“Agent Harper?” Fifteen’s voice came through.
“I got it. The first piece of cerecite.”
“Did you scan it already?”
“Yes.” I held the orb carefully, as if it were made of glass.
“It transformed?”
I nodded. “Yes. Into a glowing white ball.”
“Good,” he said in his mechanical tone. “I knew you’d do it.”
“That’s one of us.”
“You doubted your abilities, Agent Harper?”
“Not my abilities, per se, but even you have to admit the difficulty level of this mission is extreme. Thankfully, Vortech gave me an awesome pep-talk before I left. Warning me about a second flare worse than the first, seeing my mom and grandmother die, and worrying my dad will go the same way is great motivation to walk through a gateway to an alternate dimension you may not return from.”
“Is that a joke, Agent Harper?” he asked.
“Not really.” I sighed. “But if it makes you laugh, you can do so.”
“I’m not programmed to laugh.”
No kidding. “Then by all means, don’t try. Now, about this cerecite. How long will it stay in its original form?”
“A few weeks if you keep it in your bag. It’s lined with lead to protect you from the radiation. Do not remove it. All the glowing spheres on the island are emitting radiation to a lesser degree, though this type can’t be picked up on traditional measuring instruments.”
“I understand.” I placed the cerecite in my bag. Rosa’s journal sat on the nightstand, and though I didn’t open it, the pages opened in my mind’s eye. I searched through the next entries.
The word time jumped out at me.
Morven had been using a pocket watch. Could it be cerecite? I couldn’t recall seeing his pocket watch change its appearance, which meant I’d have to give it a closer look. He’d be at dinner in a few hours.
Until then, I decided that wandering the palace from one room to another could take me years to find anything, so I grabbed the bag of scrolls Mrs. O’Connor had given me, searched through them until I found what I was looking for, and spread it out over my bed.
A map of the palace, complete with every room drawn onto it, covered the parchment. I found a block of black chalk in a drawer and began the task of labeling each room. After searching a room, I would write a list of the items I found, then check off each space one by one. I’d search through the night if I had to.
I would find that cerecite or die trying.
Chapter 9
I worked on the map until my fingers cramped, but at least I’d made some progress. I put an X on the observatory where I’d found the shell, and I’d made a grid of the other rooms in the castle. Two-hundred and forty-two to be exact.
Ticking came from a clock on the nightstand, and I placed the chalk aside as I read the time.
It was nearly time for dinner, so I stood, my muscles sore and protesting as I made my way into the hall.
As I wandered the castle, it helped to have the castle’s map in my head. Even so, seeing rooms on a map and wandering the passageways were two different things, and I stopped, turning to glance from one hallway to another. Gray stones and green banners blended together.
“Lost again?” a male voice said behind me.
I turned around to see Cade leaning against a door frame, a smile creasing his mouth. “I was looking for the dining room.”
“Ah! Well, I can tell you that you’re heading toward the gardens, not the dining hall. And you’re also on the wrong floor.”
I sighed. Of course, I was. “Can you help me again, please? If it’s no trouble?”
His face lit up with a smile, revealing his dazzling white teeth. He walked toward me, then held out his arm. He’d spiked his blond hair, and I had the urge to run my hands through it. He also wore a different shirt and pants, not the standard affair of black and green plaid, but a simple white shirt and blue pants. His lanky frame moved fluidly under the layer of clothes.
“It’s no trouble at all,” he said. “I’m on my way there myself, and I would be honored if you joined me.”
I took his arm. “Thank you,” I said, relief in my voice.
He nodded. “You’re quite welcome.”
As we walked, the tension in my shoulders relaxed. I could get used to Cade escorting me through the castle.
“What exactly do you do here?” I asked, trying to think of something to say to fill the silence.
“Work in the greenhouse. I cultivate green cerecite and create all sorts of seeds for plants—most of them are shipped out to the fields to be grown as wheat or barley, but others stay here in the castle. I make more than just vegetables, too. I create flowers and herbs. I’ve even been experimenting and making some hybrid species. You should come by the greenhouse sometime. I could show you what I do.”
