by Elina Vale
“There is one who can free you from the ma’tera.” Roxana brushed the crumbs from her hands and rose. “Come on, let’s go and meet him before... Well, let’s go.”
Shri followed her, but Roxana’s constant mood changes gave her little confidence. She had been enthusiastic to join Shri’s quest; now she walked toward the castle with her head down.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
They entered a cottage on the west side of the city. Shri looked in awe at one of the biggest men she had ever seen in her life as he wrapped his bulging arms around Roxana. He had messy blond hair and a scruffy beard.
Roxana struggled to get away, her face flushed. “Let go of me, you oaf!”
The man obeyed. “And who might this little thing be?” he asked, his voice lisping from the effect of wine.
“This is Shri.” Roxana looked at her with an embarrassed expression. “And this is my brother. Rondig.”
The resemblance was subtle, but it was there. They had the same sly smile and the same posture, but that was it. Rondig was unbelievably large, and his arms and legs were as thick as tree trunks.
“Nice to meet you, Rondig,” Shri greeted.
“Pretty little thing she is, yes." He slumped back into his chair and glared at Roxana. "To what do I owe the pleasure, sis? You haven’t visited in at least a year.”
“I’ve been away, you fool.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that you haven’t visited in that time.”
Rolling her eyes, Roxana said, “You don’t happen to know how Shri could get rid of this ma’tera, do you?”
Rondig scratched his beard. “You know I can take it away. I took mine off so many times that Mahox finally decided I wasn’t going to harm anyone and let me be.”
Shri’s jaw dropped. “You’re a senatai?”
Rondig snorted. “Am not. Didn’t finish the training.” He nodded toward the stool next to him. “Come here and I’ll take the stinkin’ bracelet off.”
Shri sat, offering her wrist to him. Surprisingly gentle, he took her wrist into his grand hand and turned it around a couple of times, studying the artifact. After taking a sip from his mug, he set it down and placed his hand on the bracelet.
He moved his fingers softly, like he was stroking an animal.
Shri heard a click, and the bracelet fell onto the table, where it rolled into a ball. Taking the ball into her hand, she studied it. It was shiny and solid; she couldn't see a crack or seam anywhere. “This is amazing. How long have you used these?”
“When was it?” Roxana asked. “Was it eleven years ago when you created these and then got kicked out of the order for rebellious talk?”
“Shut it, Roxy.”
Roxana shrugged. “I’m askin’ for Shri.”
Shri stroked the ball. How had this clumsy drunkard managed to create something so delicate with his huge hands.
“Why were you wearing it?” Rondig asked. “And why did you want it taken away? Is Mahox gonna be angry at me? Are you dangerous?”
Shri smirked. “I might be. But not to you or your people. Roxana, you can tell him. But no fancy embellishments.”
Roxana leaned back on her chair, glanced to be sure the door was shut, and crossed one leg over the other. “What would you do if I told you that this girl might be able to rid us of the stinkin’ Goldrings?”
“I’d think you’re loony,” he said.
“What if I told you that the heir of Perivalos Moon-Storm lives?”
Rondig bounced up and stumbled back against a set of pots and pans hanging near the fireplace. “That’s impossible!” he shouted, rubbing his head. “Perivalos died.”
“Perivalos vanished,” she said. “His death was an assumption.”
Shri could see how much Roxana was enjoying this. There was mischief written all over her face.
“Well, what could have happened to him?” Rondig wondered.
“Truth?” Shri asked.
“Of course.”
“He was locked into a horrible slave pit in the city of Ironflare, and his family has lived there ever since.” Grinning, she finished. “Well... until now.”
Rondig paused for a moment, then rushed back to the table, took his mug, and gulped down the contents all at once. He stared at Shri with a fascinated gaze, making her uncomfortable. She focused on her wrist, rubbing it gently. Carefully searching for her fountain, she was relieved to learn that she could still touch it. She resisted the urge to draw from it.
“What are you two planning?” Rondig asked, his face brightening. "A mutiny?"
Shri opened her mouth, but Roxana got ahead of her. “We need to help save her father.”
