by Casey Bond
I dreamed I was back in my House, staring at the mirror, dressed and ready to get in the carriage again. But this time, my reflection did move. It reached out to me and said… “The one who lies.”
The one who lies? I panted as I woke, clutching my side. It was still dark. I panted through the pain. Fate whispered to me, Go to him.
I threw the covers back and ran out into the hallway. “Take me to him,” I pleaded. My breath turned to mist and flowed in a dark ribbon that I followed down the corridor as I limped up another flight of stairs and took the hallway that bent to the right. At the end of the hallway was a door. His room – if this was it – was directly over the one in which I was staying.
The smoky ribbon drifted to the floor and slipped beneath the door.
I knocked, my hands still shaking with fear. The pain in my side sharpened. I gasped, holding tight just below the ribs on my right side. “Please be okay,” I panted.
Tauren pulled the door open, blinking to clear his eyes. “Sable?”
I shoved my way around him, a cold sweat breaking out over my forehead. “Call for guards!” I shouted.
“Why? What’s happening?”
Fate sent another sharp slice of pain through my side. “Tauren,” I gasped, gripping my side. “Call for your guards.”
He hit a red button on the wall just inside his door. “They’ll be here in a moment. What’s wrong with your side?”
“In a moment,” I raged, tearing through his room, crying out as I bent to look under the bed, threw open the closet doors, and peeked behind every jacket and pair of slacks. I searched the washroom, under cabinets, outside each window. “Someone was about to stab you, and your guards will be here in a moment. Wonderful.” I spun in a circle in the center of the room, looking for anywhere else they might be hiding. The curtains… His drapes were heavy and… I threw them back. There was no one lurking behind them.
A wave of pain rolled through me. I cried out and fell to my knees.
“What’s happening?” he shouted, running toward me. He dropped to his knees, his eyes going to my side. “Sable, you’re bleeding.”
I brought my hand away and sure enough, my fingers were coated with sticky, warm blood.
“It’ll go away. It’s just a warning from Fate,” I gritted.
He looked outraged. “I’d prefer him warn you without harming you, Sable.” He put his hand over mine. “I’m calling for a medic.”
A flash of a scene entered my mind. A dark figure, sliding through the shadows, around the room’s perimeter. Footsteps from outside. A tendril of smoke curled under the door before someone knocked at the door… me.
“Someone was in here, before I knocked and woke you.” I whispered to Fate, “Show me.”
“Sable,” Tauren rasped. “Look.”
I opened my eyes to find a set of glittering, golden footprints shimmering across the floor. The steps crept close to the walls. Concealed by shadow…
Tauren’s mouth hung open. “I don’t believe this…”
He stood as six large men barged into the room. “Highness?” they questioned, weapons pointed at me. Their stunners could take down men twice their size or larger. I raised my hands so they didn’t shoot, wincing through the pain. The men were taken aback by the blood all over my hands and the floor.
Tauren put himself between them and me. “Someone was in my room. Sable had a vision and came to help me. Those are the culprit’s footprints,” he told them, gesturing to the glittering patterns on the floor. The guards lowered their stunners.
“They wore boots,” one of the guards said, crouching down to study the print. “Large ones.”
The guard looked at my bare feet. “It wasn’t me,” I growled.
“Page the medic,” Tauren ordered.
“That’s not necessary,” I argued, but Tauren insisted his physician look at me.
“Can you tell anything from the prints?” he asked his men.
“No, Sire. Did you see anyone? Could you tell if it was a man or woman?” one asked.
Tauren looked to me. I shook my head.
“I have no further information,” he relayed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, could you wait outside the door, please?”
His men complied reluctantly. Two went to search the perimeter and alert others about the intruder so heavier measures could be taken, while two remained outside the door, including the red headed fellow that was with Tauren the evening of the Equinox. He kept Tauren in sight, refusing to shut the door, and me inside alone with him. When Tauren barked at him, the guard barked back. I decided I liked him. He cared about Tauren’s wellbeing, even if he was distrustful of me.
Tauren carefully picked me up and carried me to the bed. I hurt bad enough that I let him.
As I relaxed, the pain began to ebb. “I don’t need a doctor. By the time he or she gets here, there will be no trace of blood or even a wound.”
He knelt beside me. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s real, but it’s also not real.” I shook my head, knowing my explanation left much to be desired. “How do I explain this? It’s like Fate paints what he wants over reality so that it looks and feels like it’s happening, but it isn’t. Knowing that’s what it is, keeps me from panicking.”
“It doesn’t help me at all,” he said wearily. “I hate seeing you in pain. And the blood…”
I removed my hand from my side. It came away dry. My nightgown wasn’t wet, and the fabric was intact.
“The threat is gone for now,” I explained.
“What about next time?”
“Fate will warn me again. I’ll get to you faster. I promise.” I swung my feet over the side of the bed and Tauren’s eyes caught on my bare legs. He swallowed thickly, keeping his hands on his thighs. I became aware of how close we were. How he was shirtless, his skin flawless, yet kissed by the sun, and of every muscle beneath that held him still as death.
