Rook and Shadow (Salarian Chronicles Book 1)

by A. G. Marshall

“I don’t understand,” I said. My hand flew to my mouth.

  Watching my face, paying such close attention, I realized even my voice was not my own.

  “What happened to me?” I tried the strange voice again.

  It was deeper than it had been. Less melodious.

  I stared at the stranger in the mirror, trying not to be overwhelmed.

  “You’re beautiful,” Shadow said. “You’ll always be beautiful.”

  “It isn’t that,” I said. “I just- I don’t look like myself. Who am I now? What-”

  I tore myself away from the reflection and faced him. His face looked different as well. Had the spell affected him?

  No, I realized. The shape had not changed. Only the expression.

  He looked happy.

  My new face crinkled into a smile. I didn’t need a mirror to tell me I was beautiful. I didn’t even need Shadow to tell me.

  I felt it. Deep in the soul so recently knit back together.

  Shadow leaned forward. My heart beat faster as he kissed me.

  Divinia made a comment to Lady Alma. I ignored her.

  A wind swept around us, and my no longer magical hair flew into Shadow’s face. We both laughed.

  “I guess you’re both alright then? Everything worked out?”

  Shadow kept his arm around me as we turned.

  Estrella stood on the deck.

  “Thank you,” I said, feeling awkward.

  She nodded.

  “What happened to Gilbert?” she asked. “And Seda? Is he here?”

  I turned to Lady Alma.

  “Don’t look at me. I was still in the palace at that point.”

  “I broke my soul loop, and there was an explosion. Sir Gilbert and Seda were both in the rigging.”

  I gestured to the burnt mast. The charred sail and ropes hung limp.

  Estrella nodded.

  “He’s gone then.”

  Lady Alma started to say something, but Estrella shook her head.

  “Leave it. Loops are unpredictable. Breaking one as strong as Rook’s would create a massive surge of power.”

  She faced Divinia.

  “That was a hugely irresponsible spell. Trying to meet everyone’s idea of beauty? Do you know how much magical energy that took?”

  “Do you?”

  Estrella’s eyes narrowed.

  “I almost blew up a well doing a simple soul link, and I helped direct the power when the loop broke. I think I have a pretty good idea.”

  “How will we explain this?” I asked. “My parents-”

  I glanced at the castle towering above us. The Stella Rossa sailed into the port. A few skeleton sailors, now disguised as Navy men, dropped the anchor and lowered the gangplank.

  “It might be best to enter quietly,” Lady Alma said. “Divinia, if you would be so kind.”

  “Oh, now you want my help?”

  Divinia waved her hands, and a golden glow covered us.

  “You are now veiled. Go where you wish. The spell will fade when you reach your destination.”

  “Aren’t you coming with us?” Estrella asked.

  “I think I’ve played my part here. And I must report the happy results of my blessing to the rest of the fairies.”

  Estrella stared at her, open mouthed. Divinia raised a hand.

  “I know what is troubling you, but I cannot help now. I must return to Castana. You are welcome to visit any time.”

  She disappeared in a flash of golden light.

  “I visited the Castanian fairies myself once,” Lady Alma said. “I wouldn’t trust them with anything too important.”

  She took Estrella’s hand and led us towards the first gate.

  “I was a good friend of your mother, you know. Actually, I am her stepsister. I suppose that makes you my niece.”

  “What?”

  “We’ll talk later.”

  Lady Alma opened the gates with a wave of her hands. The guards on duty didn’t notice us pass. We climbed the ramps one by one, working our way up the mountain until we reached the castle.

  We walked through the castle without speaking. A few servants bustled through the hallways, but no one questioned our ragged group. Guards stood just outside my room. Shadow tensed as we walked past them, relaxing only when Lady Alma shut the door. I smiled in the moonlight, letting the familiar place wash over me.

  Someone screamed.

  Elsie sat up in my bed, the wig made from my hair tangled over her face.

