“You think he caused the Taint?” Runa asked.
Lyric gasped and looked at her sister. “You can’t believe that he would —”
Runa shrugged. “We don’t know him,” she said. “If he’s willing to lure and kill a young woman, what else is he capable of?”
Lyric jerked her eyes back to their mother. “Mama, do you honestly believe our grandfather destroyed Thenda?”
Elaina scraped the bottle across the table, balancing it on its edge, then met Lyric’s eyes. “I don’t have proof,” she said, “but he’s connected somehow. He knows people that —” She glanced at Kell. “He is involved.”
“Is he who you learned that spell from?” Runa asked, pointing at their mother’s bandaged arm.
“Blood magic,” Elaina said. “No.” Her voice was tight and fierce. “But he uses it. It’s dangerous magic. Erratic. Exacting. Please, promise me you will never attempt it.” She glared at them both, as though challenging them to defy her.
Lyric leaned back, feeling overwhelmed and out of depth. “I don’t even know how we would learn,” she said. She glanced at Runa and saw her sister’s jaw set stubbornly.
“Who asked you to return to Raendashar?” Runa asked. “You said someone convinced you to abandon us. Was it our father?”
Their mother blinked, surprise flashing across her face. An exhalation of breath left her, not quite a laugh, but a startled, incredulous sound and she scrubbed a hand through her thick hair. “No, no it was my brother Raynard who asked me to return.”
“Who is our father?” Runa asked. She leaned forward and placed a hand on the table, fingers tight against the scratched surface.
Lyric blinked. Despite the abruptness of the question, it was one she wanted an answer to as well. She looked at their mother, who seemed still a touch off balance.
“Girls,” Elaina said, her voice tired. “Perhaps we could —”
“You said he was a sailor,” Lyric said. Their mother was answering questions, maybe she’d finally tell them about their father. “Did he sail the Sea of Screams?” She thought about the Sireni, what little she knew of them. Of course, you didn’t have to be Sireni to work on a ship, but if he was a simple sailor from Kaliz or Raenborschia, why would Elaina hide him? Why had she withheld his name?
Elaina looked past them, out into the room. She licked her lips, a distant look in her eyes. “They don’t know,” she said, finally. “The Sireni don’t know.”
“Don’t know what?” Lyric asked.
“That your father is one of them.”
Kell exhaled softly beside Lyric, but she didn’t look over to see his expression. When Elaina had first told them about their connection to Raendashar, Lyric had found herself asking about the Sireni. She hadn’t known why. Her father was Sireni and somehow ... somehow Lyric had known.
“Does our grandfather know?” Runa asked.
Their mother put a hand over her mouth and shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “If he did …” She shook her head again. “I’m not certain he knows you exist. Your father’s brother knows, and a few of his clan, but that’s it.” Elaina stared at Lyric and Runa, holding their eyes in turn. “This knowledge is dangerous. The Sireni already want you for being my daughters. If they discovered you share both Raendasharan and Sireni blood …”
Lyric sunk back against the booth. She felt adrift as if her head had floated away. Everything she’d ever believed was a lie. Everything she thought she would become now seemed impossible, foolish.
Kell shifted, and his hand brushed against her knee. Lyric focused on it, drawing comfort from the accidental contact, trying to ground herself.
“What does our father think about this?” Lyric asked. “Is he still alive?”
Their mother looked down, lips pressing tight, and rubbed the knuckles of her left hand. “He’s alive,” she said. She looked back up, staring into Lyric’s face with regret and concern in her hazel eyes. “I hadn’t planned to tell you this way,” Elaina admitted. “About your past, about me. Not like this all at once, all jumbled together.”
“You didn’t expect to tell us at all,” Runa said flatly.
Elaina’s hand slapped the table, her eyes flashing like something had caught fire inside them. “You don’t know what it’s been like for me,” she hissed. “You don’t know —” She cut off, staring wide-eyed at Lyric, who’d drawn back, heart pounding.
Breathing in, her hand clenching, Elaina leaned back, agonized eyes flicking to Runa.
