by Nikki Katz
“You can skip to the good part. We can talk logistics in the morning.”
“Only two people came onshore.”
“Admiral Richard?”
She shook her head.
He paused. “Anyone you recognized?”
She shook her head again. “They weren’t dressed in royal colors. One of them was tall and thin. Huge black pupils. I couldn’t see any white in his eyes.”
Ryndel’s henchmen most likely. Kalen gripped the key around his neck. The question was were they after Belrose, or had Ryndel sent them after Kalen and the prince, too? “What happened when they disembarked?”
“A group of Antioegens met them as soon as they stepped on the pier, and asked them to state their business. I couldn’t hear what they said, as they spoke into the wind. They produced a sealed scroll, which the patrol quickly glanced at and returned, and then wished them a pleasant stay.”
“Did they come into town?”
“No, they rowed to the Impérial, but it’s still anchored offshore. I’m sure they’ve slipped back onto land by now. We need to be extra careful.”
Kalen sighed. “Yes. But first sleep.” He threw a couple of blankets on the floor near the door in case Cirrus wandered in at some point, but for now he suffered no guilt in taking the bed.
The moonlight still lit the room after Luna turned down the oil lantern sitting on the night table next to her head. She tugged the blanket to her neck. “Good night, Kalen.”
“Good night.”
* * *
THE INNKEEPER WAS still in the dining hall when Kalen snuck downstairs early the next morning. Cirrus had tripped in as the sun rose and fallen asleep among the blankets. After an hour of listening to his snoring, Kalen knew he wouldn’t fall asleep again and decided to venture to the main floor.
A broom grasped in both hands, Adelaide swept the crumbs and bits of trash dotting the distressed wooden flooring.
She glanced up. “Good morning. What can I get ya?”
“Tea and pastries to take upstairs?”
She bustled off to the kitchen, returning a few moments later carrying a tray laden with ceramic dishes of all sizes—a steaming pitcher, cups and saucers, a container for cream and one for sugar—and several pastries filled with almond paste.
“You did well last evenin’,” she said as he traded her with coins from his pocket.
“Tell me more about the tournament,” he asked.
“Starts seven o’clock sharp at the royal amphitheater. You’ll give ’em your coin, and they will tell you which table. There’s fifty of ya playin’.”
“And the entire town attends?”
“Most folks who isn’t workin’.”
Kalen thanked her and maneuvered his way up the stairs. He shoved open the door with his boot to find Luna braiding her hair into an intricate plait. Her cheeks were red from the icy water she must have used to wash her face.
“That one won’t wake up.” In the time Kalen had been gone, Cirrus had climbed into the bed closest the window and lain on his side, trying to curl into what little sunlight made its way through the dirty glass.
“Rise and shine.” Kalen’s voice boomed purposefully in the small space.
Cirrus groaned and yanked the quilt over his head. “What time is it?” he mumbled.
“Time for your nap to be over. We have a task to accomplish. Seriously, is this what you do at the castle every day?”
Cirrus lowered the quilt and squinted at him. “You haven’t earned the right to question what I do or don’t do with my time.”
“Enjoy your nap then. I plan on finding your sister.”
Cirrus sat up and reached to pull on his boots, only to find them still on his feet. He frowned and then shrugged. Kalen handed him a pastry, and he nodded in thanks. He took a huge bite, and crumbs drifted to the floor.
“Chew with your mouth closed.” Luna looked nauseous. “Didn’t anyone teach you manners?”
“I thought we were going incognito here?”
“Speaking of going…” Kalen leaned against the door. “I’m curious about your ventures last night. But first…” He shared the information he’d obtained about the tournament and how he’d won an entry. Luna revealed everything she’d learned about the Impérial.
“And you?” Luna asked Cirrus. “What do you have to contribute to this journey?”
The prince took another bite, making sure to chew and talk at the same time. “The girls really didn’t have much to say.”
“Oh, were their mouths too busy?” Luna sprang to her feet. “Let’s get out of here.”
