by Jayne Faith
I sat up in bed and blinked, momentarily disoriented by the bright midday sun streaming in. I swung my feet to the floor and grabbed a nearby robe, slipping into it as I hurried toward the door. The chime was a signal that a message had been delivered.
With my heart tapping a quick rhythm of anticipation, I opened the little compartment where deliveries were received. In it, there was a small tablet.
My visit will be a late one tonight. Great news! I got permission to take you out of the Temple for a bit of fun!
-Clarisse
I stared at the short note. I’d fully expected something from Jeric or even Lord Toric. Clarisse’s mention of a visit sounded as if I should have been expecting it, but she’d said nothing of it last time we’d spoken. And the tone of it just wasn’t like Clarisse at all. A bit of fun? As if we were close friends who went to fetes together and gossiped about the young men we liked?
I let out a short laugh. If not for the reference to the Temple, I would have guessed the message had been delivered to the wrong person.
But then my amusement gave way to a wary thumping of my heart. She had something up her sleeve, I was sure of it.
I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening trying to distract myself to keep from going mad with curiosity about Clarisse’s plans.
When one of my guards knocked, I sprang for the door, eager for anything to break up my solitude.
I opened the door to find the High Priestess waiting on the other side.
I let out a little squeak of surprise and bent into a deep curtsy. “Your Holiness, I was not expecting you.” I glanced down at the plain gray dress I wore and then realized I didn’t even have on shoes. “I would have dressed more appropriately.”
“No need for apologies when I’m the one who has caught you by surprise, my child.” She gave me a faint smile. “May I come in?”
“Oh! Of course.” I moved aside so she could enter, and her shimmering robes made dizzy swirls as she brushed by.
I closed the door and led her to the sitting room where the wall monitor played media streams, touching a panel near the desk to mute the sound as I passed.
I glanced around, relieved I’d at least kept the room neat. “May I offer you a drink?” I went to the stand where a pitcher of bergamine-infused water stood with three glass tumblers.
“Please,” she said, sitting on the wing-back chair and arranging her robes around her legs.
I poured two glasses of water, took one to the Priestess, and then sat across from her on the settee. I crossed my ankles and tucked my bare feet back, hoping the hem of my dress reached down far enough to hide them.
She peered at me with such intensity it was an effort not to fidget under her gaze. I frantically searched for a subject of conversation to broach, but my mind remained stubbornly blank of intelligent ideas.
“How are you feeling, my child?” she finally asked.
“Very well, thank you. Your priestesses have been attentive and gracious hosts, and the accommodations are lovely.”
“But you’re feeling strong? Your injuries are healed, and your mind is sound?”
Ah, she wanted more than just a polite response.
“Physically, I’m well healed, Your Holiness.” I paused, considering what to say about the soundness of my mind. Could one even evaluate the soundness of one’s own mind with any objectivity? “As for my mind, I . . . well, I’ve had some difficult experiences in recent months, and they give me bad dreams. But otherwise I think my mind is as sound as could be expected, all things considered.”
Her eyes softened and her lips pressed together in the tiniest of movements—an acknowledgment of my suffering, I felt. Her sympathy gave me a bit of courage.
“May I ask you a question, Your Holiness?”
She inclined her head in consent.
My eyes flicked to the monitor on the wall. “I’ve been watching the media reports, and some are calling me a harbinger, something referenced in your sacred texts. Do you really believe I am this harbinger?” I swallowed, suddenly not sure if I actually wanted the answer.
She exhaled slowly. “Yes, I believe you are.”
I gripped my glass tightly. My mouth had gone dry, but under her penetrating gaze, I couldn’t bring myself to lift the glass for a sip. “What does that mean?” I whispered. “What’s going to happen to me?”
“Right now, I only know that you are important, Maya.” Her tone was kind, but her eyes were alight with a fervor that made my heart thump uneasily. “The Temple scholars are working to understand the exact steps we must take, the roles each of us must play, in the Return.”
