I swallowed.
“That doesn’t change things, does it, Rook?”
Of course it changed things. It changed everything. But I shook my head.
“So we both have false names.”
The Shadow laughed.
“Will is my false name. I use it around strangers, and they usually remember William since our names are so similar.”
“So your parents named you Shadow?”
An emotion too brief to register flickered across his face.
“Yes.” He said it slowly. Deliberately. “My parents called me Shadow.”
“They sing songs about you in the palace. You’re infamous.”
“I know.”
Questions swirled around my head, but wouldn’t form into words.
“Get some rest, Rook,” he said. “We’re stuck here for a while.”
He leaned back and closed his eyes. His breathing became soft and even. I stared at him, wide awake.
The Shadow.
I was trapped underground with the Shadow.
As the shock wore off, I felt sleepy. The strange events of the past few days had taken their toll. I glanced at the sleeping bandit. Would he cut my throat in my sleep? I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. Focus. I had to find a way out of this.
Just.
Focus.
I woke up with a stiff neck and numb legs. Shadow sat against the opposite wall, watching me. It seemed darker than before. His eyes shone like metal.
“The fairy salt in this cave is almost drained,” he said. “We need to move, or we’ll be trapped in the dark.”
“I might be able to swim if I take my boots off.”
Shadow shook his head.
“I’m not really up for another swim.”
I followed him into the tunnels. The cold light illuminated the path around us. We crawled away from the Ghone. I think. I had no sense of direction underground. After a few minutes of crawling, I realized how hungry I was. My clothes were stiff, and my skirt dragged along the tunnel edge. The tunnel expanded as we went until there was enough room for us to walk side by side.
“So you know your way around down here?” I asked.
“All salt mines lead to the mountains.”
“We’re going to walk all the way to the Weeping Mountains underground?”
“We could crawl instead.”
He handed me an apple from his pack and took one for himself. I brushed bits of salt off the skin, but it still tasted odd.
“The last from Gerta’s cellar,” he said. “But she can afford more thanks to you. That was a good thing you did, Rook.”
At least Salaria’s most notorious bandit approved of my actions.
“How long have we been down here?”
“If we’re lucky, we’ll find a way out by sunset.”
“And then what?”
“If the guards are gone, I’ll take you back to Elsie and Edsel’s. Otherwise, we stay hidden.”
A noise echoed through the tunnel in front of us. Shadow and I froze.
“They wouldn’t search for us in here,” he whispered.
“Maybe it’s a miner?”
“These tunnels are abandoned. If there’s not enough salt left to power the lights, there’s definitely not enough left to mine.”
“An animal?”
We listened. The footsteps stopped.
“They heard us,” Shadow said.
“We could hide in one of the side tunnels.”
“You can hear breathing here if you listen close enough. We’d better face it head on. Stay behind me.”
Shadow pulled a dagger from his pack and walked ahead. He kept his arm out as if to prevent me from dashing ahead to face the threat by myself. Nothing could have been further from my mind. What sort of creatures lived in abandoned salt mines? And was the bandit of legend also a fighter? In the stories, he relied on stealth alone.
A light glowed in the distance. It had a warmer tint than the salt mine walls. Shadow relaxed.
“Identify yourself!”
“Oh, thank goodness!” The voice echoed through the tunnels.
Shadow put his knife away.
“Who is it?” I asked.
The warm light hurried towards us, and Estrella came into view. She wrapped her arms around Shadow.
“Some soldiers were bragging in town. They said they’d killed two bandits, a male and female, and dumped their bodies in the river! You weren’t at the hideout, so I thought- I thought-”
She looked up at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. Shadow smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.
“They tried, and we did end up in the Ghone. After Rook kicked one of them in the face.”
Estrella pulled back from Shadow and glared at me.
“Typical amateur, trying to be the hero. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? They’ll be looking for us now.”
“Not if they’re saying we’re dead,” I replied.
“Will,” Estrella said, “can’t you see this is bad? They’ll be on high alert now. They’re forcing peasants to house them, and one of the captains is staying in Elsie and Edsel’s shop. They just managed to hide all the Salara drawings and supplies. You should have given them some warning.”
“You can call me Shadow,” Shadow said. “I told Rook.”
“You did what?”
Estrella’s face grew pale.
“Shadow, you just met her. And she’s from the palace. You can’t trust her.”
“She’s one of us now. And if she’s on the run with us it will be easier if she knows.”
Estrella glared at me.
“She’ll have a chance to earn her keep soon, then. I got word that Captain will be docking in a few days. And he’s buying.”
Shadow nodded.
“Do we have an event?”
“Tonight. Elsie and Edsel are on their way. The northern hideout.”
Estrella led us down the tunnel. Shadow snapped his fingers, and the cool blue light faded from the walls. Estrella waved her hand, and the warm light above her head shattered into countless stars that followed us through the tunnel.
Estrella glared at Shadow occasionally and at me often. If Shadow noticed, he pretended not to. He stared at the walls, the stars, and the dark passage ahead, lost in his thoughts.
