by Dannika Dark
“Or a skunk.”
Gem smiled and decided that talking about someone else wasn’t the best topic either. She couldn’t help but be curious about people’s private affairs, and sometimes that crossed the line of intrusion. But why on earth would Kira stay inside when they had all that land? Poor thing. Maybe her animal was defective in some way. In any case, she was thankful that Kira had dressed her in something more comfortable.
She bit into the greasy sausage and then wiped her fingers on the napkin. “Why didn’t Switch just carry me back to my room?”
Niko devoured an entire sausage as if his life depended on it. A month was a long time to go without food. “I wouldn’t allow it.”
Her eyebrows drew together. “Why not? I feel like I’m hogging up your space and privacy.”
“I’m indebted to you. Therefore, it’s only right that I personally see to your recovery.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I wish you wouldn’t keep saying that.” She ate a few tomato slices, wishing they had brought jelly for her bacon. “I thought I was going to die. I really did. The light was so intense and hot. I’ve never experienced anything so powerful in my life. It filled me up and burned like fire.”
“Are you ready to talk about what happened?”
Gem needed to backtrack. Niko didn’t know the whole story. “When you first fell unconscious, I tried to find a reversal spell. I really did. But translating a language takes time, and I hit a roadblock. I went back to Pawn of the Dead to see if I’d missed anything. That’s when I found another book, one that had all sorts of details in it—random details. If I had just flipped through it, I would have missed the important pages. But I meticulously combed through each one. Viktor had only given me a week, and I couldn’t afford to overlook anything.” Unable to sit still while recounting the facts, she set her plate back on the cart. “Then I found a passage describing a book like yours. I wasn’t sure if it would help, but then I saw the ouroboros symbol. That same symbol was inside your book, in case you didn’t know.”
Niko finished the food on his plate faster than she could track. He set the empty dish on the cart and started feeling around for something.
“What are you looking for?”
“Napkins. Never mind. Please continue.”
Gem leaned over and grabbed a cloth napkin from the far side of the cart. She pressed it into his hand. “Here.”
He inclined his head as a silent thanks.
Gem imagined that Niko hated little things like that. People took for granted how easily they could find the things they needed without having to ask. His gift of seeing energy didn’t allow him to locate a pencil or a misplaced shoe or a napkin.
“In that brief passage was a reference to the Creator and the Destroyer,” she continued. “The Creator was a special type of quill used to create the book, and the Destroyer… well, oddly it was something I already had in my possession.”
He shifted toward her. “You jest.”
“No. This is where it gets spectacular. Remember when we went relic hunting and I found that book that translated yours? Raven bought what she assumed was a unique letter opener and gave it to me as a gift. I would bet my roller skates that it came in the same collection as the books. The only reason she picked it up was because it had an opal in the handle, and she knows how I like stones. We both noticed it had a weird vibe, and now I realize why. It draws out your energy and creates a weapon with enough power to destroy the book.”
“How did you know this?”
“Viktor and I first thought you had to kill someone with it, but if the pen created the books, then the blade had to destroy them. I had no idea if it would work, so it was a wild guess. We didn’t know what might happen, so Viktor told everyone to say their last goodbyes to you while I snuck out the back.”
He shook his head. “So dangerous. It could have killed you.”
“Viktor wasn’t keen on the idea, but we had to try. That book had no place in this world.”
His gaze softened. “But you do.”
“If you had died because I cast that spell, I would have quit Keystone.”
“And if I died while you tried to break it?”
Her shoulders sagged. “You were wasting away, and Viktor was going to put an end to your suffering anyhow. What did I have to lose?” She held up her index finger. “Don’t answer that. I knew the risks. But you matter, Niko.”
He reached behind him and slowly unwound his braid. “How did it work?”
“Only a Mage could have destroyed that book. I wielded an energy ball, one bigger than anything I’ve ever created, and pushed it into the stone. I had to keep it contained, and I thought it would kill me. It took so much out of me.” She wrung her hands, still feeling the residual heat. “When I ran out of steam while building the energy ball, it dipped into my core light. I couldn’t let go at that point. The book was almost destroyed, and it might have all reversed if I’d stopped.” Gem shivered at the thought of melting into ashes just as the pages had.
Niko stared straight ahead, giving her a close-up view of his strong profile. She wondered about his unknown past. He had handsome Japanese features. His pensive eyes were framed by thick eyebrows, and his skin was as warm as desert sand. Even though there were so many physical variations among his people, Gem had always noticed subtle differences. What kind of men sailed the seas fifteen hundred years ago? Vikings? Romans? Probably merchants and pirates who plundered villages everywhere they landed. But maybe his mother had simply fallen for a traveler, one who would never know his son, who would one day become an immortal.
“Where are your thoughts?” he inquired.
“I was just thinking how strange it is that we have so much in common.”
His expression warmed, and he tilted his head toward her. “Good or bad?”
“I don’t know. I suppose it depends on how you look at it. Did you and your sister share the same father?”