“So it’s . . . happening?” The question sounded a bit silly, but I could think of no other way to phrase it.
She nodded. “We are well into the process. We don’t know the exact timing, but the signs are clear.” Her voice became distant, and she looked toward the window. “Of course, something could go wrong. There is no guarantee we will see the Return.”
“You want to make sure I’m stable. That I won’t go crazy at the wrong moment.”
She let out a short exhalation, a soft laugh. “I suppose that’s true. I’m also curious about you, about why the stars chose you to be a key player.”
It was my turn for a rueful laugh. “I have no idea. Other than the bond I seem to have with Lord Toric, I don’t think there’s anything about me that sets me apart from the dozens of other Obligates who have come to Calisto.”
The zeal returned to her eyes. “Ah, you may have hit upon the crucial point.”
I dearly hoped she would elaborate, but instead she set her glass aside and rose. I quickly jumped to my feet.
“I wish I could linger, but my obligations demand I move along. I’m glad to see you’re doing so well.”
“Thank you, Your Holiness,” I said, not sure how else to respond.
I curtsied and she nodded. Then she drifted to the door and left, quiet as a mist-cloaked phantom.
I got the impression that the Priestess had confirmed something in her own mind. But I didn’t fully understand the implications, and it filled me with a thrill that was something between terror and exhilaration. Standing there alone, I held up one hand and watched it tremble while adrenaline rushed my blood through my veins.
*
As the evening gave way to night, I began to wonder if the note from Clarisse really had been delivered to me by mistake. Eventually my eyelids began to droop, and I rested my head on a pillow on the settee. When a soft noise awoke me, I bolted upright, and my head whipped back and forth in confusion as a dream about Orion in the Tournament momentarily clung to my mind.
The noise came again, and I let out a breath. The door.
I tapped the door panel to get a view of the person on the other side, and my heart skipped a beat. Clarisse.
I threw open the door.
She laughed when she caught sight of my face. “Close your mouth, Maya, you’re going to catch a fly.”
I snapped my jaw closed, shut the door, and went to her. I grabbed both her arms and pushed my face close to hers.
“What in the name of the stars was that note you sent me?” I lowered my voice to a hush. “Are you taking me to see . . . someone?” I nearly said my sister’s name but caught myself before I let it slip. I couldn’t assume Clarisse knew anything about Lana coming to Calisto, or that she was even working with Jeric.
She bit her lips and her eyes darted around the room. “I’m taking you to the harem quarters in the palace,” she said, a bit too loudly. “Some of the girls are putting on a play, and I got permission for you to join us.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Wear that new blue dress you had on the other day,” she said. “It looks nice with your hair color and skin tone.”
A compliment from Clarisse? “I’ll go change,” I said, giving her a hard look.
I emerged from my bedroom wearing the dress she suggested and holding a shawl. She gave my clothes and hair a qui
ck glance.
“Shall we?” She started toward the door.
Outside, four guards stood ready to accompany us. Four? I tried not to grimace. Apparently being a nationwide curiosity meant increased security. I wondered for a moment if there was really a danger, if there were zealot Calistans who still wanted to see me burn. Maybe the extra guards weren’t such a bad idea.
Without warning, Clarisse took off at a fast pace toward the palace, and I had to run a couple of steps to catch up.
“Are you sure it’s okay that I come into the harem quarters?” I asked. I glanced back at Tullock, and he touched two fingers to the side of his forehead in a little salute. Apparently my outing wasn’t a surprise to him.
“Oh yes, I got all the necessary clearance, including Lord Toric’s,” she said impatiently. She sped up, and again I had to rush to keep up.
She made small talk about the weather and the end of the Tournament, but I didn’t make much of an effort to join in. I was trying to guess what she intended. I would have been much more nervous without the four guards surrounding us. Three of them were from Lord Toric’s own elite group, and I trusted them as much as I trusted anyone on Calisto. Well, I trusted them to follow their orders no matter what. As long as their orders were to protect me, I supposed there was no reason to worry.
