Roh’s skin went cold. Although she knew what her mother stood accused of, what she carried her sentence out for, she had never stopped to question whose lives Cerys had impacted. If it was true, it was too ugly. If the Haertels owed her mother a death debt, then her mother had … killed a member of the Haertel family.
‘You’re just getting desperate now,’ Roh heard herself say, her voice icy.
‘Am I?’ Finn smirked. ‘You know nothing, isruhe. And you are nothing. That fear you have, that you’ll never understand it all? It’ll consume you. And I’ll be here, waiting and watching with joy when it does.’
All her life, Roh had been the source of disdain and dislike for the cyrens around her. Her very presence offended some. However, not until she had come face to face with Finn Haertel had she known such raw loathing. To be the subject of uncontained hatred made her feel dirty, as though something tainted her very skin. Roh kept her face neutral as, with a final sly smile, Finn turned on his heel and strode back into Saddoriel, his words clinging to her like a poison.
She looked down to find her hands shaking. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she asked Odi, ‘What do you call the Finn Haertels of your realm?’
Odi wrinkled his nose as he watched Finn cross the entrance and disappear into the Great Hall. ‘We call them “highborn pricks”,’ he said.
Roh felt the tension dissipate from her shoulders and she released an unexpected bubble of laughter. Odi grinned back.
Adjusting the pack on her shoulders, Roh motioned for Odi to walk ahead, and together, they passed beneath the archway of bones.
Chapter Fourteen
Along the path before Roh and Odi, gnarled roots crept through the surface of the earth. They grew up the walls and even across the top of the tunnel, thick, dark and knotted. She heard Odi stumble beside her, an imaginative curse echoing down the tunnel as he caught himself before he landed face-first. Roh put her hand to the wall, running tentative fingers across the rough surface, feeling the ridges and patterns. The wet ground beneath their boots became puddles, wider and deeper the further they walked. A few moments later, it made sense.
The passageway opened up into a prolific water forest. All manner of enchanted trees, shrubs and kelp sprouted from the water-covered ground, filling the space with rich greens and blues. It stretched on as far as Roh could see. She inhaled deeply, savouring the cool, soothing sensation inside her chest. It was the freshest air she’d ever breathed.
‘I don’t remember seeing this on my way in,’ Odi murmured in awe.
Roh frowned. She hadn’t gone the wrong way – it was impossible. Her inner compass pointed her south, and she knew in her very bones that they were in the right place. Her attention went to the shell token poking out from Odi’s shirt laces.
‘Take that off for a moment,’ she said.
Odi grasped the token protectively. ‘Not a chance.’
Roh rolled her eyes. ‘I’m here, what do you think I’m going to let happen to you? I need you, remember?’
‘You said to never take it off.’
‘And you shouldn’t, unless I say.’
‘That’s awfully convenient.’
‘For Dresmis and Thera’s sakes, just do it.’
To her surprise, Odi obliged, pulling the leather cord over his head and pressing the token into her palm.
He gasped. ‘What in the …?’
‘You can’t see it?’ Roh guessed.
Odi shook his head, mouth agape in astonishment. ‘I … I don’t …’
‘What do you see?’
‘Darkness,’ he told her. ‘It’s dark and eerie. And … and I hear my stepbrothers again.’ Odi took a step back in the direction of Saddoriel, and another. His eyes glazed over, as though he were in a trance.
Roh flung the shell token over his head and he stopped abruptly.
‘What …?’ Odi blinked.
‘The lure of the lair,’ Roh said, waving her hand casually towards Saddoriel.
‘That’s …’
‘Impressive?’
‘I was going to say horrifying.’
