“I’m grateful for your help, but I have to wonder why you are working so hard to sabotage your uncle. It seems like he has been very good to you and your mother.”
Amon laughed darkly. “While I’m sure it must appear that way on the surface, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Years ago, Casimer orchestrated an ‘accident’ that led to my father’s death. I’m sure you can understand how such a thing can motivate you to seek retribution—even if your revenge isn’t achieved through overt means.”
There was no hesitation before Nerissa nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Prior to his death, my father was a member of this organization. Like the Ohanzee and the Senka, the Revenant operates with the utmost secrecy, influencing events from the shadows.”
“You call yourselves the Revenant?” Nerissa asked.
“Our group has no formal name. Since a group with no name is harder to trace, the members intentionally never gave it one. I choose to refer to it as the Revenant because I am carrying on my father’s role in spirit.”
“And you saw no reason to share with me that you’re one of the leaders of a secret organization?” Charis interjected.
“I alluded to it. I specifically said that I couldn’t tell you the whole truth, and I hoped that you would trust me anyway. That was far more forthright than your lies! You said that you didn’t know why the Ohanzee wanted books with crystals embedded in their spines. Yet you had no trouble at all explaining what the glowing crystal meant.”
Charis gnawed nervously on the tip of her fingernail, and her mind raced while she tried to think of a suitable defense, but Amon wasn’t quite finished.
“On top of that—you said you gave the book to a member of the Ohanzee when you actually gave it to Nerissa. She’s not one of the Ohanzee; she’s the Heiress of Chiyo!”
Nerissa raised one finger, silencing Amon with a single gesture. “She wasn’t lying about that. I am one of the Ohanzee. Also, I’m not the Heiress of Chiyo anymore. I’m the uncrowned Blood of Chiyo.”
“Merely a technicality,” Amon snapped. “Intentionally misleading me about such an important detail was as much of an offense—if not more of one—than my omission of the Revenant.”
Charis stared in disbelief as Nerissa considered this briefly and then nodded in agreement. So much for her support!
Charis lifted her chin defiantly. “I alluded to it, too,” she replied, throwing his own words back at him.
“And just how did you do that?”
“I told you multiple times that I gave the book to my friend,” Charis retorted. “That wasn’t a lie. Nerissa is both one of the Ohanzee and my friend. She’s keeping her identity a secret, so I couldn’t tell you the whole truth. Like you said to Thea earlier, it wasn’t my secret to tell.”
Nerissa waved her hands in the air, and a wry smile played across her lips. “Now, now. I don’t want to be the cause of a lover’s spat. From the sound of it, neither one of you were telling the whole truth, and you both had legitimate reasons not to.”
“We’re not lovers!” Charis and Amon exclaimed in unison.
At that exact moment, Thea burst into the room. “Amon, there’s someone at the front door, and he’s adamant that he must speak to you now.”
“So I hear,” Amon scoffed as an insistent pounding echoed up the stairway. Apparently, their visitor was not waiting patiently to be let in. “Who is it that claims to have such urgent business with me?”
“It’s the young man who walked Charis home last night.”
Chapter 11
A New Discovery
Nerissa
Nerissa jumped to her feet with an exclamation on her tongue, which she stifled at the last second upon the realization that she still wasn’t wearing her choker. After being so careful not to be overheard when Thea was in the room earlier, that one thoughtless action could have squandered her efforts. It had been necessary to reveal her identity to Amon, but no matter how gladdened she was by Raysel’s unexpected arrival, it was not necessary for Thea to know there was anything more to Caeneus than what she could see. The question was—how was she going to put the necklace back on without calling Thea’s attention to the action?
“Raysel is here?” Charis asked a second later, prompting Nerissa to silently thank her for giving voice to the sentiments she’d been unable to express. She could always count on Charis’ support—whether Charis knew she was giving it or not.
