Splinter (Trapped Souls Book 1)

by Ricki Delaine

  Maybe he was right. Maybe he didn’t need the healer.

  “Ria,” he said, “You did a fine job healing me, I have no need for any other.”

  Still disbelieving, but unable to prove him wrong, she nodded, feeling her cheeks heat. “Oh,” she said, the frown still settled between her eyes. “I guess. If you really don’t need to go, it will save a day.” Smiling hesitantly, she stepped away from him. More space between them made it easier to breathe. She really didn’t know how to deal with the feelings he brought up in her.

  Picking up her mother’s bag, she settled it across her shoulders. “Well, at least the Guard won’t expect us to come from this direction. If we’re lucky, they have given up on the search.”

  “I doubt that.” Mako’s voice was sour, but at least he didn’t say anything else.

  Ria stepped back to her horse, dreading the attempt to mount the huge animal. Her body was still sore from the prior days’ ride. She started to reach up, but found the Protector’s interlaced fingers there for her to step into. Taking a breath, she smiled her thanks. It was still awkward, gaining her seat, but it was the least difficult mount she’d had since the whole sorry start of this adventure.

  The white-haired child had been watching the preparations avidly, sitting on a low-lying branch of a tree at the edge of the camp. Theron walked over, tilting his head back to speak with him. Or to him, as the case may be. The child didn’t say anything in response, simply tilting his head at the dark-haired man, eyes unblinking as he listened. She couldn’t hear what the Protector was saying, but she heard the query in the last few words. Then, it sounded like he repeated the question. Finally, the boy’s hair bobbed as he nodded.

  The Protector turned back then, eyebrows drawn down skeptically. He walked over to Ash and climbed into the saddle. “The boy will take us back, but when we near the palace, I’ll go on alone.” She looked at Mako, already mounted and ready to go. He didn’t seem to like what he’d heard, but made no comment. Two days was a long time. She was certain Theron would see reason before they got back.

  ˜ ˜ ˜

  Lynea had no idea what time it was, nor even quite how long she had been in the elegantly appointed and stifling rooms. She only knew that it had been horrible. The air did not move or circulate in the small space. Often, she felt there was not even enough to breathe.

  Some sense told her it was late in the evening and the sky was dark, though she could easily be wrong. She had no point of reference, with no windows. And for the last several meals, she had been refusing her food, so had no way to count time by the meals they gave her. It was not a matter of rebellion; she just couldn’t bring herself to eat. Having food spoil on a plate beside her sleeping mat was wasteful.

  “You have grown beautiful.”

  The comment had come on a voice deep, rich and smooth. It was a voice that was ageless, in its way. If she were not so very tired, it might have disturbed her. She opened her eyes and sat up.

  When she realized who it was, she dropped to her knees, kneeling and bowing her head to touch the floor in front of her. “My Emperor.” She took a breath, trying to calm the sudden heavy beating of her heart. It did not matter that they were to be married. It was dangerous to gaze directly at the Emperor without permission.

  “My lady, you may rise. Greet your future husband.”

  Her heart stuttered at the words, but she did as he instructed. She tried to hide her shock at what she saw, but must not have done well, because one side of his mouth lifted. “My Lord Emperor,” she murmured, her eyes moving around the room. As was customary, she did not meet his eyes. Even so, she was highly uncomfortable. Her attendant had been absent since she had been brought to these rooms, and he lacked even a single escort.

  In all the time she’d been betrothed, he had never come to see her. Except for the night Theron disappeared. He hadn’t been alone then. She still had no idea what had happened to her Protector after she’d been taken from the rooms, but it was obvious the Emperor had been furious. Seeing him now brought a roiling unease to her middle, that made her thankful that she had not eaten recently. He was silent for a few minutes, long enough for her to begin to doubt she was doing as he wished.

  She had heard whispers of what happened to those who displeased him. The unease in her stomach turned to a stone. He was imposing, taller than most, with broad shoulders and the thin cloth sleeves of his kimono revealed heavily muscled arms, so it was more than just height. In fact, he seemed too large in the room. His hair was loose and his clothing was far too informal for such a visit. Her heart, already beating painfully quick, sped up.

