Fallon was smirking by the time I was done with my outburst, while Tatiana pressed her lips together in a thin line and looked sideways at him, trying not to laugh.
“What?” I demanded, looking between them. “Everything about this place is ridiculous and it’s looking like I’ve been dragged here to make some sort of sense of it before all of you kill the poor people at your mercy. The insult is, I wasn’t even consulted. Sayer just followed Glinda’s orders, brought me here and left me to it.”
There it was again. His name. I was trying to ignore it all. I was working not to think about him. But it seemed his name was always there, waiting to be said. What was worse was that Fallon and Tatiana seemed to know why, and I despised it. I didn’t like that I had a reason to assist here, even if it was a self-imposed one. I could have just gone home. I didn’t have to stay and help. I shouldn’t want to help Sayer. Especially not now that it appeared like he knew what Glinda was planning. I really loathed that I was wondering if Glinda had set that up, if she’d made him get close to me, used him to manipulate me, and I hated that I missed him even more. Everything felt out of my control, and I felt like I was being manipulated with little to no information, based on everyone’s whims and expectations.
Tatiana and Fallon exchanged a tense look, and with a sad tone to her voice, answered, “Sayer has no choice. He must carry out his orders, most of them anyway, or risk his head. He was never asked to place himself in her service. He did that on his own. He went so Bree would not. He went—”
Fallon put his bowl down on top of his plate quite loudly, causing her to pause. She gave him an apologetic look then continued, “Sayer has done a lot of things, some of them unpleasant, in his attempts to help the people of Oz. Bringing you here would not have been easy for him, but the alternative would have cost him far more. Glinda does not tolerate defiance from her staff.”
I nodded, remembering what he’d said when we were traveling here. He had tried to find an alternative, a way to avoid bringing me here altogether, but there hadn’t been a choice. He didn’t have any choices with Glinda. The few snatched moments we’d had in spite of her had been a risk, but he’d taken them regardless. He’d helped me, loved me, briefly.
I cleared my throat and looked to Fallon. The way he reacted to Glinda when she visited was awful, but he seemed perfectly comfortable with Tatiana. He got along well enough with the monkeys, despite how they’d been behaving. He trusted Sayer. I didn’t have the reasons, but he appeared to know these people well enough to judge their character. With no better option, I made the decision there and then to trust his judgment. “Fine. If he can risk his neck, so can I. What happens here while I’m gone? I mean, what if she turns up? Are you going to handle her?”
He folded his arms and sat back in his chair, brows raised.
“You can’t come with me, who looks after this place?” I questioned, forgetting all about our guest.
He shrugged and pointed up. Let the monkeys handle it.
“I don’t imagine Glinda launching a full-scale attack on her friend,” Tatiana interjected. Her emphasis on the word ‘friend’ didn’t escape my notice. “She wants you to head east, does she not?”
I tilted my head. “Why does she want me to do that?”
Tatiana smiled. “Because she’s gathering her allies.”
“What allies?” I asked, brows pulled in. “In preparation for what?”
“War.”
The word hung in the air.
Glinda wanted me to fight for her. To take over for her. And then what? I didn’t believe she wanted me to be her friend, nor did she want me to restore order to her world for her people. No. I was a small pawn in her big plan to defeat her sister, that was becoming clear. But the sister Glinda wanted me to help her destroy was sitting at my table and treating me as an equal. She was open, and honest, and… nice. Fallon seemed perfectly at ease with her now, which spoke volumes. Remi had come home unscathed after venturing into her territory on my orders. But was that more strategic game playing?
The more questions I asked myself, the harder it was becoming to make a decision.
I was in a difficult position. While Tatiana gave me no reason not to trust her, the history of their treatment of outsiders wasn’t great considering what happened to Great Grandma Dot.
“I’ll have to give it some thought,” I offered, not wanting to give anything away. “I have a lot to do here, I can’t go off making a mess elsewhere when my people are busy burying their dead after the madness I brought here with me and the resulting massacre.”
Tatiana looked away and I could see remorse on her face. I knew she had heard my insinuation regarding her last arrival here and the subsequent deaths. “I can only apologize,” she said sadly, rising from her seat. “You’ve had a busy few days, you must be ready for some rest. I’ll let you think about it, but please let me know what you decide, and know you’re welcome at the Overlook any time.” With those parting words, she left.
I let her go, even knowing I’d upset her. Manners be damned, I needed to think.
Chapter 2
Fallon was glaring at me.
“What? She killed them, Fallon.”
He shrugged.
“She didn’t have to kill them.”
A few moments silence passed before he got up and started collecting the dirty dishes.
“Leave them,” I ordered quietly.
He continued.
I sighed, put some magic behind it, and they were gone. “I don’t know if that worked, they could be smashed to pieces in the sink, but I want you to leave them.”
He grasped the back of the chair in front of him and looked at the door. He wanted me to hurry after Tatiana, but I knew she wouldn’t have left yet, and I still had some time.
“I’ll catch up to her, but first, I need to know—do you think she’s playing me like Glinda is trying to?”
He gave a stern shake of his head.
“Okay. So, I should go east and handle the tower?”
