The 7th Lie

by Tamara Grantham

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know if you’ll believe me.”

  I frowned, then I sat back, the ground damp and slightly spongy, and patted the grass. “Tell me.”

  With a sigh, he sat beside me and looked up at the sky. “You really want to know?”

  “Morven,” I said sternly. “I didn’t come all the way out here for nothing.”

  Eyes guarded, he looked at me as if trying to decide to trust me. “Fine.” He pointed at the sky. “You see the stars there, just above the horizon?”

  “Yes.”

  “That constellation is called Cassiopeia. I noticed it first. If you study the star charts from before our people shipwrecked on the island, they look different. The shield is designed to be in harmony with our world. It’s built to resemble our home in Scotland. Even the night sky was designed to look that way. That’s why Cassiopeia looks like it has an extra star. The shield is filling in the blanks.”

  “So...” I studied the sky. “Are we even seeing the actual nighttime sky?”

  He shook his head. “Not quite. Some parts of the shield are easier to see through, but you can only do that at night. That’s why it seems like there are so many stars here. Some of them are the actual stars we see through the shield, and others aren’t real—they’re constructs—light glowing on the shield and nothing more. Even the moon is a construct.”

  “That’s interesting.” And confusing. It wasn’t likely a group of 19th century shipwreck survivors could’ve created it. Not without help, at least. Aliens again. Why was that my only explanation?

  He smiled. “It gets better. Three years ago, I started charting only the stars we can see through the shield. It was tedious to do. The stars were impossible to see most of the time. That’s why I made this.” He tapped his telescope sitting on his lap. “It lets me see only the actual nighttime sky. That’s when I first discovered it.”

  I tilted my head. “Discovered what?”

  He pulled a chart off the ground and showed it to me. “This planet.” He pointed to a dot without a label. I looked from his chart to each map on the ground. The same unlabeled dot stood out on each one. I’d noticed it before, but since it had been unlabeled, I figured it hadn’t been important.

  I pointed to it. “What is it?”

  “Good question,” he answered. “That’s what I’ve been trying to understand. I tracked the other stars and planets to see if I could get a better grasp. The weird thing is, some of this didn’t add up. Jupiter, for example.” He pointed up at the sky. “That bright star there. It’s in the wrong spot.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He handed his telescope to me. “Hold this to your eye. Look at Jupiter, then turn west by twenty degrees.”

  I did as he said, first focusing on the planet, then moving to the left. A bright glowing orb appeared through the lens. “I see something. Is that Jupiter? The actual Jupiter?”

  “Yes.”

  I placed the telescope in my lap. “Why is it in a different position?”

  He rested his hands on his knees. “I thought it was because the first settlers were constructing the sky to appear the way they would’ve seen it in Scotland. But now, I’m not so sure. It’s not just Jupiter in the wrong place, but all the planets. Mars, that one there.” He pointed south. “See how it appears red?”

  The reddish orb glowed in the sky against the blackness. “Is that the real planet?”

  “No, the actual Mars is somewhere on the eastern horizon, and it’s significantly brighter.”

  “What causes it to look brighter?” I asked.

  Wind gusted, tugging dark hair across his forehead. “I thought maybe it was because we’re so far north, the stars appear brighter here,” he said. “But now I realize that’s not the case.”

  “Then what is the case?” I asked, confusion and curiosity making my heartrate quicken.

  “You’re not going to believe it.” He shook his head, his eyes pensive. “No one is.”

  “Why?” I demanded.

  “Because...” He pointed to the nameless dot on the chart. “I know which planet this is. It’s Earth.”

  I blinked. Had I heard him correctly? “What?”

  “It’s Earth,” he repeated.

  “But... what?”

  “See, I said you wouldn’t believe me.”

  “I...” How was this possible? Earth? “Assuming for a moment that I did believe you, if that’s Earth, then where are we?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “Another planet?”

  “No. I’ve accounted for all the planets.”

