A Single Spark

by Tayvia Pierce

  My eyes trailed after her, narrowing as she circled. “You didn’t answer my first question. Who hired him?” I demanded, my apprehension fading as a new anger grew, suspecting she knew exactly what was going on. My feet carried me in another arc, the two of us circling predatorily around each other both in a slow dance and moving deeper into the growing shadows of the narrow alley. “And don’t pretend you don’t know...you are aware of far more than you let on.”

  A low, throaty chuckle echoed off the stone walls of the alley, surrounding me with her dark amusement. “Such a bold tongue...you are very much like your mother. Spirited like she is, though perhaps you are more cunning.” She lilted, her eyes narrowing with thoughtful appraisal.

  My mother? “Wait…” The chill that had rippled up my spine only a moment earlier now flooded my body with a horrifying realization. “You know my mother.” It was supposed to be a question, but my voice went hoarse with dread and it became a statement.

  “We are acquainted.” Was her disturbingly calm reply, and I wanted to shake her from her increasingly eerie serenity. It was her perfect smile that summoned the gooseflesh to rise on my arms, black eyes unblinking as she studied me appraisingly.

  A thousand scenarios flooded my mind as to how they would know each other, a vague unrest settling in me at the familiarity she seemed to have with Tesni. They met in the tavern. They had the same hairdresser. They bonded over cake at the bakery. “How do you know her?” I finally asked, the scenarios that were springing to mind seeming unlikely and somewhat boring for what I knew of the woman before me. It was a mere moment later that I regretted asking, though there was nothing that could have prepared me for her answer.

  “Her return to Yehket was the subject of much celebration. We were introduced there shortly after she arrived.” My jaw dropped with her words, my impression of my mother’s time there vastly different than what Zahra was implying. That is the most preposterous idea I have ever heard! It couldn’t possibly be true...could it? Everything that I had believed about Mother’s abduction and incarceration in Yehket crumbled into dust as a whole new and unthinkable scenario blossomed in my mind.

  Silence filled the alley as I stared, trying to grasp what she had just spoken “...Celebrated?” I barely managed through my dry mouth. Zahra’s seemingly offhand comment striking at the heart of me, though the reason was somewhere just beyond my grasp. “But….She was abducted and held as a slave…” I whispered, more to myself than to Zahra.

  Zahra’s condescending chuckle echoed as she circled around me once again. “Is that what she told you?” She shook her head and adopted a knowing smile. “When the wife of one of the most powerful men in U’Sharr is murdered while seeking refuge and his infant daughter stolen by the enemy, her long-awaited return is a cause for revelry. She was not abducted by pirates, Pet….she was rescued by them.”

  Mother had been so hesitant to speak of her time there, and now I understood why (if Zahra could be believed). Mother knew we would neither understand nor accept the idea that Taurovans were the villains in her story; what we had believed was her abduction and imprisonment, she viewed as a rescue and a return to freedom. “So it’s really true...she’s Yehketim.” What does this mean for our family?

  Zahra’s hips swayed as she circled slowly around me, much like a cat circles the mouse. “As are you, Pet. You share her bloodline and all the indomitable traits it embodies.” She made it sound like that was a good thing, but I was sickened with the thought of being a savage like those I had heard of.

  A short laugh of indignation bubbled out of me at her comment and I shook my head emphatically. “Bloodline doesn’t matter. I was raised Taurovan, complete with Taurovan morals, beliefs, and values, and that is who I am.” I stated firmly, narrowing my eyes a little at her, daring her to argue.

  “Is it?” Her delicate brow arched again, considering something with a shrewd look. I suddenly suspected had just endured some kind of test, though I wasn’t sure if I had passed or failed. All I could do was answer as best I could, though her question caused the smallest flicker of doubt.

  “Yes, it is.” I said with as much confidence as I could muster. “But what would you know of it, growing up in the South and in the service of another?” I retorted, taking a wild guess at the true nature of her relationship with Amir.

  Her lips curled into a smirk, unfazed by my remark and murmured her musings aloud. “Yes...I believe you are a fierce one...and clever, though I doubt you have tested the depths of your talent. Time will tell, I’m sure.” She hummed, amused.

  I went cold with her assessment, the knot that had slowly been forming in my belly tightening in the most agonizing way as her words echoed in the alley. Those are hardly the words to describe me! “What is it you want of me?” My words nearly died on my tongue, passing my lips in a whisper.

  The clicking of her shoes on the paving stones signaled her departure, her final words drifting through the narrow road. “I just find you interesting, Pet.”

  I stood rooted to my spot, somehow defeated. I whispered hoarsely after her, “Don’t call me Pet…”

  CHAPTER 62

  That final day began like any other, though looking back I always thought that there must have been some way of knowing when doom neared. A feeling in the air, or maybe some sixth sense, perhaps...maybe some innate sense of the gathering storm. But there was nothing amiss at all, that day being exactly like any others that had come before.

  I fully admit to avoiding Brynmor since our talk in the alcove a few days prior, fully believing that if I was around, he might find a way to drag me to the Town Hall to marry, leaving me unable to refuse and put it off any longer.