Grimacing at the water soaking through her boots, Roh led them into the water forest, careful to keep her torch away from the foliage. A quiet yearning thrummed amongst the silent trees. There was something sacred about being surrounded by so many, especially here in the outskirts of Talon’s Reach. Each tree was its own, with unique veins and scars in its skin and bark, rich verdant leaves fanning out in the branches above. Long fronds of grass swayed in the rippling waters around the bases of the trunks: a silent guard. This forest was ancient, created by ancient magic. Roh felt it in her bones as a phantom wind rustled the foliage around them and the water swirled at her ankles. It seemed to know her, to beckon her into its embrace. She and Odi marvelled at the beauty of it, at the wide boles wrapped in vibrant emerald vines and carpeted in pale moss that resembled tiny icicles. Roh didn’t know how she knew – she just did: this was one of the original lungs of Saddoriel, an enchanted forest that provided the passageways and the lair with clean air to breathe —
A near-deafening rumble shook Talon’s Reach, rattling the entire forest and creating small waves in the water around them. Roh clutched the nearest tree for support, the rough tremor causing her knees to buckle. Somewhere far away, a muted screech filled the air, creating another spasm, the vibration so turbulent Roh bit her tongue. The quake stopped as abruptly as it had begun, though the water still surged, cresting at the mercy of an unnatural tide.
‘What was that?’ Odi asked, eyes wide as he surveyed the forest.
Tasting blood, Roh released her grip on the tree, her skin crawling and her stomach churning with unease. ‘I can’t be sure,’ she told Odi. But she remembered the violent tremor that had occurred during the first trial. They had been close to the sea then, too … The image of the veil of water, the sea portal, was clear in her mind; she had no doubt they were near something similar now. Which meant that all manner of creatures lurked just beyond. Elongated reef dwellers with poisonous tentacles, giant piranha with razor fangs … But there was only one creature large enough, only one monster connected so strongly to the sea’s magic that it could make such an impact on the lair. Yet it couldn’t be …
Roh’s fear must have been etched plainly on her face.
‘Roh?’ Odi’s voice sounded from beside her, echoing down the passageway. ‘Are you alright?’
It was ludicrous to her that this human, whom she had only known for a matter of weeks, was suddenly in tune with whatever storm of emotion stirred beneath her skin. She had always thought she masked it well.
‘Because if you’re, you know, not fine, that’s okay,’ Odi continued, his voice carrying through the tunnel.
Roh sighed, turning the torch towards him, the earnestness shining in his eyes. She chewed her lower lip. When was the last time she’d confided in someone? Truly? Not even Harlyn and Orson knew all her secrets, not now. And Ames? There was no way he understood her the way she wanted, the way she needed. But here, in the dark outskirts of Talon’s Reach, perhaps her secrets could be safe? Something caused her to falter, however, to keep her secrets hidden.
I’m not ready, she told herself.
After a time, the water level receded and the forest thinned out, narrowing into a dark passageway once more. Roh led them through the tunnels, each one whispering unique magic, offering a singular presence, which made navigating their twists and turns as easy as breathing. Odi looked perplexed but followed her dutifully, never questioning. The music of the lair had long since ceased, and although Roh felt its absence keenly, she was used to operating without it; she had done so all her life.
The silence between her and Odi was comfortable, and yet Roh couldn’t bear it, for it left her alone with her thoughts, fed by the darkness around them. Roh’s mind flitted from death debts and sea serpents to Cerys and the etchings on her cell walls, each thought spiralling down into the next until they became obsessive, leaving her to imagi
ne what the Tome of Kyeos might look like, locked away in the Vault.
‘Where are you from?’ she heard herself say, her voice hoarse. She had to get out of her own head, to focus on something other than every tiny detail of hurt in her mind. She had asked this once before and hadn’t cared much for the answer. Things were different now.
If Odi was surprised by her question, he didn’t show it. ‘A place called the Isle of Dusan.’
Unsurprisingly, Roh had never heard of it. ‘What’s it like there?’
As though sensing she needed a distraction, Odi told her. ‘It’s a group of small islands just off the south-east coast of the mainland. Three islands, actually, best known for their chalk-white cliffs and verdant grasslands. It’s small, with very few people, but beautiful. My father and I have lived there our whole lives.’
‘And what of your mother?’
‘She died of the plague when I was young. My father remarried a few years later, but his wife doesn’t like me much.’
‘And she has sons?’