Runa, spots of color high on her cheeks, was staring back with wet-eyed intensity. Her chest heaved, her emotions just beneath the surface. The translucent quality to her shape wavered, flickering opaque.
“Ru, you’re changing,” Lyric said, distracted.
Her sister looked down, mouth open, and the odd flicker went away. “I ... I don’t know what that was,” she said.
Elaina cleared her throat, face composed again, and clasped her hands in her lap. “We should rest,” she said. “I’ve told you all I can for now. We need to do what we came here for.” She looked at Runa, regret hollowing her face. “I need to think, decide what to do next.”
Runa looked up, face and eyes cold, controlled. “Which we will discuss and decide on together,” she said.
Their mother bristled, like a cat with her back up, then nodded. Weariness rounded her shoulders. She looked drained. “Galgosha will give us a room. We’ll be safe here. We can sleep for a few hours, then decide what to do. Can we agree? Rest?”
Lyric stared at her sister, pointedly. The air was charged with emotion, and she wanted to cry and scream. She resisted the urge to grab Kell’s hand and pressed her hands flat on her knees. Hold it together, she thought. We’re together. Everything will be fine.
Runa broke off her stare with Elaina and looked at Lyric, nodding once.
“Fine,” Runa said. She slid out of the booth, standing stiffly as Elaina moved past her.
Kell stood too, and Lyric scooted out after him. He reached for her, like he wanted to offer her his hand, but then pulled it back and stuck it in his pocket, eyes darting to Elaina’s drawn face.
Not catching Kell’s look, their mother signed with her hand to Galgosha, on the other side of the room, and the bartender signaled something back.
“This way,” Elaina said. She led them along the wall, past the fireplace, to an unobtrusive doorway, which opened into a small hall.
Runa hung back, waiting to enter last, so Lyric followed Elaina inside with Kell on her heels. They walked to a staircase and headed down.
“This is strange,” Lyric said aloud, breaking the tense silence. “Usually in inns, you climb up. Are we sleeping in the cellar?” She laughed. Exhaustion was making her feel silly.
“The waystation is more like a series of caves, than a building,” their mother said.
The stairs ended at a long hallway filled with closed doors. Lyric eyed them as they passed; they all seemed uniform with nothing distinguishing one from another. Elaina paused at the fourth door on the left and opened it with a quick push.
Moving up behind their mother, Lyric peered inside the room. It was small, with two beds taking up most of the available space. The walls were empty of decorations, and there were no windows. Beside the door was a chair and table, upon which sat a lamp that emitted purple light. Covering the floor was a threadbare rug.
“Is that animal skin?” Lyric asked curiously. “What kind of animal has purple fur?”
“Let’s get out of the hallway,” Elaina said, ushering them inside.
They bunched together, as Elaina shut the door, and Lyric bumped against Kell. She tilted her head back, smiling brightly.
Kell stared at her, a mix of curiosity and pleasure lightening his eyes and for a breath, Lyric forgot where they were. Their shared moment was interrupted by Runa shoving past, and Lyric’s chin slammed into Kell’s chest. Lyric and Kell laughed, wincing, and she grabbed his arm to steady herself.
Runa flopp
ed onto one of the beds. “I feel more solid here,” she said aloud, addressing no one.
Lyric glanced at her, and it looked like Runa wanted to tell her something, but then her sister’s eyes slid to their mother and her face shuttered.
“I wonder why that is,” Lyric said, moving around Kell to sit beside her sister. She thought about how Runa’s body had shifted in the common room upstairs, and glanced at her sister’s face, raising an eyebrow.
“Later,” Runa muttered. “Just … have you seen anything?”
“Seen?” Lyric asked. “Like what?”
“Never mind.”
“You should sleep,” their mother said. “I’ll keep watch.”
Kell moved aside, allowing Elaina to sit down on the bed opposite Lyric and Runa.
Their mother rubbed a hand over her face, her eyes shadowed.
“You look exhausted, Mama,” Lyric said. “Maybe you should sleep first.” She gestured at the closed door. “Do we need to keep watch? We’re in a locked room.”
Elaina eyed the door, swaying slightly. “Old habits,” she said. “We are as safe as we can be here. Galgosha is upstairs.”
