Shadow Magic

by Joshua Khan

  It would all go in the red ledger. The number of guests and horses, and how much they’d need for food, and what servants they’d be allocated if they hadn’t brought their own. She’d even count out every chest and crate, marking down what each contained and the value of every item. As well as the ledger, Mary carried a heavy ring of keys. There had to be a hundred of various sizes and shapes, and they opened every door in the castle.

  Every door but one.

  Mary ran the household now, and no one thought it strange that a nanny should be in charge of the ancient citadel. After all, few had lived here as long as Mary.

  Oversight of the castle had been Lady Shadow’s responsibility. Lily had watched her work by candlelight making long lists within the red ledger. She’d often asked Lily to sit with her and help, but Lily had found it much too boring.

  All that time she could have spent with her mother was forever lost now, never to be regained.

  In rode the paladins, their horses’ hooves pounding on the old, thick wood of the drawbridge. Each man was tall and handsome, as if sprung fully formed from a maiden’s romantic vision.

  Lily looked out over her own troops, her Black Guard. The men wore hand-me-down armor, faded tabards more brown than black, and there wasn’t a straight spear among the lot of them. She sighed.

  But if the serving girls were swooning over the paladins, Custard was not impressed in the slightest. He was scurrying back and forth along the podium, teeth bared and growling his little growl.

  “Someone take control of that animal,” snapped Mary. “He’s going to get trampled if he’s not careful.”

  Lily bent down and looked sternly at Custard. “Now don’t be a naughty dog. You heard Mary.”

  He leaped into her arms.

  “Give him to a servant,” said Mary.

  Lily hugged her puppy closer.

  Mary glowered, but Lily knew she wouldn’t risk an argument while all the guests were arriving.

  The next rider through Dead Man’s Gate was a plump, round-faced boy, the same age as Lily. Dark-skinned, with long, wavy black hair, he wore a long crimson cloak embroidered with wild images of phoenixes and fiery spirits. Gold and amber-studded rings covered his fingers. Surrounded by the Solars, he looked like a blood drop on the snow.

  “Why’s he shivering?” said Lily. “What’s he scared of?”

  “He’s not scared; he’s cold,” said Mary.

  “Cold? Call this cold? It’s practically summer.” She peered more closely. “Who is he?”

  Uncle Pan frowned. “That’s K’leef. He’s the fourth son of Sultan Djinn.”

  “He’s from the Sultanate of Fire?” Of course. Look at all that red. Now she was really intrigued. The Sultanate was a thousand miles south of here. “What’s he doing in Gehenna?”

  “He’s a hostage. The Solars captured him some months ago. The duke’s keeping him close until a ransom’s been paid for the boy’s safe return.”

  “Poor child,” said Mary. “No wonder he looks so miserable.”

  “Put him in the Eclipse bedchambers,” said Lily. They were the best guest rooms, and she felt sorry for K’leef. He might be a prisoner, but she could make him comfortable while he was here.

  “I’ll prepare them myself,” said Mary.

  “The duke,” whispered Pan.

  The approaching horseman wore armor that didn’t merely shine, but glowed. The breastplate was studded with diamonds fanning out from a silver heart, and sweeping white feathers crowned his helmet. A cloak of glistening silver rested across his shoulders.

  Duke Raphael Solar.

  No color blemished his skin, and his eyes were a pair of silvery mirrors. His mouth was wide, closed, and humorless, and even though Lily knew he was over seventy years old, he seemed like a young man: straight-backed, sure, and arrogant.

  Mary looked around. “Where’s the herald? Give him the signal.”

  Lily nodded to the old man waiting at the end of the podium.

  The herald cleared his throat and bowed deeply. “Lords and ladies, may I present Lady Lilith Shadow, scion of the great House of Darkness. Mistress of Castle Gloom, ruler of Gehenna, guardian of the boundary between the lands of the living and dead. Daughter to Lord Iblis Shadow. Granddaughter to Charon Shadow, known as the Twilight Walker. Child of the first and oldest of all the six Great Houses…”

  “He’s pouring it on a bit thick, isn’t he?” said Uncle Pan.

  Mary spoke. “It’s important to remind our guests of who we are.”

