Curse and Whisper

by A J Gala

  Torah nodded and put on a friendly smile. “She’s right. No one is better at Liar’s Game than Tal. But it does seem like you have an advantage. None of us know much about you, Canis. You could come out on top!” He turned to Korrena. “Let’s sit down for a game with them, Kor. Remember when we used to play?”

  “I remember.”

  She followed them inside and into the mess hall, glowering at the back of Torah’s head the entire time.

  The mess hall was mostly quiet. The gentle rain and crack of thunder had lured many members of the Convent into silent nooks alone. They would be able to laugh and joke as loud as they wanted without worry of bothering anyone.

  But Talora took a moment to take in the mood between Torah and Korrena. It did not seem as though there would be much laughing and joking during their game, but it was the perfect chance to squeeze menial information out of Canis. It didn’t matter who the other players happened to be, but Torah and his sister were the only people she could find.

  Talora had already picked a table for them and lined it with glasses and bottles of whisky and bloodwine. She lamented her choices only because the group could use much more encouragement to loosen up. As soon as she sat down, she poured herself a glass of bloodwine.

  “Have a seat, everyone, have a seat!” She smiled and raised a glass. “Unwind a little, and we can get started.”

  “Yes, Kor.” Torah sat down and poured a glass, then handed it to her. “Unwind a little.”

  Her nostrils flared for a second, but she took the wine in silence.

  “So!” Talora paused as Canis took a seat beside her and helped himself to the whisky. “Liar’s Game. To refresh everyone’s memory, when it is your turn, you tell a very short little story about yourself—keep it short! Try to keep it to three or four details. And here’s the thing about those details! All but one of them has to be a lie! And it is the person to the left of you who must guess which detail is true.”

  “How do you win?” Korrena growled.

  Talora drummed her fingertips on the table and managed to only roll her eyes a little. “By being the first person with an empty glass. When it is your turn to guess, if you guess correctly, you get to drink. Anytime you guess wrong, the next person gets the chance to guess. Easy enough, right?”

  “Indeed!” Canis spent a moment topping everyone’s glass off the same. “The last time I played this, there were dice involved.”

  Talora cocked her head. “Really? How did that work?”

  “It didn’t.” Canis’s wolfish smile spread across his face. “That was a lie, Miss Tal.”

  “Oh!” She clapped excitedly, almost forgetting her goal entirely. “Oh, this will be fun! Alright, looks like Canis goes first, then myself, then Torah, then Korrena. Goodness, what a line-up. Canis, if you need a subject to start with, why don’t you tell us about the journey from Roe River, where you were picked up at. Sounds like it was a crazy day.”

  Korrena stared into her wine, trying to keep her scoffs and snarls and grunts bottled while everyone started Liar’s Game. She was in no mood to play. She wanted to destroy something.

  “Well, I was quite shaken up to see Ziaul and everyone he came with, I’ll admit.” Canis was casual yet grand as he told it. “I never imagined he’d take me with you! I was surprised he had even sniffed me out—I’d made a den on the riverbank and thought I was well hidden.”

  Talora swallowed hard, listening to each word he said. Something wasn’t right. She wasn’t sure if it was his subtle use of sarcasm in certain places or the simplicity he spoke with, but she knew exactly where his lie was. It wasn’t where it was supposed to be. He said he never imagined Ziaul would take him, and yet she could tell that was the lie. Canis knew all along that Ziaul would take him.

  Canis was either not a good liar, or he knew Talora was an expert at sniffing out deception and was challenging her.

  “You, um…” She dared to meet his sea green eyes for a moment, then decided to back off. “The lie is that Ziaul didn’t sniff you out. Because Ziaul has a lousy sense of smell.”

  Canis leaned back with laughter and clapped his hands. “I thought I was going to get by with that one! You’re very clever, Miss Tal! Ziaul did not sniff me out—actually, he wasn’t the one who found me at all. I saw him and some others wandering the riverbank and decided to see what was going on. They were a suspicious lot. You two included!” He gestured to Torah and Korrena.