“No. She was younger. From what I know, my mother was married off to a farmer when I was young—much too young to remember. I was a burden on the family, and my grandfather often said that my blindness was my mother’s punishment from the gods.”
“How could he say that if something bad happened to her? It wouldn’t have been her fault.”
“Women didn’t speak of such delicate matters back then. She always wanted me to honor my stepfather for taking me into his home and providing for us.”
Gem worried her lip, uncertain how much she should pry. “Was your stepfather a good man?”
Niko’s eyebrows gathered, and he tipped his head back. “We had food on the table and protection. Life was different back then. Children worked hard to contribute, and punishments were handed out accordingly for misbehavior or disrespecting elders. If you’re asking if he told us bedtime stories, then the answer is no. But he gave my mother a home and provided for us. Not many men would have taken in a woman with a bastard child.”
Gem flinched. “Don’t say that word.”
“Apologies. That was how they saw children like me. It was difficult on unwed mothers if they had no one to provide for them. They lived with their parents, but aging parents don’t live forever. Land was usually passed down to sons, so dowries were created to ensure that the daughters were provided for.”
“That’s a world I’m glad I didn’t live in. No offense, but I like my freedom.” Gem shook her head. “It must have been hard for you.”
“My stepfather died when I was still a child. It rained every day that summer, and he was coughing a lot. Then he wasn’t there anymore. So much time has passed. You’d be surprised at what you forget about your own life. After that, my mother farmed the land with my sister, but I remained a burden. They tied lines of rope so I could find them in the fields and bring water. I wish I could remember more about my mother and sister, but my memories are as scattered as the leaves in autumn.” Niko eased back in his chair. “When I grew to be a young man, I tried helping more around
the house. I no longer ventured into the village.”
“Why not?”
“When the crops didn’t do well or the fishermen’s nets were empty, they blamed me. They once blamed a typhoon on a farmer who refused to participate in a harvest ceremony. People were superstitious in those days.”
“They still are. Modern society is just an illusion to distract us from our fears. We create logical explanations for everything based on science and technology. All you have to do is take away electricity, and we revert to superstitious cavemen.” Gem absently ran her fingers through her tousled hair several times, her thoughts drifting back to the madness that had ensued during the blackout.
The fire behind her snapped, and she heard a log splitting on the grate.
Poor Niko. Gem always used to dream of having a real family, but stories like his made her realize that a family didn’t always bring happiness. His mother must have struggled to take care of two children after her husband died. “I’m sorry you had such a rough childhood.”
“Do not mistake hardship for absence of love. Others didn’t understand, and yes, I was a burden since I could not contribute and was an extra mouth to feed. But I knew love.”
“What happened to them, your mother and sister?”
Niko rubbed his chin. “Invaders seized our village one day. They stole food, livestock, weapons… anything of value. They raped and killed. My sister was among the dead.” He clenched his fists on his lap. “I was a man by then, but still a boy in many ways. I tried to fight them off, but they held me down and laughed while they violated her. I don’t know what happened to my mother. They dragged me away from my home before I could find out. I only hope they killed her.”
Gem’s jaw slackened. “Why would you wish that?”
He turned his head toward her. “Because no mother should see her child that way. They had beaten my sweet sister and stripped away her clothes. I heard everything, including her last breath.”
She shuddered. “How awful. I’m so sorry that happened. Were they Artemon’s men?”
“Yes. My Creator lined up all the young men and selected some while executing others. The selected ones were taken as slaves, and we lived that way for many years. He gave us Greek names and—”
“You don’t have to tell me the rest,” she said quickly, not wanting to remind him about living in chains. “I know enough of that part of your life.” Gem already knew about his slavery, and she didn’t think it was necessary for him to relive those painful years. So she fast-forwarded to a more uplifting part of his life that piqued her curiosity. “Tell me about your sensei.”
Niko’s entire face changed in the most interesting way. Ancients often had a tendency to hold a stony expression. Respect quenched the malice burning in his eyes, and his features softened. “After escaping Cyrus, I stowed away on a ship to return home. It was a foolish move. No one had heard of my clan. After the raid and so many years passing, my people were probably all gone. Without knowing exactly where I came from, I truly didn’t know where I was going. With nothing of value to trade, I wound up in the pathetic circumstance of begging on the streets. The men laughed and told me they would rather give food to the stray dogs. Then a stranger stepped forward and said if they loved dogs more than humans, then they could go lie with one.”
Gem pulled the blanket up over her lap. “I like him already.”
“He was also a Mage and recognized my energy. Sato-sensei was how I addressed him. In the end, I just called him my friend. He taught me many things over the years. First, he taught me dignity and honor. Then he taught me how to use my body as a weapon. Training took place from sunup to sundown, and I learned how to listen to the world around me. I suffered to achieve control over fear and pain. From there, we practiced using real weapons. When he discovered how light was distracting me, he helped me use my gift to live in the sighted world. I learned how to read energy until I mastered the language of light. It took a very long time. Not just to understand and interpret what I was seeing, but how to use it to my advantage. I learned how to use my facial expressions and body language to blend into a crowd. In time, people couldn’t tell I was blind anymore, and it made me less of a target. I owe him everything, and the only fitting way to repay him is to vanquish evil.”