He nodded once.
I let out a heavy breath and lowered my head. “And Remi can look after this place while we’re away?”
He moved so silently I wasn’t aware he was at my side until he stroked a hand over my hair. I leaned into him and I closed my eyes, taking comfort in his presence. “How bad is it out there?”
He stroked my hair again, and that told me all I needed to know.
Pushing my chair out, I made to go after my missing guest.
“Wait here,” I said. “I’ll handle it. Can you think of what we’re going to need and write me a list? We only need basics, I don’t plan on it taking long.”
Not bothering to look at him—I didn’t want to see his expression in case it was smug—I made my way out of the building and into the courtyard.
She was standing with her back to me, hands on her hips, and scolding a familiar looking Lioneag. To its credit, it wasn’t backing down, clicking its beak at her and flapping its enormous wings so wildly the gravel on the ground was disturbed by the downdraft.
Then it looked at me and tilted its head.
“Hello again,” I greeted. “What’s going on?”
It clicked its beak, looking from me to Tatiana.
“The two of you are acquainted?” she asked although she didn’t sound surprised.
I shrugged. “It saw me when you flew into the Opal Palace, then chased Sayer and I over the border into these lands. It couldn’t follow.”
Tatiana nodded. “That explains a lot. She disappeared for five days last week,” she murmured, flicking a stern glance at the bird. “No amount of training has tamed her. I hoped, despite her being undersize… never mind.”
Why would her size matter? I imagined it would have its advantages in certain situations, but rather than ask more questions, I stepped forward, and examined the bird. “Sayer said this was the creature that scarred his face.”
She laughed and the bird lowered its head. “Yes. The last ti
me I met my sister on neutral ground, Sayer approached my stewardess. This one warned him off. It could have been much worse. But that was the first in a string of misdemeanors. I’m afraid she’s turning out to be entirely untrainable. I can’t keep her when she’s so unruly, it’ll upset the others. She’ll have to return to the colonies in the mountains.”
To my surprise, the creature stepped closer to me, distancing herself from her mistress.
Tatiana looked curious. “She seems drawn to you. Maybe you should take her.”
I tried not to look horrified. What use was an untrainable bird? Especially one that had been known to attack my allies. The scar on Sayer’s face was nasty. I couldn’t risk that happening to anyone else. “I don’t know how to look after them,” I responded quickly. It was true, but that was a weak argument.
Tatiana smirked. “They look after themselves. It would seem she’s been determined to get to you since you arrived in Oz. I think she’s trying to tell me something.”
I frowned. “What’s her name?”
Tatiana looked confused. “Name?”
“Doesn’t she have one?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. They’re named when they complete their training,” Tatiana replied. “She hasn’t earned one yet.”
I frowned, pondering her words. A name was a huge part of your identity. It’s who we are. I danced under an alias for safety, and to keep my two identities separate, but that poor bird didn’t have one at all. “So everyone around her has a name and she doesn’t?”
Tatiana looked at the Lioneag and stepped back to look at her fully. “Is that your problem?”
The bird took a step toward me in answer, opening her beak wide then snapping it shut.
Tatiana’s mouth turned down in the corners and she looked at me. “Name her. She’s yours,” she declared.
On closer inspection, her feathers weren’t black, but a very dark blue. They had an oily finish, making them glossy, and the red tips were bright and vibrant in the bright afternoon light.
I don’t know why, but she made me think of a friend from high school. She was short and fierce, a definite force to be reckoned with. So much so her mom, a very traditional Indian woman in her fifties, nicknamed her Kali.
Devil.
I had looked into the deity out of curiosity. She was fascinating, representing both wrath and protection, her name literally meaning she who is black. With that said, she was often depicted as a dark blue, holding knives tipped red with dripping blood.
“You look like a Kali,” I noted, meeting her black eyes.
Her response was to extend her wings, ruffle her feathers, and scratch at the gravelly floor with her taloned feet.
“I think she’s pleased with that,” Tatiana commented, smiling. “I’m sure she’ll be much happier here with you.”
Kali folded her wings back in and stepped closer to me. I tried not to flinch away from the frightening creature, as I said, “I doubt she’ll be very happy here at all. There’s nothing for her to do.”
“There’s plenty. Now that she’s an ally, she should be capable of coming and going. She can help Remi with aerial patrols. She will feed herself, all she needs is purpose and somewhere to sleep,” Tatiana explained nonchalantly, as if it was an easy, and very done, deal.
Gravel crunched behind me and I turned to see Fallon approaching. Kali didn’t react. I found that strange and looked closer at her. “You don’t mind Fallon?”
She watched him until he drew level with us, lowering her head as he reached for my hand.
“She’s chosen you. She serves you and those you choose to rule at your side, Ella. She will show Fallon the same respect she shows you,” Tatiana informed me.
I had questions but didn’t voice them. I didn’t want to sound self-depreciating by asking why she’d chosen me. Why she’d want to be with me.
She went on, and recommended, “When you head east, leave her here. The people beyond the forest fear the Lioneag, and your first challenge will be to earn their trust.”
“How do I make her stay home?”