  Talora didn’t realize how quickly her heart had been pounding and took a drink of her wine as reward for her cleverness.

  “I am the in-house champion,” she said, faking a grin. “My turn to lie then, is it?” She raised the glass for them to see. “This is an 1102 vintage. I’ve seen the vineyard, actually, and even had a little fling with the vintner while he was making the donor selections. It tastes a little sweet because I got to pick the donors’ diets before they were bled for the wine!”

  “Holy shit, Tal.” Torah chuckled. “That whole thing was a mess. Was any of it true?”

  “Well, as per the rules, one part of it has to be!” she said, resting her head in the palm of her hand. “Go on. Take a wild guess.”

  He tapped his chin, then looked at the bottle and the worn label peeling off. He couldn’t even read the name. “I’m going to guess that you have actually seen the vineyard. You surprise me with stuff like that.”

  Talora patted his shoulder. “No, I’m sorry. That’s incorrect! Korrena, would you like to take a guess?”

  The woman’s stare was dry and flat, just as her voice. “It’s an 1102 vintage. That’s the only part that was true.”

  “Ah! Yes, wonderful!” Talora threw her arm out in celebration. “You are correct! Take a drink, you deserve it!”

  Korrena rolled her eyes, then turned her glare to Torah. “Alright. Go ahead. What the hell can you say that can fool me? Hm? What don’t I know about you?”

  It was his turn, after all. At first, he was nervous, but it quickly waned the more he realized he’d lived a lifetime away from her. She didn’t know him at all.

  “Plenty. I’ve slaughtered camps, I’ve turned a shrine maiden, I’ve slept with kings, and I’ve even learned to play the fucking pan flute.”

  “Bullshit!” Korrena snapped. “You’re too much of a coward to turn someone!”

  “Is that your guess?” he asked.

  “It is.”

  “Well, it’s incorrect.” Torah turned away from her in an instant and was looking down at Canis. “Your turn! Would you like to guess, friend?”

  Talora could feel the growing tension in the air and pulled at the hem of her veil, but Canis took it all in stride.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t think you can play the pan flute.”

  “Drink up, Canis! I, indeed, cannot play the pan flute.”

  Suddenly, Korrena downed her glass and slammed it on the table. “That’s it. This game is stupid. You know who we know nothing about? We know nothing about you.” She jabbed her finger at Canis. “And I’m not going to skirt around this stupid fucking game to figure you out. How the hell did a dog like you get let in here—”

  “Kor—”

  Torah grabbed her arm, but she swatted him away. “Shut up,” she hissed. “Canis, the direwolf. So majestic.” She rolled her eyes. “Where are you from? Hm? How long have you been around? Where have you lived, what have you done? Are you from a family of shifters? Is it in your blood, or did you get it through magic? Maybe a Libevveni Druidism trick? Out with it!”

  Torah didn’t bother to stop her assault of questions anymore. She lacked common courtesy, but she did not lack a point.

  Talora could not bring herself to intervene, either. The uncomfortable atmosphere aside, Korrena’s hostility was the perfect opening for her to learn about Canis.

  And the shifter didn’t seem to have taken offense at all. He merely shrugged.

  “Shifter by blood,” he answered. “But not the infected kind. No, those monsters, the lycanthropes, so ma
ny have lost their true animal form and can only hold the shape of a beast. Not too many around on this mainland though, are there?” He kept grinning.

  “The purge of 1100,” Torah said. “Lord-Hunter Cyrus’s father was with Havenfold at the time, and they had a five-year hunt east of the Undina Loch, then west of it, to kill as many lycanthropes as possible. At the time, they were a worse threat than the greenkind.”

  “Not quite a tragedy, was it?” Canis ran his hands through his long, silver-gray hair. “If you must know, I’m from Siopenne Mainland, originally. Dreamer’s End. Coming to Mirivin was a natural progression for me.”

  Korrena scoffed. “Why?”

  “I’m a lone wolf who likes to roam.”