“That would be nice.” Especially if there’s a hidden object inside.
We turned down a broad hallway that led to a staircase.
“Have you been able to see much of the city yet?” he asked.
I nodded. “A little. I saw some of it before I started working for the prince.”
The muscles in his arm tensed. “How do you like working for him?”
“Like it? That’s a strong word.” I laughed as we climbed the stairs. “I’m tolerating it. And I’m still here. That’s good, isn’t it?”
“I guess that depends on who you ask.” Genuine warmth spread from his smile—not at all the shrewd, calculating looks the prince gave me, as if he were trying to figure out my deepest secrets.
After walking up three flights of stairs, we turned down a hall, then entered a broad foyer. A jutting, curved balcony overlooked the floors beneath us. On the opposite end, a wide set of marble stairs led up to a pair of ornately carved doors.
“Impressive,” I said as we climbed.
“Yes, you’re lucky you get to see it. Most people never get access to anything but the queen’s audience chamber.” We reached the doors and Cade pulled them open, revealing an enormous dining hall with tall ceilings, dramatic stone pillars, and flowing green banners Our echoing footsteps mingled with the sounds of chatter as we crossed through the room, past rows of long, empty tables, and to the very back, where only one table was filled with people.
I spotted Morven and the queen regent at the head of the table. The queen’s eyes met mine, and she motioned me toward her.
“I guess this is where we’ll part,” Cade said.
I gave him a brief smile. “I guess so.”
“Would you like to meet me tonight after dinner at the main gates?” he asked. “I can show you around the city if you’d like.”
“That would be nice. Thank you.”
He gave a slight nod, then released me to sit at the end of the table, opposite the queen and Morven.
I paced to the head of the table, spotting an empty space beside Morven.
“Sit,” the queen regent commanded. I took a seat beside Morven. He eyed me, but he didn’t speak as servers arrived from the side doors, carrying platters of seared beef, stewed vegetables, soups, bread, and mounds of fresh fruit. After arranging the platters on the table, they spooned the food on our plates. Steam rose from the food, warming me, its scent making my empty stomach rumble.
The protein drinks and nutrition bars I’d eaten at Vortech’s facility, and the TV dinners I’d shared with Mima June and Dad, paled to the exquisite heaps of food here. Knot-shaped rolls glistened with a buttery sheen, smelling of freshly baked bread, tender grilled meat fell apart on my fork, and the fruit burst with flavor as I chewed, savoring each bite.
The queen thrummed her fingers on the table as she focused on me, her gaze overcritical. She nibbled her food, but still she eyed me. I took a bite of the roll, though my appetite escaped me. Replacing the half-eaten bread on the table, I couldn’t find it in me to finish it. What was it about the Tremayne family that completely intimidated me?
“Yo
u took Prince Morven to the tower today, didn’t you?” she asked.
What? How had she found out?
“I—”
“He’s not to go there. I don’t care what he tells you. He needs to focus on his studies and nothing else. I don’t know why he has such a fascination with the observatory, but it must end. In no way does such an obsession prepare him to become king, which is happening much sooner than anyone would like.” She sighed, thrumming her fingers on the table. “Me included.”
I glanced at Morven, but he sat unspeaking, staring straight ahead, the muscles in his jaw locked.
“I would like him to continue to study from the materials I provided you,” the queen continued, her voice heated. “There will be no more excursions up to the observatory. Is that understood?”
“Yes,” I answered. But why was she so determined to keep us out of the observatory? Was she perhaps protecting the cerecite from being found? If so, what else was she trying to keep a secret?
“Well then.” She spoke with forced cheerfulness. “Let’s enjoy our food before it grows cold, shall we?”
“Of course,” I said, taking another bite of meat, though its flavor had grown bland, and I had a sudden longing for a frozen microwave dinner, Dad at my side, as we watched a Star Trek rerun.