  I almost suggested we could be on a spaceship but held my tongue. Girls from fishing villages couldn’t possibly have known about those things. “Are you sure that planet you saw through your telescope is Earth?”

  “Positive. I’ve been mapping it for three years. I also mapped Venus and Mars, and this planet—” he pointed to the dot— “is orbiting between them. I only know of one planet that does that. I don’t know where we are, but we’re not on Earth.”

  “Wow.” Dizziness made my head swim. Did Vortech know what Morven had discovered? We weren’t on Earth. But how could that possibly be true? I’d never boarded a spaceship. Not to my knowledge, anyway. However, this did explain a few things. The uniformity of the grass and plants, this place being so much larger than the actual Champ Island, and the mechanical smell in the air. We were under a dome, but it wasn’t on Earth.

  I had to contact Vortech. I had to know if they knew. And if they did—if they’d been lying to me all along, then what?

  I didn’t want to go there, but I couldn’t ignore the evidence. Vortech had most likely lied to me, or at the least, withheld the truth, which brought up another question. Did they know what had happened to Rosa?

  Honesty shone in Morven’s eyes, hitting me with the impression that no matter how callous and rude, he would never lie to me. At least there was one person I could trust—with some things.

  “What are you thinking about?” Morven asked, his voice deep, yet soft, a sound that calmed me.

  “I don’t know. I suspected for some time that our world was different. Certain things existed that shouldn’t have. I never realized we weren’t on Earth. But now that I know, it makes sense.”

  “So, you believe me?”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded, looking intently into my eyes, as if he’d half expected me to call him a liar—what his aunt would’ve most likely told him.

  “Is this where you’ve been sneaking off to at night?” I asked.

  He swallowed, looking away from me, clasping his hands in a nervous gesture. “Partially, yes.”

  “What do you mean partially?”

  “There are things...” he started, then stopped.

  “Go on,” I said. “You can tell me.”

  “I don’t know.” He picked at the grass, not meeting my eyes.

  “I believed you about Earth, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, I suppose so. But please don’t repeat this to anyone. I could be imprisoned. Disowned, possibly.”

  “Disowned? For sneaking off? I know your aunt’s harsh, but that’s a bit much.”

  “No. Not for sneaking off.” He looked at the stars. “For being who I am.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I... I’ve been coming out here at night, that’s true. But then, sometimes, around midnight, I black out. I wake up in my room. It doesn’t happen all the time, but frequently enough.”

  “That’s it?” I asked.

  “What do you mean that’s it? Don’t you see how bad this is?”

  I shrugged. “Not really. I definitely don’t see how it would get you disowned.”

  His eyes widened. “You seriously don’t see why? Sabine, where have you been your entire life?”

  Ha. Good question.

  “Haven’t you heard the legends?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “I guess not.”<
br />
  “Sabine,” he whispered my name. “There’s a possibility that I’m a Cu Sith.”

  “A what?”

  “Cu Sith. Don’t you see how bad this is? It’s possible that when I was born, a spirit creature inhabited my body. If so, it can control me. It can make me transform back into the animal it once was, making me a shape changer.”

  The wind picked up, an eerie wail that sent a shiver down my spine. “Shape changer?”

  “Yes.” His gaze didn’t meet mine. “A wolf, actually.”

  My mouth gaped. “You can transform into a wolf?”

  “I don’t know for sure. But I think that’s what happens when I black out. I turn into a Mystik wolf. As I get older, it gets stronger. Whenever I become king, it may learn to control me completely.”

  I pondered his words, not sure how to react. One thing I knew—none of this was normal. “That’s not good.”

  “Yeah, that’s an understatement.”

  “But I don’t understand. I thought you didn’t believe in legends.”

  “I don’t, but I do believe in science. The Cu Sith came from old Scottish folktales, that’s true. Our ancestors thought they were hellhound harbingers of death. But when we came here, some of our people started to become possessed by the spirit animals. They called them the same name. They aren’t mythological creatures. They’re real.”