Winded from her dash up the stairs, she braced her hands on her knees and bent double to catch her breath before answering. “I didn’t take the time to ask his name,” she rasped. “When I told him we were no longer accepting visitors tonight, he tried to push his way in! I managed to close the door on him, but there was such a narrow margin I think I may have smacked him in the face with it.”
“You did well,” Amon said soothingly. He took her by the elbow and guided her to a chair near the fire.
While their backs were turned, Nerissa seized the opportunity to fish her choker out of the pocket of her cloak and surreptitiously clasped it around her neck once again. “I’ll go let him in so that Thea can rest,” she said as she slid Harbinger back into her sash.
She had taken no more than a few steps when Amon called out, “Stop!”
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Raysel is my guardian. He’s completely trustworthy. There’s no reason not to let him in.”
“The issue isn’t his trustworthiness. The Senka were right on your heels earlier tonight. It’s not unreasonable to think they may have followed him here. I had little difficulty following him last night. I’m sure it would be an easier task for the Senka.” He looked down at Thea, the tender expression on his face making his concern for the elderly woman clear. “If the Senka suspected I had connections to the Ohanzee, it would endanger more than my own wellbeing. I refuse to put innocent lives at risk.”
Nerissa empathized with his reasoning. She didn’t want to achieve her goals at the cost of innocent lives either. And yet, even though she and Amon shared the same sentiments, the current circumstances put them at odds with one another. “If there is a chance that Raysel was followed by the Senka, then remaining outside alone will put him in danger. That is a risk I refuse to take.”
“You said Raysel is your guardian, right? Do you think he would want you marching out into danger with him?” Amon countered.
Well played, Nerissa thought. He had a point, but she suspected that admitting it out loud would be akin to agreeing to leave Raysel outside. Still, she had to come up with some response to his argument or her silence would likewise be perceived as acceptance.
Just then another thunderous onslaught resounded from below.
Charis had to raise her voice to be heard over the cacophony. “I think it’s a bit late for subtlety, don’t you? If you leave him on the stoop, he’s going to call more attention to himself. He clearly has no intention to leave voluntarily.”
Nerissa gave Charis a grateful look. “You’re right.”
Amon muttered a curse under his breath. He was backed into a corner and he knew it. “Fine. But let’s at least exercise some caution. If he can bang on the door that vigorously, he’s not in any immediate danger.” His tone made it plain he was unhappy with the situation. “Thea, stay here and rest while we let him in.”
Not wanting to give him time to change his mind, Nerissa bounded down the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. Charis followed shortly behind with a reluctant Amon in tow.
“I’m going into the parlor to take a look outside. I want to see what is going on before we open the door,” Amon said, pointing through an open doorway into a room where a couch was oriented immediately beneath a wide window. A set of decorative pillows carefully stacked on the floor nearby hinted that Thea must have been using the same spot to keep vigil earlier.
Amon knelt on the cushions and eased back the heavy drapes far enough to be able to peer between them with one eye. “Good. There are fewer people out tonigh
t than usual. I suppose that shouldn’t be surprising since this is the last night of the festival. Most everyone will be in the central square until late,” he said. Then he groaned. “Well, isn’t that my luck? Nary a soul in sight, except for the housemaid who works across the street and another of the family’s servants. Of all people, why would it have to be her? That girl’s tongue wags more than a dog’s tail at the sight of a bone.”
Nerissa might have chuckled at the colorful analogy if the situation weren’t so tense.
Amon let the drapes fall back into place and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “There may be a way we can use her vice to our advantage,” he said a moment later. “Charis, you should be the one to open the door. When you do, you need to accuse him of being drunk. It won’t be an outlandish claim. Half of the people at the festival will be thoroughly intoxicated by this time of night.”
“What is that supposed to accomplish?” Nerissa asked. “Although I don’t know why Raysel came here, I do know he’s completely sober. The only thing he had to drink tonight was coffee.”