It would be so easy for him to run his hand up my calf, then higher still. I pushed the thought away and refocused.
“You should keep your guards close at all times, even at night.”
He nodded.
I wanted to rake a hand through his unruly hair, pull his face toward mine, and gaze into his golden eyes… and more. But I couldn’t. “I should go back to my room.”
His hand flinched toward me, but he schooled his features as the door opened, revealing the waddling form of a short, white-haired man.
“You called for me, Prince?” The man stared between us. “Is someone injured?”
“She had a pain in her side, but it’s gone away now,” he answered for me.
“May I check, dear?” the medic asked, pushing small spectacles up onto his nose.
“Please allow it,” Tauren breathed.
At my nod, the doctor asked, “Could you give us a moment, Prince?”
Tauren stood, his eyes meeting mine. “I’ll be just outside.”
He would be safer in here. I opened my mouth to tell him so when he left me, striding across the room and ducking outside the door, pulling it closed.
The doctor opened a small bag and pulled out some sort of tube, the shape eerily reminiscent of a wishbone on one end. He stuck those ends in his ears and took hold of a piece of metal at the other. “May I listen?”
“Listen to what?” I asked, easing away from him.
The doctor left, chuckling. “She’s never seen a stethoscope,” he told Tauren as he stepped outside, leaving the door wide open.
Glad to have provided his evening entertainment, I thought as I continued to eavesdrop.
“She’s fine, Sire. If she has any more pain, she knows to come and find me.”
“I need to give her the map she asked for so that she can find you.”
The old man laughed and waddled back down the ha
llway. Tauren ducked back inside and leaned against the door. I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said, relieved.
“I told you I was.”
“I know. I just… you scared me.”
“I panicked because I thought you were in danger. I apologize for scaring you.”
He shook his head. “You didn’t scare me because you came, it scared me to see you hurt and bleeding. I don’t want to see you suffer just for helping me, Sable.”
I wanted to tell him it would hurt more for me to leave.
He pushed off the door and closed the distance between us, cupping my elbows and placing a gentle kiss on my temple. “You were right. You should go back to your room.”
I nodded.
“May I see you in the morning?” he asked.
“That will depend on my schedule,” I told him honestly. Someone had taken the time to fill the Prince’s every waking hour with each of the invitees.
“What about checking my food at each meal? Is that still necessary?”
No bitter flavor slid over my tongue. “I’m not sure, but it would be wise. Brecan or Mira can also detect poisons, if my schedule is full.”
He laughed. “Brecan wouldn’t warn me if someone did attempt to poison me.”
“He would,” I defended. “He might feel threatened by you, but he wouldn’t allow anyone to harm you.”
Tauren sobered. “I’m sorry. He’s not the only one who feels threatened, I suppose.”
I didn’t answer him, just turned on my heel and walked out of the room. His guards didn’t budge when I walked past them, and that gave me some measure of peace. This wasn’t a game. Someone wanted Tauren dead. Someone wanted to plant a dagger in his belly, to watch him bleed out, writhing in pain.
The person had entered the bedroom of the crown Prince of Nautilus.
And I didn’t tell him, but I knew how they got away.
PART Two
When Wishes are Buried
13
Whomever was in Tauren’s room used magic to leave it. There was no other exit but his door, and I’d been on the other side of it. They made themselves invisible, and when I came to his aid, spirited themselves away entirely. Both abilities required a level of skill that only Elevated witches possessed.
Elevated witches were given the title when they showed mastery over their affinity. Only the priest or priestess of a House could Elevate someone and those who were honored with the title were permitted to practice more complicated and strenuous magic. It was a position that required a certain amount of trust – that the witch was ready to handle stronger magic and that they would not misuse it.
The only other witches in the palace were Brecan and Mira. Now, it seemed I couldn’t trust them.
Was this why Fate wanted me here? To show me that I had no real friends, that everyone was an enemy, and that no one could be trusted?
In the morning, I didn’t mention the night’s excitement. Mira greeted me with a smile, carrying the nude and black gown she’d made me the night before. “My helpers made something special for today, since you don’t want to wear the t-shirt provided.” She hung up the gown and ran back across the hall.
I sat by the open window and sipped herbal tea while my hair dried in the breeze. “You shouldn’t sit so close. There are no screens,” she warned with a giggle.
“Why? Do you plan to shove me out?” I smiled, wondering if she might...
“Of course not! I want to see you in this,” she said with a flourish, pulling out from behind her back a black sundress she had hidden. “Besides, you could simply spirit yourself someplace safe.”
The dress gathered at the waist and flared at the hips, and would emphasize my figure without showing every inch of my skin. “It’s lovely.”
“It’s perfect for your schedule.”
“You’ve seen it?” I asked.
“They didn’t leave one under your door? I found a stack downstairs on a table.”
“I didn’t receive one, but thank you for bringing one back.”
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked carefully, sensing a change in my mood.
“I didn’t sleep very well,” I admitted.
