“Yes. She said you might hurt yourself opening the door,” the one added.
After promising to come back later, they took off. I stared after them. Hurt myself opening the door? Which one? Surely, not the trap door. Between her and Storm, I was never going to catch a break.
I got some water from the barrel, ate some of the bread from breakfast, and went to strip the bed. The mattress was clean and firm, but the beddings and pillows were dusty. Last to go was the green and yellow canopy around the bed. It was heavy. I dragged it outside. It looked like I was going to mop the living room floor and clean the furniture when I was done. The dust was everywhere.
I got the broom from where Delia had told me she kept it and was surprised to see a modern-looking wooden dustpan, a mop, and a brush for scrubbing. I had everything I needed. Delia returned just after I finished creating a nice pile of dirt and pieces of wood.
She chuckled. “You look like you’ve been dragged up and down the chimney.” She peered inside the room and surprise flickered across her face. “That was fast. I told you not to overdo it.”
“I thought you were trying to keep me busy.”
She chuckled. “Did the boys stop by to help?”
“Yes. They promised to come back after lunch.”
She grabbed the dustpan, scooped the dirt, and dumped it in the fireplace. “A girl from the kitchen will bring you some food.”
“No, I’ll eat leftover oatmeal.”
“You’ll have to adapt to eating our food without washing the sauce off the meat. You’re not fooling anyone, you know.”
I had no intention of adapting to anything.
She glanced at my hair and sighed. “I supposed it’s too late to give you a scarf.”
I was sure my hair looked like raw material for a bird’s nest, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get done so I could find the stallion and head south. There had to be a way to reach the port, and I had to do it before Storm returned.
“I’ll wash it when I’m done,” I said.
“If I had time, I’d take you to the waterfall by Moria’s lake for a nice cool swim. It has trees, so it offers privacy. Most villagers don’t like going there, so if you ever want to be alone, you should go there.”
A swim would have been amazing. I missed the lake back at home. “Is that the one south of the island?”
“Yes.”
Perfect. Now to play it cool. “I’ll see if I can go after I finish with the room.”
“Good. Finish here and then take a break. If you need anything, ask Maximus or Glyn to find me. For the floor, use this lye soap.” She went to the shelf above the one with plates and removed a tin can. Inside it was a cream-colored soap. She added a small bottle with brown liquid. “Add a few drops of this. It will make the room smell nice. Fresh beddings are in the trunk.”
A surge of homesickness and self-pity blindsided me as she walked away. First I was dumped on the island by Storm while he went his merry pillaging and plundering way, and now Delia was leaving me, too.
Refusing to get distracted by self-pity, I went back to work, scrubbing with the brush and following through with the mop. The boys didn’t return and neither did Delia. By the time I finished, my arms were killing me, but the room was spotless. Feeling accomplished, I went outside to see what I could salvage for the room.
The broken furniture was gone and someone had cleaned the surfaces of the trunks. Even the pillows were no longer dusty, the covers removed and shaken.
I looked up and down the hallway, but the boys were nowhere to be seen. I opened the trunk and found wool blankets, clean pillow covers, and a blue tapestry with purple flowers that matched the bed canopy. I didn’t bother with the canopy. The damn thing weighed a ton anyway, and there was just so much my arms could take. Removing the last one had been a nightmare.
I studied the etchings on the poles around the bed. Unlike the ones on the bed in the tower, this one showed Mermaids and water nymphs dancing and playing musical instruments.
I made the bed and tried to drag one of the chests back inside, but I gave up and was contemplating just leaving them there when the two boys returned.
“Which one of you is Maximus?”
“Max,” Curly corrected me and pointed at his chest. I glanced at the other one.
“And you are Glyn?”
Blondie nodded.
“Okay, Max and Glyn. Thanks for helping today and cleaning the chests. Let’s finish this, and I promise to make you a surprise treat, uh, some day.”
“Like what?” they asked in unison.