  “Siopenne is gigantic! You had everything north of Dreamer’s End—that’s practically the whole fucking thing! Why skip to Mirivin at all? What are you trying to hide from, and why are you so afraid to say it? Not like it could be any worse than what the rest of us have done.”

  Canis remained amused and laughed out his nose. “I assure you, it’s nothing so exciting.”

  “Fine. Hide all the shit you want. I don’t care anymore.” Korrena stood and gazed down at Torah. “I’m sure Torah would like to continue this shit game with you, however. Or maybe not. Maybe he would rather get back to his drug habit.” She narrowed her ice blue eyes. “I won’t be here when your heart stops. And that’s too bad because only on your death bed would you ever tell me what’s going on around here.”

  She stormed off, and no one could find something appropriate to say. After a moment, Torah breathed a “Sorry,” and left as well.

  Talora scratched her head and exchanged a glance with Canis. “I do apologize for that. I never imagined this silly game would be too much pressure for someone.”

  “The truth can be frightening.”

  That was all he said before getting up and leaving her alone at the table, just like the others. Talora wrapped both hands around her wine glass and watched him until he disappeared around a corner.

  She sipped, replaying every word he had said. After what felt like hours, but was only perhaps ten minutes, Lilu entered the mess hall with her and sat on the tabletop.

  “It got quiet. What happened to the game?” she growled.

  Slowly, Talora shook her head. “I didn’t pick my players very well.”

  Lilu folded her arms and tried to match Talora’s shaking head, but it didn’t feel natural. “Canis, so nice and friendly, still the same as he was the second he arrived.”

  Talora took a sip of the wine. “But, the wolf is not what he seems.”

  “No shit.”

  Talora rolled her eyes. “Shifters by blood are calm, stable, focused people. Because they can only shift into their animal form with concentration that comes from trained mental exercise and study. Canis passes for one of those people, sure, but… but he’s also different in a way I can’t put my finger on. And he definitely knows more about this place than he lets on.”

  “We’ll keep following him.” Lilu stared out to the hall. “And he’ll slip up. We will figure him out, Tal.”

  Vayven 13, 1144

  Athen heard the unmistakable knock at the front doors, and Stormy took off in a frenzy. He followed the mutt, and when he got there, it was exactly as Allanis had told him.

  “Tye! Madame Blanche!” He welcomed them in with a wide gesture, stepping out of their way. “The queen is expecting you!”

  Madame Blanche eyed her son sternly. “So that child was telling the truth after all. My lord Athen, we almost didn’t come. Please inform the queen that she needs to summon us with more dignified—”

  “Official!” Tye cut her off. “She means to say official! It would be less confusing if her couriers looked more official.” He smiled, but it didn’t ward off the embarrassment of his mother.

  “No, I meant to say dignified. Don’t censor me,” she snapped.

  Madame Blanche didn’t have one soft edge about her. Her brown hair was mostly gray and pulled back into a tight ponytail. She kept the hair out of her face so the world could see every hard-earned line and wrinkle she had. She did not smile—Tye wondered if she had forgotten how.

  “I will see to it that we make some changes in that area,” Athen said with a nod. He wasn’t afraid of the Madame. As cross as she may have been, she was also free of nonsense, and that made her easy to communicate with. Plus, she never failed to let them know what needed to be changed or made better, and it was Allanis’s plan to put the woman’s opinions to good use.

  Athen cleared his throat. “Now, the queen has some business to discuss. Are you open to the idea of doing business, Madame Blanche?”

  “We are not in the best condition to do business.” Her voice was gruff, almost angry. “But if we can meet the demand, I suppose we don’t have the choice.”

  “This isn’t an order,” Athen told her. “It’s an offer. Follow me this way, please.”

  He was as excited about this development as Allanis was and couldn’t wait to see it take off. He led them to the Council room in silence. Madame Blanche said nothing, keeping her eyes only on the path ahead of her, while Tye perused the architecture all around them.