Odi nodded. ‘Yes. My stepbrothers. I can’t say they like me much, either.’
‘Why not?’
‘They didn’t need another brother.’ Odi shrugged.
Roh found herself scowling. ‘They’re unkind to you?’
‘Not exactly.’ He kept his gaze forward.
So, he has his secrets, too.
Roh could take a hint. ‘This … Isle of Dusan? That’s where we’re going now?’
‘Yes, that’s where my father’s shop is. People come from all over the realms to see him.’
Following the tug of her inner compass, Roh took the next left turn. Some sort of yelp sounded in the distance. She stopped in her tracks. ‘What was that?’
Odi frowned. ‘Sounded like a dog barking, to me.’
‘A what?’
‘A dog.’
Roh stared at him blankly.
‘It’s … an animal. Humans have them as pets sometimes.’
Roh shook her head. ‘There’s nothing like that down here. Must be another trick of the lair.’
‘If you say so.’ Odi shrugged, toying with his shell token.
When Roh’s legs became too heavy to lift, she granted them a rest stop. It felt incredibly exposed to break bread in the middle of a passageway, but there was no other option. They sat on the tails of their cloaks on the wet ground and ate.
‘What do you think the next trial will be?’ Odi asked, picking at the cured meat.
‘You mean if we make it through this one?’
Odi smiled. ‘I mean if we make it through this one.’
Roh sighed heavily. ‘I have no idea.’
‘None?’
She shook her head. ‘This is the first tournament that’s occurred in my lifetime. I only know what Ames has told us of the previous ones, and from what I understand, they never repeat a trial. For every tournament, they come up with new tasks.’
‘So it could be anything?’
‘Anything.’
Odi tore at a piece of flatbread but didn’t eat it. ‘Are you scared?’ he asked.
Roh hesitated before she said her next words. ‘I think part of me is always scared.’
‘Of what?’
She had never admitted that to anyone, not even Harlyn and Orson. ‘That … I’ll never be more than what I am. And I want … so badly to be so much more.’
Odi didn’t say anything, as though he knew there was no comfort to be found in words of reassurance. Roh only ever found comfort in action, in taking a tangible step closer to her goals. Those steps had led her here, to the outskirts of Talon’s Reach with a human whom she was about to set loose from captivity. Slowly, her old doubts crept back in and once more caused her stomach to churn with nerves.
‘You speak of the third trial as if you’ll be here for it,’ she said as casually as she could. ‘How do I know you’ll come back?’
‘I thought we went over this.’
‘Let’s go over it again.’
Odi shook his head and bit into the piece of flatbread he’d been nursing.
What if once they were in the human realms, he ran off? What if she lost him? She needed some sort of reassurance, some guarantee that he’d stay with her. So Roh stared pointedly at his protective token. ‘That’ll wear off, you know.’
‘What?’
‘Once you’re outside Talon’s Reach, it’ll wear off. And you’ll still wind up right back where you started. You’ve heard the lure of the lair now. It will always call to you.’
‘What are you talking about?’ he asked.
Roh shrugged. ‘Once your token’s enchantment wears thin, it’ll draw you back in, only the next time, if I’m not there to protect you, you’ll be at the mercy of the cyrens for real.’
Odi lowered his gaze to the shell grasped between his fingers, as though if he stared hard enough, the token would reveal its secrets.
Roh stood, shouldered her pack and started down the passageway once more.
The tunnels in the outskirts of Talon’s Reach were the worst places Roh had ever slept. It was cold and wet, and the constant drip, drip, dripping of the walls drove her to near insanity. Her dreams were plagued by mask drawings and Estin Ruhne and Finn Haertel’s words, and the screeches of deadly sea creatures.
You know nothing, isruhe. And you are nothing. She tossed and turned as the voice washed over her again and again. Each time she awoke, Roh berated herself for letting the highborn bastard get inside her head and then steeled herself with determination to prove him wrong. To discover the truth. To beat him in the tournament. More than that, she wanted to rule over him. See how he’d like it once she was queen. Once she had unthinkable power. Once people were cheering her name. Though, her darker dreams spun a different reality. One where Finn won the tournament, cementing his place at the top, where he would lord it above the rest. Where Roh the bone cleaner, the murderess’ daughter, would slink back to the workshop in shame, where she’d spend her eternity.
