“And what would you say motivates the Akkeri?”
She sighed as she looked up at him. “You really are quite dense. They are not driven by survival, as tonight’s attack would suggest. I highly doubt they came in search of riches, so that can only leave one thing.”
“And what is that?”
“Revenge—” she hesitated. “Or to provide a distraction.”
He sat back down on his bed. “A distraction for what?”
She shrugged, remaining comfortably sprawled. “Perhaps the emperor motivated the attack. If the city is focused on the Akkeri, they’re not likely to notice treasonous acts taking place right under their noses.”
“And here I thought you actually had a rational theory.” He stood again to go tend his wounds.
“Mock all you want. If I’m right, you owe me ten bottles of Valeroot wine.”
“And what do I get if you’re wrong?”
She chuckled. “By the time you realize I’m wrong about anything, I’ll be halfway back to my swamp with all the wine I can carry.”
He turned away toward the bar, hiding his small smile, not because he thought she was joking, but because he believed her.
Elmerah
The dazzling crystalline sands were soft under her bare feet, butting up against the radiant blue waters. The sea was cold this time of year, but she didn’t mind. She loved plucking tiny glittering shells from the surf.
Elmerah turned away from the sea, peering outward toward the impossibly tall trees, shrouded in a constant, dense mist. Most days, the trees’ deep silver needles and the deep blue mountains far beyond made the mist take on a grayish hue. It was the reason for her homeland’s name, Shadowmarsh.
She turned at the sound of footsteps in the sand, then smiled. Her older sister always came to check on her when she’d been gone too long. Already a head taller than Elmerah, Rissine took her small hand in hers. Their mother might have been busy conferring with the other Shadowmarsh witches on how to best push back the Ulrian Empire, but Elmerah didn’t think much about it. Rissine was there to make sure she brushed her hair, and had a hot meal every evening.
She opened her free hand to reveal the tiny, glittering shells she’d gathered, showing them to Rissine.
Rissine’s eyes lit up. “It must have taken you ages to separate them from all the sand.”
Elmerah offered Rissine the shells. While she’d been coveting them only moments before, she realized she wanted her sister to have them. Rissine meant more than all the pretty shells in the world, and she was sure her older sister felt quite the same way about her.
Sensing a presence above her, Elmerah plunged into wakefulness. Her eyes shot open, beholding an elder Valeroot elf looking down at her. Woodfolk were quite long-lived, not as long as the Dreilore, but longer than the Arthali. For one to be showing his age, he was likely over two hundred.
The elf narrowed his vibrant blue eyes. “I specifically ordered Alluin to never bring you here again.”
She shimmied away from him to the other side of the small bed, then sat up. The bed next to hers was empty. She turned back to the angry old elf, bundled in a brown cloak. Alluin’s uncle, she presumed. “If you’d take a step back, I will gladly leave and never return.”
“You think I’d trust the word of an Arthali?” he hissed.
She didn’t have time for this. “Hey, my people may be known for their brutality, but yours are known for lies and trickery. You’re in no place to insult me.”
“I am in my home. I will insult whomever I please.”
“Uncle!” Alluin’s voice snapped as he hurried down the stairs then through the door left ajar by his uncle, or perhaps by the elven guard now peeking into the room after him.
With a final sneer at Elmerah, Alluin’s uncle turned. “I hope you have at least learned something worthwhile.”
Glancing at Elmerah, Alluin nodded. “Baeorn and Liam followed the Faerune elf Thera to the edge of the Spice Quarter. She entered a well-guarded estate, and last Baeorn saw, she had not emerged. Rissine may be inside as well.”
Elmerah stood. She vaguely remembered where the Spice Quarter was stationed. She was sure she could make it there well before midday. She could confront Rissine, and put this whole cursed affair behind her . . . except she was once again drained of magic. At full power, she was perhaps a match for her sister, but as things stood, she would easily be overcome.
