by Cheree Alsop
He laughed, but peered through the dark with a wary expression. “I’m not going to fit in there.”
“Me, neither,” Marken said immediately.
The others backed off until it was my turn to laugh. “What’s going on; are you afraid of the dark?”
Staden nodded. “Most Luminos are. We generally avoid the dark by sleeping through it.”
“As if we have a choice,” Rasa replied. He grinned at me with blue eyes deeper than most Luminos.
I shrugged. “We could take a torch.”
Dathien pursed his lips over his jutted teeth. “Unfortunately, the same fear pertains to small, dark places. I don’t know how the Luminos you lived with actually survived the Caves for such a long time. That place gave me the creeps.”
Axon rolled his eyes. “I guess we'll end up braving the passages alone, my lady.”
“I’ll go,” Jatha said, though he sounded as if he was being forced to wear one of the dresses I had turned down.
Axon slapped him on the shoulder. “Glad to have you along.” He gestured for Jatha to lead the way, and the Luminos grumbled a bit but stepped into the closet. I felt along the panel and pushed the top, then pulled the bottom to open the door. Jatha gave me a steeling glance in the dark closet, then ducked through into the passage.
I followed Jatha, then Axon brought up the rear. I ran into the doctor right next to the door. He clung to one of the wooden beams in the dark. “Can I squeeze by?” I asked quietly.
“Fancy Duskie, able to see in the dark,” Jatha said in a light, taunting voice that made me smile when I stepped past him. He held out a hand and I grabbed it. “I never thought about how it could come in handy.”
“It wouldn’t be handy if you spend all your time in the sun,” I countered.
“Ow!” Axon rubbed his forehead after smacking it against one of the low beams.
I let out a small breath. “This isn’t going to work if I need to lead both of you. If we’re going back to the dining hall, it’s a long ways and there’s a lot to get hurt on if you don’t know where you’re going.”
Axon sighed. “Go back, Jatha. I'll let you know what we find out when we return.”
Jatha obeyed and crawled out of the hole faster than I had ever seen him move. The other Luminos waiting in my room laughed.
“Couldn’t make it?” Staden teased.
“At least I went in the stinkin’ hole, you wouldn’t even go in the closet,” Jatha snapped back; then his tone lightened. “It’s too dark. Nexa can only take one at a time.”
“Oh, well,” Dathien sighed. “We’ll have to make do with calling up a bit of grub.”
We made our way carefully up the tunnel and their voices died away. We went slowly and I described to Axon how many steps to take before stepping over the low beams or ducking under the high ones. He held my hand tight and reached with his other one close to his face to feel the beams before he ran into them. His eyes were wide and searching, though it was so dark he couldn’t see anything. It felt strange, leading a man who was so certain and powerful, yet who had to trust me to warn him about the smallest piece of wood that could trip him up.
“Is it far?” he asked, breaking me from my thoughts.
I guided him under another beam and shook my head, then realized he couldn’t see me. “No, not far. Just around the next bend, actually.”
He didn’t quite stifle his sigh of relief and I was glad he couldn’t see my smile.
We reached the dining hall and I twisted the wood. A beam of light shone through to touch the wall behind us. It looked solid through the black, like a rod of hardened, shimmering sunlight. Axon reached over to touch it and watched the way it played over his hand. He threw me a slightly embarrassed look and put his eye to the hole. The dining hall was empty of all but a few servants cleaning up the lunch and preparing for a dinner that would be even bigger by the looks of it. Axon watched for a few minutes, then turned back with a thoughtful crease to his brow.
“Could you get us to the King and Queen’s chambers?”
I thought a minute. “If you know roughly where they are in the castle, I could probably find them. I just hope they’re not monitored.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Axon replied. He outlined the layout of the castle for me and I led him forward through the red rock passageway, tracing my free hand along the inside of rocks that hadn’t been touched in what looked like decades.
Chapter 12
The King and Queen’s chambers were lower in the castle, which surprised me because I assumed they would be the highest.
“King Raden feels safer closer to the ground.” He grinned. “Apparently, he's afraid of heights.”
I fought back a smile at his tone. “I thought you were enemies. How do you know so much about him?”
Axon ducked a bit too slow and bumped the top of his head on a beam. He whispered some words under his breath I had never heard before and gave a rueful grin. “Let’s just say that certain of our men fell in love with a few of their choice women, married, and told me the secrets of the castle.” He touched one of the walls. “Though they failed to mention this.”
“I doubt anyone remembers it.” We were close to the King’s chambers now and had to make our way down a series of short steps that must have been extensions of the true stairs in the hallway next to us. There were no signs that anyone else had traveled this passage in years, even this close to the Lysus King and Queen’s chambers.
We passed one quiet room, a second a few paces away, then stopped at a third through which a high voice sounded before we even opened the spy hole.
“I had Sarian warn Seamstress Mancioch that making a dress for Duchess Eria would not be in her best interest, but apparently she didn't listen,” the Queen said in a dangerous tone. “I won't be held responsible if something happens to her.”
“You will be responsible if something happens to her,” King Ragen replied in a voice laced with boredom. “But accusing the monarchy of murder is treason.”