“Her father? That means he’s the one who... And Goldring has to... She’s going to Emba, right?” Rondig rubbed his face, looking at Shri with surprisingly clear eyes. “My rightful clan-leader is a captive in a foreign city. Tell me, what can I do? How can I help?”
Shri smiled and placed her hand on top of Rondig’s. “You already have. Thank you. And please, don’t tell anyone. Tarinna already suspects the truth, and if she learns what we’re up to, she’ll have me killed before we can accomplish anything. I need to go to Emba before I can make any declarations.”
“But you will rescue our rightful ruler?”
Shri nodded.
Rondig smiled. “Then I’m coming with you to this city of captives. I will help you save the grandson of Perivalos. I will do my part in ending the era of the Goldrings.”
“The tides change,” Roxana whispered.
Rondig nodded. “Finally.”
CHAPTER 22
SHEA EXTENDED HER ARM toward the window, examining it in the light. It was a dreary day, but there was enough sunlight to admire the changes in her skin. The scales were turning greener every day. They made her skin harder. They weren’t pretty, but they would make her invincible to sword and axe. She didn’t have to look attractive anymore.
...Don’t worry, my dear... It’s all part of the plan....
Stumbling up, Shea glared around. The words sounded like Aldemar himself had been in the room. Taking a shaky breath, she tried to calm herself. She knew the stone had some kind of consciousness. It had whispered before. But this time, it had spoken directly to her.
...You are doing an amazing job... Now, allow me to take over for a while... You can rest... There’s so much to do...
“Never!” Shea screamed and clutched her chest. She glared at the walls, almost expecting her old tormentor to come storming out from them. “I am your master! You will never control me!”
She met Summerhaze’s stone-cold eyes. Every day, the crippled girl sat where Shea ordered her to sit and spoke nothing. She stared silently at Shea. The stone had frequently lured Shea to kill the girl, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to prove that she was still in control. The stone would not force her actions.
“Stop looking at me!” Shea screamed.
Lifting her eyebrows, Summerhaze turned back to the window.
Shea would break the girl, eventually. She would possess Summerhaze and bend her to her will. During their sessions, Summerhaze had cried and screamed, but she hadn’t given in. She was a tough young woman.
A knock came from the door.
“Come in!” Shea shouted.
A guard entered with Merrilon Moongale. The servants had cleaned him, and he finally looked the part Shea had in mind for him. He wore a long, black jacket, embroidered with gold and red. Underneath, he wore a white shirt with some ruffles, exactly like they wore in Sungarden. The bruises and scars on his face didn’t make him any less handsome. And he was hers. To keep his friends safe, he would do anything she wanted.
...I cared for you...
Shea took a harsh breath and bit her teeth together. Aldemar had spoken in her mind again. Concentrating her thoughts on the stone, she responded: Stay out of my head! You used me, and now you’re dead. Remain that way!
...And her
e you are, Shea... Forcing men into your bed with threats and violence... Pathetic...
Merrilon’s ice-blue eyes observed Shea. He glanced at Summerhaze. “Are you okay?”
“I’m alive, aren't I?” Summerhaze whispered, continuing to stare at the sky.
Shea watched as Merrilon’s jaw clenched and his brows crunched even more.
...He will never love you... He will never be loyal to you... I was always loyal... Allow me to take over and I will avenge you... Let the stone take over... It’s your heritage...
Shea twirled around. “Stop it!”
Both Merrilon and Summerhaze turned to look at her. She placed her hand on the stone and felt her eyes light with magic. Aldemar pushed inside her mind. He was trying to take over. She began to shake and sweat, pushing against the stone with her willpower as terrible pain wracked her body.
A thin trickle of blood ran from her nose.
The stone pushed harder, nearly causing Shea to black out. She stumbled to her knees, fighting with all her strength before finally regaining control. Slowly, she pushed the Black Star away from her mind.
She stood up, wiping the blood from under her nose.
Merrilon took a step back. If he wouldn’t bow to Shea out of admiration, he would bow out of fear. “Merrilon Moongale. Have you considered my proposition?”