Lyric smiled. “She looks like she could take on a Sireni or two.”
“Yes, she can,” their mother said, chuckling.
“I’ll sit in the chair,” Kell said.
Lyric glanced at him in confusion, then blushed as she realized why he was picking the uncomfortable-looking chair. There were four of them in the small room and only two beds.
“I don’t mind sharing,” Elaina said to Kell. “Just stay on your side.”
Kell cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s fine,” he said. “I’ve done this before. Fallen asleep in a chair that is.” He sat down and stretched out his legs, crossing his ankles. Shifting against the back of the chair, he wrapped his cloak around his shoulders and chest.
Elaina shrugged and laid down. “The Supplier will be stopping by. We can trade then.”
“Supplier?” Runa asked.
Elaina yawned and crossed her arms over her chest, shutting her eyes. “They’ll have food and clothes for travel, and maybe …” She began to snore.
Lyric grinned and looked at Runa, who snorted.
“Might as well sleep too,” Runa said. She pulled her legs up onto the bed and rolled over, close to the wall.
Lyric glanced at Kell, who was reaching for the lamp.
“We’ll be fine,” he said, smiling at her.
“Of course,” Lyric said. She stared into his eyes. She hadn’t been thinking about the Sireni.
Kell tapped the lamp, turning it off, and Lyric blinked in the sudden darkness. She laid down carefully and listened to the sound of her sister shifting beside her, and their mother's soft snores. Something scuffed against the floor, probably Kell moving his foot.
Lyric’s thoughts drifted to home. Had the Sireni found their house? What had they done after discovering Lyric was gone? Had their neighbors noticed that Lyric and Runa were missing? Had Tora come back for —
Someone was shaking her awake. Lyric opened her eyes and stared up at a purple sky. Where was the sun or the stars? Her head felt thick; her senses slow.
She sat up and stared at the rough wood beneath her. Was she on a ship? It wasn’t rocking side to side. Had it run aground? Lyric didn’t feel like she was moving at all.
Turning her head to the right, Lyric found an old woman kneeling beside her. The woman’s square face was wrinkled and darkened by the sun, and her small blue eyes studied her with a bird’s keen focus. Old tattoos curled down the sides of her throat and across her upper chest, the ink faded to a pale blue.
Flushing, Lyric realized the woman’s chest was bare, and she jerked her eyes to the collection of chains that hung between her breasts. Crafted from delicate strands of metal and threaded with a variety of seashells, ocean-tumbled stones and pieces of carved wood, the necklaces shifted as the woman moved, catching the light.
A long white skirt covered the woman’s lower body that she’d tucked beneath her knees. Sashes in blue, green, red and yellow wrapped her waist.
“Hello,” the old woman said, smiling. Her face looked kind, her smile genuine.
Lyric immediately felt safe in her presence and returned the woman’s smile. “Hello,” she echoed. “I’m Lyric. Who are you?” Was she dreaming? What happened to the room where she slept? Where were Runa and Kell? Where was their mother?
“My name is Gandara,” the old woman said. “You are wondering where you are?”
“Yes,” Lyric said. She frowned and eyed the woman’s face. “Am I sleeping?”
“Yes,” Gandara said. “I am … borrowing your dream.”
“You’re a ghost?” Lyric guessed.
Gandara smiled and inclined her head. “I lived many ages ago.”
Lyric eyed the woman’s unfamiliar clothes. “Are you Sireni?”
“Yes, I am your ancestor. Your blood sang out to me when you arrived.” Her eyes filmed and she seemed to disappear inside herself. “I want to help you,” Gandara said, her eyes refocusing on Lyric’s face.
“Help me how?”
“You are untrained. Someone might take advantage of that.”
“Like who?”
Gandara’s face darkened, and she pointed a gnarled finger at the center of Lyric’s chest. “The fire blood burns in you too. You must be careful you are not swayed by their bloodlust. Their desire for power, for destruction.”
“I’m sorry,” Lyric said uncertainly. “What are you talking about?” Was she referring to their mother? Lyric being half Raendasharan?
