The Lantern's Curse

by Hannah King

  Tratis raced to smooth things over as he saw the room slipping back into chaos.

  “This young woman will surely adhere to your customs,” he shot a warning glance at me. “My apologies to you Queen Eithne and to each member of the honorable Paraphrant. Amlai is young, but I believe when she realizes the chance she has been given to help her own country, she will be more than eager to comply with said arrangements.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Otherwise, an agreement would be out of the question,” Lord Orp nodded placidly. “And I hope that you, sir, will also adhere to our standards. If we are to work toward an agreement with the people of Cronin, it is essential that you stay here in the cleanliness of the citadel and not return to the Turaphelin except to take up necessary council with your people.”

  I saw a flighty look cross his face, the same as an animal caught in a trap. Tratis was about to protest, but in a flash that look was gone; he nodded and squared his shoulders. My courage bolstered a little. I won’t be completely alone, I thought. Maybe he’ll visit me. Then I’d be able to ask him all my questions.

  “If Amlai is to stay here she will need to bathe, and not tomorrow, but tonight,” Lady Vencia insisted. “We can’t have her stay in one of our rooms with all that stench and dirt. I believe a slave can be woken and summoned to assist her.”

  “Yes, of course,” the queen agreed, then to me said, “wait outside in the hallway and one of our female slaves will take you to the baths.”

  I was exhausted, my mind was screaming for answers. The last thing I wanted was a long walk to a strange place to bathe in chilly waters. I was already damp enough from sleeping in the elements. I obeyed however and went out into the hallway. Tratis stayed behind to finish the last details of the discussion.

  I waited and waited, leaning against the wall a little way from the door that was guarded by four armor clad Leiden soldiers. They stared ahead, as if I wasn’t even there. The door opened at last and Tratis came out and strode down the hall in my direction. He was surprised when he saw me.

  “They didn’t come for you yet?” he questioned, but then he surprised me, reaching out to touch my arm gently. “You all right?” he asked.

  “I guess,” I managed. Even the whisper of my voice seemed to resound down the spacious hall. This was not the time or the place to let my feelings spill.

  “I’m sorry I tossed you into a pit of snakes without any warning,” he apologized sheepishly.

  I realized he looked and acted so much younger here than he did among his fellow captains. He appeared genuinely nervous, almost as much as I was.

  “Try to get some sleep when you can, they likely won’t need to see you until later tomorrow morning,” he recommended.

  “I can try,” I said even though I had little faith in the concept.

  Tratis lowered his voice. “Good job not letting them scare you.” He attempted half a smile. “I promise I’ll explain more tomorrow, don’t worry. This has all been happening so fast. I’m sorry.”

  He was sorry. I could see it in his eyes and, in spite of everything else, I still trusted him.

  He then bade me goodnight and left. I continued to wait. My eyelids were heavy, and my feet were sore. It felt like an eternity before a female slave appeared with a crystal lamp, the shadows dancing around her in the corridor as she approached.

  She was an older woman with a slightly bent back. Her short, graying hair was mostly hidden by a kerchief, and her dark eyes were cast down in respect. Noiselessly she gestured for me to follow her, leading me down the hall toward a long staircase.

  As we padded softly down the dim hallways, I could only see glimpses of the fine walls and polished floors, but it was enough to remind me that I was in a truly impressive place, the sort of place I’d never stepped foot in before. The passageway narrowed slightly, and we made our way down several more flights of stairs.

  Lavender. I inhaled sharply, remembering the last time it had hung so thickly around me. Mem had used to braid the ends of lavender into my hair when darkness fell. She would tuck a sprig of it between my clothes. Many of the parents did the same for their children during those times, for sleep and security, but the scent only brought back the long nervous nights, wide awake, hiding from the people we’d once known as friends, even family.

  The scent of lavender was growing stronger, and a rush of hot air hit my face as we passed through yet another doorway. I almost choked on the amount of steam that was wafting up through the passage, but had no choice except to walk into the thickening fog. After descending one more flight of stairs we reached a wide, warmly lit room, heavy with steam.

