Reflection: Harbinger of the Phoenix (Records of the Ohanzee Book 2)

by Rachel R. Smith

  The clamor reached a climax, and a black horse burst out from the dense foliage in front of the wagon. The spooked animal was running heedlessly straight ahead in its panic. It crossed the road in a single stride, cutting through the gap between Rian and Eloc’s mounts and the horses pulling the wagon, before plunging headlong into the trees on the other side. The wagon lurched sideways as the hitched team threw back their heads, ears flattened and eyes rolling wildly. The reins were nearly ripped from Jarold’s hands, but somehow he managed to keep the frightened animals under control. Without a word of explanation, Eloc pressed his heels into his horse’s ribs and immediately took off after the runaway.

  “The horse had a saddle and bridle but no rider,” Rian said as he trotted back to join the group behind the wagon.

  Raysel lifted his head and sniffed the air. “Do you smell smoke?”

  “I do, actually. It’s starting to look a bit hazy in the direction the horse came from,” Nerissa agreed.

  Then, Nerissa thought she heard a voice. It was so faint that she started to think she had only imagined it. Then it came again—a distant cry for help. Before she could ask if Raysel had heard it too, he began issuing orders.

  “Desta, go to the front and stay with Jarold and Leal,” Raysel said. “Rian, Cole, Caeneus, let’s investigate.” He nudged Borak into motion, heading into the trees where the startled horse had emerged.

  Though the brush was too dense to move very quickly without risking injury to their own horses, a trail of trampled plants and snapped branches made the path the first horse had taken easy to follow. The farther they went, the thicker the smoke became. Nerissa thought that the cries for help would become louder as they drew closer to the source, but no more came. She braced herself for what the silence might mean.

  Just as the smoke had grown dense enough to make her eyes grow teary, Nerissa saw a small stone building within the haze. Fire was a hazard in any city, so she had seen several buildings on fire in Niamh, but she had never seen one produce this much smoke. Though there were no visible flames, thick clouds of white-gray smoke billowed out of the windows and doors and poured from a central chimney. That was odd. Chimneys were almost always built into an exterior wall. What was this strange, isolated building used for?

  Nerissa let go of the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Though the pleas for help had ceased, a woman’s voice could clearly be heard from within the building. Nerissa’s ears burned. Not from the smoke, but from the stream of unrepeatable utterances that the woman was yelling.

  “Caeneus, stay outside for now,” Raysel said. He jumped down and led Borak toward a hitching post a short distance away. On the ground beneath the post was a broken piece of rope. The runaway horse must have been tied up there.

  There was no time to waste arguing and no point in it either. Nerissa understood why the Heiress of Chiyo should not run into a burning building. “Everyone hand me your reins. I’ll take care of the horses,” she said.

  Raysel tossed Borak’s reins to her and said nothing more before disappearing into the building. Rian and Cole did the same, dashing in a few steps behind Raysel. Nerissa tied up the horses and turned back to the building, focusing her thoughts on the fire being extinguished as quickly as possible. She subconsciously grasped the fire-fire crystal pendant that Raysel had given her and let the warmth of the stone comfort her as she waited.

  **************************************

  Water splashed over Raysel’s shoes as he crossed the threshold. Unnaturally red flames licked up from several broken bottles, which were scattered across the top of a long, stone workbench that stood in the middle of the room. There was a metallic clang as Raysel’s foot connected with one of the numerous buckets that littered the narrow aisle between the workbench and a row of storage cabinets. The woman must have tried pouring water on the fire to put it out and then hastily cast the empty buckets aside.

  Eyes watering, Raysel pulled the fabric of his shirt up to cover his mouth and nose. “Hello? We’ve come to help!”

  “I’m over here!” came the woman’s reply, followed by another loud, slapping sound. “This support pillar is on fire!”

  As he drew closer, Raysel could see that she was using a sodden blanket in an attempt to smother flames that were creeping up one of the wooden posts that held up the rafters.

  “We’ll grab the buckets and start hauling in water,” Raysel shouted.

