“Now, where is my purse?”
He stared at the floor with his arms crossed over his small chest. As I stared down at him, I noticed some interesting things about him. First was that he was wearing moccasins. Second was that he was not as young as I had first suspected.
After ordering some food from the barkeep, I sat in a seat across from the boy. We neither of us spoke until the food had arrived.
A plate of chicken was set before him, and his brown eyes widened their length. A small line of drool dripped from the side of his mouth, and then he attacked the food as if he was a wild animal.
After the third piece of chicken was consumed in less than three minutes, I spoke. “Slowly, boy, or you will make yourself sick.”
He eyed me with hostility as he bit off a piece of chicken.
His hair was the color of golden straw, but his skin was tanned, from hours in the sun I would guess. He wore a stained shirt that appeared to have dried blood upon it. His brown trousers were too small for his body.
It was only after he consumed all of his and my chicken that he returned my purse, saying that we were now square, and there was no need to involve the constable.
“What are you running from, boy?”
That caused him to turn mulish.
“If you will not tell me, that is your business, but do you have a place to stay? The woods are not safe for someone so young.”
“I am not afraid,” he retorted.
I could see that he was not.
“Are your parents nearby that I can see you home?”
He did not move, did not speak.
So, no parents that he would confess to.
“I suspect, from your stealing of my purse, that you have no money of your own. How do you propose to survive?”
“By my wits.”
“I have a better solution for you.” He eyed me with suspicion. “I am prepared to offer you an honest wage in exchange for some work. I am in need of someone to take care of my horse for me. Do you have any experience with horses?”
He gave a curt nod.
“If you would be willing to work, I can offer you a warm place to sleep that will keep the rain off your head.” I could see that he was still wary of me, so I told him about my children, and my wife’s cooking abilities.
When I rose to take my leave, he stood and offered his hand.
“I’m agreeable.”
That had yet to be seen, but I shook his hand. When I asked his name, he said Jericho.
It was a month before I discovered that his parents had been murdered by an Indian raid upon their farm. Jericho had only survived by having been in the woods playing when the attack occurred. He had been tracking the Indians until he lost their tracks during a rainstorm. He had continued on, always searching.
When I offered him a place among our family, he was hesitant, until I promised him that I would assist him in searching for his parents’ murderers. He agreed and our first meeting caused me to add a new feature to our training. Picking pockets.
The last two to join our family were brothers Benjamin and Henry. Henry was the oldest at seventeen, but he was eager to learn. Benjamin was of a softer disposition than all the other children, but he was dedicated to learn everything that I taught. He was thirteen, the same age as Bess, when he joined.
Their parents had died of yellow fever when they were younger. Pierre had been the one to find them upon one of his trips to Charleston.
Having Pierre’s approval was enough of a recommendation for me.
It was after I had sent them each out upon their first mission, and they had each returned successful, that I deemed them worthy of deputy names. Pierre and I had discussed at length the strengths and weaknesses of each deputy, and had come upon the perfect names for each child.
Nell, Pierre and I arranged lanterns in a circle out in the field, far enough from the cabin that the children could not see it. That night, we held a masking ceremony.
Once the full moon rose in the sky, we summoned the children. As the children reached the circle that Nell, Pierre and I were standing inside, we halted them from joining us.
Wearing the mask that Abraham, a young man from George’s plantation, had crafted for me, it was dark brown and had the texture of tree bark so that I could blend in with the woods at night. My children would not know where their masks came from, nor would they know that there was another team forming in Charleston, until the time was opportune.
“My children, on this most auspicious night, we have summoned you here because you each have been successful in your first missions and have proven yourself worthy of your masks.”
The children each reacted in different ways. Levi danced from one foot to the other, the youngest on the team and full of excitement. Mariah stood still and taking it all in. Jericho stood beside Mariah, having grown to be the tallest of all of the children over the last year. He had made himself the protector of both Bess and Mariah, though they did not require protection. Each could fight with the boys and come out successful.
Henry smiled with eagerness. Ben and Bess were the only ones who appeared as if they would rather be anywhere else, but I knew that not to be so. Ben would go wherever Bess went, and Bess would never allow others to fight without her. She had shown herself capable of true leadership over the last few months, succeeding in all of her training. She was more determined than all the others, and it was for that reason that I had chosen her to one day succeed me as the leader of our family of spies. She, out of all of my children, favored me the most.
“Your position in this family is not to be taken without consideration, which I offer to you now. If you are of sound will to take upon yourself a calling of great import. To vow to protect the good on which this nation was founded. Step into the circle.”
My son Jack was the first to step forward, his head held high. Levi followed Jack with a great leap. Henry stepped in without hesitation. Jericho and Mariah exchanged a glance and then each of them stepped inside. Bess inhaled a breath that I could hear, and then stepped forward, with Ben following her lead.
Once all of my children were inside the circle, I removed the first mask from the box that Pierre was holding. Stepping toward Jack, he tilted his head back to meet my gaze.
“My son, as the first to step forward, you have shown what I have always known. You possess the capabilities of true leadership. For that reason, your name shall be Loutaire.”
Jack’s brows rose, for he knew that my name was Loutaire.
“Lou comes from your grandfather, a great man while he lived, and taire means silence. You will move as swift as the rain and strike as silent as the dropping of a feather.” I held out Jack’s mask. It was black leather, crafted to appear as three stacked feathers on each side of the slits for his eyes to show through.