  How she wished for Theron, standing respectfully beside her, watching over her. “How may I serve you?” It was proper that she ask, but it frightened her to think of what his answer would be.

  “Look at me.” With a shiver, she raised her eyes to his.

  “Ah. Yes, you are as I knew you would be.” He lifted a hand to brush a few strands of hair back from her face. “A vision.” The heat of his fingers felt like a brand on her face, but his eyes were cold and almost inhuman when he spoke.

  When she was brought here, she only feared what had prompted such a drastic measure. And what would happen to her Protector. She did not wonder at her own fate, because she would be Empress. Elegant, knowledgeable, wise. A person in whom the Emperor could entrust anything.

  Nearly twelve years old when she was chosen, she had been groomed for this role for six and a half years. Taught near and far and always kept protected. It didn’t trouble her that she spent no time with him, her wedding day would come. She would be ready and then have the rest of her life to be with him. In all of that time, her conviction had never wavered.

  Until tonight, when he turned a cold gaze on her and called her beautiful. Was there love in the heart of the Emperor?

  “Your eyes,” he said. “They remind me of someone I once knew.” Lynea didn’t know how to respond. She knew the color of her eyes was rare. So much so that she was the only person in the province with them. Who was he talking about? Under her fear, Lynea felt a twinge of jealousy that she did not understand.

  He was quiet again, but it was not a peaceful or comfortable quiet. Underneath it, there was the subtle pressure of something left unsaid. Finally, he asked, “Have you been treated well?”

  “Yes, I – yes, my lord.”

  “I was told this evening that you have not been eating.”

  Ah, so here was the reason for the visit. Carefully, she said, “I am so excited over our upcoming wedding, my Emperor. I fear it has affected my appetite.”

  He made a sound, an acknowledgment. “I see you have some writing paper.”

  “… Yes, your Majesty.”

  “I would see what you’ve written.”

  “I have not written anything, my lord.” She watched him step around her, the edge of his kimono brushing against her arm. She turned slightly, watching as he ran his fingers over the blank pages on the small writing table, his eyes tracking their movement over the vellum. Shaking himself from whatever mood he was in, he raised his eyes again.

  Seeming bored now, he took a deep breath and let it out again. “Do you know where he went?”

  “I’m sorry, my Emperor?”

  “Where did he go, the Mamoru? The night you were removed from his protection?”

  “I – I’m sorry, my Emperor, I do not know.”

  “You do not.” His expression was so flat. As if everything she said, meant nothing to him. Or meant too much.

  “No, my Lord Emperor.” Lynea’s heart was beating so hard, she could hear it pounding in her ears. “I can only tell you, after we returned to the palace that day, I returned to my rooms.” She tried to keep the tremor from her voice as she continued. “I did not know he had left the grounds.”

  He made a sound that he understood and said, “I see.” Then he said, seemingly at random, “He holds the title of Mamoru, but none of the power.” One side of his mouth curved back in
a sneer. “That is the Gods’ will. Only the house of Isao can have that power.”

  Lynea took this in silently. She did not know what he spoke of, was Theron in some way hampered in his position? He had never said so, though she often felt he pushed himself too hard, trained too often. Did he lack something?

  But the Emperor was still talking. “Of course, I recognized him right away, my old friend. As soon as Kino brought him to me, I could see it was him,” he chuckled. “So ironic that he can’t touch that power.” Lynea felt the needle of anxiety thread its way into her heart. The Emperor sounded like a madman.

  He seemed to remember her then. He bent down, leaning in close, his presence oppressive. A few strands of his hair brushed against her face, as he said, “Do you love him?”

  Her lips opened, surprise coloring her face. “I … no, my lord Emperor. “

  Tilting his head to one side, his eyes caught hers. They were expressionless. There was no anger there, nor anything else. It was the most chilling thing she had ever seen.