“You know that. I know that. We all know that—but an outsider doesn’t. Even if Raysel insists he hasn’t been drinking, it will simply sound like the protests of one who won’t admit they’ve imbibed too much. Whether or not he was followed by the Senka, at the very least, our neighbor’s overly observant house staff will be watching everything as it plays out. While I can’t change that, I can alter the perception of who he is and why he is here. It's always easiest to convince people of things they wish to believe. By having Charis open the door, we’ll manipulate the situation such that the maid sees exactly what she wants—a delicious morsel of gossip.”
Nerissa found herself nodding in agreement. “That’s a clever tactic.”
Amon shrugged away the compliment. “It’s not entirely for Raysel’s benefit. The ruse also gives me plausible deniability. As long as the maids don’t see me, I can claim to be entirely ignorant of the event. Everyone at court knows I’m staying with my mother right now. If word of Raysel’s visit gets back to my uncle, I can say I was letting Charis stay at the house was a favor to my advisor—the University President. He would find nothing suspicious about that.”
“So I’m nothing more to you than your advisor’s daughter?” Charis’ tone was so frosty Nerissa wouldn’t have been surprised to see icicles forming in the room.
“I’ll say anything I need to if it keeps those I care about safe,” Amon said pointedly. Charis’ unchanged expression indicated she’d missed the subtle implication that she was one of the people Amon cared about, but Nerissa didn’t.
“I am glad you’re on our side and not Casimer’s,” Nerissa said, and she sincerely meant it.
“Rest assured, my uncle has men on his side who are more clever than I am,” Amon warned. He grimaced as another outburst of banging began. “Now, let’s get Raysel inside before his incessant knocking wears a hole in my door.”
Charis nibbled on the tip of one fingernail, her gaze bouncing between Amon and the door. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be the one to play this charade. Why not have Thea do it? You both know I’m a terrible liar. I’ll never be able to pull this off.”
“It’s true,” Nerissa concurred. “You should know that, Amon.”
Amon climbed off the couch and motioned for Nerissa to take his place. “You may not be a good liar, Charis, but I’m an excellent one.” He sidled up against the wall beside the front door so that he would remain out of sight once it was opened. “All you need to do is repeat what I tell you to say. First, tell him to stop knocking or else he’s liable to accidentally hit you instead of the door.”
Despite looking uneasy, Charis said, “I’ll do my best.” After receiving an encouraging nod from Nerissa, she faced the door, scrunched up her nose, drew in a deep breath, and straightened her shoulders. “Stop knocking already,” she shouted. “I’m going to open the door.”
The knocking immediately ceased.
Nerissa peeked out the window as Charis opened the door, and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Raysel. Though he was red-faced and huffing—whether from exertion or anger, she wasn’t sure—he didn’t have any visible injuries.
“You’re drunk!” Charis exclaimed loudly, just like Amon had instructed. She said it so loudly, in fact, her voice cracked slightly at the end.
“That was…good, now bring the volume down some,” Amon hissed. “We want the girls across the street to be able to hear you, not the whole town.”
As expected, Raysel’s first reaction was denial. “I’m not drunk,” he said, but his panting made the words sound as labored as a drunkard’s.
“That’s what they all say,” Amon whispered in response. “You smell like the inside of a tavern.”
“That’s what they all say,” Charis said to Raysel. “You smell like the inside of a tavern.”
“I told you, I’m not drunk,” Raysel argued. “I’m looking for—”
A high-pitched “ah-choo,” which sounded nothing like one of Charis’ sneezes, prevented him from finishing his sentence.
“E-e-excuse me,” Charis stuttered hastily to cover the awkward pause.
Raysel’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t sneeze. Who was that?” he asked, trying to peer around Charis into the house.
She quickly side-stepped to block his view. “It was me. The fact that you think otherwise is proof of how drunk you are.”
“Good improvisation,” Amon murmured.