  I hadn’t slept much these last nights, tossing and turning as comfort avoided me just as much as I avoided Brynmor. How far did doing my duty to my family extend? At what point did I get to be selfish and do something for myself? Eventually, I would find an uneasy sleep, and then in the early hours, leave the house to spend the day in Lund.

  I didn’t take a guard that particular morning, leaving them to guard Rhian against anything that Amir or Zahra might try on her usual shopping excursion. I had other matters to tend to, matters that I would rather not share with my family for obvious reasons.

  A bell jingled as I entered the weapon-smith’s shop, there to pick up a dagger that I had requested a couple of weeks earlier. It was long, slender and fairly simplistic in its design, unlike many aristocrats who preferred something ornate. This was meant to be functional and easily tucked inside my other boot, though I couldn’t resist a simple decorative ivy engraving along the center of the blade.

  I still carried Ben’s dagger, the metal against my skin a constant reminder of him and what he taught me, but feeling a little more secure with a second...just in case. I slid the mirror-like knife into my other boot, the cold metal reflecting the warm brilliance of the setting sun as it flipped in my hand, quickly sliding out of sight.

  The lamplighter made his way past me as I stepped out of the shop, his head turning as my stomach gave a mortifying growl. I gave him an apologetic look before making my way through the crowded market and up the road towards the Silver Stag in search of a Brynmor-less dinner.

  My plate of boar steak with a heaping pile of mashed potatoes was delivered shortly, the solid food drowning in more gravy than what would be considered healthy and paired with my usual goblet of red wine. I groaned happily, hardly able to contain my joy at the delectable pile of food in front of me.

  I had nearly finished my meal when a tall figure stepped up beside me, looming over me while his soft chuckle filled the air. “Lady Carys, I am pleased to see that you have such a healthy appetite and do not pick at your food like a bird.” Taliesin teased as he gestured to the other chair across from me. “I do not wish to interrupt your meal, but would you care for some company?”

  I quickly swallowed my bite as my cheeks tinged pink, glancing up to him with a chuckle. “I haven’t eaten since early breakf
ast, so I am making up for that oversight now.” I tried to explain, smiling warmly as I gestured to the chair. “And you are always welcome to join me, Taliesin.”

  He smiled as he eased himself into the chair, stretching his long legs out beneath the table. “Thank you, Lady Carys. I apologize for my swift departure the other day, but it seemed as though you had some business with your family.” He smiled warmly at me, setting his mug down on the table. He looked around briefly before returning his grey eyes to my blue. “I see you have no guard with you today. I trust Ben is on the mend and will return to your side soon?” He asked smoothly, smiling slightly with his inquiry.

  My emotions were a jumble where Ben was concerned, and the lilting tone in Taliesin’s voice suggested he knew it. I couldn’t keep my discomfort at the mention of Ben from showing, particularly with the mention of him at my side. My face hardened to mask my hurt, my hand tightening on my goblet as I responded tightly. “Ben is no longer in our family's service. He decided to finish recuperating in the Lund infirmary rather than our home. Good riddance to him."

  Taliesin arched his brow, looking surprised and slightly confused at my news. "Is that so? May I be so bold as to presume he did not return your affection then?" The slight upturning of his lips brought out a surge of defensive horror, painfully aware in that moment that my attraction to Ben had been more obvious than I thought.

  All I could do was stare at Taliesin, trying desperately to keep my cheeks from flooding with crimson heat, though my look slowly grew stony. "Actually, it was the other way around..." I murmured, quickly burying my face in my goblet for a desperately needed drink. I debating telling him about Ben’s kiss, but explaining that right now was not something I was prepared to do.

  Taliesin slowly arched a brow. He nodded at me as he murmured, "My apologies then." He studied me intently, as though he was suddenly considering a whole new avenue of thinking, though any conclusions he might have drawn remained a mystery.

  My eyes dropped to the crimson liquid in my goblet, hoping that somewhere in the depths of the vintage lay the answers I needed. “No need to apologize.” I finally said softly. “I believe now his attentions were merely a manipulation of my emotions in order to use my family for his own purposes.” The pang of regret was a shard of ice carving my heart into pieces, knowing that his kiss had meant nothing. The part that made it so much worse, however, was the realization that I had wanted it to mean something.

  Taliesin watched me thoughtfully, though my attention was still firmly fixed on my wine. His finger tapped the side lightly as he spoken gently. "It seems odd that someone would risk their life simply to manipulate a family with little to it but it's name, if you pardon me for saying so." He offered, drawing a mild snort from me.

  I shook my head wearily. “There are a great number of things about this situation I don’t understand. He risked his life several times for us, taught me to use blades and spent a lot of time trying to earn my trust in order to be hired on. I had my own theories, but lately, the only one that I can think about is wondering if he had a hand in my father’s death.” I ended the sentence in a whisper, hardly able to believe that accusation myself, though plausible explanations were in very short supply.

  Taliesin’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. "I have been known to be a fairly good judge of character in my time, and I confess, I did not see that in his eyes when last I looked on him. Are you certain?" His brows furrowed with concern, his eyes holding mine as he awaited my answer.

