The Lantern's Curse

by Hannah King

  When they were finished, I watched as my squadron took up a corner of the courtyard to chat. I noticed Wes was hovering around them too and I desperately wanted to talk to him.

  With new resolve, I stood up and walked toward them. Even facing their suspicious eyes would be better than sitting around doing nothing, I told myself. And there was no one around to tell me I couldn’t take up company with them.

  “Well, look who it is!” Reylard said loudly as I came over. Immediately I decided I’d made a mistake.

  He bowed at the waist mockingly. “Captain Amlai. It’s an honor to stand in your presence.”

  “What brings you here?” Camphraz joined in. “Have we done something wrong?”

  “Show some respect,” Wes said under his breath.

  “Or what?” Reylard scoffed.

  “I’ll report you to the leads,” Wes snapped. “And don’t think that I won’t.” The others didn’t hesitate to believe him. I was frightened by his joyless tone. He looked so thin and dismal.

  Cora came forward and wrapped me in a hug.

  “Ignore them,” she whispered. “We’ve missed you. Honest.”

  I stepped back, trying to decide if I should stay or not. Several of the squad members seemed nervous around me. Cora came to my rescue and changed the subject, taking the group's attention off of me. There was a lot to talk about, the new city, the strange ruins, the stiff people. Slowly, the group moved on, and I stuck close to Cora and Wes. No one dared ask me any questions about my own promotion, thanks to Wes. He stayed with us, but hardly uttered two words together.

  The others chatted until lunch, and even then Tratis had not returned. He’d been right of course, the Leiden lunch wagon was hardly a meal, only a vat of thin broth and small portions of moldy cheese.

  The longer he stayed away, the juicier the gossip was turning. A few of the fielders began to spin stories about the mysterious Captain Tratis. Speculation was fun after all, and it really was all they had left.

  In one conspiracy, Tratis was painted as one of the Leiden Queen’s former lovers, and he’d managed to woo Cronin’s way into the closed city. I’d laughed at that one.

  The afternoon went on and boredom struck again. Cora tossed a wrinkled apple from her ration pack to me and we began to throw it back and forth in a game of catch while the others found tumbled stones to kick around. I was relieved to have slipped back into my usual company.

  Tratis didn’t return. All day we watched for him, but the sun began to set and there was no sign of him. A knot of worry had formed in my stomach. Had something happened?

  I ate the dinner stew sluggishly and returned to where I belonged. Gray didn’t reprimand me for disappearing. I honestly doubted she’d known I was missing. She was staring out the window with the leads, waiting for any sign of Tratis.

  It grew dark, and the stars peered through the ruined canopy of the roof. I lay on my back with my blanket draped over myself, looking up at them, blinking in the pale moonlight. It was so nice to have my gloves on my hands again.

  I fell asleep as the camp grew quiet, but was awoken soon after by the sound of Tratis’ boots on the cobblestones and the rustling of the lead’s robes as they greeted him. I turned my head slightly, and through the slits of my eyes I saw Tratis whispering to them in a low tone. He was wearing clothes I had never seen him in before; silk robes that made him look almost as stiff and confined as the Ambassador.

  I shut my eyes again, trying to hone into the whispers, but I couldn’t make anything out. I jerked as I felt a tap on my shoulder.

  “Amlai?” Tratis was at my side.

  My eyes flew open.

  “Can you get up? I need your help with something,” he whispered. “I need you to come with me to see the Paraphrant and Her Highness, Queen Eithne.” He passed me my pack as I sat up. “Go and change into your captain’s uniform. It’s about time you started wearing it.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  TALITHA

  UNDER THE MOON and stars we rode through the quiet streets. The Ambassador rode ahead of us and two guards followed. I was seated behind Tratis on his horse with my arms around him tightly, and we were in some sort of hurry. He’d assured me that everything was all right, he’d explain it to me soon, but he’d also grasped my hands before we mounted and looked me in the eyes with a serious gaze.

