Mariana's Secret

by A D Lombardo

  Haygan told him so much over the summer. He had no idea where to start. There was no question he trusted Rayna, but it was a heavy burden to keep all their secrets. But if she was to make her choice, she needed to know everything, including what Davi told him about giving up their gifts.

  “I must confess you mean the world to me, Rayna.” Kai touched the back of her hand.

  “I know you too well, Kai. You’re choosing your words too carefully. I trust you, and you can trust me. If our relationship is to grow, we cannot have secrets.”

  “I agree, there should be no secrets between us. Although we may need to ease into what I know.” He let that thought float around them to see if she would grasp his meaning.

  “I’m ready,” she insisted.

  Over the next hour, he told her everything Haygan told him about the Lumens, Weathervanes, Stonekings, and Kodama. Even with Haygan’s advice to guide him, it was still on him to craft the conversation. Then he shared with her the story of meeting Liam and the fact that their seventeenth birthday would come with a choice. It was a lot of details to cover and a lot for her to consider.

  He struggled with telling her that she would very soon have to make a choice. Stay here in Diu or travel to Katori, through a gauntlet of guardians aimed to keep them out. When he was finished, he was pleasantly surprised at how well she took the news.

  “So, what your saying is, when we turn seventeen, we might get sick and need to travel to Katori or risk losing our abilities. Abilities you insist I have, because we are Katori?” she asked doubtfully.

  “Not might get sick. Will get sick.”

  Again, she seemed to wander through her own mind looking for answers. “Is this something you know for sure? How do you know I am a Kodama?”

  He gulped at her question and pondered his reply. “Your abilities fit what Haygan told me this summer. The fact we can glean proves we are special.”

  She glared back at him and sighed. “You didn’t answer my questions.”

  “I will answer one of your questions today. The hour is late and our time here is about up. I know for sure you are Katori—and a Kodama. The how will require time and privacy; privacy we don’t have right now, the guards are coming. Has gleaning and sensing others not given you pause? What about how you healed Snowflake?”

  Rayna sat there in silence with her eyes wide. “I simply enjoyed the gifts. It connected us. I was not about to question how or why. Being abandoned as a baby left my ancestry an unknown. As for Snowflake, I believe she got better on her own. When can you tell me more?”

  “I have somewhere to go tonight for Cazier. Find a morning you can sneak out of your house and leave the rest to me. You will also need to promise to never tell what I share with you with anyone. Ever. If you can commit to keeping a secret from your parents, then I will answer all your questions.”

  ◆◆◆

  Early the next morning, Kai walked through the palace courtyard with Smoke. Dresnor was busy with other tasks, so he had no morning training session. As was his practice, he reached out with his senses to study his surroundings. Rayna stood hidden in the fog, waiting for him. “You said pick a time. How does this morning work? Can we talk now?” she pleaded. “The new girl my parents hired is covering my work this morning. I am free for a little while.”

  Kai took a deep breath and slowly released it. “Well, I have to give you credit, you are persistent. We will have to glean for any guards we pass, but we should be able to discuss a few things.”

  Excited, Rayna took his hand. “Let’s go then.”

  For a moment, Kai cherished the quiet nature of this hour of the morning. Only a few workers and guards were awake at dawn, and fewer still were out walking the grounds around the palace. “I think we will find the most privacy in the gardens. At this hour, nobody should be there, and the guards usually stay outside the perimeter.” He assured her, motioning towards the apple orchard.

  “We can cut through the apple orchard down to the palace gardens.” He took the lead down the black stone stairs leading to the royal gardens.

  He continued to ensure they were alone, surveying the area, gleaning their surroundings. As they walked into the gardens, he once again remembered the peace of walking these beautiful grounds with his mother. Now he walked with another woman who meant the world to him, and he wanted her to know, but he was afraid his words would fail him.

