by Bryant Reil
He smiled back. “My pleasure. An odd place to meet, isn’t it?”
“My presence here is secret, as is my business. You will tell no one of our meeting.” She raised her hands, which blazed with fire.
Marik understood the conditions. “Very well. How can I help you?”
“You’ve been working for Director Anh-Bul as his secretary, have you not?”
“Yes.”
“Were you aware King Oberon and Queen Titania have had him watching you? I had to wonder why that might be.”
Marik’s heart was pounding, but he kept on a pleasant grin. “I can’t say. I imagine they watch everyone associated with Kyla Nim.” He didn’t know if they knew she had captured Erebus but didn’t want to offer more information than necessary.
Aethelwyne began to pace, her voice soft, and flames sparking back and forth between her hands. “Perhaps, though you seem to have garnered particular interest. I have not been told why.”
“Perhaps you should ask—”
She held up a hand to stop him speaking.
“I’m not here to threaten you. In fact, I’d like you to work for me. How would you rate Anh-Bul’s performance as Director?”
Marik shrugged. “He isn’t well-suited for this sort of work, but the Department heads keep things running. He’s loyal enough. Anh-Bul will do anything to ingratiate himself to the throne.”
“Who would you suggest be a better fit for the position of Director?”
Marik stepped back and held up his hands. “Not me. I mean, I don’t have that sort of administrative experience.”
Aethelwyne laughed. “I didn’t call you here because I thought you’d be a suitable replacement. No. I like you where you are. Sitting and listening and reading everything that passes through the office. I mean, who might be a more competent option? Someone who is loyal to the crown, and both honest and intelligent enough to keep Equinox running without relying on the department heads?”
“Oh. Elial Ciana, most definitely.”
She nodded. “I see. That was my thought. Then I have one more task for you. I’m not currently able to have Director Anh-Bul removed from his seat. If he were removed by other means, I can propose Elial Ciana as a replacement.”
Marik suspected he knew where she was leading but decided to play dumb. “You want me to fire Anh-Bul from his position? I don’t know if he’d-”
“No. No. I just need him to…he needs to be unable to fill his position. Say, if he vanished.”
“Ah. And what would be in it for me?”
Aethelwyne’s hands blazed again, this time closer to Marik’s face. “My undying gratitude.”
“Well, then. Looks like we’ve got a deal. Is there a deadline?”
“When would work best for you?”
Marik smiled. “The sooner, the better.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The Break-In
There was a pair of guards here, and Kyla wouldn’t have seen them had they not turned visible as she approached. They looked similar, though one wore a red sash across his chest. She approached boldly, planning to tell them she was just taking a walk, though they overlooked her and Hajar altogether and addressed Ninlil and Ne-o-gah.
“Halt!” the guard without the sash shouted, and held his hands in front, and lightning cracked and arced around his extended fingers.
Ninlil and Ne-o-gah stopped and held up empty hands as the guard drifted to them.
“What is your business?” the guard demanded.
“We are accompanying the Lady Kyla and her maid-servant on a night walk. You know how mad groundfolk are for flying horses, so we thought we should take them to the stables.”
“Where is she?” the guard growled.It seemed to Kyla that Sophrosyne must have blocked the part of the guards’ minds that could perceive her presence, and to show this to Ninlil and Ne-o-gah, she strode over to the nearest guard and waved her hand in front of his face. He did not react. The two servants, though mildly surprised, seemed to understand.
“That’s just it, you see,” Ninlil continued. “The Lady Kyla is a master of stealth and slipped away from us. She wished to explore on her own. It is likely she managed to slip by you and is in the stable already.”
The guard snorted. “No one gets by us.”
Ne-o-gah shrugged. “You are not familiar with Kyla Nim of Aspengrove, Chief of the Digans, Master of Trade, and friend of Queen Titania. She is an honored guest of Duke Ukko, and bridesmaid to Aura the Ninth. Her stealth is legendary.”
The guard looked at his supervisor, who pulled out a golden tablet and glanced over it.
