going to be so sore in the morning.
As we neared, members of the guard looked up. I squirmed beneath their open curiosity. A few grinned and waved at Mirra, and she waved back.
We swam towards the center of the arena, where a tall Mer-man swam, gesturing with his hands and shouting instructions. He was easy to look at, long dark hair whipping about his broad, tattooed shoulders. He glanced up at our approach, his light green eyes narrowing.
“Mirra, what are you doing here? And who is this? A recruit perhaps?”
“Not likely. You kill them off too quickly,” she teased.
“That’s because they’re lazy and slow. And their skills with the bow are seriously lacking. If they were as quick as you I wouldn’t have nearly so much to complain about.”
“If you’d let me spar against them, I could show them a few tricks to help with that, you know.”
His countenance darkened in a second. “You know I can’t do that. The Council won’t permit it. And I’d lose a third of the guard the moment I requested it. I risk enough when I spar with you myself, or honor the requests of those foolish enough to pit their skills against you.”
I added drily. “Sounds like the Council has grown progressive in their thinking.”
He looked hard at me for the first time, his expression speculative. “I’ll assume that was supposed to be sarcasm. And you are?”
“Sirris Waverly. You know me as Sirris of Tarus, granddaughter to the king.”
His expression never wavered, but something calculating moved through his eyes.
“Is that so?” He turned to me, his lip curling into a snarl. “A Royal to report my disdain back to the Tarus Council at the first opportunity. So, Your Highness, what are you hanging with a Seascrill for, then? Slumming it?”
Sudden anger made me tremble as the words tumbled from my lips. “Don’t insult me. I don’t show allegiance to the Council or anyone else. And I hang with whom I choose. I owe my life to Mirra.”
A small smile creased his mouth. “Calm down, just checking your priorities. I think you’re right. You can’t find much better than Mirra to fight at your side.”
Mirra lay a hand over mine. “It’s all right. Shade’s just teasing you. He’s one of the good ones.”
She turned to the Captain. “We need to report an attack, near the south shore plateau. Three Draco Rebellion fighters. They were waiting for her when she entered. They weren’t there to talk.”
I spoke up. “Draco? Dragon fighters?”
Mirra nodded. “That’s right. It’s what they call themselves.”
Shade scowled at Mirra. “Question is, what were you doing there?”
Mirra’s smile grew flat. “Apparently, your job. Tarus Council requested her presence. Someone should have been there to make sure she made it here safely. She’s no good to us dead.”
“She’s no longer one of us, either. She chose to be an Onlander a long time ago. We need someone to lead who has Mer-folk interests at heart.”
“Don’t be rude.”
“It’s all right. I agree with him.” I sent a glare in his direction, refusing to turn away from his hard eyes. “Not that I had a choice in the matter. I remained behind on the surface years ago with my father while my mother returned. I’m only half Sylvan…that makes me only half Royal.”
Shade turned to Mirra. “It should be you wearing that crown as queen— you’re the oldest. You love Tarus and would do anything to protect her. And you’d stand up to the Council. Something that is long overdue, if you ask me.”
I looked at my sister, a lovely warrior with intelligent dark eyes. “I’d be fine with that. The crown? I don’t want it. I could talk to the Council, and formally decline the post. That way, when Grandfather is gone, you could assume the throne.”
Both Mirra and Shade shared a secretive look and laughed outright. “Ah, sister, your Onlander naivety is showing. They’d never allow a Seascrill to assume command. They’d rather see you, half Sylvan and Onlander, assume that role. Your opinion won’t even factor in. The crown is just a figurehead, anyway. It’s the Council that rules Tarus with an iron fist.”
There was something they weren’t telling me. I opened my mouth to ask when Shade interrupted.
“I’ll send a minor detail of guards to check things out and see if they can locate the rebels. I can’t spare more than that. Security right now is as tight as I can make it around Tarus, trying to keep the resistance under control. The Council is worried they’ll mount an attack on Tarus itself.”
“Just what exactly is the resistance, anyway?” I asked.
“A group made up largely of Seascrill, led by someone who calls himself “The Dragon.” They are demanding equality straight across the board and an equal number of seats on the Council as well.”
“How can that be a bad thing?”
“Shh!” Mirra hissed. “Statements like that can get you killed here if the Council gets wind of them.”