  He slowly pushed open the arched wrought-iron gate. Careful not to make too much noise, Kai closed the gate behind them and continued down the pebble path through the topiary garden. Fantastic living art—decorative hedges sculpted into spirals, cones, and other geometric shapes—towered over them, interspersed with blooming plants and other green foliage.

  Through the dense fog, he could hear the splashing sounds of the various fountains. Having checked the entire garden, he was pleased they were alone.

  Their shoulders briefly touched as they entered the maze and he felt the warmth of her. At the next turn, he glanced over his shoulder. Rayna smiled. Kai led her around the hedges, zigzagging through the labyrinth. Her warm hand in his made him flutter inside. Turn by turn, they neared the center of the maze and the great banyark tree.

  Once they reached the center, they stood in front of the giant tree, which was shrouded in white fog. Its finger-like branches reached up to the sky, covered in fall-colored leaves. Standing beside each other, she leaned into his shoulder.

  Breaking the silence, Rayna asked. “Is it really alright being here? I know we’ve talked about your mother, and I know what happened that day. More importantly, where it happened.” She ran her hand down his arm and turned to face him. “Should we go somewhere else?”

  Kai looked deep into her eyes. She was always thinking of him. Still holding her one hand, he scooped up the other, his heart pounding in his chest. Her beautiful brown eyes looking back at him made it difficult to think. His pulse quickened. They hadn’t had much private time alone. Family, friends, and guards made getting close tricky. Not to mention he had her reputation to consider. This was a rare opportunity, and he was so nervous that he felt his temperature rise.

  A deep breath calmed his nerves. “Rayna, you mean the world to me. I want to share something with you because I trust you. What I am about to say must remain a secret, even from your parents. Can you do that?”

  She leaned into him. “I have not shared the ability to glean and sense others around me, or my ability to nurture plants to grow faster and healthier with my care. I thought about what you said, that I might have the ability to heal. When I think about Snowflake’s eyes, how she had Moon Blindness and was unable to see. I want to believe. I promise to keep these secrets between us. Even the Katori secrets from yesterday.”

  Kai looked up at the banyark tree. Golden autumn leaves fell delicately to the ground. He released her one hand and pulled her with the other towards the bench below. “You asked about this place and what it might mean to me. The world indeed believes my mother died in this place, and now very few people come here because of it. My father would have cut the tree down if it had not been planted by his great, great grandmother.”

  “I stand here today because it is the perfect place to tell you the truth. My mother did not die in this place; my mother did not die that day. She is alive. Missing, but alive.” He paused to let her consider his words.

  Silently Rayna placed her free hand on her heart and squeezed his hand with the other. “How is that possible?”

  Kai nodded in agreement. “People believe she was killed by a dragon, a red dragon. I was there, but the event was so traumatic at my young age, I had locked it away,” he said with a bittersweet tone. “The red dragon was here, but it did not kill my mother… because they are one and the same. My mother became the red dragon—she is a Beastmaster. The person who died here that day was a guard, presumed missing days later and forgotten over time. Remnants of her dress and blood were all the evidence they needed. My night terrors convinced them I was traum
atized and incapable of telling them any different.”

  With a sigh of relief, he relaxed into the bench and leaned into her. “What a relief to be able to tell you. I only learned the truth recently. I am sorry I did not tell you sooner,” he said, his voice torn between sadness and joy. He was beginning to understand the burden of keeping secrets.

  Rayna rested her head on his shoulder. “It is a beautiful place; I am glad it no longer pains you.” She paused and took a breath. “But the story you told me yesterday. I am not sure I can believe…”

  “It is hard to believe,” Kai agreed. “But it is all true, I have seen it with my own eyes. Well, most of it.”

  “But you are asking me to believe people can change into dragons?”

  “Not just dragons, but other animals too.”

  “Does that mean you can do that too?” Rayna looked shocked.

