Cherished

by Christina Bauer

  “Not here, you idiot girl. We’ll talk in my greenhouse.”

  Now as a rule, no one called me an “idiot” or a “girl” without consequences. But this was Rowan’s mother. I had to be careful. Plus, I was in serious need of information. Perhaps Zoriah would be more forthcoming than the rest of Rowan’s family.

  I forced my face into the picture of Necromancer calm. “Lead the way, then.”

  Zoriah sped down the rest of the staircase. I followed close behind. The moment we stepped back out into the main hallway, I found Jicho still waiting for me by the wall. He paled when he spied his mother. Zoriah didn’t even acknowledge Jicho; she simply marched through the side hallway and out into the gardens behind the house. I stayed to Zoriah’s left. Jicho jogged along at her right.

  “What are you going to do with Elea?” asked Jicho. His voice warbled a bit with worry. Poor child.

  “We’re just about to have a friendly chat,” answered Zoriah. “Why don’t you run along and tell Rowan all about it? That’s what you do best, isn’t it? Spy for him.”

  Jicho frowned. “Rowan’s the King. I owe him my feal…feal…” His face reddened as he tried to get the word out. I had the distinct impression that being around his mother flustered Jicho.

  “Fealty, child. That’s the word you were failing to say.” Zoriah kept up her fast pace. We reached a heavy wooden door at the back corner of the castle. Zoriah pushed it to reveal an open green that stretched across a rolling hill until it ended in a line of palm trees. Without a word, Zoriah began marching across the green and toward the jungle beyond. After a few minutes, she seemed to notice that Jicho hadn’t left. “Run along, child. I’ve no use for you.”

  Jicho stopped. “I hate you.”

  “Good,” said Zoriah. “That will make your future pleasanter for me.”

  Zoriah kept on going, but I stopped and knelt so I could meet Jicho’s gaze straight on. “It’s probably best if you leave your mother and I to talk.”

  Jicho leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I won’t be far. Remember when you first arrived in the gardens? Rowan didn’t even know I was in the trees before. I only shook the branches once I wanted him to find me.”

  “Thank you, Jicho. That sounds like an excellent plan.”

  Zoriah had made great headway toward the jungle. She yelled over her shoulder at me. “Come along now. This is no time to play with children.”

  “I’ll be right there,” I called.

  Refocusing my attention on Jicho, I gave him what I hoped was a confident grin, took to my feet, and followed Zoriah once again. I hadn’t been in Nyumbani for a full day, and I already knew one thing for sure.

  I truly hated Rowan’s mother.

  Zoriah and I trekked through the jungle for a long time. Well, it may actually have been a short time by the sundial, but it was a slow slog for me. My silk slippers were absolutely useless in the jungle mud. Within minutes, the bottom half of my yellow gown became soaked with gunk and shredded on prickly shrubs.

  At length, the rainforest opened up into a small clearing. A stout rectangular building filled the space. It had a peaked roof and walls that were made of small squares of mottled yellow glass. Everything was held together in a metal latticework. I’d seen things like this back when I was snooping around Royal residences with Philippe, but I never expected to find anything like this in Nyumbani.

  Zoriah pulled open the glass door. “Come along quickly. You’ll let out the chill.”

  I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. The space was filled with rows of plants. More greenery hung from the arched roof. In the center of the space stood a tall fountain. The cool air wrapped around me, turning my skin into gooseflesh.

  Zoriah eyed my arms. “Are you uncomfortable, girl? I thought you’d like it in here. It’s more like your mountain Cloister, isn’t it?”

  “It’s only the surprise I mind, not the temperature.” I rubbed my upper arms for warmth. Zoriah was playing games, changing things on me without warning and then watching my reactions. Rowan’s mother or not, I was in no mood for this. “What do you want?”

  “Merely to show you this fountain,” explained Zoriah smoothly. She stepped toward the large stone sculpture. The thing was as tall as me. All the stone was chipped and ancient looking. I stepped closer. The wide outer basin held a knee-deep pool of water. In the fountain’s center, there stood two figures, a man and a woman. The details of their faces had been washed away with time, but their arms were raised with palms facing each other. Between their hands came a spray of water, which arced down from either side of their hands into the basin.

