by Emily L K
“Don’t worry,” he said in a quiet voice, “I’ll fix this and get you signed onto a proper page roster.”
“Please don’t,” she said quickly. His eyebrows rose. Cori frantically searched for a way to explain. “I’d prefer to continue learning from the other servants rather than go back to the school so doing this shift is more suited to the schedules of my mentors. And if you have the Advisor change my tasks, then he’ll know I’ve spoken to you and he‘ll win. I can’t let him win,” she added as an afterthought.
“But I can’t just let you clean my rooms every day,” he said hopelessly, gesturing at the now tidy space around them.
“But it’s all right for another servant to do it?” She threw back at him. He looked distinctly uncomfortable, and she marvelled that she could bring the Karalis to such an emotion. “I’m done now. I’ll be back tomorrow morning,” she said, relieving them both from the growing silence. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Finally he merely nodded. Cori took it as a dismissal and left with the breakfast tray in hand.
Cori attended lessons with Mory that afternoon and in the evening she helped her mother in the kitchens. She didn’t speak to anyone about her page duties, still unsure how she felt about being made to look a fool again, this time in front of the Karalis himself.
When she got back to the pages’ rooms the other three inhabitants were abed. She moved quietly and without light to change into her nightgown and slip beneath the covers. The bed was soft and the covers feather-light. Despite it being a standard sized bed, it felt huge without Bel and Saasha beside her. It was rare for her to sleep without her family. She pulled the covers to her chin, rolling so they cocooned her. Already she missed them.
The following morning she arrived at the Karalis’ door with a breakfast tray in hand. The guards admitted her with the same knowing look as the day before. She studiously ignored them and stepped into the receiving room.
The Karalis was waiting for her. He sat in an armchair with one ankle resting on the knee of his other leg. He had a book in his lap but it was closed and his hands rested on the cover. A smug smile spread across his face and she paused, suspecting a trap. She glanced around the room, taking in the straightened furniture and lack of carelessly discarded objects.
“You cleaned,” she stated, failing to keep the exasperation from her voice. His smile widened to a grin.
“Yes, I did.”
Cori placed the breakfast tray on the table beside the Karalis’ chair and stood back. She waited and his grin grew larger. She didn’t want to play his game, but she saw no other choice.
“If you’ve cleaned everything, what would you like me to do this morning?” His eyes sparkled with amusement even as his grin faded to an easy smile. He gestured to a chair by his and she hesitantly lowered herself into it. He lifted the cup of tea from the breakfast tray and took a sip before speaking.
“I thought we could use your mornings to begin your training.”
“Training? In what?”
The Karalis watched her for a long moment. Cori got the feeling he was judging her and she berated herself for asking such a stupid question. She tried again.
“I mean, I‘m already doing lessons with the servants. When the school begins lessons for the Hiram in the Hum, then I intend to go back and -”
“The Hiram don’t have the Hum,” he cut her off abruptly. For a moment Cori thought she had misheard him. If the Hiram didn’t have the Hum then how did she have it?
Realisation hit her like a runaway cart and her hands began to shake. She pressed them into her lap and stared down at the red carpet beneath her feet. Oh, she‘d been stupid. So stupid. Of course he‘d take an interest in her: she wasn’t one of them, she was one of him.
“But I have blue eyes,” she whispered - another stupid statement. She was full of them today. He smiled at her, gentle and reassuring.
“The gold eyes will come,” he promised, “when you’ve reached your magical maturity.”
She sat back in her chair, breathing hard. Processing the news was difficult, and she didn’t even know where to begin. She closed her eyes to stave off the dizziness that threatened to engulf her but it was useless: her Hum vibrated loudly within her, reinforcing what the Karalis had just told her. The jagged edges of her melody grated on her mind, reminding her just how inept she was. She pressed her hands to her face.
“Cori, it will be all right. I’ll help you control it.”
She opened her eyes and peered at him through her fingers. He leaned forward and watched her with worried frown.