I had plenty of thoughts of my own to keep me busy. My skin itched, and I rubbed my arms trying to remove the salt residue. My dress crackled.
Estrella and Shadow stopped. I stepped on Estrella’s foot, and she elbowed me. Shadow stepped back, pulling me with him, and Estrella waved her hands in the air. A blinding patch of light opened above her, and ladder rungs slid out from the wall. Estrella climbed the ladder without a backwards glance.
“I’ll be back tonight,” Shadow said.
He disappeared into the tunnel. I climbed the ladder and found myself in a valley. Flowers waved in the breeze, and birds sang. Water rippled somewhere nearby. The fresh air smelled wonderful. I turned around and saw the Weeping Mountains looming over me. They looked enormous this close. We had walked much further than I thought. Had I spent days in the tunnel?
“Will- um, Shadow said he’ll meet us tonight.”
Estrella rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. A patch of grass slid over the hole, leaving no trace of entrance. She walked towards the mountains at a brisk pace, and I jogged to catch her.
“Where are we going?”
“The hideout.”
“And Elsie and Edsel will meet us there?”
“Yes.”
“Do they know Will is the Shadow?”
“Yes.”
“What are we doing tonight?”
“Stop asking questions.”
“But I-”
She did not slow down and refused to look at me.
“Shadow is a fool to trust you, but I know who you really are.”
I swallowed.
“You do?”
“I was a companion to the Princess once. I am
not fooled so easily.”
“You were?”
I glanced around the meadow. A forest of pine trees surrounded the Weeping Mountains, but we were in the middle of a field of flowers. I had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
“I know the games of court. I know the politics. You think if you come back with interesting stories, your precious Princess will make you her favorite. If you catch the dreaded Shadow, so much the better. You might even earn a title.”
I tried to muffle my sigh of relief.
“I didn’t know who I would meet. You think I planned this?”
“We don’t need your help. I know the court. I know the fashions. We haven’t had any problems so far.”
“How long has it been since you lived there? The fashions change every day.”
“Then you’re not up to date either.”
It was true. I let that sink in. I had no idea what was happening in court. No idea what Lady Alma had designed for the day.
And I didn’t care.
I smiled to myself as we walked. I didn’t care! It didn’t matter what Lady Alma had designed that day. I was wearing the same dress I had worn yesterday, and I would wear it again tomorrow. And no one would scold me for doing it.
We reached the edge of the valley and stopped in a cluster of trees. The beginnings of the forest that climbed the base of the mountains.
Estrella stood between two trees and stomped her foot three times. The grass rolled back, revealing a rough wooden staircase descending into the dirt. I hurried to follow her before the hole closed.
The underground room was well lit. Sunbeams filtered through the dirt above us. Tree roots draped with fabric, sketches, and ribbons formed the ceiling. Doors covered the packed dirt walls, and the wooden floor had been smoothed and polished. I spun around, taking in the circular room. Elsie and Edsel ran through the door nearest the staircase.
“You made it!” Elsie said.
She and Edsel froze when they saw me. Edsel stared at my hair. Elsie’s face burst into a huge grin.
“Rook! So you know all about it then! I hated keeping this a secret from you! Pull your wig out. You’ll need it tonight!”
“It is good to see you, Rook,” Edsel said. “I wanted to chase after you when I realized you had been kidnapped, but the soldiers delayed us. The troop commander chose our shop to stay in.”
“Nice to see you all again,” Estrella said. “Is my outfit ready?”
Elsie pointed to a door, and Estrella stomped away.
“You look good with dark hair,” Edsel said. “If it were longer, it would flow like the Ghone.”
“Almost like the Princess!” Elsie said. “Except her face is rounder than yours.”
“You think so?” I asked.
She and Edsel nodded.
“What is this place?”
“Our secret workshop,” Elsie said. “We have much more space here.”
“Elsie, those mountains are the Salarian border. It takes three days to reach them on horseback. If you have a good horse. How did you get here so fast?”
“You travel faster in the salt tunnels,” Elsie said. “The salt affects your steps somehow.”
“Fairy magic lingers in the salt,” Edsel said. “The closer you are to the mountains, the stronger it gets.”
“Estrella could tell you more about how it works,” Elsie said.
I had no intention of asking her.
“So I didn’t walk three days underground? I’ve never been this close to the mountains before.”
They laughed.
“You walked a few hours if you came from Gerta’s farm,” Elsie said. “Was William there?”
I nodded.
“And Roslynn?”
I shook my head. Elsie smiled and grabbed my hand.
“I need to get you dressed! Your wig is enchanted, right? I didn’t bring any wig supplies.”
“I don’t have it.”
Elsie and Edsel stared at me, horrified.
“What do you mean?” Elsie whispered.
“I sold it to Madame Delilah.”
“Oh, Rook!” Elsie said.
“We have money,” Edsel said. “Whatever you needed, we could have gotten it for you. I have plenty of things I could have sold.”
