Reflection- Thorn of the White Rose

by Rachel R. Smith

  “We will not meet like this again. It’s too risky.” The man’s tone was so low it almost sounded like a growl.

  “You are the one who insisted we meet tonight,” Amon said, utterly unfazed by the unspoken threat in his companion’s tone.

  The man grunted in response, but he didn’t argue. “Let’s get this done so I can be on my way. King Casimer is eager to receive the latest update on your research for him. He thinks he has located the original of one of the paintings described in your notes, but he doesn’t want to acquire such a high-value piece without being sure it’s the right one.”

  Charis’ chest tightened in an instant, and her heart climbed into her throat as that one statement made the actual truth of the situation readily apparent. This man wasn’t one of the Ohanzee. He worked for King Casimer. You should have known better than to think Amon might be an ally, she berated herself. He’s been doing research for Casimer on the side all along.

  But what did Casimer hope to gain? There would be no reason to hide the fact that he was doing research if the paintings he sought were simply wall decorations—even very valuable ones. Although Marisianne culture focused primarily on science and technology, they also had records on the arts and art history. However, since the University Library contained the most extensive records of artists and their works in all of Renatus, the paintings Casimer was looking for information about must be old and obscure.

  Amon unwound the strap that bound the black leather folder in his hands and withdrew a sheaf of papers. “Somehow I doubt the price of any painting is high enough to give my uncle pause,” he commented as he handed them over. “Even if he bought the wrong one, the cost would be pocket change for the Treasury of Marise.”

  The man rolled the papers and secured them within a tube that he pulled from the lining of his cloak. “Indeed, but even the deepest coffers will empty if the contents are spent frivolously.”

  “I suppose he is also concerned that it would look bad in the eyes of the public to be buying expensive pieces of artwork while this strange sickness spreads unchecked,” Amon relented. “I hope my most recent translations will help him come to a conclusion about that particular painting.”

  The man nodded in agreement. “We’ll meet next on our regular night.” Without waiting for a response from Amon, he opened the door and disappeared into the night amidst a swirl of black fabric.

  Now that Casimer’s messenger was gone, Charis inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. She watched from her hiding spot as Amon locked the side door and then began to walk toward the main entrance of the library. After waiting a few minutes to put some distance between them, she crept down the hallway, dodging from the shadow of one bookcase to the next. This time, Amon did not double back. He went directly to the front doors, and the key jangled as he locked them behind him.

  Charis hovered near one of the windows, watching until his retreating form was out of sight before letting herself out as well. If she hurried, she would just have time to get home before curfew.

  Chapter 2

  Barr

  Nerissa

  Fog blanketed the foothills north of Rhea’s capital city, wrapping the region in a layer so thick it seemed like the clouds themselves had descended from the surrounding summits. With it came an eerie stillness that made Nerissa feel as if the remainder of the world had faded away. The only visible proof it hadn’t was the few branches stretching out from the edges of the murk like skeletal hands offering crumbling leaves glazed in dew. No rustling sounds came from within the invisible trees. Not a single bird call could be heard. Though the morning sun was visible, the hazy veil reduced it to little more than a dim white disk in an otherwise featureless sky.

  Nerissa finished checking the knot in the last horse’s tether and stepped back to make room for Raysel, who was making his way down the picket line with a bag of oats, pausing to fill each of the feed buckets along the way.

  Beware of the spirit that protects the book hidden in the cave. The words from the prophecy tumbled, unbidden, through her thoughts once again, sending a prickling wave of gooseflesh down her skin. She rubbed her arms beneath her cloak and sighed in frustration. The ominous line from the prophecy had lingered in the back of her mind ever since the meeting with Governor Alden two days before. She knew it was a warning that something awaited them inside the cave, but what? Spirits and ghosts didn’t exist outside of stories, so the reference had to be symbolic. That left one question: what did it symbolize?