“Yes,” the guard with the sash nodded. “She is on the list. Special guest of the Duke, and these two have been assigned to stay close. And you say you lost her?”
“As I said, her stealth is beyond compare, and she snuck off. We shall search for her in the stable, if you don’t mind.”
“I do. Taram, go with them,” the guard with the sash ordered the other.
“No, no.” Ninlil held up her hands in protest. “She came out in only her night-clothes. You know how ashamed groundfolk are of their bodies. We would not wish embarrass her.”
Kyla, though fascinated with the conversation, decided there was no reason to wait around, and beckoned Hajar to follow her to the stable.
The stable had neither roof nor stalls. It was a large enclosure, with piles of hay and grass and horse droppings scattered about the floor. Chariots lined the sides, and horse tack adorned the walls. The horses themselves were tied to poles with long leads. They seemed skittish at her approach, their hooves clanging on the ground as they kept their distance.
She walked over to the only horse that didn’t whinny and stomp its feet as she approached. Uzun was not the largest of the horses, nor the most beautiful, but her big brown eyes seemed to hold an intelligence beyond that of an ordinary animal. Uzun flicked her lips over Kyla’s hand as Kyla caressed her nose.
Ninlil and Ne-o-gah appeared to Kyla’s right, startling her.
“Oh, crab-apples! Don’t do that. Everything worked out with the guards?”
“Yes. Now we should proceed to Calam’s. His guards will be easy to distract, but we will need a few minutes to get them away from Calam’s home. Do you know the way?”
Kyla nodded. “I have a map.”
“Of course. You are indeed a proper stalker. We shall be by your room in the morning to see you dressed for breakfast. Do not pine too much for Calam. He may be Captain of the Guard, but even a creature of flesh as yourself could do better.”
“Whatever. Thanks.”
Kyla waved, and the air spirits turned invisible. Kyla turned her attention back to Uzun. She wasn’t sure how to apply the bridle and harness, so decided to fly bareback. She had flown many times on Castor, so thought it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Nervousness struck her. Fear for getting caught by Calam, and fear of working for Sophrosyne, and fear over how she was going to stop Aura’s wedding. Fear that her life was never going to go back to the simple, happy life she used to enjoy with her family.
“Sing,” she asked Hajar, who was standing patiently with her hands clasped at her waist.
Hajar nodded and began a low melody, almost whispering. Kyla looked back for the guards. She couldn’t see them, and doubted they could hear from this distance, but was mildly curious if they would react to the music with peace or pain. As it was, they weren’t in sight.
The effects of the song were immediate. Kyla felt more relaxed, almost happy, despite the situation, and the other horses in the stable eased and began eating from the piles of hay on the floor. Uzun too seemed more affectionate, nuzzling at Kyla’s neck.
Kyla grabbed a stool, placed it next to the winged horse, and climbed clumsily onto her back, placing her knees in front of her wings.
“You are so pretty, aren’t you?” Kyla whispered. Uzun was larger than Castor, and Kyla felt tall and regal on her back.
Hajar began to climb aboa
rd, but Kyla stuck out her foot.
“Go back to the room. This is going to be a bit dangerous.”
“I’m here to help you!” Hajar insisted. “I came with you to the lair of the Grootslang, and I went to the Undine with Marik and Carmin. I can come with you.”
The horse could probably carry both their weight. What harm could it be to bring Hajar?
“No,” she finally decided. “If something happens to me, you need to report to Sophrosyne, and do whatever it takes to stop the wedding.”
***
The map was easier to follow than Kyla had expected, and several minutes later she spotted the spire of Calam’s barracks. She guided Uzun with her knees. The flying horse was well-mannered and responsive, and already Kyla felt comfortable riding her, though she had a small fear the flying horse might lean too far on a turn and drop her off.
The air was cold, and Kyla regretted not putting on something warmer. She wrapped her arms around Uzun’s neck to share in the mighty animal’s heat. The wings beat heavy, and Kyla could feel the horse’s muscles throb as she flew.
