Cherished

by Christina Bauer

  The boy lifted his chin. “Call me by my traditional name. I’m Jicho.”

  “All right, Jicho.” I knelt before him to get a better look in his eyes. “Does everyone here have two names…Or is this a game you play?”

  The boy turned to Rowan. “She really doesn’t know anything, does she?”

  “Not about our Caster ways.” Rowan’s sly smile returned. “You’ll have to take very good care of her and answer the questions you can.”

  Jicho puffed out his chest. “And I’ll protect her too, just like you said.”

  What a sweet boy. “Are you to be my guide and guard, then?”

  “Yes, the King says I’m to take you wherever you wish to go.” Something in the gleam of Jicho’s green eyes felt familiar. “And I can answer all your questions.”

  “All?” asked Rowan slowly.

  “Well, not all of them.” Jicho lowered his voice to a child’s whisper, which was really no whisper at all. “I’m sworn to secrecy on some things.”

  I gave him a solemn nod. “I understand.” My eyes narrowed as I thought through this turn of events. Jicho couldn’t answer all my questions, but he could take me to someone who would. “So you can guide me anywhere?”

  Jicho grinned a gap-toothed smile. “Yes.”

  “In that case, I’d like to see Amelia.”

  As plans went, I’d had crazier ones. Sure, when Amelia and I had last parted, our friendship was in a bad way. She’d just figured out that Rowan and I had feelings for each other, so she’d turned her back on me. I hadn’t heard from her since. That said, Amelia was a very logical and reasonable person. If I could see her, then I could explain the truth to her: I had no idea that Rowan was courting her at the same time he knew me. Amelia was a good soul. Once she knew the truth, I was certain that she’d tell me whatever I needed to know.

  I stood and offered Jicho my hand. “Shall we?”

  Rowan raised his arm, palm forward. “Hold on. What’s the goal of this meeting?”

  “To explain to Amelia that I had no idea who you were.”

  Rowan tilted his head. “That’s all?”

  “And to find out what you’re hiding, of course.”

  Rowan sighed. “So, you intend to interrogate Amelia about me.”

  “Unless you plan to be more forthcoming.” I set my fist on my hip. It was a broadly emotional move, but Rowan brought out the worst in me. “Why can’t I see her? Are you afraid she’ll turn on you when she finds out that you kept me in the dark about your engagement?”

  Rowan’s gaze locked with mine. “I was honest with Amelia.”

  I frowned. “She didn’t act that way.”

  “It’s her story to tell.” He sighed. “And believe it or not, I’m happy for you to hear it from her, if she’s willing to share the truth. You may visit Amelia with my blessing, but on one condition.”

  “What?”

  “The engagement ceremony tomorrow night… I’d still like you to attend.”

  A long pause followed while I considered this. “Your ceremonies haven’t been pleasant for me.” I thought back to the last one I saw. After Amelia and Rowan had gotten engaged, all Rowan would talk about was some Sword of Theodora. He’d even acted like getting engaged wasn’t a serious endeavor. “My Mother Superior told me about your attachment to Amelia. She confirmed my worst fears.”

  “She did, eh?” Anger flared in Rowan’s green eyes. “Your Mother Superior is a liar.”

  “She said the same about you,” I countered.

  “Wow,” said Jicho in a low voice. “You guys are fighting.”

  Rowan inhaled a long breath. Some of the tension eased from his shoulders. “You’re right, Jicho. You should only talk to those you care about in a spirit of calmness and respect.” He took my hand, and a shock of warmth and pleasure shot up my arm. “Please trust me one last time, and I’ll never bother you again. I humbly ask you to attend the ceremony.”

  My lips seemed to move on their own. “Yes, I’ll be there.”

  “Good.” His gaze turned so intense, my insides started to squirm. “Then we have an agreement.”

  The moment Rowan looked away, I wanted to kick myself in frustration. Somehow, I had allowed that man to maneuver me into attending this so-called ceremony. And yet, I still didn’t have any answers about Rowan’s health or how he planned to get rid of Shujaa.