  Raysel straightened after filling the last bucket and pushed back the hood of his cloak. He studied Nerissa’s face for a moment and then narrowed his eyes. “You’re worrying about the warning from the prophecy, aren’t you?”

  Nerissa shifted her eyes away from his, staring over his shoulder into the nothingness instead. “We’re about to go into an abandoned mine, which is a dangerous thing to do in the first place. It’s doubly so when you’ve been told to beware of something inside, but you don’t know what you’re supposed to be wary of. That’s enough to worry anyone.” Her eyes swung back to meet his as she added, “But it isn’t going to deter me from retrieving the book.”

  The lines creasing Raysel’s forehead softened. “I don’t like the uncertainty either,” he concurred while folding the empty burlap bag. “It doesn’t help that Alden has been dodging our requests for additional details about the book and the cave.”

  Nerissa’s head bobbed in agreement. Alden had been strangely reluctant to divulge any information about either topic. The sole response he had given to their repeated inquiries was a message containing a list of suggested equipment, a map with directions to the mine, and a meeting time. Although that did sufficiently address the logistical needs of their venture, it answered none of their questions.

  She had believed Alden was sincere during their initial meeting when he said he would explain later why the book was hidden inside the cave. Now, however, a creeping doubt had worked its way into her mind. It wasn’t that she suspected he was going to betray them like Brigs. Even if she had begun to doubt his loyalty, the prophecy provided reassurance that Alden was a true ally. Still, true ally or not, he was definitely hiding something.

  Nerissa flinched as Raysel’s green eyes suddenly came into focus mere inches from her own. She blinked once in confusion, and for a moment, all she could do was meet his gaze with a blank stare. His face took on a look of concern as he drew away from her.

  “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.” Nerissa knew his question was rhetorical, but she answered anyway.

  “Since we’re finished here, we should rejoin the others,” Raysel repeated. His long ponytail swished with each step he took, sending eddies of mist swirling away in either direction with the movement. Nerissa found it comforting to see him wearing his hair in that familiar way again, particularly after so many weeks of tying it at the base of his neck to mimic the current fashion.

  “I have an idea about what the ‘spirit’ inside the cave might be,” he said.

  “I’m glad one of us does. What is your idea?”

  “It’s a simple interpretation—almost too simple,” Raysel began. “I think it might be a spirit crystal.”

  Nerissa’s eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply. The more she considered the possibility, the more plausible it sounded. “It seems so obvious, now that you’ve said it. I thought that the reference to a spirit was symbolic, so a spirit crystal would make sense. I would certainly prefer to deal with a crystal over any of the…less tangible options.” Her hand drifted to the voice-altering choker around her throat as she spoke. If the warning really were referring to some kind of protective crystal, Tao’s presence today would have been invaluable.

  “And now you’re worrying that you don’t know enough about crystals to deal with it on your own,” Raysel said with a smirk.

  “Wipe that smug look off your face,” she scolded, but even as she did so, Nerissa had to fig
ht to keep her lips from curling upward. “Just when I think I’ve really gotten to know you, I find out something new. How long have you been able to read minds?”

  “You give me too much credit. Yours is the only mind I can read,” he teased. “Or perhaps your thoughts were written all over your face.”

  Nerissa glowered at him, but her cheek twitched from the effort of hiding her amusement.

  “You don’t need to fret so much. You won’t be going in alone. Rian, Eloc, and I will all be with you,” Raysel continued. “I may not have had someone to mentor me like you did, but I’ve studied the uses of crystals too. When the time comes, we can figure out how to deal with it together.”

  “That’s right,” came Rian’s disembodied voice from somewhere nearby. “We’ll deal with whatever is waiting inside the cave together.”

  “Oooooooooooo,” Cole wailed in a ghostly impersonation.

  Though she could hear the others clearly, all Nerissa could see was a neat line of faint lights glowing in the haze—a row of glow lamps, unshuttered and ready to be used in the cave.

  “Oooooooooooo,” Cole howled again once she and Raysel were close enough to see everyone. “The ghost of the cave is going to get you, Caeneus.”