  I stared out over the mountaintop. What would it be like to encounter a spirit wolf—glowing turquoise fur and eyes burning in the darkness. “But you don’t know that for sure. You’ve been blacking out, but you don’t actually know what’s happening.”

  “That’s true, but...”

  “But what?” I asked.

  “Nothing.” A haunted expression crossed his face.

  I sat up straight. “What do you mean nothing? Do you know something else?”

  “I don’t want to discuss this, Sabine.” The determination in his voice kept me from pressing the issue. He looked away from me to gaze at the stars. Away from the confines of the palace, I was finally seeing the real Prince Morven. I had to admit he wouldn’t be a bad king. If he could learn to be tactful, he might even be a great one.

  But that was assuming he became king.

  “Morven, I know you don’t like it when I talk about this, but I have to be completely honest. I still believe someone was poisoning your porridge. Since you’ve been growing stronger, and you stopped eating it, you have to admit I may be right.”

  He nodded. “I know.”

  “You do?” I asked, surprised.

  “Yes. Whoever’s doing it, they’ve been at it for a long time. Ever since my parents died. It’s possible they also poisoned them, but I can’t be sure.”

  “Was it your aunt?”

  “Not necessarily. It could be the miners. They’ve wanted the royalty dead for a long time. Or...” Hurt shone in his eyes. “I won’t exclude the possibility that it may be her.”

  “But why wouldn’t she just kill you the way she did your parents?”

  “I don’t know. But I need to find out.”

  “What made you change your mind? The last time I talked to you, you didn’t believe your aunt could have done it.”

  “Well, I suppose I thought about what you said. This may be hard to believe, but Aunt Tremayne wasn’t always awful. Before my parents died, she was kind to me. We had fun together. She took me out to the city once, just me and her. She bought me a bag of candied nuts, even though my parents didn’t allow me to eat sweets before dinner. She laughed back then. I don’t know.” His voice became wistful. “She was a different person. I suppose I still think of her that way sometimes, as fun-loving and happy. But after my parents died, she changed. I think the responsibility of taking care of me scared her. She’d never been a parent, and I think she was terrified of messing me up, especially as I was to become the king.”

  This came from nowhere. Imagining the queen regent as someone other than a bitter shrew was a difficult thing to do.

  “I guess I still think of her that way sometimes,” Morven continued. “As carefree and happy, as someone who looked out for me. Someone who loved me. But I know she’s not that person anymore. Just because she loved me once doesn’t make her innocent. Plus, she’s the only person in the castle who would benefit from my death—or from my disability. She’s been controlling me since I’ve been in the chair. I realized you may have been right.”

  I held back a laugh. “That would be a first.”

  He glanced at me. “No, it wouldn’t. I always listen to you, Sabine.”

  Blood pulsed hot through my body as I sat transfixed by his gaze.

  “So,” he said, “now I believe you, and you believe me.” A mischievous grin lit his face, and he took my hand. The touch of his skin sent a jolt of warmth through me. “Does this mean we’re getting along?”

  I gave him a sidelong glance and returned his grin. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  He gently squeezed my fingers. “Then would you consider us friends, at least?”

  “Friends?” My smile faltered. “I’m your caretaker, remember? I’m not sure we’re supposed to be friends. Acquaintances, maybe.”

  “Acquaintances.” He shook his head, dark hair blowing across his forehead, and I wanted nothing more than to reach out and smooth it back. “That’s a stuffy word.” He spoke with a deep bass, his words soft. He kissed the back of my hand, his lips pressing lightly. Warmth seeped through my entire body, making it impossible for me to concentrate on anything but him.

  Morven wrapped his arm around me, and we gazed up at the sky.

  With everything Morven had told me, my head spun. What was going on in this place? We weren’t on Earth and people were being possessed by spirits? Now I was really believing in aliens.

  I would have to ask Vortech, assuming they’d give me a straight answer. If they’d been lying to me all along, I doubted I’d get the truth.