“No, their mouths weren’t too busy.” Cirrus held up his hand. “They told me that the fortune-teller at the edge of the marketplace could fill us in on all kinds of information. She’s a token reader.”
“Lead the way.”
* * *
THEY STEPPED OUTSIDE into an overcast morning. The city looked duller as it reflected the gray of the sea and clouded sky.
They reached the shoreline and made their way through the stalls. Luna drew a good amount of attention, even with her hair wrapped in the Antioegen scarf again. Kalen kept watch for the black-eyed man from the Impérial but instead locked eyes with one of the eerie twins from the card game. She was purchasing herbs from a merchant, but her gaze followed them as Kalen urged the trio quickly past.
Farther down the lane, a merchant crooned to Luna. “Polished stones for the silvered jewel?” Kalen paused to glance at the rocks, wondering if anything would have been used for magick or a pendant, but they were mostly opaque, tumbled stones. The merchant followed him for several yards, trying to convince him to buy some for the lady.
A cluster of silk-clad women swept down the aisle, taking up nearly the entire width of the street. Their array of patterns and colors could have been the jewels on a crown, a bit ostentatious for daylight hours. One woman knocked into Luna as she brushed past.
Luna blinked twice and watched as the girls continued along the walkway to stop in front of a booth selling perfumed oils and cosmetics.
Kalen asked if she was okay, but Luna’s attention had already moved to a miniature yellow rabbit hopping around on a table just ahead. The lifelike animal was no bigger than a coin. Kalen suspected magick, until the merchant flipped it over and showed them a windup device located beneath its tail. From under the table, he lifted a basket with a variety of animals. Luna picked out a small songbird and gave the merchant some coins.
“I’m surprised you didn’t just steal one,” Kalen muttered. “You don’t have a lot of coin to waste.”
“It’s a gift for Amya. And don’t worry. It wasn’t my coin.” Luna raised an eyebrow and turned to look in the direction of the woman who had jostled her. A glimpse of fabric appeared at the bottom of Luna’s sleeve and then snaked back up her arm. She’d relieved one of the peacock women of her purse.
Cirrus urged them onward. “This way.” He wound through the crowd, growing in numbers as the morning began edging toward noonday. At the main walkway he turned right and then made another right down the next path. They finally stopped a few stalls away, and Kalen stared at the woman out front. She was dressed in fluttering silks, her hair braided with colorful ribbons. She called to the crowd, “Embrace your future. Renounce the past. Uncover the answers to even the smallest of questions.”
Cirrus waved them toward the token reader’s tent. He ducked inside, and Kalen followed through the slitted fabric.
Luna stood inside the curtain, her eyes flitting around the room from one odd object to the next. Finally, she plopped down on a brightly embroidered silk pillow resting near the exit.
“My name is Genevieve.” The woman looked at each of them in turn. “Do you have an object you’d like me to examine, or would you rather I read your cards?”
“Actually, we had a couple of questions to ask you,” Kalen started. “About magicked items.”
“First, I read cards.” She handed a deck to Cirrus, asking him to
make several cuts before nudging them together in a single pile. Genevieve spread the cards on the low table sitting between her and Cirrus. She reached out her hand and seemed to debate between two cards lying side by side. Finally, she chose one and turned it faceup. She selected another two and turned them up as well. After a moment of brief evaluation, she gathered the remaining cards and piled them at her side.
“The queen of suns.” She pointed to the first card, which showed a queen resting on a chaise longue, her hand lifted high as her palm cupped a sun. “In this first position, this card speaks to your history. The queen is offering you clarity in the form of energy and heat. You have recently discovered something new, but, like the sunrise each day, it’s always been there, hovering off the horizon.”
That certainly sounded familiar. Kalen wondered what exactly the sorcier could see.
“The three of daggers.” Genevieve pointed at the second card. It showed three men in a circle, with daggers thrust upward to meet in the middle. “In this second position, the card speaks to where you are today, at this moment. The daggers are a volatile suit, but the three is one that speaks to harmony and a unity of opposites. A compromise of sorts.”