“But you have a growth charm!” Elsie said, gesturing to my necklace. “I’ve heard about those from Estrella. You’ve had that wig for a while, I’m sure. Just take off the charm, and I’ll style your natural hair."
I took off the charm. My hair did not grow.
Edsel frowned. Elsie blinked away tears.
“Please, don’t sell anything else,” Edsel said. “If you need anything, just ask us. Rook-”
He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, looking like he might cry at any minute.
“Of course she’ll ask,” Elsie said. “When the guards are gone, she’ll share everything we have!”
“Will they leave?” I asked. “I kicked one in the face, and Will, I mean Shadow, thought that might make them stay longer.”
“You did what?” Edsel asked.
“They’re leaving tomorrow,” Elsie said. “We got that straight from their commander. You can move in with us for good after we finish this job.”
Job? I smiled at them. Elsie and Edsel beamed back. If they were working with the Shadow, their job might be more complicated than it seemed. What exactly had I agreed to do?
“You’re sure you don’t want to be called Leslie?” Elsie said.
“I like Rook,” Edsel said.
He bowed and left the room.
“Where did he go?” I asked.
“He hasn’t finished Shadow’s outfit yet. You know, it really is a shame. I designed your dress to go with blond hair.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I made you a costume. Just in case Shadow decided to trust you.”
“A costume for what?”
“The masquerade. Didn’t he tell you?”
I shook my head.
“Typical. It’s tonight, and you’re helping. Your outfit is already finished.”
“I need special clothes to steal things?”
“I’ll have to cover your short hair. You don’t want to stand out too much.”
I followed Elsie through one of the doors. We entered a dressing room. A blue silk dress on a mannequin glittered in the sunlight. The wide hoop skirts filled half the room. The dress was trimmed with lace that I recognized.
I had worn it a few months ago.
Elsie noticed me staring.
“I tried to disguise it,” she said. “Is it too obvious that I copied Lady Alma’s design?”
“It is pretty obvious you copied her lace.”
Elsie blushed.
“Most people won’t recognize this as the exact same lace. They’ll think I imitated it. We’ll sell all this to the pirates, but I like to make things with it first.”
“The same lace? So you stole this from the palace?”
Elsie nodded and watched me. I took a deep breath. If I was going to be a bandit, I couldn’t let this shock me.
I walked around the dress. It really was lovely.
“You should trim this with some sapphires.”
“That would be perfect! If only I had some!”
I stared at her, uncertain what to say. I knew they had sapphires. They had stolen Lady Alma’s shipment from the museum. But it seemed they weren’t ready to trust me with everything just yet.
“I was counting on your blond hair,” Elsie said. “Obviously I have to modify it now. If I cut off the train, I can make a hood out of it. Don’t worry. It will be elegant. And since you have bangs, no one will know your hair is short.”
“What exactly are we doing tonight?”
Elsie snapped her fingers, and the train ripped off the dress. She waved her hand to hem the raw edge. It was not as clean as Lady Alma’s magic, but the result looked acceptable.
“We’re close enough to the mines that I can use their p
ower,” she said. “Not the best, but at least I can get this done fast.”
Elsie continued to wave her hands, shaping the fabric into a hood.
“There’s a masquerade at the Salara Museum tonight. You, Shadow, and Estrella will sneak in disguised as guests. William usually makes deliveries to the kitchen and asks servants what people want to buy, but without any produce to sell that cover doesn’t work. He’s gone to Castlemont to arrange a meeting with the pirates.”
“What do you and Edsel do?”
She pinned the fabric to the mannequin’s shoulders and enchanted a needle to sew the hood.
“We’ll be outside selling clothes and accessories to guests. Where else could we find so much nobility in one place?”
Equipped with magic, Elsie worked quickly. The hood looked as if it had been part of the dress from the beginning. While she put the finishing touches on, I washed my skin and hair in the underground bath next door. The water was crystal clear without a trace of salt. After I dried, Elsie helped me into the gown.
Even with magic to help, it was difficult to slip myself into the bodice while wearing the enormous hoop skirt, and even harder to fit through the door into the main room. When we made it through, Elsie handed me a familiar, if crumpled, silver lace mask.
“You left this at our shop,” she said.
I tied it around my head and examined my reflection in a pool of water. The hood gave me an air of mystery. It felt strange to be dressed up after being a peasant. The fabric was smooth against my skin.
Estrella entered the room, dressed in a red gown with a skirt even wider than mine. She wore a red mask that matched her dress. Bits of magic light sparkled like jewels in her blond hair, now piled above her head in a mass of curls. As the sunlight filtering through the ceiling faded, she created more lights. They danced and flickered around the room like fireflies.
Edsel entered the room and offered me his hand. I took it, and he twirled me around. My skirt bumped into Estrella, and she sniffed. Edsel danced well, although he used last month’s waltz style. I smiled at him when we finished, and he kissed my hand.
“Your dress has pockets,” Estrella said, rolling her eyes. “Enchanted baskets are built into the hoops. There’s a slit under your flounces so you can access them.”
Rook and Shadow (Salarian Chronicles Book 1) Page 12