  Chapter 18

  Morven and I paced through the palace’s dark, empty hallways, our footsteps reverberating like an alarm bell I feared would wake Morven’s aunt. We made our way up the stairs and she didn’t appear. Morven kept his bag of star charts strapped to his back.

  My fingers itched to look at them again. I only needed one more chance and I was sure I would find cerecite.

  Morven ambled slowly down the hallway leading to his rooms, then he stopped, propping his elbow against the wall. His face grew ashen, and he gasped for air.

  “Can you make it?” I asked.

  “Yes.” His chest heaved. “Give me a minute. I haven’t walked this much since... since I was a kid.”

  I rested my hand on his arm. “Do you need me to help you?”

  “No. I can make it.” He attempted a step forward when his knees buckled. I caught him, then slung his arm over my shoulders.

  “You don’t... have to help me,” he wheezed.

  “I’m doing it anyway.” I tightened my arm around his chest, his muscles taut, his body heat surrounding me.

  He didn’t argue as we shuffled to his door, then opened it and entered his room. I helped him to his bed and, after removing his shoes, he collapsed. Breathing heavily, he stared at the canopy overhead.

  “I hate being so weak,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Weak?” I whispered so only he could hear, smoothing a hand over his forehead. “You walked more than you have in years. You’re one of the strongest people I know.”

  His eyes met mine, dark, intelligent eyes that set my insides on fire. “You really think so?”

  “Yes.” I knelt beside him. “But tonight, you need to rest.” I reached for his bag. “Let me take that.”

  He pulled it off his shoulders, then handed it to me. Guilt tugged at me as I took it from him.

  “Get some rest, all right?” I said softly. “I’ll take care of these.”

  He nodded, then pressed his eyes closed. The creased lines on his forehead and around his eyes revealed his exhaustion. “Thank
you, Sabine.”

  “Of course.” I carefully leaned forward, gently pressed a kiss to his forehead, and stepped away with the bag of scrolls. On the opposite side of the room, I spotted a writing desk.

  I glanced at Morven, but he turned away from me, his form ghostly in the moonlight.

  With the moonbeams drifting through the window, I crossed to his desk and slid a scroll from the bag. Guilt weighed heavier in my chest as I went through the scrolls. Morven had opened up to me, but I hadn’t told him my secret. What would happen when he found out I was an imposter and a thief?

  Shaking my head, I focused on the scrolls. I couldn’t worry about this now.

  Words and lines lit up as I unrolled it. Scanning it took seconds. No changes. Nothing out of the ordinary. After placing it aside, I pulled out the next, then the next. I got through more than a dozen scrolls with nothing to show for it.

  I peeked back at Morven, his dark form hidden beneath the bed covers. Was he asleep? I couldn’t be sure. But if I stood here any longer, he’d get suspicious.

  I pulled out another scroll and unrolled it. The words on the top left corner caught my eye.

  The day of our Lourde, Eighteenth of May.

  That couldn’t be right. None of the scrolls had been dated the eighteenth of May. I’d gone through each one of them while we’d been up on the mountain. No. I was positive. Not even one had had that date.

  This had to be it. The third object. I hastily placed the scroll in my own bag, then left Morven’s on the table. Pacing to the door, my feet quiet on the carpet, I kept my pack on my shoulder, intent on scanning the scroll as soon as I got to my room.

  I glanced at Morven. He lay beneath the covers, his eyes closed. Even as he drifted off, it seemed as if he held some dark secret, the way his mouth parted slightly, and the hard set to his jaw. He’d said he was some sort of wolf shapeshifter possessed by a spirit, but I wasn’t sure I agreed with him. Having a bad case of amnesia every now and then didn’t make a person a shapeshifter.

  Still, it was a curious story. I wished I could’ve gotten to the bottom of it. He hadn’t told me everything. Part of me wanted to stay behind and see if I could get the truth from him. But I had work to do, so I stepped to the door and gripped the knob.