  “It’s lovely,” I said. And I meant it. Even though it was hard to see any detail, there was a sense of peace in the pose of the couple.

  “It’s an extremely old fountain and made with ancient magick. Watch this.” Zoriah lowered her head, and the veins in her chest and neck turned black. My breath caught with surprise. I’d known some Seers could cast magick, but that was so rare, we didn’t even have any books on the subject back in our library at the Zelle. When Zoriah lifted her head again, her eyes had turned completely back except for her pupils. Instead of being dark, these now were filled with small red lightning bolts of power.

  Zoriah focused her gaze on the statue. When she spoke again, her voice rang with magickal power. “Break apart.” The stone creaked as the man and woman lowered their arms. Even though their palms were now separated, I could see that the water still flowed between their hands.

  “It’s interesting,” I said. “What does it mean?”

  “Those are the original truly mated pair of Casters.”

  At the mention of “mated pair,” my chest tightened. Now I knew why Zoriah had brought me here alone. She wanted to discuss my relationship with Rowan. My mating band from Rowan was still hidden under the neckline of my yellow gown. The thing seemed to weigh extra-heavily on my skin. It took all my Necromancer training to keep my features carefully blank. “As I said, it’s a lovely statue.”

  I started to turn away, but Zoriah gripped my arm. “You can make these two figures do anything,” she said. “And yet, the water will still move through their hands in a circuit. That’s what happens with a true mating.” Her mouth thinned into a bitter line. “But over the years, we Casters have gotten away from that. Now, anyone who shares a pair of mating bands calls themselves a mated pair. But that’s not a true mating.”

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. “What’s a true mating?”

  “The water here is meant to represent magick. In a true mating, that energy is shared equally. But if it’s a false pairing, then whoever is the stronger mage will take power from the other.”

  My eyes widened. The last time we’d fought Viktor, Rowan had given me some of his power. He could only give to me, but I could never return the energy? Was that because we weren’t a true mating?

  Zoriah watched me closely. I hated the satisfied grin on her face. The lightning in her pupils flashed more brightly than ever. “Interesting history, isn’t it?” An eternity seemed to pass before she turned her attention back to the fountain. “As you were,” she commanded.

  The statues returned to their previous pose as Zoriah lowered her head. Within seconds, the veins in her neck and chest disappeared. When Zoriah met my gaze again, her eyes were back to their regular shade of green. Nothing flared in her pupils. Her grin widened. “You know why I’m telling you this, don’t you?”

  “Not at all.” I’d never admit my feelings for Rowan to this woman.

  “I hear you and my son worked together to defeated Viktor. The first time, you found some powerful magick to help you share your energies equally. The gods Oni and Yuri gave you a spell.”

  “How could you know that?”

  “I’m a Seer, you silly little fool.”

  My skin broke out into fresh goose bumps, and it wasn’t from the cold.

  Zoriah pulled me closer. “And the second time, he gave magick to you, di
dn’t he?”

  “This is none of your affair.”

  “He is my son. It’s very much my affair.”

  “Enough.” I nodded toward the fountain. “I understand what you’re trying to say. Rowan gave me magick, and we’re therefore not a true mated pair.” I gave her my most unaffected Necromancer stare. “If that’s all you brought me here for, then it was a waste of your time. I’ve no interest in Rowan in anything other than a fellow warrior.” I tried to step away, but her iron grip on my arm tightened.

  “A false mating is nothing to be ashamed of,” said Zoriah.

  “I’m sure you’ll tell me why.” Perhaps the fastest way to get this over with was to let her have her say. It wouldn’t do to get in a mage battle with Rowan’s mother on my first day in Nyumbani.

  Not that I wasn’t tempted.

  “I was locked into a false pairing as well. Rowan’s father is named Aaden. Did Rowan tell you that?”

  “No.” I would add that Rowan didn’t tell me much of anything, but I was sure that would please Zoriah to no end.

