Reflection- Dragon's Bane

by Rachel R. Smith

  Rian snorted at the sight of her and then doubled over with laughter. Nerissa tried to glare at him, but it was hard to look fierce while frantically stuffing wispy strands of sugar in her mouth.

  The bells of the clock tower began to toll, snapping them both to attention. “That’s our cue. Let’s make our way to the bonfire. It’s time to meet the others,” Rian said, still chuckling softly as Nerissa desperately wiped the remaining tendrils of sugar from her face.

  Chapter 5

  Bonfire

  Charis

  Charis glanced nervously over her shoulder at the clock tower as the bells tolled the hour. Why, oh why, hadn’t she asked Amon to come with her tonight? Better still, why hadn’t he offered to come with her? He had been so adamantly against her traveling to Maze alone, yet now that she was here, he had disappeared. It seemed the lavish celebrations with his mother and the other Marisianne nobles held more appeal than her company.

  Well, it’s not like I wanted him to come with me anyway, Charis thought. She let out a humph under her breath and balled her fists, though it did nothing to allay the anxiety she felt. When she had first left the townhouse, she’d been undaunted by the idea of venturing to the festival alone. At the time, she had been sure no thieves or pickpockets would attempt to ply their trade in a gathering this large. But now that she was here, Amon’s warnings haunted her, and she had the eerie sensation that she was being watched.

  Nevertheless, she had been meandering among the kiosks and booths for well over two hours and had thus far not been accosted by any of the rumored rogues. Then again, she realized with a frown, she hadn’t been approached by any of the Ohanzee either. Had something happened to make them cancel their rendezvous at the last minute? How would she even know if they had?

  She drew in a deep breath and made a conscious effort to relax her shoulders. That eerie feeling of being watched was merely a product of her imagination. She patted the pouch tucked deep inside the inner pocket of her cape where the crystals were safely tucked away. It didn’t matter if someone stole her money, as long as they didn’t take those. Her feet ached from walking nonstop, but she was not going to give up until the crystals were in Nerissa’s hands.

  It was then that she heard a voice behind her, one that somehow stood out over the clamor of the crowd.

  “Excuse me, miss, I believe you dropped something.”

  Charis proceeded onward without slowing down. She knew she hadn’t dropped anything, so the statement must have been addressed to someone else. Then the speaker repeated his assertion, more insistent now and followed by a tug on the back of her cape.

  Charis turned to face a pair of intensely green eyes—ones so like Nerissa’s they were instantly recognizable even though she had met their owner only once.

  “Raysel,” she said, his name carried from her tongue by a long breath of relief. She reached out automatically to accept the folding fan he proffered.

  Raysel’s brows rose slightly, and then a smile brightened his face. “I wasn’t sure you would recognize me.”

  “How could I forget you when we met on one of the happiest days of my life?” she asked, and his smile broadened. “It’s fortunate I ran into you first. I’m feeling so jittery that I’m not sure I would have been brave enough to talk with someone I hadn’t met before.”

  He took her arm to gently guide her out of the path of a particularly large group of revelers. “Why are you feeling jittery?”

  Charis’ red hair swayed beneath the brim of her feathered hat as she shook her head. “Have you ever had the sensation that you’re being watched? I’ve felt that way all night.” She hurried on to add, “I’m sure it’s just my imagination, fueled by Amon’s repeated warnings about crime here in Maze.”

  Although Raysel chuckled softly, he eyed their surroundings warily. “I’m usually the one doing the watching—not the other way around. Your instincts aren’t entirely incorrect, however. I’ve been following you for some time now, waiting for a good opportunity to approach.”

  “Well, that explains that,” Charis said with an uncomfortable laugh. “Is N—” A reproachful look from Raysel made her rephrase her question. “I mean, is Caeneus with you?”

  “No, Caeneus isn’t with me,” he replied, putting special emphasis on Nerissa’s assumed name.

  Charis’ shoulders slumped. “Oh, that’s too bad. I had hoped to see ‘him’ again.” She reached into her cape to pull out the pouch containing the crystals, but Raysel stopped her.

  “Keep those for a little longer. Our group split up so that we could search for you more efficiently, and it’s past time for us to check in at the bonfire.” He offered her his left arm. “Why don’t you come with me? While there is no reason for you to be afraid, it’s true that crime is more common here than back home. It may seem like there is safety in numbers, but a large crowd is more an invitation for criminals than a deterrent. It’s quite easy for those who wish not to be seen to disappear into a sea of unfamiliar faces like this one.”

  It was good advice, yet Charis knew Raysel’s observation also held an underlying meaning. “I suppose that criminals are not the only fish who seek to swim below the surface of this sea.”

  “Indeed. And not everyone who hides in the shadows harbors ill intent,” Raysel replied with a wry smile. “Allow me to escort you for now, and then afterward I’ll accompany you back to wherever you’re staying.”

  “I would very much appreciate that.” Charis threaded her arm through his. As she fell into step beside him, she felt a sword hilt press against her side. She sucked in a breath and loosened her grip to put more distance between herself and the blade. No wonder he was wearing a full-length cloak on such a mild evening. The realization that he was carrying a weapon was simultaneously comforting and unsettling. It was one thing to be abstractly aware that Raysel was Nerissa’s guardian, and another thing entirely to be within inches of the tool of his trade.