Still, my breath came fast and my pulse tripped along, and not just from the quickness of our pace.
Clarisse kept to the interior corridors that connected the Temple and the palace, and as it was nearly midnight, there weren’t many people out.
When we encountered a group of Calistan couples, all dressed up and looking as if they had just come from a performance or party, some recognized me.
There were exclamations, and they all turned to stare at me. When I glanced back, I saw that they’d changed direction and were coming after us. One of the women was shouting my name, asking if she could touch the hand of the Earthen who wouldn’t burn.
Clarisse clutched my arm. “Run,” she muttered and pointed to a lift ahead.
Grateful I’d worn flat shoes, I clutched the fabric of my skirt in both hands and lifted it so I wouldn’t trip. With the guards jogging around us, Clarisse and I hurried toward the lift. More partygoers were filling the corridor, and word of my presence was spreading.
“Move aside!” Tullock’s voice thundered as Calistans tried to block our way.
The lift doors opened just as we got to it, probably activated by one of the guards. I turned and watched the doors as they closed and blocked the people who’d tried to come after us.
I turned to Clarisse and raised my brows.
“Don’t let it go to your head,” she said dryly. She tried to give me a heavy-lidded, unimpressed look, but I could see the exhilaration in her eyes. She was enjoying our little adventure.
“You still don’t believe I’m a special little snowflake, Clarisse?” I asked, with my head tilted and my eyes round—all innocence.
She snorted a laugh.
The lift rose many floors, taking us up to the levels that were reserved for royalty and some of the highest-ranking nobles.
The corridors in the upper floors were much quieter than below. There weren’t many nobles or royals around, but plenty of Calistan servants were pushing carts or consulting tablets. I got several long stares and double-takes, but no one tried to stop us.
“News of your presence up here is going to spread like a flame on a tinder stack,” Clarisse said. She glanced at me. “Don’t worry, it can only help you to be seen up here. This is the most elite location in all of Calisto.”
We were in an unfamiliar area—the royal floors were huge, so perhaps I’d never been there—but I recognized the rich décor and the Lord’s seal that was incorporated into the geometric designs on the walls. I suddenly realized that I was curious about the harem’s quarters. It was rumored that the women lived in luxury, and I figured it must be true if they lived in such an exclusive part of the palace.
We went into a wing I’d never seen before. Two guards stood before a set of closed double doors painted gold with deep pink accents highlighting the swirling carved design.
The guards opened the doors for us, and I went through with Clarisse and our four elite guards. At the next set of doors, we stopped.
“Sorry, boys,” Clarisse said to the guards. “Women only past this point.”
Tullock faced me. “We’ll be waiting here. Do not go anywhere without us.” He held out something in his fingers. “Clip this to your dress, and if you need help, hold your finger on the middle and we will come to you right away.”
I took the small object from him, a coin-sized disc with a magnetic clip attached to the back. I fastened it the edge of one of my cap sleeves.
“Thank you,” I said over my shoulder, as Clarisse was already pulling me away from the guards.
Tullock did not look happy about waiting outside.
Inside the interior doors, there was small foyer. The air smelled of musky perfume and flowers, and underneath there was a faint scent of cooked food—a stew, perhaps.
Clarisse hurried me through a couple of turns, opened a door, and shoved me through.
It was completely dark inside, and I gasped in confusion.
“Keep quiet,” she whispered. “Come with me.”
Her hand found my wrist in the darkness, and I followed blindly as she towed me forward several steps. By the time we stopped, my eyes had begun to adjust.
There was a click, and then a vertical line of darkness widened as Clarisse pushed open a narrow door.
My free hand twitched toward the small disk attached to my dress. “Clarisse, you have to tell me what in the name of the stars is going on,” I whispered urgently.