  In the center was a large pool of water. It glistened in the lamplight, but it was completely still, except for a warm cloud of moisture that hung over it. Beautiful statues surrounded the pool, formed in the likeness of mythical creatures and lovely goddesses.

  The room was empty, being that it was so late, and I was grateful for that. Even though this was clearly the women's bath house, I was unaccustomed to taking my rare bath in anything but complete privacy. I even hoped the slave would leave too, but soon realized that would be too good to be true.

  Reluctantly I undressed, leaving my clothes in a pile on the floor, then hurried to step into the water. I pulled my foot back quickly. Too hot, much too hot. I had been thrilled that it wouldn’t be a cold bath, but this water was hot enough to boil me like a pudding. I glanced at the servant, but she gave me no guidance.

  Taking a deep breath, I tried again, this time placing both my feet in the water and grimacing as the pain gripped my toes and ankles. Slowly it dulled and I became less affected by the temperature. Carefully I eased my way further in, wincing a bit but adjusting overall.

  Once I’d gone beyond my chest, I took a labored breath and choked in the steam again, but then my body relaxed, the aches and pains I’d harbored for so long suddenly recognizing the usefulness of the hot water. All of my muscles relaxed and so did my breathing. I was eventually able to dip my head under the water, loosening the dirt from my hair. I scrubbed at my scalp a little and dunked it again.

  When I came back up, the servant was at the edge of the pool, holding out a washcloth and a neatly shaped piece of pink soap. I took them both and proceeded to scrub my skin until it glowed. I rubbed the soap into my hair and rinsed it out, then once again, loving the squeaky feeling it was producing.

  Once I’d finished, the servant had gathered a large piece of linen in her arms, a sort of towel I imagined. I figured it was her signal that I’d done my time in the water and I was acceptably clean. Climbing the steps out of the water, I felt refreshed and drowsy. I took the towel and wrapped it around me.

  Once I’d dried off there were oils to apply to both my body, hands, and scalp, and then I was helped into a long, cream colored nightgown and a pair of tight silk shoes. The woman braided my hair and handed me a delicate shawl. Her silence was eerie, but I knew better than to break it.

  She gestured for me to follow her up the stairs. The castle was so quiet as we headed back, absolutely deserted except for a few stoic guards at various doors where I assumed important people slept.

  When we reached the wing that I was to stay in, the woman brought me to the door of a room, bowed her head and left me. I felt a pang of guilt as she disappeared down the hallway in silence. The poor woman seemed to live as if she barely even existed. I’ll have to get used to it, I thought.

  I knew that every day I spent in this city would provide me with glaring reminders of the injustices the Leidens accepted. Everything and everyone had a place here, and that place was strictly enforced. I looked around nervously, then put a hand to the blue crystal doorknob and pushed it open.

  The room was small, but warm and clean with a high ceiling. The floors gleamed in the bright firelight, the flames reflecting and dancing off the colored glass panes in two large windows. A high bed stood perfectly centered in the room, with no posts. I gasped at the sight of the color of the bedsprea
d. Yatilda blue. I ran over and gripped it between my fingers, stroking it. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt the gentle fibers, and for a moment, I didn’t want to let it go.

  Exhaustion took over me, the fire made me drowsy, and the lavender from my bathwater was lulling me to sleep. I slipped off the new satin slippers that were already blistering my feet in the few places my boots hadn’t calloused, and jumped into the cloudlike bed, pulling the soft cover over my body.

  I sank into the pillows, and it wasn’t until something in the back of my mind crept up on me that I realized my gloves were off. Something was in the room with me.

  I sat up suddenly. I didn’t have to look far; in a split second a burst of orange flew into my face. Foolishly frightened I lunged backward, almost rolling off the bed in the process. The cat seemed equally startled by my reaction and jumped, or rather fell backward in a flailing sort of panic, taking half the covers with it.

  Feeling silly I gathered myself and leaned over the edge to see where the visitor had gone, but only a twitching tail remained visible. I’d done a nice job of taming whoever this was, I thought to myself. How had it gotten in the room anyways? I doubted it would come out again after our first encounter, so I leaned back on my pillows, ready to sleep so that tomorrow and its answers would come quicker.