  “Oh, I forgot about you,” Lady Alma said. “Your services will no longer be required.”

  Elsie stared at us.

  “Shadow? Estrella? Lady Alma, these people are dangerous!”

  Shadow pulled a miner’s candle from his bag.

  “Not necessary,” Lady Alma said.

  She snapped her fingers. The moonlight streaming through the windows intensified, filling the room with a silver glow.

  Shadow brushed his hair over his eyes.

  “What is going on?” Elsie said. “Who is she?”

  She pointed to me. Did I really look that different?

  “Rook,” I said. “I’m Rook.”

  “What is the meaning of this noise?”

  Mother rushed into the room and froze.

  She stared at me. I stared back. With my new face, I looked more like her than I had thought possible.

  “Who is this person?” she asked.

  But I could tell she knew.

  “Hello, Mother.”

  I sounded just like her.

  She gasped and wrapped her arms around me.

  “My poor baby,” she said. “Alma, what happened?”

  I patted her shoulder.

  “The fairy’s spell was broken,” Lady Alma said.

  “What do you mean broken?” Mother held me at arm’s length and examined me. Her lips pursed together.

  Father entered the room. He stared at me.

  “Father?”

  He ran to me and almost knocked me over he hugged me so hard.

  “I feared you were lost,” he said.

  A few tears dropped onto my shoulder.

  My eyes really did look just like his now.

  “Lady Alma, I demand an explanation.”

  Mother sounded like she was about to cry. I couldn’t see her from Father’s embrace.

  “As I said, your daughter’s curse has been broken.”

  “What curse? The fairy blessing on Salara defined this country. Without it, we are nothing! Where is the Fairy Divinia? Why has she insulted us in this way? I declare war on the fairies until they-”

  Sir Bristle ran into the room carrying an easel, canvas, and his painting bag.

  “Your Majesty, I heard Princess Salara has returned. We should sketch the scene!”

  He put a brush in Mother’s hands. She dropped it and shook her head.

  “I won’t be painting tonight, Sir Bristle.”

  “What happened, Lady Alma?” Father asked. “Who are these people?”

  He kept his arm around my shoulder and turned to face the crowd gathered in my bedroom.

  “Your daughter broke the fairy spell and healed Salaria with its power. These people helped.”

  She gestured to Estrella and Shadow.

  “This young lady is a powerful enchantress and the daughter of Admiral Ethan. Allow me to present the Duchess Estrella.”

  Estrella curtsied in the courtly fashion. Mother bristled.

  “I remember you. You were banished from our presence years ago for attacking Princess Salara.”

  “And we welcome you back,” Father said. “Thank you for your part in saving our land.”

  Estrella nodded.

  I slipped away from Father’s embrace and grabbed Shadow’s hand. He gripped mine, and his hand trembled.

  “This is Shadow,” I said. “He has protected me since I ran away. He saved my life.”

  Shadow tensed, ready for a fight. Ready to run.

  My parents gaped. Mother opened
her mouth and shut it again several times, searching for words.

  “Your crimes are well known, Shadow,” Father said. “You have been convicted multiple times for crimes against Salara and Salaria.”

  Shadow nodded.

  “And you have taken advantage of your people for personal gain. Sent them to the mines and let them starve so you could impress your friends with operas and paintings.”

  “How dare you?” Mother said. “My art is a national treasure! Kings and Queens travel across the sea to witness our opera productions.”

  Shadow gripped my hand tighter. Father met his eyes.

  “Things have changed,” he said finally. “And you provided protection to my daughter when she needed it most. I pardon your crimes.”

  “Pardon his crimes?” Mother screamed. “Nothing has changed. Lady Alma will restore Salara’s beauty, and everything will be exactly the same! You cannot pardon him!”

  “I cannot restore the spell,” Lady Alma said. “And I would not even if I had the skill. It was a foolish enchantment. Do you know how much magic it takes to create universal beauty? The spell constantly shifted Salara’s appearance, so she met each person’s ideal. It stole power from her soul to please the eyes of strangers. Why do you think she has never been able to work magic?”