  “As you’ve no doubt noticed, I’m one of the few Seers who is strong enough to cast spells. I’m also the only offspring of our last Genesis Rex. My mother was a lovely and trusted house servant.”

  I couldn’t help it. “So you’re a bastardess.”

  “I’m from the Imperial line. Aaden was a common Caster.” Her cheeks reddened. “In fact, Aaden could hardly sense any magick. The man never cast a single decent spell.”

  “Most of the people on my continent can’t even sense magick.”

  “And you call them Forgotten Ones, because the gods forsake them. And that’s what they should be: forgotten. But my father became obsessed with Aaden. How noble he was. How kind and clever. My father called for a ritual battle to determine the next Genesis Rex and forced Aaden to fight him. And you know what happened on the battlefield? My own father hardly didn’t his sword or cast a single spell. Aaden merely had to swipe his blade and my father was dead. It wasn’t a fight so much as a suicide. Aaden became Genesis Rex and I had to become his bride. I was forced into a mating I didn’t want. And you know what happened with our mating? I never gave Aaden so much as a taste of my power. He only could transfer to me.” She rounded on me. “Don’t wish such an unequal life on yourself. Rowan adores his Amelia. Even if you could manipulate him into a mating, it wouldn’t be a true one. It would never be equal.”

  It took all my Necromancer training to stay calm. Inside, I wanted to weep, scream, or both. “I fail to see what this has to do with you.”

  “My, oh my. Now, you are getting so very upset. I thought you Necromancers were far more controlled than this.” Zoriah’s green eyes lit up with an evil sort of excitement. It hurt my heart to see the beloved shade of Rowan’s gaze turned against me in such a way. I could only imagine how she had hurt Rowan, too.

  “I’m returning to the castle now.” I twisted in her hold. “Let me go.”

  “Don’t be so defensive,” cooed Zoriah. “I brought you here to help both you and Rowan get beyond the mating issue. It’s a matter of safety. Life and death.”

  I sniffed. “Safety. Really.”

  “Yes, I showed you this fountain for a reason. If you ever do decide to assist Rowan in battle, then you’ll only drain his already-low reserves of energy. He’s very ill, you know.”

  I stepped closer to her. Even though this woman was foul, maybe this was my chance for more information. “What’s wrong with Rowan?”

  “You’re what’s wrong with him. You coming here will kill him.”

  All the air seemed to get sucked out of my lungs. I would kill Rowan? “That can’t be true.”

  “It is.” She shrugged. “I’ve seen it time and again in my visions.” She finally released my hand and stepped over to a tall table dripping with hanging vines and small yellow fruits. I knew I should run for the door, but Zoriah now had me trapped in other ways. I stood speechless as she began to examine the leaves on a nearby plant. “Don’t worry so much, girl. Our realm is better off without Rowan, believe me.”

  I stared at her, my mouth hanging open. I thought of how Mabel and Sam loved their unborn child, and that baby wasn’t even in the world yet. How could anyone be so calm when talking about their child dying?

  “Why do you hate Rowan so much?”

  Zoriah moved from examining the tiny leaves to eyeing the round yellow fruits. “Ah, this one is just right.” She grabbed a red satchel, plucked the fruit, and set it inside the bag. “So hard to find perfection, you know.”

  The fact that she avoided my question made me even more eager for an answer. “Tell me why you hate Rowan.”

  Zoriah looked up from her bag. “Don’t you know who killed my husband?”

  “No. Who killed him?”

  “Why, Rowan of course.”

  My breath caught. “That’s not possible.”

  “We accept challenges to the throne once every year. The Tsar Viktor challenged my husband, and Aaden accepted. Viktor was about to win, too. But as my husband lay dying, he asked any Caster to kill him and take his throne, so Viktor wouldn’t rise. Rowan was the only one who would do so. My son is no true King.”

  Righteous anger pulsed through my veins. “That’s a terrible thing to say. If Rowan hadn’t done as his father asked, you’d be ruled by Viktor right now. Believe me, you don’t want that.”