She added in a whisper. “On the surface, it’s not. But the leader of the resistance and several of its key members want more than that. They want to take over a
nd rule it all. Set up their own laws—laws that would be fair to them and leave both sides worse off than they are now.
“It’s something I’ve always struggled to understand why it has to be an issue at all? The Magical and Other community struggle with that above as well. I’ve always believed our differences should be a cause for celebration, not an invitation to breed fear and mistrust. Why does it always seem as if those in control have a different agenda?”
“Because greed and power trump fair every time, blurring the lines between right and wrong.” Mirra said sagely.
Shade spoke up. “I’d love to debate politics with you all day long, but I have soldiers to train. I’ll let you know what I find out later.”
Mirra nodded. “We’ll leave you to it. By the way, while she’s here I’d like Sirris to practice on the field. She needs to bone up on how to be a Mer-woman and fight like one. She fights like an Onlander.”
“Hey! I resemble that remark? But I need practice. They had it way too easy catching me. I’m better than that.”
Shade’s expression was speculative. “You aren’t. Not yet. But you will be when we get done with you.”
I hid a smile. He sounded a lot like Marcus Tannon, who commanded the Guard in Drae Hallow.
“You ready?” Mirra threw over her shoulder, not waiting for me to answer. With one last glance at the practice field filled with training soldiers, I followed.
I kept pace with Mirra, but barely, as she moved with a blur of motion, darting under and through and around rocky outcroppings and tall forests of grass and finally, along a gully on the lake floor that morphed into a darkened tunnel. We had to stop there to check in with the six guards that stood in front of the entrance. A few words from Mirra and they let us pass. It was difficult to see as we continued on along the darkened tunnel, moving steadily downward beneath the edge of the rock floor of the dome. We continued on for several hundred yards before the tunnel rose abruptly. A circle of light came into view moments before we broke the surface inside a large pool. I blinked in the sudden bright light of the gymnasium sized room, gasping as my lungs adjusted to breathing air directly, without the use of gills. Surrounding us at the edge of the pool, holding tridents whose tips glowed a fierce orange, were twelve more guardsmen. They stared down at us in stern appraisal. The security was definitely over the top.
Mirra grinned. “Surprise!”
A well-muscled Sylvan with dark skin and yellow eyes stepped forward. “State your business in Tarus,” he stated with no discernible humor.
Mirra rolled her eyes. “You take your job way too seriously, Mika. This is Sirris, the Onlander that Tarus Council summoned.”
His eyes moved over me, his expression giving nothing away. He gave a sharp nod. “Very well.” He took a smart step back, stoic and watchful.” I realized they were waiting for us to get out, and I felt my cheeks redden.
Mirra grinned at my discomfort. “Can you give my sister a moment of privacy? She doesn’t have a gypsum suit on.”
Mika’s eyebrows rose, and he turned to me. “No?”
“No! I don’t have on a…what’s it called?”
His lips suddenly twitched and he rolled his eyes, making mine narrow. “Guards, about!” With a click of booted heels, they all gave an about face as a unit, facing the wall, their backs to us.
Mirra giggled at my expression. “Come on, they aren’t long on patience, we’d best hurry.”
Mirra pulled herself out of the pool ahead of me, and I realized she wasn’t naked as I’d assumed. She wore what appeared to be a really brief dress that clung to her curves, resting just below her thighs where her tail disappeared and long slim legs appeared in its place. It followed her every movement, shimmering the same shades of lavender as her iridescent scales had. She moved to a rack of hanging bags and began rifling through them.
It was still unnerving, getting out of the pool on my now human legs without a stitch on and with twelve men in the room. Towels were stacked on top and I grabbed one, toweling myself dry. Each hanger was tagged with a string of numbers. Mirra thrust one at me, another in her hand for herself. “For you. I think the sizes should be about right. I was guessing.” She pulled out a top and pants and put them on without removing the singlet she wore. I noticed it was already dry. I pulled at the butter soft mustard tunic and black leggings she’d handed me. Smooth, cream colored shoes, similar to my Keds back home, completed the outfit. Following Mirra’s lead, I dressed.
“So now what?” I asked.
Her expression eased into sober lines. “We’ve got a couple of hours before we meet with Tarus Council this evening. Pinna wants to meet you at Tarus Castle first.”
“Pinna?” I’d forgotten I had a second sister.
“Yeah. She can’t wait to meet you.” Mirra said dryly.