  Shutting my eyes and pulling my gloves on I leaned into the fine downy pillow and hugged the yatilda covering close to my nose so I could drink in the nostalgic scent.

  Pounce!

  Startled again. The cat had somehow mustered up en-ough courage to claim his territory, scaring himself out of his wits for the second time when his wide yellow eyes perceived me.

  Pulling one glove off I reached out to touch it, hoping I could tame him a bit, but he skirted around my hands skillfully, sat down quickly on my second pillow and curled into a ball. I cautiously rolled over, met with a swish of the tabby’s tail. Even the Leiden’s cats smell nice, I noted.

  Gently, I stroked the cat’s soft coat and elicited a purr from the animal. He relaxed at my touch, but then jumped off the bed once again, as if bored by me. I shrugged and rolled over. As if I care, I told myself. But of course, I cared more than I’d like to admit. His rejection was too much to take, and all I’d really wanted after the long day in this strange place was some sort of friend.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  TALITHA

  BARE FEET PADDED around me. I opened my eyes slowly. Tan hands were pulling back the linen curtains and skillfully fastening them to hooks on the window frame. A few logs were added to the fire, and then, as silently as she had entered, the slave left.

  I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. The cat had returned in the middle of the night, curled up beside me in a deep sleep. I let it be, though I was sorely tempted to tousle its head.

  I stretched, wondering whether or not I should bother to get up. No one had given me any itinerary for the day. I didn’t know if I was allowed to stir from the room, and I wasn’t sure if anyone would come for me so soon. I was about to return to another phase of sleep when the door opened again. This time the slave entered with a tray. She set it down on the smooth cherry wood trunk at the foot of the bed. Delicious smells wafted toward me, quickly changing my mind about sleeping in.

  “Thank you,” I said, but this girl wouldn’t look me in the eye either. As soon as she had put the tray down, she had turned around and left again.

  Planting my feet on the floor I quickly found out that the Leiden’s had been holding back with the breakfast they’d served us, as magnificent as it had seemed. The tray before me was loaded with food; some sweet, some savory, all of it rich and decadent. I devoured it hungrily, almost forgetting my troubles. Just as I was polishing it off, there was a knock at the door. I stood up and walked over to it.

  “It’s me,” Tratis’ voice came from the other side.

  I opened the door and he slipped in. He had clearly been up and awake longer than I had. His Leiden garb was more impressive than I’d remembered in the daylight. His hair was glossy, handsome even, probably the first time I’d seen it clean in my life, but I wasn’t one to talk, considering my own clean hair had been just as long in coming.

  Suddenly, I realized I was still in the long nightgown I’d been given the evening before. Instinctively I pulled the shawl from the edge of my bed and pulled it around me. It had been so long since I’d had clothes that distinguished night from day that I’d almost forgotten the manners associated with them.

  “Sorry to interrupt you during breakfast,” he apologized, realizing it seemed a little awkward in the new place to have called on me so early.

  “That’s all right,” I said quickly. “I’m finished.”

  “I figured you’d probably be eager to know what was in store for you today,” he guessed correctly.

  “What do they want from me? What am I going to be doing?” I blurted out childishly, a far cry from the calm inquiry I had prepared in my head.

  Tratis seemed prepared for my outburst. “Well, you’ll be strengthening your ability for starts,” he explained, seating himself on the trunk at the end of the bed.

  “The Leiden Lanterns are highly educated and well versed in your code, Master Tate especially. He’ll be teaching you a new skill that could help you end the terror of the shazod, defeat them and, with them, Faldir. You’re the only one among us that can sense them, and that gives you a chance to control them with what Tate will teach you.”

  “I can’t control anything,” I stammered, “I can see things, feel things, tame some things, but, the shazod, they aren't gentle at my touch. I have no control over them,” I tried to explain.

  “For the moment, yes,” he soothed, “but there is more to learn.”