“If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise.” Their faces fell. “But it will be worth the wait.” They grinned. Too bad I would not be around to make them anything.
They were very enthusiastic hauling the chests inside. The tapestries went over the trunks instead of the wall. The boys sniffed the air and grinned.
“Smells nice, doesn’t it? All it needs is a table, and it’ll be perfect,” I said.
“You also need a canopy over the bed, curtains on the window, and a place for your clothes,” Max said.
“And pretty clothes to go with your eyes,” Glyn said.
Wasn’t he the charmer? “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“It’s ugly,” he said, and Max chuckled.
Pirate kids. “Out. You’ve outstayed your welcome.”
“What about our surprise?” they asked.
“I said some day. That means it could be next week, or next year.” They groaned. A girl from the kitchen walked in with lunch, and I saw the contents of the tray—more bread and meat. And the nasty sauce was back. “No, I’ve changed my mind. You stay and eat with me.”
“But Gráinne has food for us in the kitchen,” they whined.
“And I hate eating alone.” I faked a pout, and they fell for it. I stuck with the bread and let them have the meat, which they ate with enthusiasm.
I grilled them about their families. Max was the youngest of three. His father and older brother were sailors on one of the ships, while his sister made jewelry with his mother. Glyn’s father was a master sword smith while his mother worked in the Hall’s kitchen with Gráinne. They planned to be captains some day.
“We’ll sail the seven seas,” Max said.
“And destroy Prince Tullius’s royal guards like the fearless six,” Glyn added.
“Ever met this Prince Tullius?” I asked, and they shook their heads, fear entering their eyes. Tullius was definitely their boogeyman.
“I have,” I said.
“You have?” they asked in unison, awe in their voices.
“Oh yes. He has a cold, mean voice. He came into my room while I was sleeping and tried to kidnap me.” Their eyes widened. “I was scared and wanted to scream for help, but—”
“Storm rescued you,” Glyn said, and Max nodded. It was obvious who their hero was.
“No, he didn’t. I rescued myself.” Disbelief entered their eyes. “I did. Girls don’t need guys to rescue them.”
“We know that,” Max said. “Nerissa can beat any royal guard.”
“So can Kai,” Glyn whispered, and they both sighed, dopey expressions on their faces. Their reaction aroused my curiosity.
“Is Kai the shieldmaidens’ instructor?”
“She’s tough and as mean as the Undine Court,” Max explained.
“But all her maidens sail the seven seas with the men because she only trains the best,” Glyn added.
Max grinned. “If you are weak, she kicks you off her team and makes you walk the plank.”
Glyn glared at Max. “No, she doesn’t.”
“She does, too,” Max insisted. “But no one minds because she’s so beautiful.”
Now I really wanted to meet Kai.
“Did you really rescue yourself?” Glyn asked.
“Oh yes. It was dark, but there he was, looming over me, his glowing moon eyes dead of all feelings except hatred and his mouth distorted in rage. He bared his teeth l
ike a feral animal and crept closer and closer,” I added in a low, creepy voice and leaned closer to them. “A foul stench followed him. I started to gag, but I couldn’t afford to look away. I knew I had to get him before he got me.” The boys’ eyes were like saucers. “His hands stretched toward me, his nails sharp and crooked. Then—” I hit the bowl with the spoon and the boys jumped and squealed. It took all my effort not to grin. Sienna used to love it when I read her scary books.
“What happened?” Glyn asked.
I stood and stretched. “I’ll have to finish the story tomorrow. Right now, I have work to do.”
“Aw,” they whined.
“Did you really fight him?” Max asked.
“Yes, did you? Tuh’rens are not as tough as our girls,” Glyn added, and Max nodded.
I narrowed my eyes at them. “Hey. We’re just as tough as Muh’rens.” The scene on the deck of Storm’s ship flashed in my head. Nerissa had been unstoppable. Even with the right training, I doubted I could ever fight like her or Kai. “Now move it. Tomorrow, tell me what you think I did to Tullius the Coward. Remember, it was dark and I have no training like your shieldmaidens. I want to see who can guess what I did.”