  Before he answered, he looked up at the pale blue sky emerging from the dispersing fog. Again, he paused to sense the area and felt it was clear to continue. “I don’t know.” He shook his head at the thought and ran his hand over his mouth. Their time was coming soon. “There is one more secret that Haygan told me. He and Liam both said that if we choose to develop our gifts, we need to do so before the gift burns out with age. Around our seventeenth birthday.”

  Kai’s mood shifted. He glared out at the gardens as if he was blaming them for the secrets they held. “I get the feeling that was not something they meant for us to know.”

  “Who is this they you often speak of? I am not sure I am interested in meeting them.” She said matter-of-factly, crinkling up her nose as if she’d smelled something foul.

  “The Chiefs and the Unie of Katori. I am not sure why, but they do not seem interested in bringing either of us home. If it were not for my mother, I would probably not care. I believe they are the only ones capable of helping me find her, and for now they seem interested in her recovery.”

  Kai stood up. “We need to go. People in the palace are starting to wake and move around. When the fog clears, we will be visible from above. I’d prefer to keep this little moment, and my changed feelings about this place, private.”

  She stood beside him. “I understand.”

  He took her hand. “Come with me,” he said, leading her back through the maze. Turn by turn, faster and faster through the maze he went, constantly sensing their surroundings until he abruptly stopped.

  Caught off guard, Rayna ran into him. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I don’t sense anyone around us.”

  Heart pounding, Kai stood frozen in place. Three long breaths gave him courage. He wanted to tell her how he felt, at the same time he wanted to run away. Her hand still in his, he turned. Their eyes met. He pulled her waist into his. “Would you mind if I…” he stammered. Looking in her eyes, he leaned in close, his mouth near hers.

  “I don’t mind,” she finished for him. Rayna met him halfway and pressed her lips to his. For the briefest moment, time seemed to stop for them. Caught on the precipice of emotion, Kai felt if they were not careful, they would inevitably fall and be lost forever. They were not meant to be. Still, he wanted to spend a lifetime with her.

  When they parted, he looked again into her eyes. She smiled and touched his face. “I love you, Kai,” she said, then she stepped around him, exited the garden maze, and ran for the stone stairs. She paused briefly when he clinked the gate closed. They stared at each other, and Kai felt the pain of wanting something he should not have.

  Deep down, he wanted to chase after her, tell her he felt the same. But no, how could he pursue her knowing she could never be his? Duty commanded he belong to another, and he saw no way clear of that fate. His heart felt like it was breaking into a thousand pieces.

  Frustration burned within Kai, and now he needed a run more than ever. With all his strength and speed, he set out towards the wall. He wanted his legs to burn, his lungs and his body to burn to match the fury in his heart. How could he find the other half of his soul only to give her up? He’d known better than to get close to her, but he could not deny what he felt. His soul had connected with another. They belonged together.

  He began to run faster and faster with each step around the wall. Still, his breathing did not labor. He needed to push harder, run faster. With his sight wide open, he gleaned and made his way avoiding guards as he passed. Still, he accelerated. His feet punched at the ground. Tears streamed across his face, but he would not stop. He wanted to run until his feet could not carry him.

  When he finally did his third lap around the wall, he caught a glimpse of Haygan ahead of him, leaning against the stones. He knew what that meant. Time to stop. At that point, he wasn’t sure he could. His heart pounded in his chest as he neared his uncle. By the time he slowed, he was out of breath and fell to his knees. He panted and waited for his mind to stop pushing and his heart to stop pulling.

  “Need a hand?” Haygan asked. “You’ve caused quite the stir with your run this morning. If you have the energy to burn, you should find Dresnor or Riome. I am sure either of them would love to help you extinguish what ails you.” His uncle offered him a hand up. “You know I am not one to pry, but you seem particularly overwhelmed. If you need to talk, I know a thing or two about…life.”