  Athen brought them to their destination, and the doors were already open. He ushered them in, pulled the doors closed, and took a seat with Allanis and Lazarus.

  “Welcome to my Council room!” the queen said. It was getting nicer every day. The most recent addition to its furnishings was a large scarlet rug Rori had found hidden away in the King’s Vault.

  “Why are we in here, Your Grace?” Madame Blanche eyed the black and gold designs in the rug.

  “It’s appropriate for the kind of business we’re about to conduct.” Allanis smiled and tapped her fingers together. “We have two positions available and would like to see if you two are a good fit.”

  Tye straightened his posture. “Not Council positions, though. Right?”

  “Oh, they’re definitely Council positions.” Allanis was glowing. “Madame Blanche, let’s start with you. If the title of Chamberlain were offered to you, would you want it?”

  “I have no time to run your house, my queen. I have to run my own.”

  “You could run your own from this one!” Allanis told her. “We’re cleaning out a villa for you and your family if you would like the job. If you are a fit, of course.”

  The harshness of Madame Blanche eased away just a bit. “Why have you considered me for the position at all, Your Grace? I have no experience in royal affairs. I’m an old widow just scraping by.”

  “I don’t know why we’d want anything else, to be honest. Forget royal etiquette. I need someone practical, and after years of doing business with your family in the town square, I know that’s exactly the kind of person you are. I need someone who can look around this place and tell me exactly what it’s lacking, what we need to get it functioning right again, and I need someone who can manage my staff and my appointments—”

  “—And keep up with her making constant changes to both without telling you about it,” Lazarus added.

  “I won’t lie, I’ll do that.” Allanis shrugged. “But if you can handle all of that, I’d like to have you. I think you’re exactly what I need. I have plans for Suradia and… and other matters, but I need to know that House Hallenar will not burn to the ground the second I step out for any reason. And I should be honest with you, Madame Blanche, that the reason I considered you for Chamberlain in the first place is because, initially, I wanted to appoint a River Warden.” Her eyes drifted to Tye.

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. Maybe! The Undina Loch falls under Suradian territory, did you know that? That whole area is technically mine, but I can’t be there to manage it and see what goes on. On top of that, I have an operation to run out of there, so I need someone who knows their way around it and all its rivers. Tye, I think you would do great.”

  “You’re damn right he would.” Madame Blanche looked over to him,
a proud smile warming up her worn features. “The lake sings to him; he’s a natural. Him and Leona, both. They take after their father.”

  “Do you think you could handle it, Tye?” Lazarus asked. “It’s a lot of work, and you will likely need a team of your own to help oversee it.”

  The offer was dizzying. First, he looked over to his mother, then up at the queen. “What exactly does this mean for us?”

  “It means you won’t be functioning out of a greedy old man’s house to make ends meet anymore,” Allanis told him. “And it means that when I’m ready to take the next step for Suradia, I will have people who know what they’re doing to rely on. What do you think, Lazarus? Are they a good fit?”

  “Madame Blanche is perfect for us. We need her. You need her. We extend the title of Chamberlain to you, Madame, if you’ll have it. But you…” He leaned back in his seat when he looked at Tye. “I don’t know about you. The queen believes in you, but I’m not sure you have the faintest idea what you’d be responsible for.”

  “I don’t,” Tye said. “None of you have really told me.”

  “You’re right.” Lazarus folded his arms. “How would you control the Undina Loch, Tye? How would you make sure it runs smoothly as Suradian territory? Convince me you’re right for this.”

  “Okay.” His heart was pounding, but he rubbed his hands together and got started, rambling off his thoughts. “Le and I are at the Undina Loch and Roe River all the time. The fact that the docks are in shambles is a good thing as much as it is a bad thing. People benefit from how disorganized it is, but it’s also dangerous. The docks should be rebuilt entirely.

  “There’s a lot of people from the riverside villages, too, that try to make everything work, to run it on their own, but they don’t have the resources or the direction. You could kick them out to employ Suradians, but you could also keep them there and let them work the jobs I appoint if their villages were to swear fealty.”