I closed my eyes and rubbed at my nose. If… if… I allowed her to come, the Alsa Alma would hold me responsible for her fate. As the elder here, I would take the fall should she jeopardize my task. Her presence increased my responsibilities and I was in no hurry to raise the Alsa Alma’s ire.
And yet, he’d likely never notice her absence. The task shouldn’t take more than a few hours, really. We could be in and out and back before anyone knew better. Plus, how much of a risk was there in saving a prince? The spell couldn’t be difficult to break.
“Okay, okay,” I said.
Carishina laughed and clapped. “Thank you, Klint! Thank you!”
I waved away her thanks. “Now let’s get a few things straight. I am in charge.”
“Yes,” she agreed swiftly.
“We only try methods I’ve approved. I am much more skilled with this than you.”
Again, she nodded.
“Don’t do anything unless I say. And do everything I ask. Do we have a deal?”
She gripped my hand tightly. “Yes, Klint! I won’t disappoint you!”
I leaned away from her and glanced out the window. Far below us, the ground raced past. “We’ll see.”
Chapter Four
WE LANDED OUTSIDE the palace in Terius just as the sun set over the horizon. It made for a beautiful sight, the light fading into oranges and purples as we sank lower and lower. This was something Franik missed out on completely with his insistence of staying in the Alma Palace. These wonders couldn’t be experienced with textbooks.
As the carriage settled on the ground, Carishina looked positively ill. At first, I’d thought her airsick and had begun to rummage in my bag for a potion to mix. She’d stopped me, saying it was nerves. Now, her face nearly matched the color of her concealed hair. I should have brewed her something.
“Carishina,” I said, giving one last attempt. “Once I get out, you can return home. You can tell everyone I requested your company for the ride over. No one would doubt or be angry at you for complying.”
“N-no.” She gulped audibly but forced a stern mask to her features. The combination of complexion and expression made her appear like a moss-covered gargoyle. “No,” she repeated, stronger this time. “I will save the prince.”
I nodded. Helping her to stand, we exited the carriage arm in arm. As our feet hit the pavers below, trumpets echoed around the walled courtyard. The king and queen of Terius stood in front of the palace’s front door several steps above us. Along the stairs ascending to the entrance were servants, dressed in suits or dresses of black, each one bowing low in our direction. The trumpets cut off with one final blast and the rulers came down to meet us.
The king was a handsome man, brown hair touched with gray, a strong chin, and hard eyes. His wife was equally as beautiful but younger and willowy. She had hair as long as the Alsa Alma, in a soft auburn. Her smile wavered and I could sense her fear for her child.
“Almas,” the king greeted, stepping forward to shake Carishina’s hand, then mine. “I am Allmon, and this is my wife, Menirva.”
The queen followed Allmon’s example and clasped our hands. Her fingers trembled.
“Your Majesties,” Carishina and I said in unison, inclining our heads a tad. Though these people were the rulers of this land, the Alsa Alma ruled over them. That put us on equal footing. Still, to keep up appearances, I had no problem remaining courteous. For now.
“I am Alma Klint, and this is Alma Carishina. I know you are anxious for us to heal your son. We will begin treatment right away, if you’ll allow?”
“Yes, yes, of course,” the queen said, gesturing us forward.
“Will you tell us what happened?” I asked as we were led into the palace proper. As always, my eyes slid over the finery, the thick carpets, the oil paintings. My priority focused on curing the prince so I could get out of here as soon as possible.
The queen shook her head, tears already forming in her eyes. “We don’t know the details. Where this poison came from or who would want to hurt him. Everyone loves Yarling.” She stopped speaking and covered her face with her hands. The king turned to his wife and gripped her elbow tightly.
“He’s the crowned prince,” I interjected, to get them focused. “The next in line for the throne?”
“No,” the king answered. He put an arm around the queen and walked her forward. “Our nation holds elections to see who will rule next. He’s likely to be elected; as Menirva said, he’s held in high esteem with our people, but there’s no guarantee. His younger brother could also be chosen. Or any of our high ministers.”
I nodded. I remembered the details of their country now. Odd, within the scope of things, but a way for them to feel as if they had a semblance of control against the will of the Alsa Alma. “You can’t think of a single person he fought with or disliked?”
“No one,” the queen said.
The statement raised my suspicions. Everyone had someone they didn’t like. Either this kid was an angel sent by Myl to mingle with humans, or else he kept his feelings private.
“You had a magician examine him?” I phrased my words as a question so they didn’t sound hostile. Anyone was free to study magic, but only those with the mark of the Alma were called and therefore worthy. Some people with a spark of talent, but no mark, were able to secure jobs in palaces since their fees paled in comparison to hiring an Alma.
The king hardly faltered. “Y-yes. She is a cousin to Menirva, so we let her study here safely.”
I nodded, letting him know I wouldn’t hold their choice against him. Even if this woman was likely not really related to them.
“And her findings?”
“She could find nothing wrong with him. It’s like he’s in a deep sleep.”
“For how long?”
“This is the third day.”
Good, they hadn’t waited long to contact a real magician. That increased our chances of saving the prince.