  “I appreciate the offer,” Kai said, “but I am not sure how you can help me. I want what I cannot have, and I knew that going into it. Every moment I spend with Rayna is beyond words. I don’t know how you live without Simone.” Kai hated bringing her up because he now understood what it meant to care for someone you could not be with. At least he got to see Rayna every day.

  “I made a choice to be here with you,” Haygan said, “and I will see this through. Simone knows I love her, and when I can, I will return. For now, we settle for moments. She comes here more often than you think,” Haygan said with a soft look in his eyes. “Now for your situation, trust in the blessings of the universe. Trust Alenga will find a way. I doubt she would show you your soulmate only to keep her from you. Let her guide you. If it is meant to be, it will be. Now, no more speed-running in broad daylight. Off with you. Don’t you have a class or something else to do today?”

  Kai nodded. It felt better to talk, but it didn’t change his situation. “Thank you for understanding and not judging.” He ran towards the palace, where the smell of Lizzie’s almond cakes welcomed him inside.

  Chapter 18

  Riome’s Beginnings

  Riome sat at her desk, staring into her mirror. “I have a mission for you today. I am going to disguise you as an old man. Simple mission. Observe and report.” She continued applying freckles and wrinkle lines to her hands and face. With each stroke, her face aged. Her final touch, a dusting of white powder through her hair.

  Her skills as a spy amazed him. The ability to become someone else and convince others her identity was real was second to none. So many of Riome’s disguises were often young boys, old women, or dirt-covered beggars. While she worked, she reminded him, “Attractive people garner too much attention. Our work requires anonymity. People dismiss the elderly and the young, especially if they appear poor. If you want to make an impression, do it with a scar or a tattoo. Something you can wash off quickly. People focus on the disfigurement and the ink, remembering little else.”

  She finished with her own disguise and turned to him. “Sit here. I need to work on your face. Tonight, you will walk alone to the Drunken Dragon and order ale and stew. Choose your seat wisely. You want to be close enough to listen to the bartender.” She pressed a wet sponge against his face, followed by powder.

  Surprised, he sat up straight and let her do her work. “You’re sending me on a mission? I have been back for months now without so much as a word from you since you brought me home from Chenowith.”

  Ignoring his response, she continued. “The bartender is meeting with someone today, and I need to know who that is and what their purpose is. I will get there before you and sit just inside the door.”

 
; In the mirror, his face changed. With each brown makeup line and pat of her sponge, he aged. She left little time for idle chit-chat. When she was finished, he wore an oversized ratty brown shirt that smelled of old ale. His face had dark lines and age spots, in addition to dirt and grime. In the mirror, his face and hands looked unrecognizable.

  She tucked a few small layered pads under this shirt, over his shoulders, and around his back to create a small hump. She gave him a thick black vest and a large cloak. To finish the look, she put the same white dust in his hair. “Now you just need a cane and these old boots.” She smiled, pleased with her handiwork.

  ◆◆◆

  Kai went down through the tunnels and exited the metal gate into the warehouse section of Hightown Proper. With a pebble in his boot, Kai hobbled down the street toward the Drunken Dragon. Early winter wind nipped at his face. There had been no snow yet, but the air had a definite bite. Grateful for the layers, he kept his hands inside his cloak.

  Outside the pub, men lingered. Before he could enter, a group of men brushed him aside. They were loud and obnoxious, and the entire place turned to look at them. Their disruption gave him the opportunity to study the room and slip in unnoticed.

  On one wall a roaring fire heated the pub. The place reeked of sweat and ale, which matched the clothes Riome had given him. Patrons noisily conversed around the large tables, leaving the bar empty. On the opposite wall was a single table adjacent to the backroom door, yet still close to the bar. A perfect spot. Kai slid up to the table.

  Facing the door, he had a great view. That’s when he saw her, the little old woman eating a slice of pie. If he’d not seen her get ready, he’d have never known this old woman was the young, vibrant woman Riome. Her disguise was flawless. Even the quiver in her hand as she ate made you believe she was frail.