The second they left, my focus shifted to the living room and the trap door under the rug. I swept the room and tried to fix the mess I’d made trekking through it. The place was really cramped and kind of dusty. Maybe the ashes from the fireplace were adding to it.
I checked outside to make sure I was alone before rolling the rug out of the way. I studied the edges of the door to see if it had been sealed. Too much grime had settled along the edges, so it fit snugly. I got one of the knives from the kitchen and removed some of the gunk, then grabbed the ring and tugged.
Stupid door. Not even a budge. And my hands hurt. I’d already abused them scrubbing Nerissa’s old bedroom, and I had red blisters. When I heard voices outside the door, I went to check, but it wasn’t Delia. Two men disappeared down the hallway.
I barely finished pushing the table and the sofa back when a knock came to the door.
“Your bath is ready upstairs,” Max said.
“Gráinne said you’d need it.” Glyn looked me up and down, and nodded.
Gráinne, the elder with a heavy hand and mistress of a nasty sauce, had to be clairvoyant because nothing ever escaped her. This time I forgave her.
“Do you guys like adventure?”
The boys nodded.
“There’s a trap door in here. Do you know where it leads?”
They looked at each other and nodded.
“Where?”
“It leads to an underground maze and hiding places,” Max said. “Storm and the others created it so we can hide there if Tullius ever attacks.”
Damn! Just when I thought I had an answer to my dilemma.
“But if you know your way, you can make it to Port Vaarda,” Glyn added, and I perked up.
“Do you guys know your way?” I asked.
They shook their heads.
“It has so many tunnels and dead ends. No one can make it, except the elders and the captains,” Max said.
“And no one can open the trap doors either, except the elders and the captains,” Glyn added.
Deflated, I let them go and headed upstairs. I was never escaping this cursed island at this rate. Every step I took, I was knocked backward two steps. It was as though fate wanted me here.
Upstairs, I sighed blissfully as I sunk into the hot water. Every muscle welcomed the warmth. Tomorrow, my entire body was going to hurt. My hands were already in a sorry state. I went under the water and let it soothe my sore body.
Once I changed, I stood at the window and searched for the black stallion among the mares carrying kids along the canal and the pier. I’d never seen horses behave like these. Quite a number lay down along the bank or jumped into the canal to play with the seals and the kids.
Sienna’s horse trainer had said to never swim with a horse because they could kick you. I guessed the horses here were smarter than most. Storm had said life here was idyllic, and it was… for his people.
Me? I wanted to find my way to the northern part of the island and the port so I could disappear before he returned. That meant knowing where I was headed, which also meant knowing my way in and out of the castle.
I walked along the hallway, circling the first floor of the Great Hall, and passed the kitchen. I could hear Gráinne’s voice mingling with Delia’s. The main back entrance led to the outer courtyard. It might be better to use that entrance than the front one. It appeared to lead to the forest, which was to the left, and sugar cane fields were on the right.
The clang of metal drew my attention to the inner gates and the inner courtyard. I crept closer to investigate. About thirty women were practicing with swords. Unlike the islanders with their double-layered skirts and bodices, they wore black sailor pants, white blouses, and colorful sashes around their waists.
Shieldmaiden trainees? Interesting but not important now.
I continued past double doors leading to large pools of water. Along the wall were screens, and some had clothes draped on them. My first thought was an indoor swimming pool with several Jacuzzis. When two women in one of the smaller ones stood, their bodies soapy, and moved to a larger pool, I realized it was a bathhouse.
I ducked when one of the women glanced my way. I hurried toward the front entrance. A few people were walking in and out of the Great Hall, and cleaners were working on the floor. They smiled and nodded. A few called me Storm’s lass.
Not for long.