  “Do you trust me, Talitha?” he’d asked, and I’d nodded slowly. For some reason, I’d always trusted him. Only, I couldn’t decide why.

  “Then you will be a great help,” he’d said simply, then squeezed my hand and lifted me up to reach the stirrup.

  A help. If I could have been anything at that moment, it was exactly that. I longed to be useful, but I had no idea what I was walking into.

  I breathed a quick prayer to Lavalt as we entered the royal courtyard, then another as we climbed the black marble stairs, then a third right before the door to the council room was opened. Blearily, I took in the tunnel-like room and the regal faces before me. A group of five men and two women were staring at me as if I was the strangest thing they’d ever seen.

  My eyes were drawn to the woman at the head of the table. Her brocade gown and jewels were almost as incredible as her blue eyes and long golden tresses. She was the only person that I felt comfortable making eye contact with, but I soon determined that was not appropriate. She was clearly the highest-ranking individual in the room. I cast my gaze to my muddied shoes, the only part of my wardrobe that had not been adjusted for the mysterious meeting.

  I knew precious little of what was about to happen. Captain Tratis had spelled it out to me in a few short phrases before we’d dismounted, but he hadn’t allowed any questions.

  In his rush of words I had only gathered that, somehow, I was going to help change the tide for the Sustainers, gain an ally for old Cronin, change everything. I had nodded my head, but I’d barely had a chance to decipher what was actually about to happen, let alone prepare myself for it.

  I faced the table of strangers with an expression as blank as my mind. Am I supposed to speak? Or stay silent? In the presence of these esteemed nobles, there were likely hundreds of rules. Tratis had gestured for me to stand with him, by his side at the end of the long table, but I felt out of place there, and desperately longed to slip behind him.

  The Ambassador took his place in the corner, eyeing me suspiciously. I found myself frowning at him.

  Tratis opened his mouth to speak. Here, I guessed, he would explain his plan to those in front of us, filling me in on the details I craved at the same time.

  “This is she,” he said plainly, his voice echoing to the back of the chamber.

  You could have heard a pin drop as the unmoved council took in my appearance.

  “Looks as though she’s been awoken from some much-needed sleep,” a man with dark hair and many rings scoffed.

  “So, you perceive and sense the shazod?” A man with snowy white hair and a lengthy mustache snapped the question.

  “Yes, sir,” I answered shakily.

  The Ambassador walked toward me and I instinctively shrunk back. His eyes were sober, frightening. He couldn’t have truly been much older than me, but the way he carried himself, the deepening furrows in his forehead and the tired look in his eyes made me feel as though he were far older. His eyes searched mine unashamedly.

  Those eyes. I shivered. Something about them was strange, almost saddening. Was it the color? They were gray, with only a hint of blue or green, I wasn’t sure in the dim light. Their likeness could be compared to a grim, cloudy day at sea, but the emptiness within them was perhaps their most haunting feature.

  He began to speak, not once releasing me from his gaze.

  “Do you swear on your life that you’ve sensed the shazod?” he asked, his voice low and calm.

  “Yes,” my fists clenched at my side nervously. I felt like I was reliving my first interrogation with Lead Breiden, except that the knot in my stomach was even tighter.

  “
Well?” a pale, sour looking woman snapped impatiently at the young man in front of me.

  He unlocked his eyes from mine at last.

  “She speaks the truth,” he said simply, then stepped back to his inconspicuous corner.

  Why is his opinion on this so important to them? I was puzzled.

  “Then this meeting is not in vain,” the queen said. “Paraphrant, will we move forward?”

  “Not just yet,” the white-haired man extended his hand. “I would like to know why exactly, do you, Sir Tratis, after your blatant denial of Leida, wish to bond with it once again? And why should we be so eager to create an alliance with you, after you treated us with such contempt? You left behind every responsibility, every gift granted to you and traded it for nothing.”

  Tratis cleared his throat. “I have never wished my country any harm, Lord Orp,” he defended in an even tone. “In my leaving, I left my affairs in order and spoke no ill will against the kingdom that has since become my dear sister’s.”