  I shook my head, feeling increasingly uncertain about everything. Every time I thought I had something figured out, something else cast doubt on my theory. “No, I am not certain. I can’t imagine him doing such a thing, but there are so many strange coincidences that it is difficult to believe they aren’t connected. The night he decides to leave us, my Father is found dead in the yard. While he healed in the infirmary, a Southern madman who had harassed both myself and my sister in the last months just happens to be put into his room and happens to confess to murdering my father...to Ben, who he knew guarded my family. Ben summons me to the infirmary to warn me after he made it painfully clear that he wanted nothing to do with my family any longer to tell me…”

  My breath hitched momentarily and I sighed softly. “I cannot think of any other reason he would feel the need to get close to my family but to get close to my Father. A spy, perhaps? He was in no shape to harm my father himself, but then why he would tell me of Amir’s confession...” I took a deep breath, having said far more than I intended to, and I cleared my throat apologetically. I was completely out of sorts, knowing that I wasn’t making any sense now.

  Taliesin nodded slowly, lifting his ale to his lips for a drink as he considered what I had told him. The continued furrow of his brow gave me reason to doubt and I found myself asking him. “What did you see when you looked into his eyes?”

  Taliesin pushed his mug aside and leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking softly with his movement. "Pain and fear, mostly. It was not the look of a killer, of that I am certain. Did you not ask him? Or have the Watchmen questioned him if you suspect it is so?"

  I took a sip of my wine, stalling as I tried and failed to come up with some reasonable explanation. “I have not asked, no, and I don’t want to make the suggestion to the Watch without some evidence.” If I’m wrong about all of it, Ben would never forgive me for setting the Watchmen on him. “It makes sense to me they were working together, and that was the reason Ben needed to get close to my family, and chose that particular night to leave...trying to leave before my Father’s body was discovered. If Ben was not involved, why would he go through so much effort to gain our trust, put his life on the line, only to leave so coldly?” I reached up with a free hand to rub my face tiredly. This had my mind reeling and going in circles without any respite.

  Taliesin tilted his head, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile, "You said you refused him?" He asked, sounding casual though the question raised several other questions that I had been trying to avoid. Would Ben really abandon his duty over that kiss?

  I grimaced a little, letting out a sigh. "If you could call it that. I am engaged to another...Ben kissed me..." I paused and sighed, wishing I hadn’t said that, but it was too late. I closed my eyes in silence for a moment before saying. “Can you call it refusal when I am already promised and have no choice to choose anything else? Ben was my friend, though how true his feelings are, I don’t know. I was shocked at the thought he might feel anything for me.”

  Taliesin’s brow furrowed as he studied my face. "Why should it shock you that the man may have developed feelings for you, and all the more that you are promised to another? Men often desire what they cannot have or... should not." His voice trailed off, falling into silence for a moment before he continued. “I was once promised to another, though my wife is the woman of my own choosing.”

  I studied Taliesin in return for a long moment as I stole a sip of my wine. "I have been under the impression he had developed some feelings for my sister." I admitted quietly, finding that admission just as painful as the thought that he might have helped kill my father. His brow arched again and I began to explain as I stared at the table. "Ben came to me, wanting to earn my trust and a position with our household guard so he could be near her. This was no secret, and in truth, his concern is always for her first."

  Taliesin smiled a little, looking somewhat amused by my predicament. "So he wanted to gain your trust to woo your sister or to kill your father? Which is it?" He asked, the telltale glint in his eye revealing the teasing nature of his question.

  I gave him a dark and bitter look at his apparent mockery of my problems. “If I had to choose between the two options? I don’t know.” The words sounded bleak, but it was the truth...I really didn’t know. His intentions were a complete mystery to me and I slumped despondently over my goblet.

  Taliesin was silent a moment, studying me with a thoughtful look. "And you have not asked?" The idea of asking
Ben whether he was in love with my sister or there to murder my father was absurd, though in truth, asking directly was the only course of action that might give me any answers. But how could I ask without giving away my own rapidly growing affections?

  I shook my head, barking a defeated laugh, “No, I have not asked. I am not even sure what to ask, and knowing Ben, he would find a way to turn the question around and avoid answering it. Perhaps I do not really want to know the answer. Perhaps there is no answer...if Ben is one of the Lightless as the Wardens claim, or has gone rogue from whatever side he’s on, there are all the more possibilities to consider. ”

  Taliesin drummed his fingers on the table a couple of times, eyes cast downward at the table as he let his index hit the table again, "Forgive me, but your theories are full of holes, Lady Carys. I suppose I am not one to accuse men so quickly. You said he was not in a state to kill your father and was spying on your family for the one that did, yet he told you who committed the act despite his involvement? You say he kissed you but believe he was out to woo your sister? Your logic fails me."

  I groaned softly, knowing very well my theories were little better than guesses, struggling for any explanation, regardless of their plausibility. “My logic fails me, too.” I said wryly, feeling defeated. “He offered to be Rhian’s guard, but needed to earn my trust before that could happen. All we do now is argue, then out of the blue he kisses me mid-argument, then denies our whole friendship and says he is nothing more than my guard.”