Tatiana shrugged, using one hand to beckon her mount closer. “I have no idea. You could try using magic to keep her here. But she must not fly over the eastern border. The winged creatures there will attack her.”
I nodded. “Now, just to handle Glinda.”
“I would suggest keeping up the pretense for as long as possible,” she said, mounting her Lioneag. She sat just before its wing joints, positioning her knees on either side of its neck. “While she believes she has you under her control she is less of a threat, but remember, she wants you to take the tower. Once its power has transferred to you, she will try to take it for herself. Her attack will be vicious and sudden, and she will use those close to her against you. Trust no one.”
“But Sayer—”
“Will remain in his role as Glinda’s steward. He must appear loyal. We need him to remain safe for as long as possible. With that in mind, if there is an altercation you must protect yourself. If he is forced to act against you, disarm him, but try not to kill him,” she directed, matter-of-factly.
Kill Sayer? Even the thought of such a thing made me feel sick to my stomach. I couldn’t, even if I had to. “I’ll send Remi when I have news,” I told her, trying to calm the implications of her words from consuming my thoughts.
She shook her head. “I intend to keep watch. I’ll come to you when it is safe. I would rather keep my sister in the dark with regard to my involvement for as long as possible.”
“Watch? From where?” I questioned, confused.
She smiled. “You have your means and I have mine. I cannot watch you directly, but I can have messages relayed. I can be near the border and assist if necessary, but it’s best if Glinda doesn’t discover my involvement. Not yet, anyway.”
I nodded and stepped back as her Lioneag flexed its wings.
“Thank you, Ellana. And good luck.”
I didn’t respond and remained outside until the last of her winged guard flew out of sight. Then I turned to Fallon. “We’ll leave in the morning,” I stated, wanting to get this over with quickly.
He nodded and reached for my hand. I laced my fingers through his and squeezed gently. He smiled, and then let go and turned back to the fortress. I followed more slowly, thinking through everything that had been said, committing it to memory.
Chapter 3
I stood outside, ready to depart. The fortress door slammed shut and I turned to see Fallon approaching. He had a pack slung over one shoulder, his quiver and bow over the other, and a short sword and several knives attached to his belt. He’d changed into green, dyed leathers and long boots, with his hair tied neatly back.
“Let me take that,” I offered, reaching for the pack. He shook his head.
I shrugged. “Fair enough.”
Remi arrived with Daniel. They both bowed, and Remi asked, “Are you certain you wouldn’t like one of us to accompany you, my lady?”
I shook my head. “No, Remi, you’re needed here. I don’t think Glinda will return, but if she does, or if she sends Sayer, tell them I’ve gone east and will go directly to her when I’m done there.”
When I glanced toward the gate, I saw Kali standing there, looking up at the sky and I inquired, “What’s wrong with her?”
“I am not sure,” Remi replied. “Perhaps she senses the coming storm.”
I looked at him and frowned. “What storm?”
He looked east, but his view was hampered by the rocky walls of the volcano sides. “The one that will follow when you claim your right. War, my lady.”
I rubbed my left arm, unsure if the chill I felt was in the air or in response to his words. “Maybe we can avoid that,” I hedged, hearing the hesitancy in my own voice.
“Perhaps, but it would be prudent to make ready.”
I nodded. “Can you...?”
He smiled at me and bowed his head. “Of course.” Then he looked directly into my eyes and said,
“Ella, be vigilant, the lands between here and the tower are dangerous. The creatures lurking in the forest are not likely to welcome you, and word of your arrival will have traveled by now. You may not be Dorothy, but the resemblance is uncanny, and you are her heir after all. They will not wait to learn the difference.”
I nodded and glanced to the gate. “If I don’t come back—”
“You mustn’t think that way,” he interrupted in a stern voice. “You are our best and last hope. Tatiana is brave but she has a fatal flaw. She loves her family”
“How is that a flaw?” I questioned.
“She cannot do what must be done, she cannot conquer her sister. But you, Ella, have no emotional attachment. It is abundantly clear you are, by nature, a gentle soul, and you have good instincts. You have a sense for who is trustworthy. You can work this out for yourself and I have faith in you to do what is right.”
“There isn’t a damn thing right about war and killing, Remi,” I argued, uneasy with the turn in our conversation.
“No. There isn’t. And that is why you’re the best hope we have against Glinda’s tyranny,” Remi warned.
I looked up at the sky to see a patrol of guards fly over. “She seems so harmless, annoying, but harmless. All the frills and the dainty tiaras, tottering around in those little heels.” I’d seen through it, more as a result of too many years dealing with other people’s bullshit, but the statement still held true.
“I think you can appreciate appearances count for very little.”
I looked down at the ground. “She didn’t mean to kill the witches, you know. The first, the witch from the east, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like, under a house… the second…” I glanced up at the tower where the crystal ball was and sighed. “Well, that was water. Who would have thought she would react like that to water?”
“The green skin should have given that away,” he muttered.
I snorted with laughter. I hadn’t heard him make a joke before, however dry. “I didn’t think of it like that.”
The Quartz Tower (Kingdoms of Oz Book 2) Page 2