Jack took the mask and placed it over his eyes. Once it was tied into place, I held out my hand for him to move toward his mother.
“Welcome, my son, Loutaire, to the family of protectors.”
Jack joined his mother and I turned to Levi. Pierre stood beside me with the box and I removed Levi’s mask. His name was perhaps the simplest for me to choose. After the way we met and the conviction that had come upon me as I had watched him fight, I knew that he could have no other name.
“Levi, my son. When you came among us, I knew that before me stood a great fighter. A young man of courage and strength. You will fight with a will to win, and you will strike with the fire that I know lives inside of you. For those reasons, I dub thee Hades. May you always strike like fire and burn for our cause.”
Levi’s mask was of fine black leather that had two raised points that came off of the top of the mask and swirled points that stuck out from each side. As Levi placed the mask over his face and tried to tie it, it slipped down his nose. Bess stepped over and tied it for him. Grinning at her, and then at me, I knew that he would serve me well. Stepping aside, I welcomed him to our family as I had Jack.
; Next was Henry. His mask was gray and appeared as stone with what looked like palm leaves trailing across the top of the mask.
“Henry, the eldest of my family, you have proven yourself to be a strong force. You have shown me from the beginning that I never need to doubt your courage and strength.” Handing him his mask, he grinned. “Welcome, Zeus, to the family.”
“Thank you … Father,” Henry said softly, reverently, before joining the others.
Moving to Mariah, her name was almost as simple as Levi’s had been to choose. She had taken up the bow as one who had been born for such a weapon. Her mask was different from the others, being plain black leather. As I drew it from the box and presented it to her, she showed her disappointment by the slumping of her shoulders.
“My dear, turn the mask over.”
She did as I requested, and then smiled. One side was black, but the other side was white and had a pearl design over the eyes.
“From the moment that you showed yourself capable with a bow, I knew that you could only be Artemis. The goddess of the hunt, but also of the moon. May your arrows fly true, and your heart remain pure. May you always live to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”
She moved to the others and I moved on to Jericho. His mask was made of brown leather and crafted as the face of a wolf.
“Jericho, you are perhaps the fiercest warrior that I have yet to come across, though your kindness outside of battle is well known to your family. It is as if you can transform when the battle strikes, and for that reason I name you Fenrir, after the great wolf beast of the Norse mythology.”
Jericho accepted his mask, smiling slightly as he placed it over his eyes. When he joined the others, I heard Jack and Levi growl.
Next was Bess. Her mask had taken me a little longer to decide upon, for what did one name his daughter who fought with determination but would fly if she found the chance?
“My daughter, when I returned home and told you that you were to become a spy, I knew that you would serve your country the same way that you serve your family. With pure determination.” Presenting her mask, it was painted red over her left eye, but over the right was a leather crafted raven, perched over her right eye as if landing … or preparing to take flight.
“From this day forward, you will be known as Raven.”
She took the mask and ran her finger over the bird. After she joined the others, I turned to Benjamin.
His had been the most difficult to choose because I had not been certain that he would succeed in his mission. He had surprised me when he had shown himself successful in the shortest amount of time. As I had made his mission involve horses, he had thrived. Ben’s greatest love was of horses. Nell had once said that Ben rode as if his horse had wings.
His mask was black but rising above each eye was a winged horse, facing each other.
“Pegasus, the horse of the skies.”
Ben took the mask without a word. He placed it over his eyes and joined the others, but there was no hint of any emotion.
Facing my family, I smiled. “As a family, we trust each other first, knowing that your brothers and sisters will do their all to assist you when you ask for aid. As spies, we live a life of secrets. You trust no one and question everything.”
They each agreed and I concluded the masking ceremony. Leaving my children to inspect each other’s masks, I walked across the field. At the far end, I turned to watch my family interact.
Pierre joined me and for a few moments we had silence, until he spoke.
“You are pleased.”
Chuckling, I motioned to my family. “How can I not be? Just gaze upon my creation.”
More had happened for the good of my family since coming to America than all the time that I had spent in England.
“Tey are but children, you remember,” Pierre said.
It was a bit late to be turning squeamish about what was before us. He had assisted me in training them, guiding them, molding them into the perfect weapons against our enemies.
We would move to Savannah where my wife and I would test our abilities of disguise, and when we won the hearts of the people of society, we would move on to some larger, grander city. Washington or Boston or Philadelphia. We would thrive. We would contrive. We would win.
“They are not children, Pierre,” I assured him with conviction. My creations would never be called just children. The mere thought was blasphemy to what I had created. “They are Phantoms.”
THE END
Also by Amalie Vantana
PHANTOM KNIGHTS SERIES
Phantoms In Philadelphia
The Charleston Chase
Secrets In Savannah
PHANTOM BEGINNINGS NOVELLAS
The Phantom Knight
The Raven of Richmond (Fall 2015)
The Wolf of Williamsburg (Fall 2015)
The Belle of Boston (Fall 2015)
Other works by Amalie Vantana
The Secret Switch (Fall 2015)
Writing as K. A. Vantana
REALM OF DREAMS SERIES
Realm of Dreams
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
The Phantom Knight
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
phantom knights 04 - deceit in delaware Page 44