CHAPTER FIVE
We walked the cobbled streets of Tarus, Mirra and I. I took it all in, my eyes darting about in fascination. It wasn’t unlike any other small town I’d been to. Shops and businesses ran along the length of the main street that came straight away from the castle grounds on one end and disappeared into what looked like a small hardwood forest on the other. But it was different, too. Though a thick condensation brought on by heat and oxygen coated the six-inch glass, it couldn’t disguise the lake that lay on the outside, nor the occasional movement that reminded me we were not in Kansas anymore. My eyes drew up, blinking in wonder at the fluttering movement that glittered like a million fireflies on a July evening and covered the entire inside top of the dome. The light cast by them was nearly blinding. They were no fireflies I’d ever seen before.
“What…” I stared, at a loss for words.
Mirra followed my eyes and smiled whimsically. “Silk Maidens. They are a small, winged spider. They help maintain the dome in part. They breathe in Carbon Dioxide and expel enormous amounts of oxygen. They are also orb weavers. Only the silk they use? It contains a compound that glows. They supply nearly 100% of the natural light in Tarus.”
The streets were crowded as Mer-men and women went on about their daily business, chatting and laughing and shopping in the open air market that blanketed both sides of the cobbled thoroughfare. A host of different fish and fresh leafy vegetables harvested from the lake beds were on display. There were also several booths featuring a wide selection of loose silky caftans, tunics and comfortable tights in a rainbow of colors that pulled my eye. As we walked, I tried to ignore the curious glances that swung in my direction. I hadn’t gone unnoticed. It didn’t take us long to walk the length of Tarus and enter the central courtyard of the palace. Several guards stood at the heavy wooden gate leading in, eying Mirra and me with suspicion.
The outer surface of the castle appeared to be a thick sandstone, a light peach hue that reminded me of beaches and warm climates. Inside, though, was another matter. I shivered as I crossed the threshold from the warmth of bright light to the dim recesses of the inner sanctum that was my family home or had been before I’d left it so many years before. The inside of the castle was mostly empty outside of the staff and guards that worked and patrolled the grounds. It seemed a waste, especially when space inside the dome was at such a premium.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, wincing when my voice bounced off the stone walls and echoed back at me. I lowered my voice. “Our grandfather? I thought someone would be here to meet us.”
She slanted me an odd look. “They are waiting for us to come to them.”
I notched my chin up an inch, my eyes darkening. I recognized a power play when I saw one. If they put me at a disadvantage right off…
“How is the castle set up? Almost none of this looks familiar. Maybe those stairs… I remember chasing someone up them, was that you?”
Mirra shrugged. “Probably, though my memories aren’t much sharper for that sort of thing than yours. Shortly after you went to live on the surface, I was removed from the castle walls. I was raised by my aunt, down in the village.”
I glance
d at her sharply, but she didn’t seem bitter about the fact that she’d been treated as less than the royalty I knew her to be. I looked at the cold, gray walls and sparse furnishings in too much space. Then again, maybe she’d had a happier childhood because of it.
She led me up the stairs. “There are twelve apartments inside the castle. The Family and members of the Council reside in the upper wing. The rest of them are mostly vacant.”
“Seems a waste, all those empty living quarters. It seems so crowded outside.”
She rose one dark brow. “Does it?”
She stopped outside a massive wooden door and turned to me. “Listen and think before you speak here. Many members of the family hold a seat on the Council, and nothing goes unreported or unchallenged.”
I gave a sharp nod, my lips tight. I got it. Don’t piss off the Royal Family and the Council.
She gave a sharp rap on the door. It was answered almost immediately by two big, burly Sylvan guards, who stepped aside as we entered. The inside opened up into a central foyer that led to a large, open living room. It was the exact opposite of everything on the other side of the door. Here, no expense had been spared to showcase their wealth. Heavy tapestries adorned the walls, a backdrop for the opulent furnishings that filled the space to bursting, almost as if they’d been hard pressed to find a resting place for all their possessions. Despite the invite of soft cream-colored couches and low polished tables, to me it remained an impersonal space. Perhaps that was because of the critical countenances of the dozen or more other Sylvan that sat or stood scattered about the room. All of them turned to stare as we entered.
Rule 9 Academy Series Boxset: Books 3-5 Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy (Rule 9 Academy Box Sets (3 Book Series) 2) Page 56