  “You lie,” he breathed. “For that, I will kill him.”

  ˜ ˜ ˜

  The leaves rustled above four travelers, the dappled sunlight providing welcome relief to the deep shadows of the forest.

  “Are you guys hungry?” Mako asked.

  “We just ate,” Ria said.

  “We did not.” The former guard looked up at the sky. “We ate at dawn. It’s near midday. Who watched over everyone for nearly the whole night? Me, that’s who. I haven’t slept and now you would have me starve.”

  “Oh Goddess, we will never get there if we stop to eat every hour.” The girl rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to continue, but was interrupted by a grumbling loud enough to be heard over the horses’ footsteps. She looked down at her stomach with a scowl. Mako burst into laughter and Ria looked away, mostly so the guard wouldn’t see the corners of her mouth turn up.

  Ahead of them, the small form of their guide flitted through the greenery, unnaturally quick for child or adult. But they were so accustomed to it by now that the travelers didn’t take note of it except to be sure he didn’t pull too far ahead of them.

  Ria looked over to where the Protector rode, quiet and lost in thought. He did look much better than the day before. His pallor had eased and though he still moved stiffly, he did not appear to be on death’s door any longer. Or truthfully, in any real pain.

  When she’d offered to help him change the dressings earlier, he brushed her off with a frown. Foolish, Ria thought then and still thought. If he didn’t change them, infection could set in, and if he didn’t rest and let himself heal, he would only need to turn or move the wrong way, to set them bleeding again. But that was his decision, not hers. Nudging her horse closer to his, she shook off her musings and said, “How about you, my lord? Are you hungry?”

  “I asked you not to call me that.”

  Exasperated, she said, “Mamoru, then.” He didn’t seem to find much pleasure in that name either, frowning when she said it. She felt her light mood evaporating.

  “Since we are traveling together, it would be nice if I could at least have something to call you by. It would also be nice to be able to talk to you without being corrected like a child,” she snapped.

  Theron felt guilt twinge. She had saved his life, had obviously done something to protect him when he was senseless, after that confused battle outside the tunnel below the palace. He sighed, running a hand over his face and trying to push back the chaos that was consuming his every thought. “I would consider it a favor if you called me Theron,” he held up a hand to stop her protest. She snapped her mouth shut with a little frown. “Except when it makes you uncomfortable.” He watched her eyes narrow while she thought about that and couldn’t help half-smiling. That pensive, unsure expression made her seem younger. He wondered how old she actually was, before he finished, “Just, please, not ‘lord’.”

  “But aren’t you? A lord?”

  His eyes darkened for a moment, but then he huffed a laugh, giving a small shake of his head. “No. Far from it.”

  The girl looked doubtful about that, but apparently decided not to pursue it. “All right. I guess I can manage that.” He smiled again. He could sense the eyes of the former guard on them, listening to the exchange. No matter. Being called a lord had been grating to his ears from the first moment and he felt dishonest when someone used it in reference to him.

  They rode in silence for a few minutes. Unable to stop himself, he went back again to those final moments on the palace grounds, trying to puzzle out what had happened. He remembered the guards, fighting. The break for Eiji Forest. He thought he remembered a flare of distrust, hard questions. The rest was swirling blackness. He should just ask. It was alarming to have this blank space in his memory. And he should say something about everything this odd girl had done for him, but he couldn’t get the words past the worry weighing on his mind.

  What he said was entirely different. “I don’t know the terrain here. I only know what I’ve heard. That it’s dangerous.” His lips thinned. “I don’t like that I’ve had to put my trust in this child.”

  Ria made a noise of disagreement, but he heard uncertainty in her response. “He’s trustworthy. He’s kept us on untraveled paths. We haven’t seen any sign of pursuit.”

  “I’m not sure he can even understand us. I asked him to return us to the palace by the quickest route.” Theron looked up at the sky. “By the sun and what I know of where we are, it would be quicker if we headed more to the South.”

  “Maybe this is the safest way to go. Yesterday I’m certain he was taking us to a healer for you. He understood. I know he did.”