“What do I care for Rissine Volund?” the elder elf growled. “We are well aware of her . . . ” he glanced at Elmerah, “actions.”
She rolled her eyes, then reached for her black coat at the foot of the bed and slipped it on. “I already know all about Rissine’s actions too, there’s no need to be coy. And I imagine you care about Rissine a whole ship’s worth of gold more than I do considering her involvement with the emperor you so despise.”
The elder elf’s jaw dropped. “You,” he growled. “How much has my nephew told you?”
“I’m not blind,” she growled right back, “and I don’t know what you’re so angry about. You weren’t kidnapped from your home, carted across the ocean, and accosted by pirates.”
His hands flew to his hips, a nimble motion showing no hint of his age. “No, I was only uprooted from my homeland to make way for cities that care nothing for the fate of the Woodfolk.”
She rolled her eyes again. “You may be old, but I’ll bet you all the jewels in Faerune you weren’t alive when that happened.”
“Enough,” Alluin cut in. He glared at his uncle. “Rissine may be our only hope of learning what the emperor is up to before it’s too late. Detaining us further could mean a bloody end to all our efforts.”
The elder elf’s face turned so beet red Elmerah thought his head might pop, but finally, he nodded. “Go. Learn what you can. We’ll discuss your choice in companions later.”
Alluin gave his uncle a curt nod, then turned to Elmerah. “Are you ready?”
She glanced at the angry old man, then to the guard still peeking in through the doorway, then back to Alluin. “Quite.”
Though her stomach was pleading for another meal, she knew better than to ask for one there. Instead, she gave Alluin’s uncle an exaggerated curtsy before proceeding past the guard and up the stairs.
She noticed a few wary glances as they proceeded through the house. They’d probably all heard every word with those pointy ears. Sucking her teeth in irritation, she followed Alluin out the front door to find Baeorn waiting for them. He was an older looking elf, though not quite as old as Alluin’s uncle, and far more pleasant, though a deep gash of scar tissue obscured one eye.
He gave her a nod before falling into step beside Alluin. “What is our plan?”
Elmerah scurried after them, wondering the same question. Not that she’d necessarily follow any plan given, but she was slowly becoming more curious about Alluin’s thoughts and true intentions. He might actually have a better plan than her, considering she usually led with her magic, and she was quite drained at the moment.
“We’ll decide once we get there,” Alluin replied.
She smirked. Brilliant, utterly brilliant. Looked like she’d be doing things her way after all.
She tugged her hood up over her loose hair as they left the back alley for a more populated stretch, then followed the elves silently, going over her options in her head. As they walked, she picked the last few shards of the broken wine bottle from her pocket, allowing them to tinkle across the cobblestones. She’d be much more careful with the new bottle she’d procured, though she knew it would be a struggle not to break it over Rissine’s fat ugly head.
Saida
Saida paced across the bare stones near the door, a note in her hand. Her smelly new friend had stayed outside the door most the night, not making a sound, though she could see a shadow underneath the door where it sat. At some point, she’d finally fallen asleep, and when she awoke, the creature was gone, and a note had been slid under the door.
She s
topped pacing and looked down at the torn parchment in her hand.
Do not fight. I will follow.
She had no idea what it meant.
She flinched at the sound of footsteps, three or four pairs this time. Was it just another meal on its way, or was she finally about to meet whatever fate lay in store for her? She lifted her ruby skirt and shoved the note down her stocking.
The footsteps stopped outside her door. She stared at it, barely breathing, then the lock clicked open, and the door swung outward.
Her heart fell at the sight of the emperor, dressed in deep blue with hints of gold today. The blue made his pale eyes and black hair stand out like ice chips framed by onyx. He stepped inside. “Your time has come, my dear. Those who want you have fulfilled their end of the bargain, and now I must hand you over.” He looked her up and down. “Pity.”