  Good old Mary. Lily smiled as she remembered her family motto: First there was darkness.

  The herald continued. “M’lady Shadow bids you rest and comfort. May your dreams be fulfilled and your nightmares soothed.” He bowed again.

  The courtyard fell silent as Duke Solar dismounted and marched up to the podium. He lowered his head in a polite bow. “M’lady Shadow.”

  Mary nudged Lily, who shook her head, blinking and bewildered. The lord of light was literally dazzling. Lily came to her senses. “Dear Duke, welcome to Castle Gloom. Consider our home…yours.” The words almost stuck in her throat, but she had to say the formal greeting.

  “I was sorry to hear about your misfortune.” He made it sound like she’d lost a doll rather than her family. “Despite our history, I had immense respect for your father. Lord Iblis Shadow was a great man. I hope, one day, you will look on me as your new father.”

  Lily merely smiled. Yes, when I see pigs flying.

  The duke turned to the knight beside him. “May I present my son, Gabriel?”

  Gabriel Solar bowed. Some of her housemaids were giggling behind their hands as they gazed at him.

  A glare from Mary shut them up.

  The minstrels hadn’t been wrong.

  All right, he’s handsome. Even beautiful.

  Gabriel’s white-gold locks were held in place by a silver band, and his eyes were sapphire bright. Diamond earrings hung from his ears, and his armor was encrusted with gems. It wasn’t armor for a knight but for an actor, theatrical instead of practical. He reached for Lily’s hand.

  Custard growled.

  Gabriel backed away. “What a vile beast. I hope he’s not rabid.” Then he remembered himself and gave a courtly bow. “Lady Shadow, I am honored to meet you. I look forward to being your lord and master.” He coughed discreetly into a white silk handkerchief. “I mean…your husband.”

  The Great Hall echoed with laughter, music, the voices of hundreds of guests, and barking dogs. The white outfits of the Solars mixed with the black of the Shadows, creating a moving checkerboard over the vast chamber. The feast was in full flow. Custard, the greedy pup, was wandering from table to table, looking up at the guests with his big imploring eyes until they tossed him a lamb chop or a sausage. All were enjoying themselves.

  Except Lily. She felt like she was at a funeral: hers.

  She sat at the high table at the head of the hall, right in the middle, with Gabriel on her left and Uncle Pan on her right. The suitor wore garments of perfect white, and a bejeweled longsword dangled from his hip. The sword was just like its owner: handsome, but useless.

  “Imagine my relief when I finally saw you,” said Gabriel, smiling at her. “No one would call you truly beautiful. Your eyes are too large and your nose—a lady should have a small, delicate nose—but still, I am pleasantly surprised!”

  Lily smiled even though she was screaming inside.

  Gabriel made a sweeping gesture with his arm. “This will all have to change when I rule Gehenna. Windows, the castle shall have windows. Everywhere. And mirrors. Plenty of mirrors. It’s all rather gloomy.” He snorted. “Did you hear what I just said? Castle Gloom, gloomy? Rather witty, even if I do say so myself.” He laughed loudly.

  “Very witty,” said Pan. “Don’t you think, Lily?”

  “Half-witty,” Lily muttered.

  Gabriel wasn’t finished. He inspected Lily from head to toe and let out a theatrical sigh. “And your outfit�
�I’ve seen better-dressed peasants. I shall have dresses sent from Lumina. I can’t have my bride looking like some farmer’s wife. They’ll be white, of course.”

  “I am House Shadow. Our color is black, as you well know.”

  Gabriel answered with a sly smile. “Ah, but you won’t be a Shadow once we’re married, will you?”

  Lily gripped her fork so tightly her knuckles turned white. Would it be so bad if she stabbed him in the neck?

  Others around the high table—those dressed in white—joined in with Gabriel’s braying. There was a group of white-costumed squires with him, and even though they couldn’t have heard him, they laughed long and hard. Gabriel rose and walked over to them.

  Thank the Six Princes.

  Lily relaxed and lowered her fork. The feast was truly awful, but it had given her a chance to make an important decision.

  “I cannot marry Gabriel.”

  Pan blanched and almost spilled his wine. “Why—why not?”