  Without a second’s hesitation, Rian dropped the pack he was filling with supplies and brought the side of his hand down on Cole’s forehead in one quick, chopping motion.

  “Oooooo—ow!” Cole’s howl turned from ghostly to pained. “Hey! That really hurt, Rian!”

  Eloc doubled over, laughing so hard that he snorted. “He bonked you!”

  “Knock it off, both of you.” Even the fog didn’t dull the sharpness in Rian’s command. “We’re preparing for a mission. I’ll turn you into a ghost if you keep goofing around.”

  Raysel shot Rian an approving grin. “I think it’s important we keep an open mind to all possibilities, but meeting a ghost is one I feel comfortable ruling out. Ghosts only exist in stories—unless you count that future one,” he said while pointing at Cole, who was still rubbing his head and glaring sullenly at Rian.

  It was a wasted effort, however. Rian resumed packing the bags with supplies, utterly unperturbed by the look Cole was giving him. Nerissa was about to volunteer to help when a low moaning sound reached her ears, so faint it was barely audible. Goosebumps crept down her flesh for the second time that morning.

  “I can see why the locals claim the cave is haunted,” Raysel commented.

  “It sounded like such a silly rumor when the sun was shining,” Nerissa said. “But in this eerie atmosphere, anything seems possible.”

  Raysel reached up and patted her shoulder in response. She knew the gesture was supposed to be reassuring, but there was a tightness around his eyes that told Nerissa even this simple movement had caused him pain. That wasn’t the slightest bit reassuring.

  “Do you think it will be foggy once we get inside the cave?” Nerissa asked.

  Raysel’s brow furrowed. “I’ve never seen fog in the cave leading out of Darnal, but I don’t know if every cave is the same. Maybe Alden would know.” The furrows in his brow grew deeper as he added, “Speaking of Alden, he should have been here by now.”

  “Based on the way you described him, he doesn’t exactly sound like the punctual type,” Rian said.

  “You know that type well, don’t you?” Cole taunted.

  Rian lifted his chin, and he stared down his nose at the sullen twin. He twitched his arm ever so slightly, and Cole jumped back a step, apologizing.

  Nerissa smirked, not at Cole’s reaction but at Rian’s. Though he might not like being reminded of it, Rian really was Einar’s other delinquent student. At one time, she wouldn’t have liked being paired with him for any reason. Now, the idea of having more in common with him brought a pleasant warmth to her chest.

  Rian’s eyes met hers in a fleeting flicker of a glance before he turned his attention to Raysel. “Am I the only one wondering why Alden told us to bring so much rope? I hope it doesn’t mean we will be doing a lot of climbing in there.” He pointed to the mound of coiled ropes on the ground beside him for emphasis.

  “It does seem strange,” Raysel said, studying the pile. “Since the cave was mined for years, I expect the natural tunnel openings have been widened and flattened to allow for carts to be moved through easily. I can’t think of any reason why climbing would be necessary unless we have to go into a side tunnel that wasn’t actively mined.”

  The muted jingling of bells from within the fog signaled Alden’s approach. “I guess we’re about to find out,” Nerissa said.

  “Hello? I can hear you, so I know you’re here. But I can’t see a”—Alden’s voice trailed off as he censored himself—“thing in this blasted fog.”

  “I’ll come to you,” Rian said. He jogged off in the direction of Alden’s voice.

  A moment later, Rian and Alden emerged from the fog. Just as Alden’s hair was adorned with bells, so was the harness of Alden’s black and white pinto. More bells decorated the braided sections of the horse’s mane. Nerissa couldn’t imagine anyone would ever question who this horse belonged to.

  Alden dismounted with a flourish of his cloak, and a furry black head popped out of the open top of one saddlebag. Kuma’s tiny nose pointed up, and he sniffed the air curiously. Apparently satisfied with his findings, he gazed down at the group with a doggy grin.