Three guards entered the room and flooded around the emperor toward her. She recognized one from her previous meeting with the emperor, and the other two had been among those who’d brought her meal later that evening. They were probably the only souls who knew she was even in the castle. Well, other than Thera, her thugs, and the blond man who’d paid them.
“What happened last night?” she asked, taking another step back. “I heard screams.”
“Merely a diversion,” the emperor replied. “Now come, my dear, we mustn’t be late.”
She darted to the side before one of the guards could grab her arm. “Tell me where I’m going first.”
The guards turned to follow her, but the emperor stepped past them, trapping her against the wall. Her heart thudding in her throat, she craned her neck up to look at him. If his magic could seal a doorway, what else could it do? He reached out a hand and stroked her cheek. “You are in no position to argue. Cooperate, and I won’t hurt you.”
Her palms grew damp with sweat. The emperor’s nearness sent chills down her spine. What exactly was he?
Knowing there was no escape with him in the room, she hung her head. Perhaps she’d have better luck escaping whoever would have her next. In fact, she almost looked forward to the exchange. Anything to get her away from Egrin Dinoba, and his strange, pale gaze.
He smiled, and lowered his hand still hovering near her cheek. “There we go. It really is such a pity that you must leave us.”
She tended to disagree.
The emperor stepped back. She held still while two of the guards stepped behind her and bound her hands. They pushed her forward to walk in front of the emperor into the hall.
She glanced both ways, knowing she couldn’t run just yet, but unable to put the thought out of her mind. The hall in either direction was utterly quiet. She doubted she’d see another soul on their way out of the castle. Perhaps the entire tower was kept in privacy, a single spire reserved just for the emperor’s darkest secrets.
Her knees felt weak as they reached the end of the short hall, then traveled down a spiral staircase. Through one of the small windows they passed, she caught a glimpse of a covered carriage bearing the purple and white ice leopard insignia of the Empire.
Just as expected, they finished the journey through the barren castle halls and into the back courtyard without seeing a single other soul. Holding on to her bound wrists, the guard at her back guided her across the damp grass onto the stone walkway leading toward the imperial covered carriage. There was no coachman tending the two dappled mares, though there was someone waiting by the carriage door.
The long-haired blond man with jewels on his fingers leaned against the white carriage with his arms crossed. Saida thought the carriage a bit conspicuous for nefarious deeds, but she supposed the large cloth crest draped from the door would keep any of the militia from bothering them.
They reached the carriage, and two of the guards climbed atop the coachmen’s box. One took the reins, and the other sat still with his hand atop the sword at his belt, eyes ahead.
The remaining guard gave Saida a nudge toward the carriage while the blond man held open the door. As she reached the steps, he gave a dramatic bow.
Refusing to acknowledge him, she climbed the steps into the carriage, careful not to trip on her long red gown. Once inside, the guard forced her down onto the rear bench, manhandling her more than necessary, then sat beside her. She felt sick as both the emperor and the blond man climbed in next, shutting and latching the carriage door behind them before sitting across from her and the guard.
The carriage lurched into motion, accompanied by the clop clop of horse hooves.
She tried to bite her tongue, but could remain silent no longer. “Please, just tell me where we are going,” she pleaded, eyes on the emperor. “You’ve shown me that I cannot escape, so what is the harm in telling me?”
Egrin chuckled. “I want it to be a surprise. I have a feeling your reaction will supply me with entertainment for days to come.”
The blond man waved him off. “Oh Egrin, give the poor girl a hint. Her heart might stop otherwise, then she’d be of no use to us.”
Though curtains obscured her view of the courtyard, she marked the carriage’s progress in her mind. It seemed they were circling the western end of the castle, likely heading toward the front gates.
Egrin rolled his eyes. “Now Daemon, why must you ruin all my fun?”
She turned her pleading gaze to Daemon, giving her best pathetic pout. Let them think she was a harmless, scared girl. As soon as she got away from Egrin, she could take care of the rest.