In their waking hours, Roh made a point of glancing at Odi’s token whenever she could. As they drew closer to the human realms, she wanted him as nervous as possible about his fate with the cyrens. In the human realms, Roh herself would be at a disadvantage, and she couldn’t have Odi using that to escape. She needed him to return with her and she would say anything, do anything, to ensure that he did so.
The lair was vaster than she’d ever imagined. They passed more water forests, glowing coral trails, glistening blue pools and marshlands. Roh kept to her inner compass, knowing that the various offshoots and prettier passageways were designed first and foremost to ensnare prey. There was no knowing what they might encounter in these parts of Talon’s Reach, be it beast or enchantment. Although she was used to a lack of privacy with Odi by now, having to find an empty alcove and announce when she needed to relieve herself was mortifying.
Not long after their second night in the tunnels, the terrain began to incline, subtly at first, but then Roh’s thighs and calves began to burn. Before long, she was sweating and swearing as her muscles strained beneath the arduous ascent. It felt as though this part of the trek would go on forever, but just as she was considering packing in her pride and taking a break, the air changed. It was crisper, fresher. And then, she saw a beam of sunlight. She nearly stopped in her tracks.
Sunlight. Real sunlight. Not the cavernous ceilings of the lair enchanted to mimic the outside realms. The pale-gold shaft of light was real. But Roh kept her awe to herself as they made their way to the top of the incline. There, the tunnel opened up to a vibrant woodland area. A strange sensation filled her as the air from the outside realms swept into the passage. Fear entwined with a yearning to explore the beyond. A place that didn’t involve the workshop and its barrels of bones. A world that had real sunlight and moonlight. A realm that didn’t deprive its inhabitants of music. A whole other realm of possibilities just out of her reach from the very tunnel in which she stood. Her inner compass spun uncontro
llably, unable to point steadily as the glade just outside Talon’s Reach beckoned to her.
She made to step into the light and froze. Her foot wouldn’t budge from where it was suspended over the ground. She tried again.
Nothing happened. She couldn’t leave the passage. Something ancient whispered in her veins, telling her she was bound to Saddoriel by the tournament, or was it more than that? She turned to Odi, terror forming a thick lump in her throat. This was the biggest risk she’d ever taken in her life, perhaps the stupidest thing she’d ever do: setting a captured human loose and expecting him to return.
‘You’ll be gone the better part of the day?’ she heard herself say, her voice steadier than she felt.
Odi gaped openly. ‘You’re not coming?’
Roh wanted to tell him that she couldn’t. That there was some sort of force physically stopping her from leaving that damn cave. Instead, she just shook her head.
Odi’s fingers still toyed with his token. ‘I know where everything is. I’ll be as fast as I can.’
With difficulty, Roh swallowed. She opened her mouth to call out to him as he stepped out into the woodland, her instinct to threaten him again, but she didn’t. She watched him go, and prayed with everything she had that he would come back.
Chapter Fifteen
On the threshold between her realm and Odi’s, Roh settled against the cool, damp wall of the tunnel and began the long wait. Nerves pricked holes at her insides as she wondered whether or not he’d return. Had she instilled enough fear in him? Or did he have some strange sense of loyalty to her after all they’d been through thus far? There was no way of knowing; only time, stretching, unending time, would tell.
Roh sighed and stared outwards in quiet fascination, watching the colourful woodland from afar. Tiny birds with vibrant yellow beneath their wings flitted about in the shrubbery, performing an erratic dance with one another. Larger birds called from above, swooping with the utmost grace to the forest floor to snatch insects from the leaf litter. When they had had their fill and ceased their dives, rabbits poked their heads from burrows beneath sage-green bushes, standing up on their hind legs, ears pricked, listening for predators.
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