  “You brought Kuma with you?” Nerissa blurted out. That was not the first question she had intended to ask Alden, but Kuma’s presence was so surprising that the words flew past her lips without thinking.

  “That’s a strange way to say good morning,” Alden replied. “Of course I brought him.” The straightforward way he answered made it sound like toting a dog in one’s saddlebag was the most natural thing in the world. Kuma snorted softly, and Alden reached up to tousle the fur between his ears.

  “I’m sorry, how rude of me. Good morning, Alden,” Nerissa said, bowing slightly in apology. She could feel heat rising to her cheeks from embarrassment. A few months of pretending to be Caeneus and your manners are already slipping, she chided herself.

  Alden bowed in return. “Good morning to you too, Caeneus. There’s no need for you to apologize. Kuma always expects to be the center of attention anyway, so it makes sense to acknowledge him first.”

  He lifted Kuma from the bag, clipped a long leather leash to the dog’s collar, and then handed his horse’s reins to Rian. Kuma bounded around the area, pausing to inspect each grouping of supplies and sniffing each person in turn. Alden followed behind him, surveying the supplies as well. “I’m glad to see that you took my advice and brought both torches and glow lamps. Why so many though?”

  “We thought it was prudent to bring one for each person,” Raysel said.

  Alden’s lips pressed into a thin line. “That’s one of the things we need to discuss before you go in.” He dropped to the ground to sit cross-legged and motioned for the others to join him. Kuma bounced into Alden’s lap and nestled into the hollow between his knees, watching patiently as the rest of the group settled themselves.

  “Is this related to why you ignored our requests to meet before now?” Raysel asked.

  Alden folded his arms across his chest. “I am the Governor of the largest province in Chiyo. I’m a busy man. I realize you are eager to retrieve the book as soon as possible, but this was the first day I had available.”

  Raysel opened his mouth to speak, but Alden cut him off. “I also realize I could have answered your questions before now, but this information is best conveyed in person. No matter how trustworthy the messenger, sensitive material must always be treated with particular care. I’m sure the Ohanzee can appreciate the wisdom in that practice.”

  “Yes, we can—especially after recent events,” Raysel replied. Nerissa would never forget the fierce anger that had painted Raysel’s face when he realized that Brigs had betrayed them to the Senka, but his carefully controlled tone betrayed no evidence of that emotion now.
“So what is this sensitive information?”

  “Let me begin by explaining how the book came to be hidden in the cave. The short version of the story is that my great-grandfather’s house once caught on fire. It is, unfortunately, a common hazard in cities.”

  Nerissa understood that sentiment well. Fire had always been a serious concern in Chiyo since it could spread rapidly from one building to the next in the densely populated capital city. The risk would be the same in any place where people lived close together.

  “Even though the book was stored inside a strongbox with other valuables, the extreme heat from the fire damaged the book itself and caused the crystal to break in half. After the incident, a longtime family friend suggested he secure the book by hiding it inside a chest in the abandoned mine,” Alden said.

  “That’s not exactly a rational reaction,” Rian broke in.

  Kuma’s ears perked up, and a low growl rumbled in his throat as he eyed Rian. Clearly, he didn’t condone the interruption. Alden patted him soothingly and carried on with his explanation. “No, it isn’t, at least not on the surface. This is the point where the story becomes complicated. In his old age, my great-grandfather struggled with his memory. He often mixed up family members’ names and became easily confused. Nonetheless, I spent a great deal of time with him when I was a child. You see, he told the best stories. Of those, my favorites were the ones he told me about his friend Barr. Barr was an engineer from Marise who lived in Rhea for several years to help design and build the drawbridges. He claimed Barr was actually over three hundred years old.”

  “No one can live to be that old,” Raysel said. “I can see why people said your great-grandfather was confused.”

  “I thought so too, until recently,” Alden agreed. “But before you dismiss the tale entirely, let me go on. According to him, Barr was an expert on crystals in addition to being an engineer. In particular, he claimed that crystals could be made to remember things.”