No sign of Ninlil or Ne-o-gah, but no visible guards, either. They could all be invisible. What would be a good lie, should she be caught? Just thought she’d take a flying horse for a refreshing flight in her night-robe?
Something flew beneath her. A bat? It was gliding on great leathery wings, with two stubby legs protruding from behind. It too appeared headed for the top of the barracks.
No time to worry about giant bats. She had never heard of one that would eat an elf, anyway. Kyla steered Uzun low and thought perhaps to land on the roof, but the steep dome had no footing; and besides, the clatter of hooves would probably wake up Calam inside. She pulled back on Uzun’s neck and guided her as near the spire as she could. She braced her left leg atop the horse, and leaned, and stretched out her right hand, and leaped for the spire as they drifted past. The bat, she could see, was still headed for her, and now, even in the dim light, she could see the glint of eyes approaching, and a long beak. Was it some sort of bird? No. It’s grimace exposed large rows of yellow teeth. It was the little man that had been speaking with Calam. What had Calam called him? Alonquis. He scowled as he thudded against the dome with his feet, his stout legs bringing him to a stop in a few steps.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed, though he kept his voice low as he pulled a string and folded the wings on his back. He too grabbed the spire, though Kyla, being there first, managed to get in the way so he could only grab it with one hand, and leaned back slightly over the slope.
It would be easy, she thought, to give him a shove with her foot, to send him sprawling down the roof and off the edge, but he seemed to sense her intentions, and with his free hand grabbed her by the collar of her robe.
“No no no!” He shook his head so his sweaty hair flopped back and forth. “You wanted a little joy ride on the horses. None of my business. Your horse is gone now, though. See? Headed right back to the stable. I can give you a lift with my glider. Take you back to your chamber, nice and easy. I just need to get something from inside. You just wait here, and I’ll fetch it.”
Alonquis began to giggle in a manner that reminded her of Linkin, the mad dwarf who had pursued her in her quest to stop Erebus. There was a knife at his side, dangling from his belt and about to fall. Kyla grabbed it and tossed it off the side of the building. He didn’t seem to notice.
Kyla raised her foot and pressed it against Alonquis’ stomach, ready to shove, her back firmly against the spire for support.
He held up his hands. “No no no! Wait! Wait. I’m sorry. Long night. I know this looks bad. You’re here for the wedding, right? One of Aura’s pals? Don’t want to…I mean, this isn’t the occasion for violence. Maybe we should just take this inside and discuss it civil-like.”
She gave him a shove with her foot. Not so far to send him sprawling off the dome, but enough to knock him off balance. He squeaked and dropped to his stomach, and Kyla dropped to her bum and slid down the slope of the dome. There was a lip at the base which stopped her descent, and she turned to grab it and swing down to the wall of the tower. She had no fear of heights, having spent her youth climbing trees, and more recently flying on tigers and dragons and horses, but was still grateful it was night and she couldn’t see too far down.
“Stop!” Alonquis’ weak voice drifted on the breeze. He was inching down the dome on his stomach, struggling to see behind him with his folded glider still on his back.
There was a ledge around the tower just below the dome, and below that a series of glassless windows. Kyla dropped to the ledge, which was just wide enough for her feet if she held them sideways against the wall. She inched her way directly above one of the openings and leaned down, keeping her body tight against the wall, grabbed the ledge, and swung her body to rest on the base of the window. She looked up to see Alonquis’ feet dangling over the ledge above, trying to find purchase, but they were too short to reach without letting himself drop. He was no climber, and she felt she had perhaps managed to escape him.
No sign of any guards, either, so it seemed Ninlil and Ne-o-gah had done their job. She shoved herself inside, just in case.