  Rowan stepped away. With some distance between us, I noticed how his leathers fit a little more loosely on his body. His collarbones were almost visible through his jacket.

  He was ill.

  I took a few steps toward the castle and paused. “I will find out what’s really happening.”

  “You will try.” Rowan gave me another crooked smile.

  Jicho rushed up to my side. “You better take my hand. That way, no one will give you any trouble.”

  “Thank you, Jicho.”

  I took his smaller hand in mine and headed off toward the castle. One thought echoed through my heart. No one will give me any trouble? If I was going to find out what was really happening, then I’d need to be the one causing trouble. Not a problem.

  Chapter Eight

  Jicho and I headed off for the castle, leaving the gardens behind us. I could feel Rowan’s gaze on my back every step of the way. Once we were well out of earshot, I decided to try my luck with getting answers out of Jicho. It was a long shot, but even those paid off sometimes.

  “Tell me,” I said. “What’s wrong with Rowan?”

  “Nothing. He can still cast a lot of spells. Plus, the rest of his powers will come back when he feels better.”

  There was the slightest hitch in my step. Did Jicho just say what I thought he said? Rowan was sick? And not just the kind of sickness where he was physically tired, but one where he was losing his magick, too?

  I decided to push my luck and ask another question. “What’s this history between him and Shujaa?”

  Jicho shook his head violently. “I’m not telling you anything. Rowan is my brother.”

  My mouth fell open. “He’s your brother?” Somehow, I never pictured Rowan as having family. He was always just Rowan. “Who else is in your family?”

  “Uh, I probably shouldn’t have even told you about me. I can’t say anything else.” Jicho scrunched up his face. “Sorry about that.”

  “You’re loyal to your brother. I respect that.” And you’re telling me a ton of things without meaning to, anyway.

  We walked along in silence for a time before Jicho spoke again. “So, do you think you can help Rowan by chatting with that Amelia lady?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “If you say so. She’s pretty crazy.” Jicho pointed to one of the towers on the corner of the castle. “She’s up there.”

  The tops of towers were where you placed prisoners who didn’t belong in a dungeon. It seemed odd for Amelia to be there, especially if what Petra said was true. Who places their true love in a prison?

  “Lead the way, Jicho.”

  “All right, but you might be a little crazy, too.”

  I smiled. “Oh, I definitely am.”

  As Jicho and I closed in on the castle, my thoughts raced through everything that happened in the last few days. There was the battle with Shujaa…Talking with Petra…This prophecy of the golden army…Plus the way Rowan’s health and powers were failing. Everything fit together in some larger picture, but for the life of me, I couldn’t see the pattern.

  Even worse, my soul told me that the stakes of his hidden plan were a matter of life and death, and not only for me. The image of Rowan’s weary face was seared into my mind. If his magick was dying, Rowan was, too.

  By the Sire, I would discover the truth or else.

  Chapter Nine

  Jicho soon led me across the moat and past the castle’s main doorway. Inside, the place was as lovely as its exterior. The walls and floors were framed with silver trees. Smooth gray stones, green moss, and small white flowers filled all the spaces in between. No
matter where I looked, there were guards in shiny Caster leathers with the emblem of three white columns on their shoulders. All the men and women were bristling with weapons. A sense of excitement filled the air.

  Something was happening.

  I had an idea for how to get more information out of Jicho. I felt vaguely guilty for continuing to push the boy, but it wasn’t like I wouldn’t use the knowledge to help Rowan. “The guards all look like they’re in their best leathers. Are they expecting someone?”

  Jicho sniffed. “Maybe.”

  “Do they think the golden army is coming soon?”

  Jicho paused. “You’ve heard of the golden army?”

  “Yes.” I looked at their perfect uniforms and gleaming weapons. “That’s definitely what this is all about. They’re getting ready to show off for when the golden army arrives.”

  “That army isn’t coming.” Jicho’s lower lip trembled as he spoke. “It’s just an old story, and these guards are all traitors.”