A humorless laugh followed. “It's nice to be Queen,” she said, her words coated with poison. “And it's not like I didn't warn her.”
“It's not like you really care,” the King pointed out.
She continued talking about the seamstress, the dresses the duchesses wore, and flaws in the food and the servants' service. The King gave vague answers and it was obvious he had heard it all before. Axon and I eventually sat on the dusty floor and leaned against the wall, the Queen's caustic voice zoning into the background like the hum of night insects while we waited for a shred of anything pertaining to the betrothal negotiations.
The beam of light from the spy hole made a circle about as big around as my finger on the wall across from us. I studied the dust motes that spun in briefly in the light only to vanish when they passed back into darkness. Something touched my fingers and I looked down to see Axon’s hand close around mine, an innocent gesture that made my heart race. I shut my eyes and focused on the way the heat from his hand trailed up my arm. I wished we could stay like that forever, something unspoken between us and safe in the darkness I had lived in throughout my life. The brief moment of safety and familiarity eased years of loneliness from my heart.
After what felt like an eternity, a door slid open across thick carpet and soft footsteps entered the room behind us.
“Your dress was unflattering around the hips,” the Queen said without preamble.
“I'll talk to the Seamstress about it,” Princess Tiseria said in a neutral tone.
“If she's around,” the Queen replied, her voice sharp with satisfaction.
“I’m glad that you had a nice time,” King Ragen said in a curt tone as though his wife hadn't spoken.
“Nice time?” Princess Tiseria replied shrilly. “Prince Axon barely looked at me.”
“Even to pick up your napkin?” the Queen replied in a cool voice.
Princess Tiseria paused, then rushed on. “I don’t see why it matt
ers; it’s not like this marriage is going to take place anyway.”
Axon rose to his knees and peered through the hole. My hand felt empty without his; I rose beside him in an effort to forget his touch.
“He doesn’t know that,” the Queen said. “And it’s important that he continues to be oblivious. That is your job, your only job. Do you think you can handle it, Princess?” She said the last sentence with heavy, hurtful sarcasm. I wondered what the Princess’ face looked like now.
“I can handle it, Mother,” she snapped back. The venom in the young woman’s voice surprised me.
“Two more days, that’s all we need to ensure we take Adexo’s castle by surprise,” King Ragen said with a satisfied humph.
Axon stiffened and his knuckles turned white on the wooden beam beside the spy hole. He turned away and I slid the wooden board back to cover the opening. I rushed to catch up to him and caught his arm before he tripped over anything.
“They’re attacking Lumini,” he said with barely contained rage.
“They were using you?”
He nodded and gritted his teeth. “How could I be so stupid? Ragen doesn’t want peace. He lives for battle. I just hoped-“ He shook his head again and tripped on a beam but righted himself before I could help. “I’ve got to get back there.”
“You won’t be in time,” I pointed out.
He clenched his jaw and walked faster, but tripped again. He finally stepped aside so I could lead the way and we moved at a quicker pace. “I’ll send a pigeon, a dozen of them. If I warn Father, he could still have time to defend the empire.”
We reached the tiny door and Axon barreled through it. The corner of the door caught on the cloak at his throat and jerked him back. He ripped it from his neck with an angry growl and pushed out of the closet.
Axon's men jumped to attention, embarrassed expressions on their faces as though they had been dozing off.
Axon ignored them, his teeth gritted and an expression on his face like he wanted to hit someone. Dathien read the look and his eyes widened. “What happened?” he demanded while I was still climbing from the closet.
“They’re attacking Lumini in two days. We’ve got to leave tonight.”
White swept through the gray faces around me. The looks that were exchanged told of loved ones back home. “What do we do, my Prince?” Marken asked.
“Get us a ship, any ship that can take us to Lumini quickly. I want to be at sea before dusk,” Axon ordered. Marken bowed and turned to leave, but Axon’s voice stopped him. “We have to take care that the people of Lysus don’t know we’re leaving, so give the captain all he asks in return for his silence.”
Axon turned to Dathien. “I need a dozen pigeons from Lumini.”
“You’re going to send a warning?” the big Luminos asked.
Axon nodded. “Let’s just pray it gets there in time. We’ll release the pigeons ourselves when we get to the boat. I don’t want to risk someone reading the letters before they go out.”
Dathien bowed and left the room with gigantic, league-eating strides.
Axon turned to the others. “We need supplies for the trip, horses to reach the boat, and people we can trust to carry out the loading.”
Dyloth nodded. “I have contacts here, my Prince. It will be done.” He left with Rasa and Staden.
“Raid our rooms,” Axon ordered Jatha. “I have no qualms about taking anything we might need on our trip. Pack clothing, weapons, and any other necessary supplies.” The soldier bowed and disappeared from my room, leaving us alone.
Axon leaned against one of the couches, his face still pale. He buried his head in his hands so that his white blond hair fell over them. I stepped closer, but didn’t know what to say. He took a deep breath, then lowered his hands and straightened up. The moment of weakness was gone.
He looked at me, his expression serious. “You're welcome to come with us or stay here and make a life for yourself.” He pulled a purse from his pocket and held it out to me. When I didn’t take it, he set it on the arm of the couch. “There’s enough gold for you to buy a house and live comfortably for the rest of your life.”