  “Please hurry!” was the woman’s response.

  Surprisingly, it barely took the five of them a few minutes to put out the fire. They had formed a human chain to pass buckets from a nearby water pump to the interior of the building. The flames extinguished almost as though they would have burned out shortly on their own. Nerissa’s arms ached from the repetitive motion of pumping water. The pendant felt oddly hot against her skin as beads of sweat rolled between it and the cloth wrapping she used to bind her chest. Her lungs were grateful that the smoke was beginning to dissipate.

  Nerissa was not the only one relieved to be breathing fresh air. The woman they had rescued was doubled over, leaning on the water pump for support and gulping like a person who had nearly drowned. She dropped to the ground and peeled off the odd-looking goggles she had been wearing. A red-lined imprint ringed her eyes, vaguely resembling the mask of a raccoon. Now that she had removed the goggles, Nerissa could see that she and the woman were actually close in age.

  “It seems I owe you a great debt of gratitude. I don’t think I could have put out the fire by myself. It was continually getting worse until you got here,” the young woman said. She coughed again, then patted the bun in her hair before starting to unbutton her soaked shirt. Noticing Nerissa’s startled expression, she laughed.

  “Don’t look so scandalized. This is a jacket I wear to keep my clothes clean while I’m working,” she said. The jacket dropped off her shoulders to reveal the intricate—and low-cut—neckline of a pink silk blouse. She plucked dolefully at the wet fabric, and said, “I’m afraid this shirt is probably ruined now. Oh well, I’ll just make another.”

  She coughed again and looked up at the shocked expressions of her four speechless rescuers. A smoldering smile spread across her lips. She’s enjoying being stared at! Nerissa realized. She found herself taking an immediate dislike to the brazen hussy.

  “My name is Darci. What are your names? I’d like to thank you properly, but saying ‘Thank you, stranger’ seems insincere.”

  Raysel rubbed his eyes with the back of a sooty hand. “I am Raysel, and this is Rian, Caeneus, and Cole,” he answered, indicating each person in turn.

  “Hellooo there,” Cole cooed, waggling his fingers.

  Darci reached up and grasped the top of the water pump to pull herself to her feet while regarding Cole with one brow raised. “Aren’t you cute,” she said lightly.

  Cole’s face fell. “Cute?” he mumbled.

  “Well, Raysel, I’m lucky that you and your friends came by when you did. How did you even find this place?” Darci asked. She pulled out the pins that held her bun in place and shook her head. Damp blonde hair dropped to her shoulders. Nerissa did a double take. The last few inches at the ends of her hair really were colored pink.

  “Your horse ran by us as we were traveling on one of the nearby roads,” Raysel explained. “We saw the smoke after that and heard you call for help.”

  Darci’s head jerked toward the hitching post, only now realizing the horse was missing. “Oh no! Poor Midnight. The explosion must have scared him. I hope he didn’t get hurt.”

  “Don’t worry, my brother went after him. I’m sure he’ll be able to bring Midnight back,” Cole said, eager to please.

  Rian snorted and folded his arms across his chest. “More importantly—there was an explosion? Is that what caused the fire?”

  “It was caused by a combination of my own careless mistakes,” Darci said. “I was testing new powder combinations and foolishly mixed stink powder in with, well, the exact details re
ally aren’t important to you. That’s how the explosion happened. I should have labeled the containers, but I was in a hurry. I left the jar of saltpeter in my workspace instead of putting it away after I finished with it. When the explosion happened, that bottle cracked, along with the ones containing other test mixtures, and the powders inside caught on fire too.” She waved limply at the still smoky building. “That’s what I get for taking shortcuts—months of research literally going up in smoke. I suppose I should just be grateful I didn’t lose a finger.”

  Nerissa suddenly understood how Charis must have felt when she started rattling off theories about how crystals worked. “What kind of work are you doing here?” she asked.

  Darci’s eyes narrowed. “I’d rather not say.”

  “I’d hate to think that we’ve assisted you in some kind of illegal activity,” Raysel said in a measured tone.