  Sister? My mind rushed to catch up. The woman at the head of the table, the queen, was Captain Tratis’ sister? Her features were suddenly familiar. Yes, the same handsome nose, the crystal blue eyes, the wheat colored hair.

  His voice! His dialect! There had always been something mysterious about him that I couldn’t put a finger on. It wasn’t even truly an accent, but a similarity to how the other Leiden’s spoke. He spoke Cronin too perfectly, just as they all did. I had always attributed the smooth speech to his higher education.

  I had only ever known him as a fellow Cronin who had grown into leadership during our hardships. He had served as a squire to the king’s army until Cronin had divided. Then he had rejected Faldir’s reign and joined the Sustainers, as zealous as any of us for our cause. How could he be without a drop of Cronin blood in his veins?

  I looked straight ahead and pretended to know exactly what they spoke of, but inside my head was reeling.

  “Please think not only of old Cronin when you meditate on my proposition,” Tratis furthered. “Think of Leida, not of Leida now, but in the years to come. Faldir seems small now, yes, but his sorcery is more than feared around the land. You’ve heard of Ralstag, I’m sure, how they’ve been reduced to a shivering base of the lucky who were spared from the shazod. Faldir is becoming greedy, and, as I’ve said, many, many, times today, there is no guarantee that even Leida’s fine defensive forces will always be able to withstand Faldir’s armies and the shazod. They grow in number each day.”

  “And you imagine the only way we can deflect such a ‘certain’ future would be to join your ragtag band and gang up on them?” The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow. “Still seems like there's more in this for you than for Leida.”

  “I understand your concern, Lord Sasal, it’s true that we are unlikely to survive without your help,” Tratis admitted. “But if we can’t attract your compassion,” he said the word “compassion” as though it were foreign to the listeners. “Then I hope you might be attracted to what we can offer you. Young Amlai could change the tide, stop the dark wall of magic that will no doubt entrench all of us, including Leida, sooner or later.”

  My face was paling. Everything he said sounded like it was about someone else, but his hands kept gesturing to my shadow of a figure. I wanted to melt away into the background like the Ambassador. He got to stand there, listen, say nothing, do nothing, simply observe the situation.

  “He is right,” a balding man with a large, bumpy nose who had not yet spoken raised his voice. “The shazod are not to be trifled with. If Leida ever saw the day when they traveled this far, it would defile this city, no doubt put an end to everything we know. How can we see Faldir’s mind and guess whom he will stand against? We have long dealt in defense, but these unseen demons, they are like nothing Leida has defended against before. In many numbers they could wipe us out.”

  “Yes, much as they did to hundreds of Cronins who tried to escape Faldir’s displeasure,” Tratis added. I could tell he was getting excited at the way the older man seemed to be siding with him.

  “And you truly believe that she may be the answer?” the council woman spoke up doubtfully, gesturing toward me.

  “I believe, if given a chance and the correct instruction, she could be.” Tratis affirmed.

  “Incredible really...” The Lord Sasal’s eyes swept me up and down, “that such a pretty thing like her could truly give us the edge we need.”

  I squirmed. Tratis stepped forward to distract the other man’s unvirtuous gaze. “Your Highness, shall we decide?”

  A chaotic roar filled the room at the proposal. The squabble of opinions lasted about a minute, until the queen drew her lips into a thin line and took a deep breath.

  “Paraphrant, I should like to point out that no decision need be made hastily,” she calmed them. “There is time to examine the issue at hand, step by step. Should we agree to everything now, we would be foolish, but if we were to agree on one thing first, we would be wiser.” Her tone was low but shaky. I had the feeling she was afraid of the people around her, and I started to wonder how much authority she truly possessed.