“You will call the winds,” Gandara said. Her eyes grew distant again, and Lyric studied her with concern. The old woman seemed forgetful, her mind drifting.
“I can teach you the language of the ancients,” Gandara said.
“Dragon runes?” Lyric asked.
Gandara grimaced, a look of distaste on her face. “Ancient runes,” she repeated.
Lyric stared at her. Wasn’t Serith, the Sireni’s progenitor, still a dragon, even if she lived in the ocean? It seemed that the distrust between the Sireni and Raendasharans did run deep.
She considered Gandara’s words. What was her true motive for seeking to guide her? Was Gandara’s offer an attempt to ensure Lyric didn’t train in Raendashar? Or was the old woman worried about her mother teaching her? Lyric sighed. That was about as likely as the old gods returning.
It couldn’t hurt to accept Gandara’s help, could it? There was nothing threatening about the old woman. She seemed amiable. Lyric usually got a good sense of people, and she didn’t think Gandara wished her harm. And, if their mother wasn’t going to teach her herself, Gandara might be her only option.
Making a decision, Lyric smiled. “I’d love to learn,” she said aloud. Maybe it was all a dream. It couldn’t hurt to accept help from her ancestor.
Gandara’s face softened into a wide grin. She looked excited like they were two young girls sharing secrets. “I’m happy you came here,” she said, beaming. “Now that we’re connected, I can reach out to you again.”
Lyric raised an eyebrow. “Because of the Veil?” she asked. She felt silly, asking yet another question, but Gandara seemed pleased by her interest.
“Your link to your sister,” Gandara said. “Her presence has created certain … holes.”
“What do you mean holes?” Lyric asked, alarmed.
Gandara’s smile slipped, eyes growing serious. “You need to be careful,” she said. “She is more fire than water. She will destroy, not flow.”
Irritated by the old woman’s words, Lyric frowned. “Runa is a good person,” she said.
“Perhaps,” Gandara said, shrugging one rounded shoulder. “Be vigilant. Power corrupts.”
“You don’t know Runa,” Lyric said, her voice sharp. She breathed in, trying to calm herself.
“Just be cautious,” Gandara said soothingly. “Now, let me teach you the word for wind.�
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5
Elaina
Elaina woke to darkness. She blinked, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, her nerves thrumming. She listened to the sounds around her, keeping still, orienting herself. Everyone was asleep, their breathing deep and slow.
Trying to pinpoint what awakened her, Elaina sat up slowly. Her back ached. She’d forgotten to remove her belt and fell asleep with a bottle pressed into her back. Shifting it down to her hip, she rubbed at the sore spot, fingers worrying the knot in her muscle.
Someone rapped softly on the door.
Had the Supplier arrived? Lowering her feet to the floor, Elaina stood up. She stepped over Kell’s long legs to reach the door, briefly debating whether to wake him up and send him to the bed.
She decided against it. He was dead to the world, his mouth open and his head tilted backward in a way that had to be uncomfortable. Kell looked younger asleep, barely older than her daughters. He didn’t look like the boy she remembered. How long had he lived in the Veil before his mother brought him to Elaina’s father? Did Kell dream of her sometimes? He claimed he couldn’t remember her or the day in the keep, but he should have. Had Elaina’s father done something to him? Her lips twisted. How many marks had her father left on Kell’s life?
The tap came again, and Elaina blinked, pulling back from her memories. She bent down to grab the dagger in her boot and reached for the door. Hand wrapping around the iron handle, she opened it and stared into the hall.
A short man stood in front of the door, and he touched the brim of his tall, purple hat as their eyes met. “Pem, Supplier of Bits and Baubles and anything else you may need,” he said. He was shorter than Lyric and Runa by a full handspan and had bright orange eyes and curly, black hair that stuck out from beneath his hat in every possible direction.
“Hi Pem,” Elaina said, smiling despite herself. It was impossible not to when faced with such a friendly, mischievous grin. “My companions are sleeping, but halls have eyes.” She nodded at the walls. “Perhaps we can conduct business quietly inside the room?”
Daughters of Fire & Sea Page 6