  Darci cast an imploring look around the group. “I am not doing anything illegal.” She pulled a small notebook from the waistband of her pants and held it up for them to see. “What I am doing is carrying on my mother’s research. She died in an explosion. My father declared the work to be too dangerous and banned its continuation. I don’t think that is what my mother would have wanted. I also do not wish for her efforts to have been in vain, so I decided to carry on in secret.

  “My father is Akkub, the Governor of Silvus Province. I fully intend to express my gratitude for your help, and I have ample means to do so, but you must agree not to tell anyone what you saw here today.”

  Darci was Akkub’s daughter? The realization made Raysel pause and carefully consider how to reply. Finally, he said, “We are working as merchants’ guards as our patrons travel Chiyo seeking and selling antiques and collectibles. It would hardly be good for business to offend the daughter of the governor of an entire province. We will keep your secret. There is no need for compensation.”

  “I appreciate the sentiment,” Darci replied. “However, I insist on expressing my gratitude in some way. Were it not for your help today, I would have lost my workshop and all of my supplies. It could have set back my research for months—if not longer.”

  There was a rustling nearby, and Eloc emerged from the trees leading two horses. One was his chestnut gelding, and the other was a sleek black stallion.

  “Midnight!” Darci exclaimed. She hurried over and took the reins from Eloc, then began checking the horse for injuries.

  “Hellooo there,” Eloc cooed.

  “Oh, you’re twins in appearance and behavior. That’s even cuter,” Darci said flippantly without looking up from her inspection of Midnight’s leg.

  Eloc’s face fell, and he shot a quizzical glance at his brother. Cole shrugged his shoulders innocently. Eloc sighed, wondering what Cole had done this time. “I checked the horse before I brought him back. He seems to be fine, despite his excursion through the woods,” he said.

  “Thank you for bringing him back to me. It seems that I owe you yet another favor,” Darci said as she climbed into the saddle.

  She sat for a moment, head tilted to the side in thought, before speaking again. “I am confident that your patrons would appreciate having an introduction to the wealthiest citizens and businessmen in Silvus. My father is having a dinner party with many such people two evenings from now. It would normally take quite some time for a traveling antiques merchant to get an appointment with them—if they would be willing to do business with them at all. But I’m sure they could find time in their schedules to meet with any businessman who has an association with the Governor.

  “However, it would not be a proper expression of my gratitude for your efforts if your patrons were the only one to benefit. I can extend invitations to each of you as well so that you can attend as my personal guests. Would a decadent meal and an evening of entertainment be a fitting reward?”

  Raysel knew it would be foolish to turn down an opportunity like that before giving it full consideration. “We would have to discuss this with our patrons, of course, but they are shrewd businessmen. I doubt they would turn down such an opportunity, but I can’t speak for them. Unfortunately, we guardsmen have nothing to wear but traveling clothes, which would be unfit for a dinner party like the one you describe,” he answered.

  A gleam appeared in Darci’s eyes. “Then this will be even more fun than I thought. If you need clothing, there is no better person in Silvus to talk to. I will provide formal attire for you—no charge. If your patrons wish to attend, tell them to send these adorable twins to the shop called The Sparkling Sky Flower later this evening to pick up an invitation.”

  Chapter 14

  The Sparkling Sky Flower

  Later that evening, the group sat in a private dining room at one of the numerous mid-sized inns in Silvus. Curls of steam rose from the plate in front of Nerissa, and the aroma of roasted chicken and autumn vegetables filled the room. Despite the enticing scent, Nerissa wrinkled her nose as she regarded her plate. At least the green beans looked appealing.

  “Will attending the Governor’s dinner party really be the most efficient use of our time?” Leal asked from his seat against the door. The private dining room was at the end of a long hallway, but that alone wasn’t enough to ensure that there would be no eavesdroppers. Positioning someone outside the door would draw unwanted attention, so Leal balanced his dinner on his lap and kept an attentive ear from the inside instead.