“You sound like a superhero.”
“We all are both heroes and villains in our own story.”
Gem reflected on her lonely childhood and how it had shaped the woman she had become. “I know what it’s like to be a slave. My story isn’t anything like what you endured, but I was sold on the black market for money. I never knew who my parents were or if they were the ones who sold me. I’ve heard stories that some kids on the black market are rescued by loving parents, but I wasn’t one of the lucky ones.” She reclined on her side and drew the blanket up a little higher. “I didn’t know anything about my Relic gifts until I got older.”
“Then why did your master purchase you?”
“My seller must have known about my lineage, because the man who purchased me surrounded me with books. He didn’t know how to teach me languages, so I guess he thought I’d figure it out on my own when I got old enough to read. I grew up in a place like this… in a room like this. That’s why I fill my bedroom with beautiful fabrics, lights, and stones. I want nothing to remind me of my old life. A person should surround themselves with things that make them happy.”
When Niko smiled, his pale eyes glittered with light. “I’m surprised then that you don’t sleep with your books.”
She laughed brightly. “If I didn’t love them so much, I’d probably glue them together to make a bed.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, what did your master want your talents for?”
Gem stared at a splinter poking out from the side of Niko’s chair. “He wanted me to translate illegal documents that were stolen from different Mageri councils in the world. The Mageri keeps meticulous records that detail every Mage’s gifts, and that’s not all they keep track of. He didn’t start asking me to work until I was about thirteen, and when he did, I was glad for it.”
Niko laced his fingers together. “Why?”
“It broke up the monotony of my days. I didn’t understand what I was translating, only that the work made me happy.”
Niko turned his head slightly and squinted at her. “There’s more.”
She pounded her fist against the pillow to fluff it and then sighed. “Bob had a perverse fetish. He would come into my room at night and watch me sleep. Sometimes he didn’t have clothes on and other times he did. When I started translating for him, I stayed up late, and the nightly visits stopped. So I worked. A lot.”
Niko blinked as if something were stinging his eyes, and he turned his head away.
“He didn’t do anything to me,” Gem assured him. “Not once did he ever touch himself or touch me. He would just sit there. All night. Watching. That’s why when Viktor asked what kind of bed I wanted, I asked for a canopy. It’s hard for me to sleep in a bed like yours and feel comfortable.”
“Now I feel foolish for watching you sleep,” he bit out.
“But you can’t see me. Not like he could.”
Niko stood up. “No, I can’t.”
Gem peeled back the covers and sprang out of the bed. “I think I’ve overstayed my welcome.”
Niko reached for her shoulders and braced his hands on them. “Please don’t. I feel we can only offend each other with our pasts, so let us not talk about such difficult things. We should focus on healing.”
“But don’t you see, Niko? You’re the first person I’ve opened up to. I like learning about where you came from, even if it’s painful for you to talk about.” She tilted her head back to look up at him. Niko seemed so much taller when she wasn’t wearing her shoes. There was about a foot difference between them in height. Gem touched his hands, which still rested on her shoulders. “I want to keep sharing, but I just can’t stay in here anymore. It doesn’t feel right. This isn’t m
y space. Besides, you have a right to be mad at me, you know. Well, just for a little while. Then I’ll have to insist that you like me again.”
His slender fingers followed a path from the curve of her neck to her cheek. “Little flower, I have always liked you.”
“Then stand aside so we both can rest in peace. And I don’t mean that in a Gravewalker kind of way. I need more sleep, and you need to eat more than just a few sausages. But if you’re up for it, maybe we can talk like this again.”
Niko’s lips twitched before he took a step back and bowed. “As you wish.”
Chapter 11
After returning to her room, Gem got some much-needed rest. Surrounded by her crystals, twinkling lights, and colorful fabrics, she felt all her problems melt away. When the sun reached high noon, she crawled out of bed, showered, and got dressed.
Though rejuvenated, she still hadn’t replenished all her core light, and that affected her body temperature. Her hands were no longer hot, but now she couldn’t stop shivering. She decided it was nothing that a beige sweater dress and a pair of floral leggings couldn’t fix. It would probably take her another day or two before she felt one hundred percent. Walking the halls warmed her up, but when she reached Niko’s room, she found it empty.
Gem took a shortcut to the other side and visited all the rooms where Niko usually hung out. Each of her footfalls made a lonely sound against the stone, and goose bumps covered her arms when she walked past one empty room after another. Even Wyatt’s World was a ghost town. Gem wondered if the team had made any progress in tracking down Kallisto.
Instead of flashing or wearing skates, Gem took a leisurely stroll down to the dining room. “I should have known,” she muttered, reaching the foot of the grand staircase.
The sonorous sound of Hozier filled the hallway that led to the dining room. The music rose from the gym below. Since that was one of the few rooms in the mansion with electricity, they were able to listen to music while working out.