  “The people of old Cronin are here within our borders, protected for as long as we have agreed,” she went on. “Now, let us all agree that during their time spent here, we will allow for young Amlai to be educated by our own Lanterns, so that she may move beyond the rudimentary knowledge of her code and truly be of some use to us. We still need to access her overall skill as a Lantern, or else, shazod seeing or no, she will be of no use to us. I believe one of our masters, Master Tate, to be exact,” a few eyebrows shot up at the name but she continued, “could easily determine whether or not her gift will be useful to us, and when that has been decided, let us train her, decide if she is an asset, and reconvene to decide whether or not it is prudent to enter into war against the Parters. We shall make that decision with as much careful consideration as possible, as Leida always does before entering conflict. Let us decide, at least on her for now. We shall decide on war later.”

  Lord Orp frowned and cleared his throat. “I consent, provided Tate will allow it.”

  “Are we even wise to allow Tate to educate her,” the councilwoman beside him fretted. “She’s a Cronin, born from the same seed Faldir himself was born from. Even Tate may have his qualms about it.”

  “Nonsense. Tate never had a qualm in his life,” Lord Sasal chuckled darkly.

  “She could bring hell on us,” Lord Orp vacillated.

  “This girl? This little thing in front of us? No, I’d be surprised if she can even summon enough power to bring hell on our enemies.” Lord Sasal paused, scratching his neatly trimmed beard. “But...if she can, we’d all rest easier, wouldn’t we? Give Tate a chance. With his guidance, she may prove useful.”

  I swallowed hard, sick with worry. This entire discussion was about me, but since I’d arrived no one had bothered to explain a word of it to me. What were they expecting from me?

  “Have you ever practiced Nurandism, young Amlai?” The man with the bumpy nose was speaking again.

  “No sir,” I hurried to answer, suddenly realizing he was addressing me.

  “Ever heard of it?”

  “No,” I shook my head.

  “Not many have these days,” Lord Sasal raised his hand in defeat. “But it will be well worth your time to study it. There has never been, to my knowledge, a Lantern who could acquaint with the unseen. If one such as you, so rare, should learn this practice, you may very well be able to defeat the shazod, once and for all.”

  “I don’t understand,” I faltered, my tongue thick and dry as I spoke. “I was able to see the shazod, yes, and feel them. I can sense them coming, perhaps kill them quicker in an attack, but there are hundreds of them at Faldir’s command. There is no way I could single handedly defeat the entire species.”

  “You will understand soon enough, if you apply yourself and mind your instructor. And I think you will,” Lord Sasal decided. “For if you ar
e successful, you will gain an ally. If you defeat the shazod, Leida will march with your people into battle against the Parters. We will pledge soldiers, fight side by side with you, and rid the land of their terror. Without Faldir’s puppets, it will be an easy feat with little loss to us. He’ll crumble and so will his regime. Your people will return to their country and begin to rebuild their lives. Your incessant wandering will come to an end, making you a Cronin hero.” He smirked. “So, apply yourself...Amlai? Is it?”

  “She will do her best, I assure you,” Tratis promised for me. Questions caught in my throat. My ears were ringing with claims, expectations, and doubts about me that I couldn’t comprehend.

  “If she is to be instructed here in the citadel, she cannot stay within the walls of the Turaphelin,” the councilwoman spoke up. “Other arrangements must be made for convenience and cleanliness’ sake.”

  My face fell. Leave the others? Stay here alone?

  “Yes, Lady Vencia, a room can be prepared for her here,” the queen offered, then turned to the Ambassador in the corner. “Will you see that a chamber is prepared?”

  He nodded and started to leave, but he stopped in his tracks at my next words.

  “No, please, Your Highness, I want to stay in the ruins, with my people,” I said with determination. “I can rise early and come here at whatever time you so choose for my lessons, but please don’t ask me to leave them.”

  A gust of frigid air seemed to have blown through the room as my request met the council’s ears. I had addressed the queen, but she did not respond to me.

  “Are you challenging the directions of our regent?” Lord Orp stood abruptly. He shook his head soberly. “Young Tratis, I suggest you control your charge, before this Cronin wench violates the customs of this council. We never agreed to play nursemaid for you.”