Raysel stepped back and folded his arms across his chest in a stance Nerissa had seen many times before. It was the same one his father, Haku, took when he was irritated. “I already told the housekeeper I’m here to see Amon. It is urgent I speak to him.”
“You don’t know Amon. If you did, you would know he is currently staying with his mother in Nyx,” Amon mumbled while Charis parroted the words out loud.
He rushed on, not giving Raysel an opportunity to respond. “I told you last night was fun, but it was only for one night. I’m going back home tomorrow.”
The words themselves were perfectly innocuous, yet they could easily be interpreted as a reference to something beyond an innocent evening at the festival—especially by those who reveled in gossip and innuendo. Then again, that was probably why Amon had chosen that specific phrasing.
It definitely had the effect he was aiming for. Although Nerissa couldn’t see Charis’ face, her friend must have been thoroughly embarrassed. The tremble that crept into her voice as she repeated after him called even more attention to the statement’s indelicate implication. Across the street, the maids stopped dead in their tracks, staring. The hands they held over their mouths did nothing to hide their delighted grins.
Charis must have seen the maids’ reactions, too. Genuinely flustered, she shouted, “Enough of this! Come inside so that we don’t end up making a bigger scene.” And with that, she grabbed his arm and hauled him inside, slamming the door shut behind her.
“Charis, what is going on with you?” Nerissa heard a bewildered Raysel ask.
“I’m so sorry, Raysel!” Charis exclaimed. “I was repeating what Amon told me to say.”
Whatever response he was going to give fell away when Nerissa stepped through the arched doorway separating the two rooms. “I knew it! You are here. I’m so relieved you’re safe,” he said.
Nerissa’s brows furrowed in confusion. “You knew I was here?”
“Well, I knew you were with Amon. I just didn’t know where. This was the first place I could think to check,” Raysel answered. Then it was his turn to have furrowed brows. “You should know that already though. You were the one who told me you were with him.”
Amon cast a skeptical look over his shoulder while he locked and bolted the door. “I wasn’t serious before, but now I do think he is drunk.”
“Haven’t you said quite enough?” Charis muttered. Her face was so red it was difficult to tell where her skin stopped and her hairline started. The crimson h
ue had spread all the way to the tips of her ears.
Amon mouthed “sorry” and then went up the stairs, presumably to check on Thea.
“Raysel, how could I possibly have told you such a thing?” Nerissa asked. “We got separated by accident, and I didn’t figure out that Amon was the one who helped me escape until much later.” As soon as those words left her mouth, a series of events came to Nerissa’s mind. The moment she recognized Amon. Her wish to be able to tell the other Ohanzee that she was with him. And the flare of heat from the fire-fire pendant.
Raysel shook his head, and the strands of his dyed-blond hair that had come loose from their leather cord brushed across his shoulders with the movement. “I don’t know how you did it, but I do know what happened. The short version of the story is that I had a confrontation with the Senka who was following us. I was able to get him to leave by tricking him into taking my decoy book. Shortly afterward, while I was searching for you, my crystal felt warm and I heard your voice as clearly as if you were standing beside me. Since my pendant reacted, I thought you must have found out a way to use our crystals to communicate.”
“I think that might be exactly what happened,” Nerissa said. She went on to describe the events that had taken place in the storeroom, making sure to include how she’d revealed her true identity to Amon in order to secure his assistance.
“Does this mean you’ve devised a new crystal invention?” Charis asked, looking utterly flabbergasted. “Like one of Tao’s creations?”
Nerissa supposed the comparison to Tao’s inventions was natural. To anyone outside her group of traveling companions, the idea of actively using crystals would be unheard of. Even she and Raysel had been unaware of their own abilities until the incident in the cave in Rhea.
“As it turns out,” Nerissa said, “there’s more to the power of crystals. Tao’s creations involve twinning crystals with one another to perform specific tasks.”
“Like your choker and Tao’s lie detecting stones,” Charis said.
Reflection- Dragon's Bane Page 9