We stopped outside an ornate door, gold plated bars and nails, decorative wood made to look like Rynce. Then the door’s eye opened and I nearly squeaked in shock. Not mimicking Rynce wood, actual Rynce wood. This nation had to be very wealthy to afford this on a prince’s door.
For the second time today, I subjected myself to the stare of the wood. Legends claimed it peered into a person’s soul and judged their intent; if they meant harm, the doors would remain closed. Well, this door must have gathered I’d come to save the prince, not murder him, so it opened for us.
When the king and queen meant to enter too, I held up my hand. “We will need a moment to assess the situation. We will inform you if his condition changes.”
“Yes, of course, Alma,” the king said, adding in a lower bow than he’d shown at the carriage. In return, I dipped my head more. You give and you get.
I closed the door behind them, leaving Carishina and I alone with the prince. He lay in bed, a massive wooden structure draped in velvet and sheer curtains. Windows framed the headboard, sending in ample evening light. It functioned fine for now, but if this took long, we’d need more illumination.
Carishina rushed to his side, while I still got my bearing for the room.
“He’s gorgeous,” she said, her voice echoing off the walls.
“You know what?” I said, looking around. “This must be the royal chambers.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This is way too fancy for a prince, no matter how loved he is. The king and queen must have put him in their room when he fell sick.”
Could this move be a sign of love, or a sign of guilt?
“What does it matter?” Carishina asked.
“That question is why you still aren’t ready to be sent out,” I told her frankly. “You need to solve the problem that’s assigned to you, but also delve deeper to find the reason why the conflict happened in the first place. If the prince has someone trying to kill him, we don’t accomplish anything if we simply lift the curse. The responsible per
son would just strike again.”
Finally, I joined Carishina beside the bed. She stared at me with so much awe in her eyes, I half expected her to begin kissing the hem of my trousers.
“Klint, you are amazing. I never really thought about a mission in such way.”
I tried not to look smug under her praise. It’d been a while since anyone had called me amazing. “That’s because you rush to learn magic without learning human nature, or actual nature. It takes more than knowing spells to solve problems.”
“I understand. I’ll try harder.”
Good girl. Now, if I could talk sense into the other two hundred Almas at the palace.
Well, she was right about the prince being handsome. He looked very much like his father, but youthful, unspoiled by the hardships of the world. His hair curled slightly, growing lighter at the tips, from a dark brown to a deep red. Unnatural coloring. Maybe this magician had helped him get the locks such an enchanting shade. He wore bedclothes, a long-sleeved shirt and pants. Both pristine. If he’d been asleep for three days, they would have wrinkles, sweat, wear.
“They changed his clothes the moment we arrived,” I told Carishina. “Why?”
“Because he’s the prince. Of course, they want him to look… princely... when meeting us. Can you imagine the Alsa Alma letting anyone see one of us in such a state?”
I tilted my head to the side. Could their logic be so simple?
I reached out a hand and touched his forehead. His skin didn’t feel the least bit clammy, like when sick. He honestly appeared to be sleeping.
“What do we do?” Carishina asked.
I smirked. “What would you suggest, if you were the one assigned to this task?”
“Kiss him,” she replied simply.
My smile vanished and I gawked at her. “Kiss? Carishina! We are higher than mere mortals and have no right to press our advances, no matter how attractive a person may be. I am completely shocked you’d even suggest such a thing!”
She didn’t even look abashed. What kind of teaching were these children receiving? When I got back to Alma Palace, I had full intentions of questioning every teacher, no matter their age. This was unacceptable.
“Klint,” she said fondly. “I meant the spell might be designed to be broken by a kiss. You remember the story, right? How Ramano was freed from the spell placed by Cruel Crellus when Espera kissed him. I’d nearly forgotten myself.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Those are simply tales meant to romanticize the dark arts, child.”
She drew up sharply at being addressed so, but I was done with her silliness. I had a job to do, and she lacked the knowledge to adequately attempt this task.
“Step back,” I ordered. I waved my hand and the door swung open. My bag flew inside. I flicked my fingers, slamming the door on the bewildered faces of the king and queen. I dug into my belongings, finding a small glass vial filled with essence of bloomberry. I poured two drops into an empty jar. Then, I grabbed grumroot, nicco flower seeds, and powdered red wheat. I mixed them all together until the ingredients formed a paste. I scooped the vile mixture up with a pure silver spoon. I walked to the bed, holding the concoction at arm’s length because of the overwhelming smell.
“What did you make?” Carishina asked, apparently too curious to keep brooding in anger.
“It’s a potion.”
“I know that.”
“I’m sure you do. Now, come help.”
I held the prince’s nose closed and directed Carishina to open his mouth by gripping his jaw. “His skin is so soft,” she muttered.
“Focus,” I scolded. “Now when I say, close his mouth tight. He may struggle.”
I deposited the foul paste onto his tongue, then released his nose. “Now!”
Carishina thrust her hands forward, closing the prince’s teeth together with an audible snap. It should only take a few seconds….
Nothing happened.
“You can release him,” I told her.