  “Jicho, I’m—”

  “You know what? You’re a mean lady, and I’m not talking to you anymore.” Jicho grabbed my wrist and yanked me in a new direction. “Amelia’s this way.”

  A weight of guilt settled onto my shoulders. “I’m sorry, Jicho. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I said, I’m not talking to you.” Jicho dragged me to the base of a winding staircase. “Crazy Amelia is up there.” He leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. “I’ll wait for you here.”

  I knelt before Jicho and tried to catch his eyes. He wouldn’t look at me. “I really am sorry.”

  Jicho screwed up his face into a frown and looked away.

  “Does this mean you won’t be my guide anymore?”

  “Just go up and ask if she’ll talk you.” Jicho kicked at the ground with his sandal. His frown did seem a little less prominent, though. I took that as a good sign.

  “I’ll do that,” I said. “And I’ll return as soon as I can.”

  I hiked up the cramped stone staircase that wound inside the tower. With each step, anxiety made my pulse speed faster. I hadn’t seen Amelia since the night she got engaged to Rowan. In my mind’s eye, I could still picture the look of hurt and betrayal on her face when she discovered that Rowan and I had feelings for each other. At the time, she’d made it pretty clear she never wanted to speak to me again.

  Not wanting to be friends anymore? I couldn’t blame her for that, really.

  I gripped the folds of my yellow dress as if the motion could keep my feelings under control as well. I couldn’t allow what happened with Amelia to make me lose focus now. Someone was out to kill me. Rowan was sick and losing his magick. Shujaa and his golden army were coming to take the throne. And since Amelia was engaged to Genesis Rex, that meant she was in danger, too. Amelia would just need to set her feelings aside and give me the information I required.

  I scaled up one floor, then two. At each level, there was a stout red door leading to a room in the castle’s interior. At the end of the staircase, I reached a small landing and one last wooden door.

  This was it—the tower room.

  A single guard in faded leathers waited by the door. It was Kade. His green eyes locked on me as I approached. “You again.”

  “Greetings, Kade.” Suddenly, I wished I could have changed out of my yellow dress from the faire. I didn’t look very much like a grand Mistress Necromancer. It also wasn’t clean. I stiffened my spine. No matter how I looked, I was the Tsarina of all the Necromancers, as far as he knew. “I’m here to see Amelia.”

  He sniffed. “She doesn’t want to see you.”

  “You haven’t even announced me. Tell her that Elea of Braddock is here. I’m the Tsarina of all the Necromancers.” Amelia didn’t need to hear that part, but I thought it might impress Kade a little more and at least make him announce me.

  “I know all your titles.” Kade rested his hand on the pommel of his sword and gripped it so tightly, his knuckles flared white. “And you’re not welcome in my Lady’s chamber.”

  That got my anger up. “Amelia is her own person. She can make her own choices about whether to see me.”

  “And why would she want to see you?” The way Kade asked the question, the words came out as a snarl.

  “Because I’m very concerned about Rowan’s safety…And about hers as well.”

  “You.” The thick muscles in Kade’s neck tightened. “You, of all people, are concerned about Rowan.”

  “That’s what I said. Now, I don’t know why you’re acting this way, but at least announce me. Amelia can decide for herself if she wishes me to visit.”

  “She knows you’re here, and she doesn’t want to see you. Jicho told her you’d be stopping by days ago. And besides, my Lady already has company. Veronique and her brother Philippe are inside.”

  I rubbed my chin. So, Philippe is already here. That was good news. Philippe could be relied on to do two things: flirt and gossip. If there was any information to be gotten, Philippe would be sussing it out right now. He’d surely tell me everything, even if Amelia wouldn’t. I inhaled a deep breath, ready to call out his name, but Kade was too fast. He moved behind me in a heartbeat. A second later, his right hand covered my mouth while his left gripped my casting arm.

  “I told you,” snarled Kade. “She knows you’re here and doesn’t want to see you. Don’t make me toss you down the stairs.”

  My eyes widened. Kade wasn’t tossing me anywhere. I started to pull Necromancer energy into my arm. I knew a few spells that would break down the door while knocking Kade out for at least an hour.