  “I think that Darci had a valid point,” Nerissa answered. “Making connections with the most influential business owners in Silvus will facilitate our interactions with them, both when making inquiries about their inventory and when negotiating prices.” She pushed the chunks of roasted pumpkin off to the side of her plate and began to scrape the gravy off her chicken.

  “Yes, but we aren’t really merchants, Caeneus,” Jarold said as he speared a forkful of green beans. “Establishing good relationships isn’t necessarily going to make it any easier to find the book. The first two books were part of personal collections. It stands to reason that the other books are also privately owned.”

  Cole swatted his brother’s fork away with his free hand, thwarting Eloc’s attempt to steal his last chunk of pumpkin. “The prophecy even refers to an heirloom hidden among the leaves. That clue was the reason why we came directly to this province instead of stopping to search other towns along the way. If the book is someone’s keepsake, then the merchants won’t be able to help us,” he said.

  “Still, merchants have a knack for acquiring valuable goods,” Rian argued. As he spoke, Eloc switched his fork to his left hand and snaked it over in an attempt to spear a piece of pumpkin from Rian’s plate. “Even if the book is not part of their shop’s inventory, they should still be familiar with local collectors or others who own rare or valuable items. If one of them could point us in the right direction, it might save us a great deal of time and effort.”

  He turned to Eloc. “You could have just asked instead of being sneaky. I don’t like pumpkin, so I wasn’t going to eat that anyway.”

  Nerissa glanced across the table at Rian’s plate, and the corners of her lips began to curl upward. His green beans had already been eaten, and the pumpkin chunks were pushed as far to one side as they could be without falling off. Even as Eloc was scooping the pumpkin onto his own plate, Rian was busily scraping every trace of gravy from the top of his chicken.

  Raysel laid his fork down and took a drink of mulled cider before he spoke. “These are all valid points, but we do have another reason to attend the dinner party.”

  “What reason is that?” Jarold asked.

  “Four of the five Ohanzee informants in the city cut off relations with us after Akkub willingly submitted to Casimer’s request for allegiance. They feared the consequences to themselves and their families if they were outed as spies now that Akkub openly allied himself with Casimer. Hania said that the remaining informant is well positioned, but he has difficulty getting information in and out,” Raysel explained.

&
nbsp; “And we should interpret ‘well positioned’ to mean that he works for Akkub?” Eloc asked around a mouthful of pumpkin.

  “Exactly. He is employed as a footman in the Governor’s Mansion. We need to check in with him to see if the Chiefs have figured out anything about the cure that is referred to in the first part of the prophecy,” Raysel said. “Attending the party will make it much easier to make contact with him.”

  “Then we should definitely send the twins to get our invitation tonight,” Jarold said as he folded his napkin and laid it on the table beside his empty plate.

  Raysel nodded. “Yes. It is a rather convenient coincidence. However, we will need to be on our toes. Here in Silvus, the Senka could be anyone, anywhere.”

  “Shh,” Leal whispered from the door. “Someone is coming.”

  There was a knock a moment later, and Leal opened the door to admit a serving maid carrying a tray. Her long, blonde braid swished as she walked to the table and passed a steaming bowl of cherry cobbler to each person. Nerissa eagerly dipped her spoon into the sweet goo.

  “My favorite!” she and Rian exclaimed at almost the same time.

  **************************************

  Every single shopfront in the downtown area of Silvus was covered in elaborate decorations and flashy signs. Desta gawped at the shops as they passed, oohing and aahing with each step. Giant scissors hung in front of a barber shop. The two-story bakery was decorated to resemble an iced cake, complete with faux strawberries on the roof. A farmer’s stand even had someone dressed as an ear of corn dancing in the street and juggling apples. But when they reached The Sparkling Sky Flower, even Nerissa stared up at the building in awe.

  The exterior was a pale blue color and embedded with glass flecks so that it glittered in the morning sunlight. White clouds had been painted across the front to resemble the sky. Along every window, eave, and downspout, curtains of flowers overflowed from hanging baskets. It was gaudy, audacious, and strangely beautiful at the same time.