  “I hate him. In fact, I really don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone quite so much, quite so quickly.”

  “You’ve only just met. Give it time, and I’m sure—”

  “I’ll only hate him even more.”

  “He’s just tired after a long journey.” Pan offered a sickly, desperate smile. “Be patient. Tonight is merely the engagement feast. The actual wedding isn’t until you’re both sixteen, three years from now. By then I’m sure Gabriel will be a sensible young man.”

  Lily faced her uncle. “Cancel the engagement.”

  “And then what?” Pan’s face darkened.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Grow up, Lily.” He shook his head. “I love you like a daughter, but you need to face reality. We are weak. If we don’t go through with this, by next week the duke will have his armies at our gates. Within a fortnight the turrets of Castle Gloom will be covered in white flags, not black. You will lose Gehenna.”

  “Couldn’t we sign a peace treaty instead?”

  “We have. It’s called a marriage contract.” He looked into his wine cup. “This is what your father wanted. He arranged this marriage with the duke, just before he died.”

  The Black Ford Truce. She should have been there when her father and Duke Solar had met along the banks of River Lacrimae, the natural boundary between Gehenna and Lumina. But if she had been present, along with her mother and brother, then she wouldn’t be here now. “The marriage was meant to be between Dante and one of the duke’s daughters. That was the original plan.”

  Pan nodded. “Lady Angela Solar. A beauty and a tender heart. She and Dante would have been a fine match. But it was not fated to be.”

  “It wasn’t fate that killed Dante, Uncle. It was brigands.”

  “And now their heads decorate Lamentation Hill. Tyburn dealt with them.”

  Lily’s gaze hardened. “Tyburn dealt with some of them. There’s still—”

  “The dead are dead, no matter how we might wish it otherwise. It is time we looked to the future, Lily.”

  “So that’s my choice, marriage or war?”

  “The needs of your people come first, Lily,” said Pan. “How can you subject Gehenna to more war, just because of what you do and do not like? I know you’re not that selfish.”

  How far into the past did the hate go? Everyone knew the legend: Prince Shadow and Prince Solar were twins. They should have been the closest of all the Six Princes. Yet one worshipped the dark, and the other the light, and that difference had led to countless wars through the ages.

  The people of Lumina thought the Gehennish were evil for the way they treated their dead, raising them from their endless sleep. Lily knew what it really meant: that the dead were not forgotten—they were still wanted, valued.

  The Gehennish thought the Lumineans were warmongers and land-grabbers who believed that anyone who didn’t follow their way should be destroyed. How many other lands had been crushed by Solar armies, their languages and cultures wiped out?

  There was no point in trying to argue with a Solar. They couldn’t understand why everyone else didn’t want to be just like them.

  “I could defend Gehenna if I’d been allowed to study magic,” she said.

  Pan groaned. This was an old debate. “You know the law as well as anyone. Women cannot study magic. You might as well ask the sun to rise in the west.”

  “There has to be a way,” said Lily, determined not to give up so easily.

  “Don’t you think I’ve tried?” blasted Pan. “If there was another way to become a sorcerer, don’t you think I would have found it?”

  “I’m sorry, Uncle.” She could see the hurt in his eyes. It would be there until the day he died. “Let me marry anyone else. Anyone but Gabriel.”

  “There is no one else.”

  Her corset seemed too tight. She pulled at the bone and cloth entrapping her, breathing deeply to clear the dread swelling inside.

  “Hey, K’leef!” Gabriel shouted from down the table. He waved a sausage in the air. “Close your eyes and open your mouth!” He tossed the sausage at K’leef’s face. It smacked the boy on the cheek.

  Gabriel howled with laughter. “Did you see that? Give me something else!”

  Lily gritted her teeth.

  Gabriel picked up a carrot. “Don’t forget your vegetables!”

  Lily stood up. She wasn’t going to let Gabriel get away with this.

  Pan held her wrist. He looked at her pleadingly. “Please, Lily, sit down.”

  Blood raged in Lily’s head as she watched Gabriel’s cronies join in, tossing food at K’leef. She pulled herself free of her uncle. “Stop it,” she hissed.

  Gabriel piled peas onto his spoon and flicked them.