That was vague enough. Kalen tuned her out and turned his attention to the objects in the room. A painting sat propped against the tent wall, its gilded-frame corners causing dents in the fabric. A lidded vase rested on a small shelf stretching across the back wall. And next to it was a small chest.
An ornate chest.
A small, ornate chest that looked distinctly like the one they’d seen on the island.
CHAPTER
12
“The last card is your path forward. The eight of roses,” Genevieve continued.
“Thank y—” Cirrus started to say, but Kalen was done with the cards.
“Excuse me. Where did you get that?” Kalen pointed to the chest.
“It was given in payment for a favor,” Genevieve said as she lifted the three cards and placed them on top of the deck. She separated the deck into two piles and then shuffled the cards together.
“Can you tell us more about it?” Kalen asked. “Where did it come from?”
“I’m afraid that will require additional coin.”
Cirrus handed over several more.
“Let me see where it has been.” She held the chest in her open palms and appeared lost in thought. “I’m seeing a mountain range and a cliff-top city. Servaille, I believe. Hot springs. A monastery. A vast library and catacombs. A crystal held in a monk’s hands. Sadness. Fear. Loss of control. Travel. Given away quickly.”
“To whom?” Kalen asked.
“That I can’t tell you.”
“Do you know when the crystal was removed?” Kalen asked.
She shook her head. “I’ve told you the story the chest has to tell.”
“Have you heard of any magicked items in Antioege?”
“There have been stories of objects, but I have yet to see any in action or in person.”
Luna leaned in. “What about the monk? Where did he disappear to?”
Genevieve’s shoulders lifted in a nonresponse.
“She’s not as helpful as was promised,” Luna muttered to Cirrus and stood. “I’ll figure it out another way then.”
Cirrus joined her. “Thank you for your time and the reading.” He nudged the other two toward the exit. They stepped out of the tent into the glaring noon of the city as light reflected off all the glass buildings. The prince and Luna joined Kalen on either side, and they walked away from the tent toward the city center.
“Servaille, huh?” Luna said. “Is that our next stop?”
“I have the tournament tonight. Let’s see what we can figure out before then, or while we’re there. I’d like more information before trekking into the mountains.” Kalen didn’t mind the cold, but the route would take days, even on horseback.
“I’ll see if I can get more information on the monk. I’m sure he’s the one who gave Genevieve the chest. Perhaps he’s still in the city.” Luna raised her hood against the sunlight. “I’ll meet you back at the inn shortly.”
Kalen knew when he saw her again she’d have answers.
Back at the inn, Cirrus was hungry yet again, so they stopped in the mostly empty dining hall. Cirrus ordered the fish of the day, and Kalen asked for tea. Kalen leaned back in his chair to get a better line of sight to the door, in case the black-eyed man appeared.
“Been having nightmares?” Kalen cracked his knuckles through his gloves.
“What? No. Do you mean why I stayed out last night? I just didn’t feel like encroaching on you two and your alone time.”
Kalen snorted. “You know there’s nothing between Luna and me.”
Cirrus smirked over the rim of his cup as he took a sip. “You want me to believe you were never interested?”
“Believe me, we make a much better team when we’re not distracted by any romantic misgivings.” They had kissed only once. Kalen still remembered how awkward it had been. Luna had pushed him up against the outer wall of the Milked Goat and grabbed his shoulders. On tiptoe, she smashed her mouth into his. It was a chaotic meeting of teeth and tongue and frantic hands that resulted in … well, nothing. They’d both agreed to forget it had ever happened.
“So, she’s free then?”
Kalen almost fell out of his chair. “Free? Yes. Good luck with that, though!”
Cirrus’s food arrived, and he speared a bite of the flaky fish. He exaggerated his ability to keep his mouth closed as he chewed. “You don’t think I could win her over?”
“She hates you.”