“Are you sure?” His gaze was frightening, but she couldn’t look away. One day her eyes would look like that. It was impossible to imagine.
“Yes, I am. Here, let me read something to you to take your mind off it.” He lifted the book that had been on his lap and flipped it open. Cori closed her eyes again. She should have said no to the paging duties. She should have just stayed in the kitchen and become a cook like her sister. He read aloud in an even voice.
“The battle had ended but our numbers were too few for it to be considered a victory. Cadmus and Daiyu had been banished to the Tundra, but it had come at a heavy price; we had awoken the Hiram.
“The Hiram were a selfish breed of beings who almost immediately turned their new magic to fit their own purposes. Civil wars arose and non-magical humans were enslaved. The Dijem needed to withdraw, to rest and recuperate from their efforts in the Last Fight, but they felt an obligation to stay in Tauta and protect the humans, for they had also been instrumental in ending Cadmus’ reign.
“We knew Cadmus could come back at any time; with Daiyu’s help he would recover his strength much faster than us. Cadmus would not relinquish his dream of rulership so easily the second time. We had to prepare to face him, but how?”
The Karalis paused in his reading and gave Cori a querying look. She realised that she’d dropped her hands and sat up straight. She remembered from her one day in class with Instructor Marcus, and her subsequent lessons with Mory, that the Dijem had been a peaceful race, that they hadn’t wanted to rule over the humans.
The story the Karalis had just read confirmed that, but it also stated something else, something that the other histories didn’t; Cadmus would come back, if he hadn’t already. Once more she had a strange moment of realisation.
“You’re Cadmus,” she said. His eyes widened, and she knew she was right. It all made sense now; the passage he‘d read her was the last piece of the puzzle to how Tauta had ended up with a Dijem ruler and why there were no other Dijem in the realm.
“Why do you think that?” He asked carefully. He closed the book, keeping his place in it with his thumb. Cori abruptly stood, her heart in her throat. Should she run? For a millennium Cadmus had been a name uttered in fear and hatred. But on the other hand, this Karalis had always been fair to his subjects, albeit reticent. What would he do to her now she knew?
“Because the other Dijem disappeared from their protection in the states. Because you suddenly emerged during the border wars to make peace when all the Dijem were gone. Because apparently the Dijem openly deplored placing themselves above the other races. But, despite that, here you are - the Karalis - ruler of the realm.” The words fell from her before she could properly consider them and his eyes continued to widen with each statement, but when she finished, they narrowed speculatively. She made a break for the door.
She’d always considered herself quick, but he was quicker. They reached the door at the same time. Cori yanked it open only to have the handle wrenched from her grasp as he slammed it shut. The whole room shook with the force. Her mind raced frantically for another way out as she staggered away. The suite backed onto the cliffs so there was no escape through the garden. He also had a secret door in his bedroom but even if she could reach before him, she didn’t know how to open it. She was effectively trapped.
“Please, just let me go. I won’t tell anyone!” She gasped, hands raised in s
ubmission. He laughed.
Chapter Ten
They stared at each other, both gauging the other’s next move. Their breathing was heavy from their short dash and the sound filled the otherwise silent space. When the Karalis judged that Cori wouldn‘t run again he dropped his hand from the door.
“I am not Cadmus,” he said emphatically. She didn’t believe him. He gestured back to their recently vacated chairs. “Please sit down.”
When she didn’t move he curled the fingers of his open hand and pointed. “Sit,” he commanded. This time she obeyed.
She sat tensely in her chair, never taking her eyes from him as he moved away from the door. He picked up the book he’d been reading from, unceremoniously dumped on the floor in his race to contain her. He straightened some bent pages and thrust the book at her.
“I hadn‘t finished reading when you... jumped to conclusions. Perhaps this was not the best story to begin with but now I cannot let you leave until we finish it, lest you bring the whole palace down on me. To avoid further interruptions, I think it would be best if you do the reading.” He pointed to the paragraph he‘d just finished, indicating that Cori should read from the next one. He moved to stand behind her chair, resting his hands on its back.