  “Who are you to tell me anything? I had a vision. If my husband was murdered by one of his own people, then the Caster nation would fall into dark times, just as the ancient prophecy predicted. And hasn’t that come to pass? Are our lands not in chaos? And it’s all because Rowan defied me. He ruined us all. And now, the prophecy is the only thing that can possibly save us.”

  I eyed her carefully. “I’m not sure your logic holds out there. The prophecy says that there will be a long night of suffering for the Caster people under a false ruler. Then, a golden army will appear and usher in a new age of plenty. You are the one who placed Rowan into everything.”

  “How dare you question my Seer powers? I speak the truth. Now, all we can do is pray for the golden army to free us all.”

  I stared at this perfect-looking woman who was filled with so much ugliness. “You know what I think? You’re in league with Viktor somehow. You asked me here to try to frighten me away from Rowan. But your plan has failed. I’m staying by Rowan’s side, and I’ll help him fight you.”

  “No, your staying here will kill him.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Really? I’m the strongest Seer in Nyumbani’s history. Better than even Wakati Ujao, the woman who spoke the prophecy of the golden army. I’ve spoken to the Mother of Creation herself. The goddess showed me your face. She gave me your name. And she told me what you came here to do. You say that you’ll help Rowan, but in truth? You’ll only destroy my son and take over our lands. Well, listen to me carefully. You’ll have to kill me to do it. I can stop you. I’ve seen that.”

  I took a half step toward the door. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no such plans.”

  “So you say.” She returned her attention to her plants. “You’d better get ready for tomorrow night’s celebration. I’ve asked my servants to set out an especially beautiful gown for you.” She leaned in and sniffed one of the yellow fruits, plucked it, and set it in her satchel.

  For the first time, I took a closer look at the plant she’d been tending. My brows lifted in surprise and recognition. I scanned all the fruit in the greenhouse. I’d recognize that waxy look anywhere. “This is all wrong.”

  “Nonsense.” Zoriah tapped another yellow fruit with her long fingernails. “What are you talking about?”

  “Freeze blight.” I spun about, scanning all the plants. “Everything in here is infected.”

  Zoriah rounded on me. Every inch of her shook with rage. “Liar!” Her voice rose to a screech. “Leave my greenhouse immediately!”

  She didn’t need to ask me twice
. I sped from that greenhouse like my life depended on it. Who knows? Maybe it did.

  Once I stepped back under the cover of the jungle, I leaned against a moss-covered trunk and tried to catch my breath. A rustling sounded from the branches nearby. A heartbeat later, Jicho dropped to the ground beside me. He gave me a sympathetic look. “Did mother get to you?”

  “Yes, she did.”

  “She scares everyone, you know. She’s been that way ever since…” He shrugged and stared at his feet.

  “Ever since your father died, you mean?”

  “No, ever since Storm ran off. He was her favorite son. He was everyone’s favorite prince.” Jicho’s lower lip trembled. “I like Rowan better though.”

  “I do too, Jicho.” It was a foolish thing to say, but it did seem to comfort Jicho. When I next spoke, I took care to make my voice especially gentle. “Why don’t you show me to my room?”

  “If you like.”

  We didn’t say another word as Jicho led me back into the castle to my bedroom. My chamber was a mixture of living trees, moss, and stone, just like the rest of the castle. I also had large bureau and an even larger bed made from a hollow stump stuffed with furs. The place was lovely, but after meeting with Zoriah, I couldn’t soak in the beauty.

  Jicho left, and I tried to relax and sleep. It wasn’t easy. I had a big day behind me and an important ceremony to face tomorrow. Although I tried, I couldn’t sleep a wink. All I could do was keep running through the same awful facts. Rowan was sick. And his mother thought I was here to kill him and take his throne. And the real reason I was here was because I needed to kill Shujaa, only Rowan didn’t want my aid.

  I shivered. I hated the whole concept of Seers. When they had a strong vision, sometimes there was nothing you could do to avoid the fate they predicted, no matter how awful it might be. Was I really here to kill Rowan, even if it was unintentionally? I groaned. This situation was turning into a battle of wits and information, not spells and fighting.

  Sadly, that was the kind of battle I rarely knew how to win.