He reached out then and took her by the hand. “I want you to marry me. But not because the emperor has issued a decree. I offer you my heart, and I beg you will take it. And, if you can, I ask that you will give me your heart in return.”
Sairu found she could not breathe; indeed, she had not been breathing for some moments now. With a struggle she gasped for air, and in so doing choked on something that might have been a laugh, or might have been a sob.
Jovann, uncertain how to interpret such a sound, his heart beating madly in his throat, drew her closer to him. His voice thickened, and he spoke scarcely above a whisper. “Little miss?”
With another choke, Sairu lifted her face to his. Through her tears she smiled and, for the first time in many years, her smile was joyful and true.
EPILOGUE
The mist was full of faces. Swirling faces taking shape and vanishing only to reappear again. She wondered if they were the faces of people she knew, for she almost recognized them. But memories were fading quickly as she wandered, so she could not say for certain.
She walked in a halting, aimless gait, allowing the madness of the Dream to sweep over and through her, down into her lungs, down into her heart. She knew that to walk the Dream in spirit was dangerous enough. Now that she walked it in her physical body, she would never return. She would never be anything but lost.
My dear. My own. My beauty.
The voice called to her from somewhere beyond the mist. She heard it and turned toward it as a blind child turns to its mother. “Where are you?” she asked, though her voice could make no sound that the mist did not swallow. It did not matter, however, for the response came in an instant.
I am near. I am far. I am imprisoned.
She found her footsteps hastening. Indeed she ran faster than she had ever run in the mortal world. But the mist only gathered more thickly, suffocating, smothering. She would never get through!
Then suddenly she stopped. She held quite still, counting her heartbeats. One. Two. Three.
Turning around, she gazed up at the towering form of an uncut pillar of stone. Vaguely she sensed the presence of a great temple, but she could see none of it, only the stone. It was tall and black, and somehow, though her eyes told her it was ugly, her heart told her it was beautiful, so beautiful, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Umeer Melati, said the voice. Something deep inside the stone moved, a white flickering like an inner flame. I have been long prevented from entering the worlds beyond this prison. My brother, the Death-in-Life, should like to keep them for himself, and he has locked me away. But he now lies sleeping, bound to the Gold Stone, and he cannot stop me. Not anymore.
The young woman, whose name was Melati but who had not heard her name spoken in so long, took a step nearer the stone. She wanted to reach out and take it in her arms, clasping it close to her heart.
I know your dreams, Umeer Melati. And I can give them to you. I am the Lady of Dreams Realized, and the power of fulfillment belongs to me, not to my brother. He is the Death-in-Life, but I am the Life-in-Death, and I am stronger than he if I can but get free.
The young woman put out her hand. She felt a dreadful coldness emanating from that stone. It was a luring sensation, urging her to touch.
Let me out, Umeer Melati. I will give you the power of Life and Death. I will make you my oracle, and you will speak with authority among all mortal kind. Let me out, Umeer Melati, and I will make your dreams come true.
The young woman paused for a breath. Then she slammed her hand against the surface of the stone.
She screamed as the power in her spirit, the power of a Dream Walker, coursed through her body, up from her heels, and burst from her mouth, from the tips of her fingers. Spiderweb cracks appeared in the stone, and then it shattered in a shower of black chips and shards that cut the young woman, slicing her skin with tiny slits.
In the center of the stone’s destruction stood the form of a woman. She was taller than any man, taller even than the Dragon, and her skin was black as the stone. But her hair flowed white from her head, as bright as the mist around them, and her eyes were whiter still.
“I am free,” said the Lady Life-in-Death. “At last, I am free.”
GLOSSARY
People and Places
NOORHITAM EMPIRE:
Made up of several conquered nations, the Noorhitam Empire encompasses much of the Continent east of Corrilond. At the time of this novel, Noorhitam is ruled by the Kitar people, who usurped the empire from the nomadic Chhayans two hundred years earlier.
Anuk Anwar: This is the name of the Kitar emperor, ruler of Noorhitam. The title means “Son of the Sun,” and indicates the Kitar belief that the emperor is the chosen heir and child of their god, Anwar. Each new emperor becomes “Anuk” once he ascends to the throne.