“I will do whatever the High Mistress tells me to do. Just... don’t hurt those kids in the Gates. And let Susu go. I will do whatever you want. Let her go.”
Shea tilted her head. “Anything?”
“Yes.”
“Then I shall make you my husband!” Spinning in a circle, she announced, “I will become the mother of Shri Moongale! I’m sure your daughter will love her new step-parent. So much better than the hag who raised her.”
Merrilon’s eyes flashed, but he lowered his head. “Whatever my Mistress wishes.”
“Well, your Mistress wishes you to take off your clothes and get into bed. We can make this official. Right now.”
Shea moistened her lips, thrilled to see Merrilon hesitate.
“H-Here? Now?”
“Your Mistress wishes it. Do you deny me?” She slid her hands passionately over his stomach and chest, all the way to his shoulders, and gave his ear a long lick with her tongue. “I want you to kiss me like you mean it, or I will perform some... nasty experiments on Susu. Can you feel the stone? Can you feel the heat?”
Merrilon put his hands on Shea’s shoulders and pushed her away. “This is the extent of your ambition? Force me into your bed? What good would that do?”
"Probably none. But I want it."
The door slammed open. Shea jumped away from Merrilon, leaving him free to dart for Susu. She was irritated by his response. Merrilon was supposed to jump in front of her, to protect her from uncertain danger. She was the High Mistress, not the legless cripple. She turned to face the cause of the interruption, ready to rip whomever it was right then and there.
Her jaw dropped.
“Time to end this.” Nudging the brim of his hat higher with his knuckles Boa Riverson flashed Shea a saucy smile.
CHAPTER 23
“THERE IS THE PATH TO the Pond of Pearl, the way to Emba,” Roxana said.
Night had nearly fallen, and it was getting darker. A brisk wind hurtled through the woods, bending the trees, forcing them to bend and sigh on its will.
Shri stared at the grim path before her. “Thank you for your help, Roxana.”
“You saved my life.” She looked at Shri with an earnest face. “And I have seen you. You are kind and brave. You don’t sound like a Maira when you talk, but I see the Warrior of the Sea in your heart. Know this: like my brother, I will help you save your father.”
Shri took Roxana’s hand and gave it a light squeeze. “I hope I will discover what I need in Emba. There’s still so much I need to tell you, so much that is important, but I don’t have time.”
“We will talk when you get back. I am sure you will return with the marks of the rightful heir to the throne. Good luck.”
As Shri took her torch from Roxana, the wind fluttered the flame but didn’t extinguish it. The path to the Pond of Pearl was stomped regularly through the forest. The foliage was colored with the hues of fall, many of the leaves fallen from the branches. Realizing that the trees on this island were similar to the ones on Senatai Island, Shri was overwhelmed with sudden sadness when she remembered her room at the Octopus. Her days with the drokashai trainees. Teron. She hoped her friends were alive and well.
The path meandered between the trees. Shri tried to ease her mind, for Roxana had said the length of the path was meant for clearing one’s thoughts. Emba would test her. How? She couldn’t say. The ones Those who had been there had sworn never to reveal the details to anyone, and all that remained were rumors and legends. Roxana had told her that the last time someone had taken this path had been seventy years ago, when Garamond was declared dead and a new ruler was needed.
But as Roxana had explained, the Moon-Storm line was said to trace its lineage straight to the Daughters. Shri didn’t care about titles; thinking about the prisons she had already seen, it was clear that a throne would be the worst kind. She was doing this only to gain credibility, to persuade the Mairas to help her. Even if she didn't find the Heart on this island, she had discovered something: many ships filled with fierce soldiers and talented senatai. Maybe she wouldn’t defeat Shea with a lost magical item, but with the Mairas’ assistance, she could still get the people of Ironflare to safety before the war started.
The path ended, and Shri arrived at the pond. Even though the air was chilly, she removed her boots and jacket, then placed the torch steadily between two rocks and hoped it would still be there when she returned. Shivering in the cold, she stepped into the pond. Freezing water washed over her toes. The pond was dark, like blackness itself.