“Aloud,” he added when she skimmed silently over the words. The script on the page was written in a flourishing cursive and in some parts it had faded with age. She was very aware of the Karalis’ presence behind her and she felt vulnerable having her back to him. Cori read through the first sentence and then took a breath to begin.
“Our solution came to us in the form of Rowan’s return. He had managed to r-recuperate much of his strength during his h-hiatus and we knew he could keep the Hiram under control and C-Cadmus at bay while the rest of us withdrew.
“It took some time to convince him of the plan; he felt we were placing him on a path to follow in C-Cadmus’ footsteps. Cadmus’ b-betrayal was still too close at heart for Rowan.
“It was his concern for our waning magic that finally convinced him to agree. When all the pieces were in place, we withdrew from the r-realm of Tauta and Rowan stepped forward to take the position of Karalis and all of our burdens on his shoulders.”
Cori stopped, embarrassed by her earlier outburst. The Karalis had stayed silent throughout her stuttered dictation and when she craned her head back to look at him he was staring across the room.
“I’m sorry,” she told him. His eyes darted down, startled, as if he‘d forgotten she was there. Their eyes met in a moment of understanding and then he sighed. Reaching down, he plucked the book from her hands.
“There is nothing to be sorry for.” He returned to his own chair and sank into it. “Really, it’s my fault. I should have seen the correlations.” He rubbed his temples and fell silent.
“So, your name is Rowan?” Cori asked hesitantly. She wanted to know more of the story but she was also afraid that he was mad at her and would no longer want to teach her. He smiled.
“Yes, my name is Rowan.”
“And who wrote that book?” She prompted and Rowan followed her gaze to the tome in his hands.
“A woman named Jarrah.” He was momentarily lost in nostalgia, then he laughed and shook his head. “She was dry and snappy but she was clever. Although the Dijem have no leader, she was the one we naturally deferred to.”
“Is she dead?” His smile faded and Cori instantly wished she could take back her blunt words. He averted his gaze.
“I don’t know,” he finally said. “The Dijem have gone to safe places in the north and west, but I have had no contact with them in centuries... And you’re the first I’ve met in person since taking the throne.” He smiled again and this time Cori returned it.
CORI STAYED LATER THAT day than was strictly necessary. She had a lot of questions and Rowan was happy to answer most. The only topic he seemed uneasy about was Cadmus, but she was content to leave that for another time. It was only when his lunch tray arrived that he asked her to leave.
“It’s best we avoid drawing too much attention to ourselves. The Hiram may tolerate me but I don’t think they would react well if they found out that there is a second Dijem in residence.”
“So I shouldn’t tell anyone? Even my mother and sister?”
They were paused at the doorway, both unwilling to leave now they‘d found this sense of kinship together.
“Especially them,” Rowan said apologetically. “I cannot make humans forget.”
Cori opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but he opened the door for her. “Quick,” he told her, “the Advisor is coming.”
She went through the rest of the day in a daze; there were so many questions she still wanted to ask Rowan. He was correct that the story would take her mind off her own situation, but now she was away from his suite and could think clearly her panic was resurfacing. What did it mean for her to be Dijem? How was her magic different to that of the Hiram?
With her mind whirling she retired early to bed, which proved to be a mistake. When she reached the pages’ room, she found the three other girls still up. Antoni was on her bed with the same book in hand as the previous day. She glanced up when Cori arrived but said nothing.
Olivia had pulled her desk chair close to the third girl, a weedy blonde from the grade above Cori and Olivia, and was chattering away to her. When Cori stepped inside both girls looked at her. The blonde’s expression was curious but Olivia’s narrowed in dislike.
“About time they send a servant!” Olivia exclaimed loudly. “Come here, Servant, turn down my bedding and would you go fetch me a cup of tea? I like to have one before bed.”