It was dark in the chamber, and Kyla was worried about pulling out her light orb in front of the window, so angled the map to catch some moonlight. The rooms were clearly marked, and the layout a simple circle, but she didn’t know which room she was in, and so wasn’t sure where to begin her course. She looked about for clues. The walls were lined with shelves, and the shelves decorated with—
A shadow blocked the moonlight, and Kyla turned to see Alonquis’ silhouette fly at the window. He must have jumped. He glided straight at her and folded his wings just in time to pass through the window. She dropped to the floor and he dove overhead. There was a loud thud, the sound of a shelf tipping, the clatter of objects hitting the floor, and a muffled groan.
“Quiet!” Kyla hissed. “If you get us caught we’re both done for!”
She decided to risk the light. She pulled out her orb and gave it a tap to turn it on. The room was more clearly a storage room now, with cabinets and boxes lining the walls. She took another look at her map.
Alonquis, scrambling on his belly, emerged from below the fallen shelf. “Don’t! Light’ll wake him, you dolt!”
“If you didn’t already wake him.” She couldn’t think of a reasonable lie to explain her presence inside the building. And now that she thought about it, Calam would probably figure out why she was here, especially if she was captured alongside Alonquis. That would probably spell doom.
Alonquis grabbed the orb from her hand and tried to throw it out the window, but it hovered where he released it.
“What?” He muttered, and tried again, meeting the same failed end.
Kyla snatched it from the air. “Part of the magic, stupid.”
Alonquis kicked her in the leg, making her stumble, but she caught her balance and slapped him so hard she felt the wind sweep back over her hair.
“Ow!” Alonquis placed a hand over his red cheek. “Careful! He’ll hear that!”
“Shhh! You hit me first. I’m keeping the light on. You’re worried about it, glide out of here.” She pointed at the window with her map.
Alonquis glared at her, and she stepped away, supposing he might attack her again. She looked about the room, careful to keep an eye on him. There were art pieces about the walls and hanging from the ceiling. It was mostly crystals, carved into ornate shapes, and vases decorated in colorful lines of varying widths and waviness. Several now lay shattered on the floor. As Alonquis went for the knife that had been on his belt, and found it missing, he cursed and dove to the floor to grab a large purple shard with a pointed end. He grinned and held it up.
“I’ll cut you up if you follow me. You just stay here and mind your own business!”
Kyla placed her hands on her hips. “I was here first! You’re in my business. Anyway, a fight will just wake Calam up, if you didn�
�t already with your clumsy landing.”
“Shut up! You’re the one ruining my plan.”
“Beat it, you crab-apple sucking sack of pine nuts!”
Alonquis scrunched his face. “What?” He sounded more confused than enraged.
“It’s very insulting in Elvish,” she assured him. “Anyway, I couldn’t leave if I wanted to, so there’s that.” She realized this was going to be a problem real soon, but she would worry about it once she had the stone.
Alonquis stamped his foot, though he alarmed himself by doing so, and tiptoed forward, though he did tuck the shard in his belt. “Fine. You here to burgle the place, or whatever, fine. Just stay away from me.”
While Kyla knew why Alonquis was here, he didn’t know her purpose. It seemed best, for the moment, to not let him know that she was here to burgle the same item he was.
She nodded. “Fine. You go first.”
“What? So you can shove me in the way if we run into Calam?”
“No. So you don’t stab me in the back with that shard.”
Alonquis squinted his eyes and kept them fixed on Kyla as he headed for the door. The door had no handle, but simply pushed open. He stuck his head into the hallway and waved her to follow and began stepping to the right.
“Left!” Kyla whispered, pointing.
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m going right, and you wanted to split up.”
“But the armory’s that way! So’s the main office.”
Kyla remained planted. “Do I look like I want armor or office supplies?”
“Well, what are you looking for?”
“None of your business. But I need to go right.” Kyla crossed the threshold. Though the light was dim through the fabric of her robe, she could see the interior of the building was shaped like a giant ring with a hole in the center. The barracks tower was a hollow tube, with only a ring of rooms around the edges. There were no safety railings, but of course the air spirits that lived and worked here wouldn’t need any. She kept her distance from the ledge in case Alonquis tried to push her off.