She gave me an understanding nod. “It’s an unfamiliar space.”
I pretended to agree and looked around the room. “That must be it.” She worried her hands. “What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Your hair,” she answered. “You can’t just let it air dry and not style it.”
I blew out a frustrated sigh. “Why not?”
“Because… it’s beautiful and all, but you need to look like one of the invitees. Each of you will be filmed today. So, may I fix it?”
I nodded reluctantly. “You may.”
She squealed and ran to my side, pulling me into the bathroom and assaulting my hair with dryers, hot irons that left curls in it, and spritzes and sprays that made my hair shine like silk, but not budge an inch.
“That’s enough!” I coughed, waving the lingering sprays of hair product out of my face.
She smiled. “Perfect. I’ll leave you to get dressed, and meet you in the hallway. Breakfast is a buffet and will be served in the north dining room,” she announced. “Wherever that is.”
Exactly, wherever that was.
Brecan stepped out of his room the same moment I did. We locked our doors and turned to face one another, me still holding my room key, belatedly realizing I had no pockets. He held out his palm. “I’ll hold it for you.”
“Thanks.” I gave him my key.
He straightened his back and cleared his throat. “You look beautiful, Sable.”
“And you look handsome,” I complimented honestly. He did. Wearing dark jeans and a matching t-shirt, in one way, he looked like he fit in here. Yet in another… he didn’t. His blonde hair lay arrow-straight over his shoulders, and his lavender eyes clung to mine a beat too long before sliding away.
“Mira said we’re scheduled to have breakfast with the others, but then the rest of our day is free,” he said. “Tauren is spending an hour with seven of the invitees today, but you have no scheduled time with him.”
It stung, to be honest, but it was for the best. The more time we spent together, the more I craved. And the more, it seemed, he wanted with me.
He had to choose a wife from this group of women, and that required getting to know them and spending ample time with each to make an informed decision. The time we shared would be focused on finding the one who wanted him dead, of course.
“What is there to do?” I asked.
Brecan smiled. “We’ll have to explore and find out, but first… breakfast.”
Just then, Mira walked out of her room. “Ready?”
“You’ll have to spell the room to check his food,” Brecan warned. “Is Fate still telling you he’ll be poisoned?”
“Yes,” I lied.
I tasted nothing bitter, but couldn’t rule it out. Fate had given me the taste of poison just yesterday. My stomach still felt sour from it. Yet, today the bitterness was gone. It seemed as if the person who wanted Tauren dead hadn’t quite made up their mind on how to go about it. Though they’d almost managed it last night.
With the staff’s direction, we found the north dining hall, already filled with pastel-clothed young women and their escorts. Neither Rose nor Leah would even look in my direction. Such well-mannered young women – but only in Tauren’s presence.
He stepped in moments after we did. “Will you check my meal?” he bent to whisper in my ear. His warm breath slid over the shell of my ear, making me shiver.
I nodded.
Brecan, Mira, and I sat at a table with four chairs while Tauren sat with two women I hadn’t formally met. A girl from Nine and one from Eleven, per their tee shirts. Perhaps the shirts did help the viewers identify them more easi
ly at first. They certainly helped me, as I only knew two of the ladies’ names. Nine had olive skin, shiny, medium-brown hair, and a pretty smile. Eleven was the most muscular of the women in the room, but not overly so.
I watched as Brecan smiled and chatted with them. When platters of food were placed in front of them, I spelled the room and stood up from my seat, watching for anyone unaffected. Mira and Brecan were still. Brecan’s mouth was open, stuck in the middle of guessing who’d been Elevated in the House of Air. Apparently, he was about to remark on one who had an unusual talent with water.
I removed the silver lid that covered Tauren’s plate and inhaled the aromas stuck in the air. There was no poison. Even the odorless ones left the slightest flavor on the tongue. His water and orange juice were also untainted.
His food was fine. Fate confirmed it with a satisfied, full feeling in my belly. I replaced the lid, but couldn’t resist dragging a knuckle down Tauren’s cheek before walking away. I took my seat again and lifted the spell.
Brecan continued his story. Mira listened intently.
Tauren’s eyes caught mine. He ran his fingers over his cheek, over the trail I’d left, and one side of his lips curled up. Is it okay? he mouthed.
I nodded once.
And somehow, I made it through breakfast, enduring scathing glances from women who considered me a threat, smiling my way through a conversation I didn’t care about at all, and watching the one person I was beginning to care about very much break his fast with two other women.
Silently, I spent the meal begging Fate for a clue to help me quickly solve this mystery, to help me save him, and allow me to go home.
Fate remained stubbornly silent.
Mira promised she would join us later, but was in a tizzy because there was a heated indoor swimming pool here, and none of us brought swimsuits. She ran back to her room to remedy the situation, leaving Brecan and I to spend our “free” time together until she finished. Mira liked to swim and was determined to have us swim with her this evening.
We had no plan when we stepped outside, so when Brecan suggested, “Let’s see what the palace has to offer,” I eagerly nodded.