“It didn’t work?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because this really is the work of a dark curse.”
“What do we do?”
“Try again.”
I went back to my bag and mixed another concoction. This one smelled even worse. Its stench alone could wake the dead. Carishina plugged her nose with her fingers as I approached the bed. Only long practice kept my own hand from clasping my nostrils.
“When I say, hold him again.”
Carishina nodded. I placed the potion on his tongue and told her to close his mouth. She gagged as she had to release her nose to do so.
Again, the prince remained motionless but for the soft rise and fall of his chest.
“Tricky,” I muttered, rubbing my chin in thought.
“Please don’t tell me you have more foul things in your bag.”
“You’re more than welcomed to go home, Carishina. If you stay, remember you promised to do as I tell you.”
She glowered but didn’t complain further.
“As a matter of fact, I do have lots of foul things in my bag. But I don’t think a potion will cure this.”
She perked up. “A kiss?”
“I told you, that doesn’t work. Instead, we’ll have to try a few spells.”
I grabbed a book from my bag, an old tome with a worn leather cover, the gilded letters nearly illegible. I thumbed through the pages gently. This book was probably as old as the Alsa Alma himself. I found the page and ran my fingertip along the words inked in dark red.
Carishina peered over my shoulder. “Oh, glyphs! I can read a few of them.”
I almost smacked myself in the face. How had she been allowed to pass her training without learning all the glyphs? Didn’t she take her studies seriously?
“Go stand over there,” I said instead, pointing to the far corner of the room.
She frowned at me but went.
Clearing my throat, I practiced the glyphs in my head. The pronunciation had to be exact. Confident I had the spell memorized, I went back to the prince and rested my fingers atop his chest. I closed my eyes in concentration, focusing on the shape of the glyphs. I vocalized each one, tracing the glyphs with my finger over his heart.
When I opened my eyes, the prince was still asleep.
“Maybe I need skin to skin contact,” I mused.
Carishina made a strangled noise from behind me.
I unbuttoned his pajama shirt and pulled the fabric back a little. It only exposed a small bit of the flesh of his chest, but it made my breath catch. The bronze color, the hint of muscles beneath the skin, the dark brown nipple. They all combined to make my mouth water.
Carishina grasped my arm, peering around me to get a glimpse at the somewhat nude prince.
“C-C-Carishina,” I tried to scold, but it was difficult when I blushed so bad. How could I be angry at her for mooning over this beautiful man when I did the exact same thing?
How? Because I was in charge and someone needed to get us back on track.
“Carishina,” I repeated, firmer. “A little privacy, please.”
She took her time retreating, constantly standing on tiptoe to see the perfect form on the bed. Once her feet thumped down in the corner, I turned to the prince. Returning my fingers to the supple skin, I took a deep breath. Oh, but concentrating was hard when he felt so warm beneath me.
Remember, I told myself. You don’t like royals. You don’t care how beautiful he is, or how hot his skin is, or how you can smell the scent of cinnamon on him.
I gulped. I hadn’t registered the heavenly smell of cinnamon and nutmeg and sweetness. My deep breath had only helped in shattering my focus.
“It’s still not working?” Carishina called from across the room.
“Not yet. I’m trying again,” I lied.
I held my breath to keep the overpowering smell at bay. Then, I traced the glyphs over the prince’s heart, whispering the words as I did so.
Stil
l nothing.
“I’m going to have to let the king and queen know this might take longer than anticipated,” I said.
“I think you should,” Carishina added. “They were obviously worried.”
“Stay there,” I told her, pointing to the corner.
“I won’t move,” she promised.
I went to the door and opened the thick wood. As expected, the king and queen shot to their feet from chairs against the corridor’s wall.
“Is he…?” the queen asked, her hand clutching her throat.
“He’s not awake yet, Your Majesty,” I said gravely. “It is indeed a dark magic. It’s resisting all the spells I’ve tried so far. I need more information. We will question your staff to find out how the poison was administered. They might have seen someone or something suspicious.”
“Yes, of course.” She paused in thought. “We’ll have to find Desian. He’s Yarling’s closest friend. He’ll be able to give you more details.”
“Then please send for him, as well. May I also ask for dinner to be sent up for us? I’m not sure how long Alma Carishina and I will be working at this.”
“I’ll see to your dinner myself,” the queen said.
Once she retreated down the hall, the king turned to me. The depth of sadness in his eyes mirrored the queen’s. He was as troubled but hid his despair better. “Alma Klint, you’re sure you’ll be able to wake him?”
I gave him a comforting smile. “I am sure, Your Majesty.”
He nodded.
I returned to the door. It inspected me again before opening. I stepped into the room as Carishina threw herself on top of the prince, her lips puckered.
I ran to the bed, but not in time to stop Carishina from sealing the kiss. She even made a smooching sound, loud and suggestive.
“Carishina!” I made to grab her and remove her bodily from the sleeping prince’s form, but she beat me to it.
“It didn’t work,” she said, getting to her feet. She folded her arms across her chest and glared, at me, at the prince, at the room in general.
Breaking His Spell Page 2