  “More to learn?” I echoed in disbelief. My pent-up fears were finally surfacing, my voice rising with them. “My father was a Lantern, and he taught me everything I know. What else is there?”

  Lanterns were not war heroes. They couldn’t stop the forces of evil. They were hunters, watchmen, and farmers. We could calm sick animals, sense danger, defend ourselves against wild creatures perhaps. But the shazod were not bears or cougars. They were more like evil spirits or ghouls, out of my control.

  “You have to trust yourself to Master Tate’s instruction. He knows a lot more about this than you and I do,” Tratis reasoned. “It’s a chance against Faldir,” he added soberly, “Isn’t it worth trying?”

  I tried to steady my hands and take a deep breath.

  “You don’t have to Talitha,” he said slowly. I was surprised to hear him say this. He was my captain. I’d assumed I didn’t have much of a choice.

  “It may be frightening, and difficult,” he added hesitantly. Tratis had always been different from the other captains. He always called me by my first name, like a friend and an equal. His requests never felt like orders.

  “Yes. I will. I want to,” I said firmly, ignoring the pit in my stomach. I knew that any chance against Faldir and his army was an incredible chance that one didn’t toss aside. It’ll be easier than standing around helplessly and doing nothing while we run out of options, I thought to myself.

  Relief spread across his face.

  “You seem to be pretty resilient,” he said, surveying my determined stance. “I have faith you’ll learn to handle these people better than I ever did.”

  I wanted to ask him what he meant, to pepper him with questions about his past, about who he was, but he was quickly moving on.

  “You’ll meet Master Tate today,” he remarked.

  “When?”

  “Whenever they feel it’s the right time,” he shrugged.

  I frowned. “Oh.”

  “It’s the Leiden way,” Tratis explained. “I have to admit it’s stuck with me a little, just ask Gray, I’m always late. Timepieces are for those who aren’t in control of their own lives. I’d rather rule over time than be on time,” he chuckled.

  “Tratis,” I said slowly, “Why didn’t yo
u tell us you were a Leiden?”

  He blinked hard and shrugged, then walked over to the window and unlatched it, peering down.

  “Used to be,” he corrected flippantly.

  “But, the queen, she’s your–”

  “You’ve got a nice view here,” he interrupted me, turning around from the window. “You’re not too high up either; you could probably balcony hop your way down if you ever needed to visit someone at the Turaphelin.” He turned and grinned, “Trust me it’s been utilized before by many an escape artist. One of their architecture flaws. Just be careful, they’ll be mad as hornets if they catch you,” but his mind changed quickly and the boyish grin disappeared. “Actually, you probably shouldn’t… We can’t risk throwing things off politically, delicate as they are. I’m sure you’ve noticed the Ambassador keeps spying on you?”

  “No,” I looked around as if he were in the room.

  “Sorry, not, spying, so much,” he clarified, “but he’s about. He makes his rounds, to my room, then over to the Turaphelin to make sure everyone’s behaving and then back to the hallway near your room, making sure you’re not going anywhere you’re not supposed to. You’ve also got a couple guards outside your door, are you aware?”

  I nodded. I’d sensed them arrive the night before.

  “Oh, and be sure not to talk to the slaves, they’re not allowed to speak to anyone,” he advised. “I’m sure you have more questions, but Tate knows far more than I do. You’ll learn a lot from him. It might feel a little like going to school again,” he paused and tilted his head curiously. “Have you ever been to school?”

  I shook my head. My mem had taught me to read and my da had taught me how to hunt and learn my code. That was the extent of my education except for the physical training that the Sustainers had put me through.

  “Well, Tate will show you what school’s like I suppose,” he trailed off, then suddenly made a disgusted face.

  “Ugh, they gave you a cat. Most favored one,” he scoffed, suddenly realizing the mound of fur on my pillow. “One fun fact about Leidens,” he offered, “is that they believe all newcomers are unclean, and that their spirits attract other undesirable newcomers. Rats that is. So, your new ‘friend’ is there to make sure any ‘vermin’ you might attract meets its end here.”