There were four stairs leading to the four towers. I headed upstairs to the second floor and looped the building again. Like the first floor, all the doors were closed, except on the east wings. I turned the corner and heard voices but couldn’t hear what they were saying until I moved closer. Laughter trickled out from under the door, mixing with the words. Most of the islanders had various accents. The women talking sounded like Americans.
Could the group of women I’d arrived with be behind the door? I could coordinate an escape. I lifted my hand to knock.
“You don’t want to do that, Lexi,” a voice said from behind me, and I turned.
Two women dressed like the ones I’d seen training in the courtyard walked toward me. How did she know my name?
“There should be no interaction with the new girls until after Selection,” the second one added.
“I’m one of them,” I reminded them, daring them to deny it.
“You are Storm’s mate,” the first one who’d spoken said. “You were never one of them.”
“You know something, I’m tired of being told I’m different. I came to this island with them, so that makes me one of them. If I want to talk to them or hang out…” I shook my head when one of the guards planted herself between the door and me. “Never mind.”
I wasn’t taking out my frustrations on them when the person deserving a thorough tongue-lashing was gone. I walked away and continued my tour. The third and fourth floors yielded nothing exciting, so I found the stairs to the roof.
I could see most of the island, including the lake on the south side. The island was larger than I thought. The trees separating the castle and the meadows in the northern part of the island covered a much larger area than I’d thought. Opposite the meadows were more sugar cane fields and, of course, the lake just before the ridges and the outer forest.
It might take two hours on foot, shorter on a horse. If only I could find the black stallion. I hadn’t seen him since yesterday. The only animals around the castle were penned pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens in the outer bailey, and cows grazing beyond the outer wall.
Once again, the clang of swords drew me to the inner edge of the roof, and I found the best viewpoint to observe the shieldmaidens. Each carried a small shield similar to the one I’d seen Nerissa and some of the pirates use on the ship. The courtyard was grassy and had benches on a viewing porch on one side of the quad, the same side
as the castle’s front entrance.
After watching Nerissa fight, I found myself comparing the trainees below to her. They were good, but nothing like her, except the instructor. She was fast and flawless, drifting from fighter to fighter, showing them how to move their feet and angle the sword for maximum thrust, slice, or stab.
They were fascinating to watch, but I had to go.
I left the roof and found my way to the back entrance. I glanced around, making sure I wasn’t followed, and headed for the woods, passing the penned and the grazing animals.
Just before I made it to the woods, a palomino stallion with a gold coat and cream mane left the trees and came toward me. I’d seen him with the black stallion a few days ago. I stopped, and he stopped, ears pinning.
Damn. That was not a friendly gesture.
“Come here, my golden beauty,” I said, sticking out my hand.
Instead of coming close, he tossed his head and reared up. I stepped back, heart hammering in my chest. He reared up again, trotted to the left, turned, and went right. I tried to go around him, but he changed tactics and charged at me, his head low as though he was going to strike.
“Stupid horse,” I yelled, running back.
“Lexi!”
I turned and shaded my eyes to find Delia at the window of the south tower. Any chances I had of leaving unnoticed disappeared.
“Get away from him,” Delia called down.
No kidding. I shuffled away while the horse continued to trot back and forth. When I was a fair distance, I raced for the castle. Delia met me at the back entrance.
“What happened?” she asked.
I stopped to catch my breath, so furious steam should have been shooting out of my ears. Stupid, stupid horse. “I was going for a walk when that horse reared up and charged at me.”
“Going for a walk where?” she asked, leading me to her place.
“Through the forest. I was thinking of checking out the lake. Maybe go for a swim.”
“Aah, I get it. He wasn’t trying to hurt you, lass. He was trying to protect you. The woods are not safe. The lads use them for training the young ones, so there are dangerous traps. Most you won’t see coming until you’re hanging upside down with your skirt covering your head. Even the children don’t know where those traps are. Finding them is part of their training.”
Storm: Phantom Islanders Part I Page 18