  She felt foolish for being intimidated by a sword that was obviously intended for use in defending her friend and her country. Nerissa really was lucky to have someone like Raysel on her side. Still, a sliver of her earlier apprehension returned. Why was he wearing his sword? Did he always wear it? Or did he suspect something sinister was afoot? Her fingers tightened their grip on his arm, and she sincerely hoped there would be no need for him to draw the blade tonight.

  “Are you sure you can spare the time to go back with me?” she asked. “I’m staying at Amon’s townhouse in the business district. It’s probably quite far from your accommodations.”

  Raysel patted her hand and gazed down at her with a gentle expression. “It will be no trouble at all to see you home. Keeping you out of harm’s way has always been one of Caeneus’ primary concerns, which means that escorting you safely back to your lodgings is both my pleasure and my duty.”

  The pair continued chatting amiably until they reached the main square a short time later. In the very center of the plaza was the bonfire, a towering inferno of wood stacked three stories tall and nearly as wide, which served as the centerpiece of the festival.

  While the people were gathered more densely here than elsewhere within the festival grounds, it was far less chaotic. Most people had joined one of several lines leading up to a series of stanchions that roped off an octagonal area a safe distance from the flames. Upon reaching the front of the line, each person stepped forward to toss their fan into the fire and paused briefly to bow their head in silence.

  Charis had to pick up her pace to keep in stride with Raysel as he began making a circuit around the outer fringe of the square. Every so often, he directed a subtle nod to someone in line, but no matter how closely she watched, Charis couldn’t discern exactly who he was looking at.

  Finally, after they had walked nearly two-thirds of the way around the bonfire, Nerissa strode into sight with a black-haired companion in tow. Charis loosened her grip on Raysel’s arm, intending to flag down her friend, but Raysel caught her hand and pulle
d her back.

  “We need to be discreet for now,” he warned. “We’re trying to avoid being seen together just in case we are being watched. Once we’re in line, you can give Caeneus the crystals and you’ll have a chance to talk.”

  They hovered a short distance away until Nerissa and her companion chose a line and then filed in immediately behind them. Only a few seconds passed before Nerissa glanced over her shoulder, and her whole face lit up at the sight of them.

  Charis grinned back, feeling strangely happy to see that Nerissa was looking more like herself without prosthetics to distort her facial features. There was, however, a strange, transparent patch on her chin that glistened in the flickering firelight. Was it the remnants of makeup glue like the kind she had used to attach the false nose the last time they’d met?

  Raysel noticed the spot as well, and he was considerably less subtle about airing his observation. “What is that?” he asked, pointing to the spot.

  Nerissa’s hand went to the area he indicated, and her cheeks colored as soon as her fingers made contact with the spot. “Rian! You could at least have said there was still some of it on me!” she admonished as she attempted to rub the spot away.

  “Oh, that spot? I hadn’t even noticed it.” His denial sounded sincere, yet the twinkle in his eyes belied the truth. “I’m Rian, by the way,” he said to Charis. “Although I was in Niamh with these two when they last visited you, I had other tasks to attend to that day, so I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting you.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, as well,” she replied automatically, despite being unsure of what to think of this mischievous stranger. He was certainly handsome and seemed polite enough, but she didn’t like the way he had teased Nerissa.

  Having recovered as much of her dignity as could be salvaged, Nerissa turned back to Charis. “I’m so sorry to have involved you in our work by asking you to meet us here, though I must admit that I’m also thrilled to see you again.”

  Remembering Raysel’s warning not to draw attention to themselves, Charis fought back the urge to give her friend a hug. “You have nothing to be sorry for! I wish that there was more I could do to help you.”

  She was about to reach into her pocket for the crystals once again when a scream rang out over the din of the crowd. People in nearby lines began to scatter, surging away from the fire en masse. A woman in front of them shrieked and pointed skyward. Charis followed her line of sight and then gasped as she, too, pinpointed the source of the alarm.

  At the top of the bonfire, one of the logs had somehow come loose and now teetered precariously on the edge of the stack—only seconds from falling. Before her own instinct to flee kicked in, there came the sickening snap of breaking wood, and the log toppled from its perch end over end in a mass of flames. It bounced once, striking the structure midway through its fall and sending out a shower of golden embers.

  Charis saw Nerissa’s hand fly to her chest, as if she were clutching her heart, but the expression on her friend’s face was one of intense concentration rather than fear. Then, the entire fire suddenly dimmed and the flames engulfing the log winked out of existence. It exploded against the ground a heartbeat later, showering those caught in peril with a harmless spray of ash.

  “That was almost a disaster,” Nerissa said, her falsely deepened voice wavering slightly. She dropped her hand and let out a long sigh of relief, then opened her folding fan and fluttered it at her face.

  Rian’s gaze traveled back and forth between Nerissa and Raysel. “Were you the one that put out the fire?”

  A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Nerissa’s cheek, spurred into motion by her sharp nod of assent. “Yes, though I barely managed it in time.”