  “Don’t use your magick,” warned Kade.

  I paused as I thought through this turn of events. Was Kade one of the Senior Casters who could work a major spell on me?

  “I know what you’re thinking,” said Kade. “You’re wondering if I’m a Caster like my King. Well, I can’t wield major magick, but I’ve something even better. Knowledge. In fact, I happen to know that if I pinch your shoulder in a certain way, then I can send you tumbling to the floor faster than maybe.” His low voice sounded familiar.

  In fact, he sounded a lot like Rowan.

  I released the power from my casting arm.

  Kade let me go. “Glad to see that we understand each other,” he said.

  “You—” I began.

  “Don’t give me any trouble for restraining you,” interrupted Kade. “I’m supposed to guard this door.”

  “That’s not what I was about to say. You are Rowan’s brother. Am I right?”

  He stepped back to his post. “What makes you say that?”

  “You’ve Rowan’s body type and green eyes. Most of all, you aren’t wearing your best leathers—” I gestured across his faded uniform “—which means you aren’t getting ready to show off for the golden army. You’re loyal to Rowan in a time when that loyalty might be risky. You must be family. It’s a logical assumption.”

  Sometimes, my Necromancer training in logic was a wonderful thing.

  “Yes, I’m Rowan’s brother and his top guard, too.” Kade tapped the faded emblem of three white pillars that had been sewn onto the shoulder of his leathers. “All this stuff about a prophecy and a golden army, it didn’t start until three months ago. You know, when you came into his life?”

  “I find it hard to believe that I’m somehow responsible for Shujaa.”

  “Maybe not, but you’re still trouble for Rowan.” Kade stared at the closed door with so much intensity I wondered why I didn’t see the resemblance before. “Anyway, forget about Amelia, too.”

  “Will she be attending the ceremony tomorrow night?”

  Kade’s body almost vibrated with menace. “Not if I have anything to do with it.”

  “In other words, Amelia wants to go.” I scanned Kade more carefully. For a guard and a Royal, Kade certainly had a lot invested in Amelia. Yet another piece of information to add into the jumble of facts. Hopefully, things would start to make sense soo
n.

  Kade folded his arms over his chest. “I can handle her.”

  “Can you?” I couldn’t help but smile. “Amelia can be very hard to contain when she wants something.”

  “Good thing I’m the best guard in the realm, then.”

  “In that case, I’m sure everything will be fine.”

  In truth, Kade was in deep trouble; he just didn’t know it yet. Amelia was a master with anything mechanical. There wasn’t a door or a lock that could hold her back. And since Kade couldn’t cast major spells, there weren’t a lot of other options for him. “Until we meet again, then.”

  “Be careful,” said Kade. “You never know what’ll be waiting for you on the stairs.”

  The way he said the words, I had the feeling he wanted me to trip and kill myself. Well, he’d have to get in line. Many people have wanted me dead over the years.

  None had succeeded yet.

  Chapter Ten

  I hadn’t gone ten steps before I found out what Kade meant when he said, “You never know what’ll be waiting for you on the stairs.”

  Because there was someone waiting for me: a woman in red Seer robes. Like Jicho, hers were tied at the shoulder, toga style. She had long brown hair, an athletic build, and bright green eyes. Her skin was smooth and tanned, like Rowan’s had looked when I first met him. This mystery woman didn’t look much older than I was, but the way she held herself said she was someone important.

  Well, now. Brown hair, green eyes, and regal bearing? No doubt, here was another member of the Imperial family. I paused on the steps.

  “Greetings,” I bowed my head slightly. “I’m Elea. Let me guess. You’re Rowan’s sister.”

  “No, I’m his mother. Call me Zoriah.” Her voice had the deep rumble of age.

  “You look so young, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

  “I don’t mind.” Zoriah waved her hand dismissively. “I’m a strong Seer, which is why I don’t age like other mortals, including Rowan. Now, I’d like to talk to you about him.”

  I looked around the cramped staircase. “Here? Half the castle could be waiting and listening around the next turn in the steps.”