  He shook his head. “How could you know that?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t.” Looking around, she said, “Not really. But either he’s chosen paths that kept us safe, or they aren’t following us.” Her eyebrows went up in the center, clearly showing her disbelief. “That seems unlikely, though. Men came to the village in search of you. Us.”

  “What?”

  She nodded. “We had you in the woods with the horses. I went to grab some supplies. In the end, I had to climb out my rear window to avoid being seen.”

  The Protector’s face clouded with worry, and Ria knew why. Master Kino, his mentor, lived in that village. Master Kino had worked at the palace. Ria wondered if he was in danger. She wondered if the Emperor’s men had questioned him.

  The Protector muttered something under his breath that Ria didn’t quite catch. Thinking about the guards in the village only brought back those horrible moments in the palace. Mouth turning down, Ria said, “Mamoru. Why is all of this happening?”

  Theron frowned. “It’s better you don’t know.”

  “But the guards were attacking you,” and she chewed on her bottom lip a moment before continuing, “Why would they do that?” Her eyes flicked to their bulky companion, riding ahead of them. She lowered her voice, asking, “What put you at odds with Mako?”

  Tightly, he responded, “Did I not ask you to stay out of this? I can’t answer that.” But Ria saw the look in his eyes when he glanced at the former guard. If she had to guess, he felt guilty for tying Mako up, but that didn’t answer why he’d done it. She remembered the scene in the palace before those men grabbed her, before the Protector come back to free her. Guards, bunched around the entrance to that room, but their uniforms were different from the others on the grounds. They must have been special somehow, and it wasn’t much of a leap to guess they were the Emperor’s personal guards.

  Maybe this was not just about protecting the lady. Was Theron trying to protect the lady from the Emperor?

  She was pulled from that frightening train of thought when Theron muttered, “We’re wasting time, there must be a quicker route.”

  Mako had been silent, traveling at the front of the group. Now he spoke up. “If you asked the boy to return us to the village, he didn’t understand. You are correct, Mamoru.” He jerked his chin towar
ds the right of their path. “We would need to head in that direction.”

  Ria shook her head, pushing thoughts of the Emperor away. She came to the boy’s defense, saying, “I think he understands more than you think and,” she shrugged. “I think he’s been sent by someone.”

  Theron had forgotten; Kitsune had promised him guidance. Had promised it for the day after his visit to her, but he had been injured and unconscious. “When did the boy appear?”

  Ria’s lips pursed, then she said, “The morning after our escape. Mako and I were talking about where we should go and he just was there. On the path.”

  The rustle of branches made Theron look up again, the boy had jumped from one tree to the next. He stopped there a moment, his gaze sweeping over the group following him. Theron saw him gather himself and push off, jumping easily to the next branch. Only someone so small could manage such a feat in the dense foliage.

  He vaguely heard Ria continue, “I think he’s here to keep an eye on you.”

  Theron almost laughed at the thought that he needed protecting, from a child, no less. If he hadn’t spent the last few days in a near constant state of injury or unconsciousness, he would have. He looked at the young woman next to him.

  If he was not able to get Ria out of the palace without help, how could he do so for Lynea? Just another reminder that he didn’t deserve the title of Mamoru.

  He and Ria had slowed while they were talking. The gap between them and the others was widening. Their guide had noticed. He stopped and turned, darting back toward the Protector and the girl. The horses didn’t spook, but they tossed their heads as he ran by. Doesn’t he know to take care around horses?

  Before he could blink, the boy was standing next to him, one hand on the stirrup, the other tugging at the sleeve of his shirt, looking up earnestly at him. In reaching up to do so, the boy had to stretch to his tallest, up to the tips of his toes, the soft collar of his linen shirt widening to reveal a distinctive woven cord laying across the boy’s collarbone. Leaning over, Theron hooked a finger under it, tugging it free of his shirt. By the time the blue pendant slid free, Theron knew to expect it. This confirmed it. This child had been sent by Kitsune. The guide she had promised him.