“We’re not going to a play,” she whispered close to my ear. “Leave your shawl and that button thing here on the floor.”
“No, not until you tell me where we’re going!”
“I’m taking you to see your sister,” Clarisse hissed. “Now pipe down and leave your things.”
I froze as my breath died in my throat, and then my heart bucked into a gallop. With shaking hands, I pulled the round clip from my dress, placed it inside my shawl, and set the bundle on the floor.
She turned on a tiny pen light, which gave me just enough illumination to see that she was taking us through a series of very narrow corridors. A broad-shouldered Calistan man might have been forced to turn at an angle to pass through.
The air was warmer, and a wave of claustrophobia washed through me. It felt like there was no way out.
“Are we inside the walls?” I whispered, trying to distract myself from the pressing narrowness of the space.
“Yes. We don’t get many freedoms, but these passages are a very old harem secret.”
I felt like a bug in a maze, and it wasn’t long before I was utterly disoriented, but Clarisse wove us through the confusing turns with no hesitation.
“I’m taking you to a meeting spot,” she said. “It’s not where she’s staying, so don’t get any ideas about trying to return there later. Jeric has to bring her to this floor in order for this to work out. The passages don’t take us up or down.”
Emotion welled up inside me and pressed against the backs of my eyes at the thought that Lana was nearby. I caught a glimpse of Clarisse’s determined face in profile, and I blinked away tears. When she and I had first met, I never, ever would have guessed that she’d do something so important for me. I knew she would expect something from me later—I’d actually racked up more than one debt to her—but still, she didn’t have to take such risks.
It was growing warmer, and the low mechanical chugging sound was swelling as we moved through the passages.
Clarisse stopped in the middle of a long passage and turned to the wall.
“Here, hold this.” She handed me the pen light. Kneeling, she ran her fingers over the wall a few inches above the floor. “Found it.”
She slid her fingers into a notch and l
ifted. A small section of the wall slid upward. The opening was only about two feet by two feet, just large enough to crawl through.
I followed her out of the passage into a dark, hot room. Faint red lights blinked on panels, and rhythmic mechanical sounds buffeted against my eardrums.
With my heart in my throat, I went with Clarisse around machinery that I guessed was part of the palace’s heating system.
When we turned a corner and came upon two dark-cloaked figures, I gasped and stopped short.
“Lana!” I wasn’t sure if I said her name out loud or only in my mind.
I rushed to my sister, tears blurring my eyes. Jeric took his hand from Lana’s elbow and stepped away as I embraced her.
I stood there squeezing her with all my strength, unable to speak through my sobbing. All of my fears, sorrows, and uncertainty seemed to vanish, replaced by joyful gratitude. I’d left Earthenfell expecting I’d never see Lana again. For me, being with her was as momentous a miracle as surviving my own execution.
I wasn’t sure how long we remained there with our arms around each other. By the time I pulled back, I was hiccupping, and my hair was plastered to the sides of my wet cheeks.
Holding one of her hands, I reached up to touch her hair. It looked different, much shorter than before. Even in the poor lighting, her face seemed more angular than I remembered, more mature. In the months we’d been apart, we’d both changed. We’d been forced down separate forks in a road, and we’d begun to evolve as individuals. Looking at Lana no longer felt like looking in a mirror, and the realization tore at my heart.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She took a long shaky breath. “I’m still adjusting, but for the most part, I’m fine. Jeric has taken very good care of me.” She half-turned her face toward where he was standing.
“I’m so sorry, Lana.” Fresh tears sprang to my eyes. I shook my head. “I didn’t mean for this to happen to you. You weren’t supposed to end up here.”
“I know,” she said. “But it wasn’t your fault. Jeric explained everything to me.”
Keeping hold of Lana’s hand, I turned to him with a sudden, unexpected flash of jealousy. It should have been me caring for Lana and comforting her when she was frightened.