A knot lodged in my throat, and I had to fight back a sudden pricking of tears. I’d see him again, and he’d be okay. We’d both be okay, especially after I found the cerecite and kept us safe during the second flare.
Morven stirred the gravy, though didn’t take a bite, his gaze distant. His watch’s chain dangled from his vest pocket.
I pressed my fisted hands into my lap to keep from grabbing it.
“Morven,” I said as politely as possible. “Do you have the time?”
He gave me a sullen glare but didn’t speak as he pulled out his watch, clicked open the lid, and checked the time. “Six-thirty-seven.” He closed the lid with a snap, then stuffed it back in his pocket.
A brief glance was enough. The etching on the back had been silver-plated, with ornate curlicues creating three-leafed clover patterns. In the tower, the pattern had consisted of four leaves.
Prince Morven had white cerecite, and now, I only needed to steal it.
Chapter 10
Chilly night-time air drifted as I walked through the streets with Cade at my side. After dinner, Morven went back to his room without speaking a word to anyone, and I hadn’t gotten a chance to observe his watch again. My next option was to wait until he’d gone to sleep, slip inside his room, and take it, but that would have to wait.
As we entered a narrow street, Cade’s fingertips brushed mine. My stomach flipped at the touch of his skin. Did he expect to hold my hand? But he only smiled, blue lamplight cast over his eyes of the same color, and he stepped away from me. Emptiness tugged at me at the distance between us. I folded my arms over my chest, my fingertips cold.
We entered a town square where vendors set up carts. Pastel bunches of roses and lilies filled vases or hung from strings along the vendor’s awnings, swaying in the brisk breeze. Other carts held trays of pies—meat, lemon curd, or haggis—their sweet and savory scents wafting. In other places, the aroma of citrus drifted from the oranges and other unfamiliar fruit.
Music played with a staccato tempo, and couples and children danced. The rich sounds of the banjos and lutes mingled and echoed off the tall buildings.
“Is this a festival?” I asked.
“Not exactly.” Cade smiled. “They’re celebrating the prince’s coronation.”
“His coronation? Already?”
“They’ve been celebrating for years now.” He laughed. “The prince was supposed to take the throne on his eighteenth birthday. Then his twenty-first. Now it’s his twenty-third, and for whatever reason, the townspeople are convinced this time, it’ll happen.” He held out his hand. “Would you like to dance?”
My mouth gaped. “Dance?”
“Yeah.” His smile showed his dimples. “You know how to dance, don’t you?”
“I don’t really dance.”
“Don’t dance?” he questioned with mock surprise. “Nonsense.”
I glanced back at the castle, a looming structure that stood dark against the sky. I should’ve been at the palace searching for the timepiece.
Without warning, Cade grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the crowd. When he placed his hand on my waist, I stiffened. The buildings surrounding us closed in on me the same way the walls had trapped me at Vortech.
“Is something the matter?” Cade asked.
I steadied my breathing. “I’m fine.”
His forehead creased. “You’re sure?”
“Positive. Just thinking about the prince.”
His grin faded. “What about him?”
“You don’t like him, either, huh?” I asked.
He shrugged. “He’s not the easiest to get along with.”
“Agreed, and I get to be his caretaker.” I hoped he heard my sarcasm.
“Yes, but you know why you got the job, don’t you?”
“I’ve heard rumors,” I answered. “It seems the last person quit.”
His gaze darkened. “There’s more to it than that. His aunt needs extra eyes on him.”
I nodded. “I gathered that.”
The violin strings and flutes harmonized, creating a lively tune. Cade gripped my cold hand in his warm one, a steady anchor. His other hand he kept on my waist, his warmth helping to melt the chill in the air. We moved in a square pattern over the cobblestones, the soles of our shoes ringing out, echoing around the stone and mortar buildings, resonating with the music.