Egrin sighed. “Very well. You, my dear, are to be handed off to the Akkeri. They have paid a high price for you.”
“The Akkeri?” she gasped, hunching over her suddenly knotted gut. “What could the Akkeri possibly want with me?” This wasn’t possible. He had to be lying to scare her. The emperor had no contact with the Akkeri.
Egrin shrugged. “I do not know what they want, perhaps they wish to eat you. All I can be sure of is that to them, you are more valuable than all the coin in the Empire. More valuable than life itself, as it were.”
She shook her head and looked to Daemon, hoping he would contradict the emperor’s claims.
He shrugged. “My apologies, but it is true. Their leader requested you by name.”
By name? “But the Akkeri are monsters! How would they know my name? I am no one special.”
“You are the daughter of a member of the Faerune High Council,” Daemon countered, “surely that means you’re at least a bit special.”
She looked to the guard beside her, but he showed no signs of surprise. Could he truly support an emperor who would bargain with the Akkeri?
A sudden thought dawned on her. “Last night . . . the screams. That was the Akkeri, wasn’t it? I’m more valuable than life itself to them. You wanted them to attack, knowing they would be killed, but why?”
The corner of Egrin’s thin lips quirked up. “Clever girl. It really is a pity we must give you away to those monsters. You could prove quite an asset otherwise.”
She shook her head. Outside, she could hear the front gates creaking open while the carriage waited. “Why did you want them to attack?” she asked again.
Egrin leaned forward as the carriage started moving. “Because a city living in fear is willing to make allegiances they would otherwise rebel against. People will do most anything to save their own necks, and the scrawny little necks of their children. Especially when that threat can creep up from the ocean floor at any time.”
Her jaw dropped. He’d sacrificed his own people just to make them afraid, and the Akkeri had sacrificed their lives for . . . her.
The emperor leaned back in his seat, seemingly satisfied with her reaction.
Her shoulders hunched. She was being sold off to monsters, but she was beginning to think the Akkeri couldn’t possibly be as evil as the monster sitting right across from her.
Elmerah
Elmerah took a deep whiff as they reached the spice district. She’d procured a steamed bun filled with burrberry jelly on the way th
ere, but at the scent of the spices, her stomach groaned for more.
Or perhaps she was just distracting herself from the fact she was no closer to coming up with a plan for facing Rissine.
Ahead of her, Baeorn and Alluin halted.
“It’s the house at the end of the street on the right,” she heard Baeorn mutter as she sidled closer. “There will be a human man leaning next to the front entrance, a wide-brimmed wool hat atop his head as one would wear tending the fields. Another man is resting on the balcony above. Two more out back. I will find Liam, then return to hear your plans.”
Alluin strolled toward the nearest spice cart as Baeorn disappeared into the slowly growing crowd.
Elmerah approached Alluin’s side at the cart, pretending to look at deep red ground fire pepper, and large clumps of gray salt. The cart’s proprietor, a young girl with white blonde hair in long braids, kept a casual eye on them.
“What do you think?” Alluin whispered, not looking at her.
“I’m not at my full strength,” she muttered back, “but we cannot risk Thera relocating, and I do not want Rissine to find me first. I’d like to approach her on my terms.
“Liam and Baeorn will offer us a measure of protection, but three elves can only do so much.”
She smirked, then wiped it away at the proprietor’s questioning stare. “From what I’ve witnessed, three elves can do quite a lot.”
“So you would like to approach? We can always wait and see if Thera or Rissine reveal themselves.”
She shook her head. After the previous night’s attack, she suspected something big was coming. There was no saying how long Rissine would even remain within the city. “No more waiting. We’ll go for those guarding the back of the building, assuming it’s out of sight from the street. We’ll use stealth as far as we can. I do not believe Rissine wants me dead, so if the situation grows dire, run. Do not worry about leaving me behind.”
The Witch of Shadowmarsh (The Moonstone Chronicles Book 1) Page 11