I couldn't explain why my heart fell, or how my chest constricted at the thought of being left alone in Lysus. He was giving me the freedom I desired with every breath I had ever taken, with every glance at the dried leaf, and every time I gazed across the desert, hoping one day to see the lands beyond its sandy reaches. He was given me the chance to live my own life without someone telling me what to do every moment of every day. But now that it was there in front of me, tied up in a little leather bag, I didn't want it. The chaos of the last few days crowded my mind, and for it to suddenly be over felt unreal, like awakening from a dream.
Axon studied the bag for a minute with a slight frown, then his piercing blue eyes softened. He closed the distance between us, took my hands, and looked intently into my eyes. My heart skipped an unwilling beat at the frankness of his gaze. “Nexa, there’s no way to thank you for what you’ve done. You saved our lives in the desert and now revealed that my country is under attack. I don’t want to leave like this, but too many lives are in danger. Come with us or stay, whatever your heart tells you to do. You will be well cared for in any case.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
I was saved a reply when Dathien entered the room again. “The horses are ready, a ship is being supplied, and our passage will be covered. We are ready when you are, my Prince.”
Axon threw him a surprised look. “That was fast.”
Dathien smiled. “Never underestimate the influence of a Prince.” He paused. “And what a few extra pieces of gold can accomplish.”
Axon nodded and turned back to me. “Thank you, Nexa. I hope we see you again.” There was a strange tone to his voice that I didn’t recognize. He kissed the back of one of my hands, then turned and left my room before I could respond.
Dathien gave me a calculating look. “Is that little door to the passage shut?” At my nod, he smiled. “Never know when it might come in handy. Better keep it a secret.” He motioned for me to follow him to my closet. “You’ll want to pack up whether you’re coming with us or not.”
I watched him open the closet door. “None of that’s mine. I shouldn’t take it.”
Dathien clicked his tongue. “Nexa, these people are attacking our country even while they house us in their castle under false pretenses. I think Prince Axon will take it as a personal insult if you don’t at least make a slight dent in some of these clothes.”
He tossed the first dark blue dress on the bed followed by more dresses in peach, rose red, deep green, and an elegant black dress that was sewn with beautiful black jewels that caught the light of the sun setting outside my window. He grabbed a couple more pairs of pants and two shirts, one maroon and the other black, gathered some under clothes, then pulled out a shoulder bag and began to stuff them unceremoniously inside. I pictured the seamstress shrieking at the thought of her dresses being treated so poorly and stifled a laugh.
“There you go,” Dathien said. “Now you’ve got the right spirit.”
He went to the mirror and packed a soft horsehair brush and a small hand mirror with a beautifully wrought silver handle.
“Dathien-“ I protested, but he held up a hand. He shoved them both into the pack and tied it shut.
“There, everything a young woman needs to woo any man for miles around.” He glanced at the expression on my face and the big smile he had plastered on fell. He sighed. “The truth is, Nexa, I wish you were going with us, but I know how dangerous it’s going to be. You’ve been through so much and it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to face more. We’re heading into certain war with an uncertain outcome. For all we know, our families and Lumini Castle will be burned to the ground before we reach land.” I heard the pain in his voice and tried to listen to reason. “If I were you, I would stay here until things blow over. Keep a low profile in case King Raden starts a search, but I think
he’ll assume you went with us when he finds out about the stolen ship.”
My eyebrows rose. “I thought you found a captain willing to take you.”
“Oh, he’s willing, alright,” Dathien replied with a jutting smile. “It just needs to look like he took us unwillingly or he’ll never be welcome in port here again.”
He tossed in the money from the couch. I sighed and took the bag from him. “You don’t miss much, do you?” I asked with a wry smile.
“Not when it comes to Prince Axon,” he answered with a smile gentler than one I had seen from him before.
“You really care about him, don’t you?”
He nodded. “I was an outcast in my city growing up if you can imagine,” he said with a gesture to indicate his size. “Axon made me a soldier and gave me something to live for.” He gave a proud smile. “I have a wife and a beautiful baby girl waiting for me back home.”
“Then why did you come here?” I asked.
A spark lit Dathien’s eyes. “To stop a war so that my daughter can grow up in safety.” The spark deepened. “Too bad it didn’t work out that way.”
Darkness chased across his face and I touched his arm. “They’ll be alright. If Axon’s father is anything like his son, he’ll protect them.”
Dathien nodded, then without warning swept me up in a tight hug. He set me down just as fast and a slight blush colored his gray cheeks. “Sorry, I just- thank you for everything, for saving us, for showing us that something good can come from somewhere as terrible as the Caves, and for watching over Axon.” He saw my surprised look and grinned. “He’s a good guy, even if he is a Prince.” He turned and left the room with a bow as formal as the one he had given Axon earlier.
Chapter 13
I stared at the door for several minutes, the bag in my arms and the soft white carpet under my feet, surrounded by luxury and comfort the likes of which I could never before have imagined, let alone pictured myself in. I pushed the door open to the great hall and sighed softly at the lack of my Luminos friends.