The song ended, and the crowd broke apart until a slower song started. The musicians played softly, a melody that conjured a mournful sound. A hulking man wearing furs stalked along the edge of the crowd. A glowing wolf stood by him.
Ivan?
What was he doing here?
The light of the streetlamps didn’t penetrate far into the lane, even so, a glint came from the man’s machete strapped to his side.
Was Ivan watching me? Cade held my hand and led me away from the man in the shadows. When I glanced back, he’d disappeared, and I stared into an empty lane.
“Do you see something?” Cade asked.
I shook my head, trying to erase the image of Ivan stalking me. “I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?”
Once again, I looked over my shoulder, only to find an empty street.
“I thought I saw someone I knew. But he’s gone now.”
Cade nodded. “Then let’s dance.”
“Okay,” I said with a smile, attempting to put Ivan out of my mind. But what was he doing?
I tried to match my steps to Cade’s. My fingers warmed where he clutched them. I hadn’t touched a person in so long, the sensation caught me by surprise. I could get used to this.
When the music stopped, several guards moved toward us. “Curfew in thirty minutes,” they yelled.
“Curfew?” I asked as the square emptied. “What for?”
“The miners are threatening revolution, so the queen regent is doing everything to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The crowd scattered, awnings and food carts taken down for the night. We followed a group of people away from the square, then took a copper-paved road away from the others. We stopped at the center of a stone bridge. Below us, the roar of the river filled the silence, its dark surface creating swirling eddies.
“It’s so different here.” I stopped, realizing my slip-up. “Different from Fablemarch.”
“I agree.” His smile returned. “I came from a small village also. The city never fails to impress.”
His casual attitude made me hope he hadn’t noticed my mistake. “How long have you lived here?” I asked, leaning against the railing.
“Half my life. My da died working in the mines. Mother was able to get work as a seamstress in the palace, so we came here. I haven’
t left since then.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”
Blue lights softened the towering buildings, a wonder that such a place could exist without the whole world knowing. A civilization silenced under a dome.
“Cade, how did our ancestors build the dome?”
He cocked his head. “You don’t know?”
“I know what’s in the books. But you’ll have to forgive me. I spent most of my time helping my da with his fishing business. We never had much time for history lessons. He cared more about nets and hooks than my education.” I was scaring myself at how easy I spoke these lies.
Cade leaned his lanky frame against the rail, his elbows propped behind him. “Well, doesn’t really matter anyway, because no one knows much about the dome or how our ancestors created it. Legend says that after our ancestors washed ashore, they got sick, cold and exposure, you know. But then the green dragon magically swooped in and saved them. Helped them mine cerecite. Build the dome and all that.”
I eyed him. His skeptical tone made me curious. “Do you think that’s what happened?”
He kicked a pebble that skittered over the bridge and fell in the river with a splash. “There’s more to the story.”
He piqued my curiosity. “You say that as if you’re sure?”
“I have my reasons.” He glanced away, as if putting an end to the discussion, but I wasn’t giving up that easily.
“Has anyone ever seen the green dragon?” I asked.
“Sure. Plenty of people have seen it. It’s a creation of the green cerecite, just like any other Mystik creature. The answer most people want to know is where does it come from? If it was once the spirit of a person, then whose? How did it become a Mystik? They say we become them because we ingest green cerecite all our lives, then after we die, our essence changes into the form of a Mystik creature.”
“Right,” I said, processing his story, what had really happened on the island, how the dome had apparently been built by a dragon. “Do you think someone lived on the island before us?”
“Maybe.” He crossed his arms. “If so, they would’ve lived here long enough to mine cerecite, long enough to ingest it. That takes effort. Mining cerecite isn’t easy. I don’t know if you’ve ever been out to the mines, but they’re a major operation. No one could mine cerecite on their own. Not for an entire lifetime, which basically means that for the green dragon to exist in a scientific sense, someone had to’ve been here before us.”
The 7th Lie Page 9