  “Stop it.”

  Gabriel didn’t hear her. He rolled a lump of bread in his plate until it was dripping with gravy.

  “Stop it!” Lily slammed her fist down.

  The blow burst out like a thunderclap. It reverberated between the stone walls over and over.

  Everyone, noble and servant, Solar and Shadow, fell silent. Even Custard stopped barking.

  All eyes were on Lily.

  Gabriel gazed at her, too. “What did you say?” he asked with quiet menace.

  This is how wars start.

  Lily pushed her lips into a fake smile. “The servants need to clear the table,” she said. “It’s time for dessert.”

  Mary clapped, and the servants leaped into action.

  “Music,” commanded Duke Solar. The orchestra hesitated, then started up again. The murmurs returned and soon the guests were all talking. About her.

  “I’m proud of you,” whispered Uncle Pan. “That could have gone badly.”

  “If he’s like that now, imagine what he’ll be like in three years. In ten.”

  Pan cleared his throat loudly as Duke Solar sat down beside her. “You look unwell, m’dear.”

  “She’s just excited,” said Uncle Pan.

  A servant approached and placed four crystal goblets before them, one each for Lily, Gabriel, the duke, and her uncle. Duke Solar raised his. “Consider these an early wedding gift. I hope we shall be celebrating many toasts for years to come. Of anniversaries. Of children.”

  Lily tried not to vomit.

  “To peace,” said Duke Solar.

  “To peace,” said Lily, and she raised the goblet to her lips.

  “Wait,” said Uncle Pan. “Listen. They’re playing the Danse macabre.”

  The noise of chatter dropped as the orchestra took up the tune. The lute fell to a low, haunting melody, and the drums were steady but soft, the beat of a sleeping heart.

  Lily put down her goblet without taking a sip. She knew this tune better than she knew the sound of her own breath.

  This was House Shadow’s dance. Legend was, the first Lord Shadow had danced it with his wife, a princess he’d rescued from the land of the dead. It was about immortal love, and Lily’s parents had danced to it at their wedding.

 
Oh no. They expect me to dance with Gabriel.

  She looked down the table.

  There he was, smoothing back his hair.

  “Go on,” said Uncle Pan. “Dance with him. Show there’s no bad feeling between you.”

  “I have…er…I have a pain in my leg,” said Lily. She rubbed her knee. “Ow. It really hurts. I need to sit down or it’ll fall off. Honestly.”

  Mary poked her from behind. “Get going, my girl.”

  Gabriel waited. Everyone waited.

  Mary poked her harder. “Get up. Now.”

  Custard sniffed at her plate and grabbed an abandoned lamb chop. He shook it in his jaws, growling.

  “I have to take care of Custard,” Lily replied. She reached for her puppy. “Bad, bad dog.”

  Mary leaned closer so she was whispering in Lily’s ear. “If you don’t stand up this instant, I am going to drag you onto the dance floor by your ear. And don’t think I won’t.”

  Mary wasn’t bluffing. Lily had seen Mary tell off her father in front of a roomful of ambassadors for not eating his greens. Someone had laughed until Mary had stared at them. Her gaze could silence an emperor.

  “All right,” said Lily. “Look, I’m getting up.” She slowly rose, pushing her chair back a few inches. “See?”

  People started clapping to the rhythm. Others beat their mugs against the tables.

  When she reached him, Gabriel smiled. “You look worried. Don’t be. I’ve been taught by the best dancing masters in all of Lumina. They think I’m brilliant. I’ve invented a few special moves myself. Perhaps I’ll teach them to you.”

  Lily glanced back. Both Mary and her uncle were urging her on.

  Gabriel took her hand. “Just do as I tell you, and you’ll be fine.”

  She inhaled sharply and pulled away. “I’m afraid I can’t dance with you. I’ve already promised K’leef.”

  “Wh-what?” stuttered Gabriel.

  Uncle Pan leaped in. He cleared his throat and laughed, awkwardly. “Give us a moment, m’lord.” He pulled her aside. “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t dance with K’leef. Solar will take it as a great insult.”

  “Good.” Lily ripped herself free and swept over to the end of the table, where K’leef sat. “Come on.”