  “Nonsense,” Mother said. “What you describe is impossible!”

  “Just look at the paintings,” Lady Alma said. “You have many skilled painters in Salaria. Each painted Salara exactly as they saw her. Each saw her differently.”

  “Thank goodness!” Sir Bristle exclaimed.

  We looked at him.

  “I thought I was mad. I have trained countless talented painters, but none of them could ever paint the Princess. Even my own paintings never matched those of the Queen. Sir Quill has been tormenting me about this for years!”

  I glanced at Shadow and smiled. He still looked tense.

  “What about the peasants?” I asked. “Why did no one recognize me? I didn’t have nearly the same effect on them as I did the courtiers. Although one proposed marriage.”

  “I suppose this means you turned him down,” Elsie said. “Edsel must be so disappointed.”

  “Your soul alone wasn’t strong enough to sustain the illusion,” Lady Alma said. “Here in the palace I kept you surrounded by fairy salt to provide power. In the villages, the spell was weakened. It took magic from whatever it could find. The charms in the wells, the trees, even the land.”

  “The salt patches were my fault,” I whispered. “I thought Sir Gilbert was making them.”

  “No one is responsible,” Mother said. “You’re all talking in the most ridiculous way. We’ll simply write to the fairies in Castana and have them restore the spell. We have plenty of salt to provide any extra power needed. As long as Salara doesn’t leave the castle, everything will be fine.”

  “I won’t be enchanted again.”

  “Darling, you don’t know what you’re saying. Have you seen yourself yet? You look terrible.”

  “She is beautiful,” Shadow said. “And she’s exactly the person needed to rule Salaria.”

  “We can talk about all this later,” Father said. “You need to rest.”

  He took Mother’s arm and led her out of the room. Sir Bristle followed.

  “I’ll find rooms in the palace for you two,” Lady Alma said.

  Shadow squeezed my hand and followed her to the door.

  “What about me?” Elsie said.

  She removed the black wig. Her blond hair had been cut short to fit under it.

  “Your services are no longer required,” Lady Alma said. “Please show yourself to the door.”

  Elsie nodded and blinked back tears.

  “I am sorry, Rook,” she said. “I never meant- I mean, I’ve dreamed about the palace for so long. When they offered-”

  She bowed her head.

  “Find her a room, Lady Alma,” I said. “You can’t turn her out in the middle of the night.”

  Lady Alma raised an eyebrow at me and pushed everyone out the door.

  I opened my wardrobe and pulled a nightgown out of it. The same one I had worn my last day in the castle. The hem was tattered from Seda’s claws.

  Poor Seda.

  I blinked back tears and unbuttoned the top button on my dress.

  Then I stopped and stared at the nightgown.

  The curse had been broken. Did that mean-

  I had seen Lady Alma perform the charm thousands of times. I had read about the proper technique.

  I raised a shaking hand, closed my eyes, and snapped my fingers.

  Fabric rustled against my skin as the nightgown replaced the peasant dress.

  Chapter 31

  “Please, just a quick walk in the garden! The sunshine will do me good!”

  Lady Alma stared at me, arms crossed.

  I had been under her care for the past two days, and she had not allowed me to leave my room.

  “Your soul was ripped from your body and scattered across the land. What part of ‘you need rest’ do you not understand?”

  “Gardens are restful. Estrella can come with me to make sure I don’t faint.”

  “I’m busy.”

  Estrella did not look up from her book.

  “Roslynn then.”

  “Roslynn and William are at Gerta’s farm for the morning,” Lady Alma said.

  “Just let Shadow take her,” Estrella said. “A walk in the garden is hardly inappropriate.”

  “This is not a question of propriety. If the soul link between them is reconnected, it could hurt Rook.”

  I turned to Lady Alma.

  “Please, you haven’t let him into my room since we returned. I am recovered. I feel fine.”