Cori cringed internally, but she ignored Olivia and moved to her own bed. She didn’t want to fight with Olivia here in front of these other girls. She heard Olivia’s chair scrape as she stood up.
“Did you hear what I said, Servant?” She snarled and heart jumping, Cori quickly spun to face her, lest she get attacked from behind. She was standing, with hands clenched at her sides, glaring at Cori. The blonde girl watched on eagerly.
“Lay off, Hale.” Antoni’s voice was bored but the glare she gave Olivia was scathing. The room crackled with tension; Olivia’s expression flickered between anger and uncertainty. Antoni’s gaze was unwavering.
Cori suppressed a sigh of relief when Olivia lowered herself slowly back into her chair. She shot Antoni a grateful look but the older girl had already returned her attention to her book.
Cori climbed into bed and rolled to face the wall. Her hands shook with fear and she tucked them between her thighs to stop the tremors. She‘d been lucky this time, but she had no reservations about Olivia’s hatred of her. She would have to be careful.
The following morning Cori arrived at the Karalis’ suite armed with a breakfast tray and a head full of questions. Rowan wasn’t in the receiving room but when he heard the door click shut, he called out to her from the study. She went in and placed the tray on a corner of the desk not overflowing with parchment. His eyes flashed up from the colourful papers he was studying and he grinned at her. She smiled shyly back at him, both surprised and cautioned by his jubilant mood.
What shall we learn today? His voice in her mind gave her a jolt, and she automatically recoiled. He held her firmly by the thread of magic that connected them. Well, I think I know what the first lesson will be. You should be able to sense my presence before I speak to you so it doesn’t come as a surprise. I know you’ve done it before, but I’ll show you some techniques. Do you have any questions before we begin?
Actually, I have quite a few questions, Cori responded hesitantly. She felt slightly put out by the fact that he‘d turned his physical attention back to his work. As she watched, he selected a red pencil and traced a straight line across the parchment.
Please, ask away.
If I’m not Hiram, does that mean my father was Dijem? She had the satisfaction of seeing him caught off guard, but only for a moment; his pencil wavered then recovered its unswe
rving path across the page.
No, he said. She could feel him gathering his thoughts. Dijem are not bred like Hiram, they are born. A child need not have any magical ancestry to have the Hum. The reason the Dijem were nomadic was because we would travel around the realm to find children with the Hum and teach them. After the war there were not enough of us left to continue so our numbers have stayed stagnant for the past thousand years.
Is that why you have the school of Auksas? To test the children?
His pencil turned a corner and traced up the page. Though he still did not look at her, he smiled at her observation.
No. Most often Dijem children are found the same way I found you; by listening for sporadic flashes of the Hum. Admittedly, your disinclination to respond to me had me concerned for my own sanity. I had begun to think I was hearing things. He laughed at his own joke, in her mind and aloud.
“But if you can find people with the Hum without touching them, why do you test all those children?”
This time he did look up from his desk but it was not her question that had diverted his attention, it was the way she had asked it. He didn’t respond, instead he deliberately put down his red pencil and picked up a green one. He drew a cluster of small spikes that took the form of mountains at the top of page.
Flustered, Cori tried to ask the question in her mind but he was gone. She reached out, searching for his Hum but she only encountered her own erratic magic. Frustrated, she flung her question into the nothingness of her mind. She thought she felt a flickering response, but it didn’t feel like Rowan. A trick of the mind, perhaps. His hand found hers and once more she jumped in shock.
“Easy,” he said. She noted that his hand, adorned with a single flashing ruby, covered her fist. In her clutches was a sheet of parchment from his desk. She loosened her grip, and he took his hand away. Embarrassed, she tried to smooth the creases out of the letter. Rowan wasn’t paying attention to her efforts. “The Hum is a gentle magic. You don’t need to exert effort to find me. Close your eyes and let yourself drift. Close them!”