Anwar: The personified sun deity, worshiped in Noorhitam. Husband of Hulan and father of the Dara.
Awan: One of the major Kitar clans.
Besur: The title of the High Priest of the Crown of the Moon, a powerful religious figure in Noorhitam, particularly among the Kitar.
Chhayan: The people who originally dominated the majority of Noorhitam. In the two hundred years since the Kitar takeover, they have become nothing more than a number of nomadic tribes, united only in hatred of their usurpers. A few of the tribes are:
Khla - Tiger Tribe
Kondao - Rat Tribe
Poas - Snake Tribe
Seh - Horse Tribe
Sekiel - Jackal Tribe
Tonsey - Rabbit Tribe
Dara: A religious name for the stars, which are also considered angelic beings in Noorhitamin religion.
Daramuti: A small temple up in the Khir Mountains, dedicated to the moon goddess, Hulan.
Hari: One of the tribes of the Awan Clan. The Hari Tribe boasts the emperor of Noorhitam’s foremost artillery brigade.
Hulan: The personified moon deity, worshiped in Noorhitam. Wife of Anwar and mother of the Dara.
Khir Mountains: A mountain range to the northeast of Lunthea Maly, separating the empire of Noorhitam from the kingdom of Nua-Pratut.
Kitar: The ruling people of Noorhitam. The Kitar conquered the Chhayan nation two hundred years ago and have since established a powerful empire.
Lembu Rana: Also called “The Valley of Suffering,” a leper village located not many miles outside the city limits of Lunthea Maly.
Lunthea Maly: The capital city of Noorhitam, located on the southern coast. Lunthea Maly was once a small Chhayan city but was long ago taken over by the Kitar and has since grown into one of the richest and most renowned cities in all the world.
Mahuthar: A sector of the emperor’s palace which is known as “the children’s palace.”
Manusbau: The glorious palace of the Noorhitamin emperor, located in the city of Lunthea Maly.
Masayi: This name serves multiple purposes. It is the name for a sector of Manusbau which belongs to the Golden Daughters. Masayi is also assumed as part of each Golden Daughter’s name, i.e. “Masayi Sairu.” The word itself means “golden.”
NUA-PRATUT:
A small nation to the north of the Noorhitam Empire. Nua-Pratut is considered a great seat of knowledge among the nations and boasts many famous schools and Centers of Learning. It is ruled by the Pen-Chan people, an ancient and intellectual race. It is rumored Nua-Pratut possesses the secret of “black powder,” a primary reason this small kingdom has not long since been assimilated into the neighboring empire.
House of Dok: One of the many noble Pen-Chan clans. At the beginning of this novel the House of Dok is under the headship of Lord Dok-Kasemsan.
House of Luk: Another noble Pen-Chan clan. At the time of this novel the House of Luk is under the headship of Lord Luk-Hunad.
Suthinnakor: The capital city of Nua-Pratut and home of Lord Dok-Kasemsan
AJA:
A small kingdom to the west of Noorhitam.
DONG MIN:
A small kingdom to
the west of Noorhitam.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ANNE ELISABETH STENGL makes her home in North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a kindle of kitties, and one long-suffering dog. When she’s not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and practices piano, painting, and pastry baking. Her novel Starflower was awarded the 2013 Clive Staples Award, and her novels Heartless, Veiled Rose, and Dragonwitch have each been honored with a Christy Award.
To learn more about Anne Elisabeth Stengl and her books visit: www.AnneElisabethStengl.blogspot.com
COMING SPRING 2015
An all-new novella in the
Tales of Goldstone Wood
DRAVEN’S LIGHT
Timeless Fantasy that will keep you spellbound!
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As Princess Una comes of age, a foolish decision leaves her vulnerable to an enemy she thought was only a myth. What will Una risk to save her kingdom—and her heart?
HEARTLESS
As a Death-House Gate opens into the mortal world, monsters and war threaten the North Country. Only one man can turn back this tide, but to do so he must face the realm of the Dragonwitch.
DRAGONWITCH
Golden Daughter Page 58