  It was true. Other than feeling like a dancer permanently in costume, I had suffered no ill effects.

  It wasn’t that my new body was ugly. It just didn’t quite feel like me. I avoided mirrors and wore the simple, comfortable clothes Lady Alma made for me.

  “The rest of the palace is still recovering from the shock. Your mother has insisted I keep you from Shadow.”

  My hands went cold.

  “What has she done to him?”

  “Nothing! Don’t look like that, dear. This is exactly why you shouldn’t go out.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He’s fine,” Estrella said, still not looking up from her book.

  “You can’t keep me locked up here forever!”

  “Then maybe you would like to take a walk with me?”

  I turned and faced Father. My face flushed. Of course he would walk in when I was throwing a tantrum.

  I nodded.

  “She must not overexert herself,” Lady Alma said.

  Father bowed.

  “I value the care you have given my daughter, Lady Alma. Thank you.”

  He offered me his arm. We walked slowly down the hallway. He stopped often to let me catch my breath. I was more tired than I had realized. Courtiers bowed as we passed. When we reached the garden, we sat at a bench overlooking the harbor. The Stella Rossa floated near the dock. The charred mast and sail set it apart from the other vessels. Beyond, Salaria stretched to the Weeping Mountains, green and alive.

  “You did well,” Father said.

  I looked at him.

  “You prevented famine and war at great personal risk.”

  “I wasn’t- That wasn’t my goal. I ran away to find freedom. And adventure.”

  He chuckled.

  “Nothing is wrong with freedom and adventure. But we have a responsibility to the people of this kingdom.”

  I nodded.

  “And we chose that responsibility. Both of us did. I chose Salaria when I married your mother. I hope I have not disappointed our people.”

  He looked at me.

  “For the most part, the people of Salaria are happy,” I said. “Will you cancel the salt tax, Father? Reinstating it has placed a heavy burden on our people.”

&nbs
p; He raised an eyebrow.

  “I never reinstated the salt tax.”

  “But, we heard that you had.”

  He shook his head.

  “Sir Gilbert started many nasty rumors with the help of his friends. Perhaps that was one of them.”

  “Oh. So you won’t be sending people to the mines?”

  “We will still need miners. But I will not be hasty in sending anyone.”

  I nodded. He cleared his throat.

  “When it became clear that you would be our heir, I assumed you would do as your mother did and marry someone responsible to look after the kingdom. Ingrid began considering marriage proposals immediately. But things are different now. Many of those contracts will be void since you are no longer blessed.”

  A dull pain, as if my soul were being ripped apart again in slow motion, welled up in my chest.

  “I don’t- That is- I don’t need someone to help me run the kingdom. I don’t want-”

  He raised his hand to stop my stammering.

  “You have proved that you are responsible and resourceful. But take it from someone who knows. Running a kingdom on your own is difficult. You may-”

  “I don’t want any of them! I don’t want to marry any of them!”

  “Please, let me finish. Running a kingdom on your own is difficult. You may, at some point, want a partner to help you.”

  “Please tell me you haven’t signed a marriage contract. I’ll do anything!”

  He put a hand on my shoulder.

  “Apparently I’m doing this badly. I am trying to give you good news, Rook.”

  I blinked at him.

  “That is the name you’ve chosen for yourself, isn’t it? I must confess, I wasn’t happy when that blasted fairy named you Salara. Naming you after the country. Ridiculous. I wanted to name you Mary. Your mother fancied Ermentrude.”

  I smiled.

  “You are young yet. But if you decide, when you are older, that you want to have a partner in running the kingdom, I will support your choice. Especially if I have already seen evidence that you work well with the young man in question.”

  He smiled and turned around. I followed his gaze.

  A hooded figure emerged from the trees. He wore dark courtier clothes and gloves.

  “Shadow!”

  I tried to stand, but Father held me back.

  “I promised Lady Alma I wouldn’t let you overexert yourself. Stay seated.”

  He left, bowing to Shadow as he passed.