“No, she hates the idea of me. I’m royalty, but I’ll get her to like me—just you watch.”
Kalen shook his head.
“I’ll even make a wager.” Cirrus leaned over.
“For what?”
Cirrus held out a hand. “Your flickerfly ring.”
Now that was a dagger to the throat. One of his most valuable possessions, even though he never wore it. The ring was a constant source of light in the darkness. He could see why Cirrus would want it.
“Your jeweled short sword.” Kalen didn’t want it, but he knew Cirrus would have difficulty parting with the ostentatious piece.
“Deal.”
Before Kalen returned to the topic of Cirrus’s sleep habits, a voice spoke behind him.
“What are you two betting on?” Out of seemingly nowhere, Luna appeared, this time with a boy at her side. He looked about ten years old with black hair cut close to his scalp. Dark brown eyes contrasted with his pale skin. He appeared to be a stranger to the sunlight.
“He’s a little young to be a monk,” Cirrus was quick to point out.
“This is Robert.” Luna put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Kalen wasn’t sure if it was meant to reassure the kid or to keep him from bolting. “He’s a ward of the local clergy.”
Kalen took in his plain brown clothes and gaunt frame and guessed him to be an orphan. The boy scooted into the chair next to Cirrus and waved his hand for Luna and Robert to take the open seats. “Sit and eat.” He called Adelaide over and asked for bread and fruit.
As soon as the tray appeared, Robert dunked a chunk of bread in oil and herbs and stuck it in his mouth. He didn’t even swallow before grabbing another piece.
“He had some interesting things to say about one of the monks who came down from Servaille,” Luna said. “Robert, why don’t you tell my friends what happened?”
Robert’s wide eyes flitted from one of them to the next. “It was maybe six months ago. He came into town seeking refuge. The clerics allowed him in, but soon regretted it.”
“Why?” Cirrus asked.
“He acted crazy. Hair half-yanked out of his head on one side, like he’d been grabbing fistfuls on his entire journey. Said he heard a girl singing in the catacombs, and she made him fall in love with her.”
Kalen and Cirrus glanced at one another. Cirrus took a last bite of vegetables
and pushed his plate to the side. The boy eyed the remaining fish, and Cirrus nodded for him to eat it.
“Thank you,” Robert said over a mouthful as he took a massive bite.
“You look like you need it.” Cirrus leaned back and crossed his arms. “About the girl…”
“He called her an angel or a devil, depending on his mood as he described her. This went on for weeks. The clerics tried to give him herbs to calm him, but he wouldn’t take them. They finally requested that he leave—he was too disruptive.”
“What is his name?” Kalen asked.
“Brother Gabriel.” Robert paused and swallowed. “Now just Gabriel.”
“Is he still in town?”
Robert nodded. “He barricades himself in his house. Boards up all the windows. Deliveries are given through a series of doors so nobody can get near him. He only comes out to play cards as a way to pay his bills. Once every three weeks, except he’s making an exception to play in the tournament tonight.”
“Tournament?” Kalen lifted his eyebrows at Luna. “What does this monk look like?”
“Patchy blond hair. Not very tall. Still dresses in his robes.”
“Perfect. Thank you for all your help.” It was nice for once to have a responsive subject to interrogate. He tossed Robert several coins and stood. “If you’re ever in trouble, find Captain Belrose and tell him it’s a favor for the Questioner.”
Robert stared at them wide-eyed.
“And feel free to finish the food.”
The boy gripped his fork tight and shoveled several bites in his mouth, as if expecting Kalen to rescind his offer.
* * *
THE WATER GLINTED gold in the late afternoon sun, and the air felt heavy on the back of Kalen’s neck. They stood on a walkway across from town hall, staring at the royal amphitheater. Massive and made entirely of glass, but for the occasional support beam keeping it upright. Even the floor was glass. The tiles were inlaid with flickerflies, so the large room was lit from below. The frantic movement of the insects kept the pale blue glow steady.