  A jolt of surprise shot through Charis. “H-how did you do that?” she spluttered, somehow feeling both shocked and proud at the same time.

  The pealing of bells suddenly rang out over the clamor—and this time it wasn’t coming from the clock tower. It was the incessant jangle announcing the approach of the fire brigade.

  “I don’t think we’ll be throwing any fans into the fire tonight,” Rian said. “Charis, you’d better hand over those crystals quickly so we can get out of here. At least one of our counterparts is bound to show up to investigate this level of commotion.”

  Raysel ran his fingers through his hair as he surveyed the area. “I’m afraid he’s right.”

  “I’d like to tell you all about our discoveries, Charis, but it will have to wait for now,” she said, looking genuinely apologetic. “Suffice to say, we’ve learned a few new tricks since you and I last spoke.”

  Charis fumbled to pull the pouch containing the crystals from the inside of her cape. She pressed it into Nerissa’s palm, taking the opportunity to briefly wrap her hands around her friend’s. “I understand. Keep doing your best and come home as soon as you can, ok?”

  “It’s a promise,” Nerissa said, and she spun away in a whirl of fabric to disappear into the sea of faces with Rian at her side.

  Chapter 6

  Two Letters

  Nerissa

  Nerissa rolled over onto her back to stretch her arms above her head before practically unhinging her jaw in a gaping yawn. The room was silent, aside from the muted buzz of snoring from the adjoining room. She didn’t know what time it was, but based on the soft glow permeating the curtains, it was not long after sunrise. When did I start waking up on my own this early in the morning? she wondered, her mind muzzy with sleep. Her hand drifted to her voice-altering choker, unconsciously checking to make sure that it had not come loose overnight.

  “You’d think I would take better advantage of sleeping on a proper mattress for once,” she mumbled to no one in particular as she flopped onto her side.

  Not far away, Desta was sprawled across her mattress with one leg dangling over the edge. A glistening line of drool trailed from the corner of her open mouth down to her pillow. The top half of her dream notebook jutted out from beneath the pillow, and Nerissa was pleased to see that the clip-on glow lamp she’d given Desta had already been put to use.

  Although Desta frequently confided to her “big brother Caeneus” that she felt insecure about her dream abilities, Nerissa knew her worries were unfounded. Anyone who was as earnest and persistent as Desta was—in any endeavor—inevitably learned to master it. It was merely a matter of time.

  She slipped her hand underneath her own pillow and withdrew the pouch containing the crystals Charis had brought from Niamh. How ironic that this set of crystal chimes, so delicate in appearance that her parents had initially refused to buy them, would be the only one of her possessions to survive Casimer’s attack.

  A memory, as vague and hazy as a forgotten dream, floated up from the back of her mind. She saw her mother looking up at the crystals where they hung in their usual place above the balcony doors. “Well, those are obviously not as fragile as they appear,” her mother had said.

  Nerissa fumbled for the water glass that was sitting on the nightstand and took several gulps to quench the burning that seized the back of her throat. Was that a real memory or a figment of her imagination? It was so fuzzy she couldn’t tell. If it wasn’t real, then how could it make her feel so happy and sad at the same time?

  The stuffing inside the pouch crinkled softly as she hugged the spirit crystals to herself. Even though she had lost her parents, her possessions, and even her identity in the attack, her spirit had survived—she had survived. And she had work to do.

  Now that the set of six matching stones were in hand, she and Raysel could immediately begin experimenting to figure out the lost suspension technique mentioned in the prophecy. It hadn’t occurred to her prior to last night, but perhaps there were other applications for the suspension technique above and beyond using it to stop Casimer. While a disaster had been narrowly avoided as a result of her quick work with the fire-fire crystal, it was only accomplished because she had been able to extinguish the flames before the falling log crashed
into the ground. Yet, if some poor soul had been caught in its path, they would have been injured by the impact.

  Could the suspension technique have been used to hold the log in place until the area was evacuated? Did the technique freeze something—or someone—in place as well as in time? She didn’t know—and the uncertainly made her even more eager to find out the answer.

  She glanced over at Raysel’s bed to see if he showed any signs of waking, only to find that he was not among the rumpled blankets. Assuming he had gone down the hall to the washroom and would therefore be back shortly, she burrowed deeper into the warmth of the covers to await his return, the pouch of crystals still snug against her chest.

  The minutes ticked by slowly, each one adding a heavier weight to her eyelids. Then, when sleep was about to overtake her once again, there came the soft click of a key turning in the lock to the hallway door. She opened her eyes in time to see Raysel enter the room and was surprised to see that he was not in his nightclothes but was instead fully dressed.

  He twisted the knob, holding it in place so that it wouldn’t click in the latch when he eased the door closed. It was a perfectly stealthy entry, except that he stepped on a squeaky floorboard as soon as he walked away from the door. The sound would likely have been inaudible at any other time of the day; however, in the otherwise silent room it was more like a sonorous echo than a gentle creak.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered when he saw Nerissa sit up in bed. “I was trying not to wake either of you.”

  As if on cue, Desta snorted in her sleep and rolled over, taking a wad of blankets with her.