She could die in these frigid depths. She would be unable to breathe... Sending the fearful thoughts away, she took another step into the water. The fate of so many lay on her shoulders. Eavan, Boa, and Teron were counting on her to fight. Susu, Mother, and Father were counting on her to save them. Roxana was counting on her to restore the rightful ruler of her home.
And then there was Javid.
She searched for her Fountain, and there it was, calling her like an old friend. She drew from it, and the world was suddenly filled with vibrant colors. The fallen yellow leaves shimmered like gold. The grey sky was like stone, and the dark water beneath like the night sky. And the magic; tiny sparks flowed around Shri over her, inside her. She could see all of them.
She took a step further, and the water rose to her knees. Another step, and she gasped when the cold water reached her waist. It was time to go under the surface. Determined, Shri wiped all her fears aside, took a deep breath, and submerged herself.
For the first time in her life, she was under water.
She created a bubble of air over her face by ordering the tiny sparkles of the element. The bubble appeared, and soon, she could breathe again. Confident with her small victory, she made a hesitant stroke and pulled herself forward. Then, she created an orb of light, which revealed a tunnel leading further into the depths.
Asking the water to provide her with a push, she soon floated towards the tunnel. Using magic like this was a rush. She felt triumphant and glorious. But even with her confidence, the black tunnel scared her. Darkness swallowed her as she entered, and for a moment, she felt a surge of panic. A flashback to the tunnel in the Gate Run stopped her. It was where Dago had betrayed her, where she had faced the old wretch and killed for the first time. Realizing that she had to keep moving, she started chanting the most important names in her mind: Susu. Mama. Papa. Javid. Roxana. Teron. Eavan. Boa.
She regained her focus, and the panic vanished.
As she had predicted, the tunnel didn’t last for long. Soon she could see a brighter light in front of her. With a few strokes, she rose to the surface, sighing in amazement. She em
erged from a pond similar to the one she had entered, but this one was in a tropical setting. The air was warm, like Ironflare in the summer. An unbelievably sweet scent of flowers reached her nose. Dozens of birds sang in the evening. Shri waded to shore and fell onto the grass. The magic vanished, sending shivers down her spine. Letting go of magic was like allowing a gray curtain to be pulled in front of her emotions. She understood how someone could abuse magic and burn themselves out. It was addictive. Losing the stream was like breathing with only one lung, seeing with only one eye, hearing with only one ear. Feeling without a heart.
Collecting herself, Shri stood up. She noticed a path similar to the one she had taken on the other side, and she followed it. It was a beautiful night. Walking the path with melodious birdsong of evening singers and the powerful scents of flowers around her, Shri relaxed. After a brief trek between palm trees, flowers, and bushes, she came to a meadow. In the center of the hills stood a tiny red cottage. Yellow light flickered in the window, inviting her to step inside.
The meadow was silent. Grass and wildflowers on the hills waved in the balmy breeze like an ocean. Sundown was close, and the horizon bathed in a golden-rosy glow. When Shri gazed up, she saw bright stars dotting the darkening sky.
When she had been in the Gate Run, she had experienced magical worlds for the first time. With this one, she couldn’t say if it was another location in her own world, a place created by magic, or another universe entirely. Eavan had talked about the cosmos and the possibility of other universes existing. It had never meant a great deal to Shri; she had been so entwined with her incapability to use magic and how to overcome her fears that she had paid little attention to Eavan’s words about philosophical issues. But something had gotten through.
She remembered some of the theory: “The universe, the gods, or whatever one person might see as her truth, never represents the only truth in this world,” Eavan had said. “For an ordinary farmer, there might be only the one god he has been taught to pray to, in the one world that is for him to see. But for some of us, the universe unfolds differently. I am a seer; I receive visions of the future. All of these different scenarios foster different versions of reality. In some other world, I never met you, and our kingdom faced centuries of suffering when the values of magic went missing and the thirst for power overruled everything. Let’s make sure we can make this world a better place. We are in the terrible and wonderful position where we have the power to make a difference.”
