by TR Cameron
Cali shook her head. “It is so weird in here.” Fyre yawned widely and she laughed. “Maybe we should be looking for a bedroom, huh?”
Tanyith stretched. “I wouldn’t say no to some sleep. And, barring the sudden return of the three bears, this seems as good a place as any. We can choose a room, shield it with magic, and take turns sleeping to maintain it.”
“That won’t be necessary.” When the words emerged seemingly from the air, it made them all jump. “This house will protect any member of the Leblanc family present inside it as well as their guests.”
“Who are you?” she stammered. “Where are you?”
The voice was cultured, elegant, prim, and proper, and fit the ambiance of the house perfectly. The next words explained why that was so. “Why, everywhere, of course, Miss Caliste. I am the house. You can call me Jenkins. How may I serve you?”
Chapter Twenty-One
It took Cali several moments to process what the voice had said and even then, she needed to be sure she understood the message. “You’re the house? As in…the house is alive?”
The voice laughed in what sounded like good humor. “Not exactly. Not the same way you are. I was once but I now exist only within these walls. My role is to assist any member of your line in any way I can.”
“Such as cooking? Cleaning?” Tanyith asked.
“Oh, certainly not, although I have in the past served as an overseer to those employed by the family. While I am able to inhabit certain corporeal objects at need, in general, I do not directly interact with physical things.”
She turned in a circle and tried to see where the sound might be coming from. Of course, in this place, magic makes more sense than hidden speakers. “So you’re like the majordomo. Or a butler. You run the house and assist with whatever is needed. Is that right?”
“Yes, Miss Caliste. In fact, during my lifetime, I filled that very role. It was my great honor to be permitted to continue after my death.”
What. The. Actual. Hell? She closed her eyes. “Are you telling me your spirit—your eternal essence or whatever—is attached to this house?”
“Yes.” He sounded pleased about it.
“And this is okay with you?”
“Certainly. It was my choice to do so.”
She paused and struggled to get her head around the fact that she was either talking to a ghost or someone who was both alive and delusional when Tanyith interrupted her thoughts. “It’s an artifact. The house. Exactly like the weapons we’ve heard about that have the personalities of people from the past in them.”
“Jenkins, is that true?”
“Mostly, ma’am. The word personality is not fully correct, though. It is, rather, the very spirit, soul, and being of the person that is retained in the artifact. To say it is simply a personality understates the matter.”
“Why did you make that choice?”
He sounded happy to have the chance to share. “When I neared the end of my life, I requested a boon from one of your ancestors. I was granted the opportunity to continue to serve, which I truly desired, and my family was provided for. My nieces and nephews still benefit from what we were given by the Leblancs.”
She shook her head. It seemed like an awful sacrifice to be unable to move on to whatever life came after this one. “So you’re stuck here forever, then?”
“Oh, certainly not, Miss Caliste.” His tone suggested that the question horrified him. “I was only contracted for a single generation. However, as I said, this is where I belong so I’ve stayed.”
“For how long?”
“Many generations. I honestly don’t recall as they blend into one another.”
She shook her head. Everything was overwhelming. Maybe it’ll make sense after some sleep. She checked her watch and realized it was early morning in New Orleans, although she had no idea how the clocks ran in New Atlantis. “Okay. Let’s put this conversation on hold for a while. Where are the bedrooms?”
When she awoke, twelve hours and apparently the entire night had passed, to judge by the light that came through the windows. Or it’s always bright here and I slept through it. Whatever. I’ll find out later. She dug in her bag for something clean and came out in her second favorite jeans and a faded black Marilyn Manson tour t-shirt. She pushed her hair out of her face as she padded along the hallway and headed toward the wide staircase that led to the main level.
The house was enormous and she’d only seen a small portion. She reassured herself that there had to be a way to heat water and something with caffeine to apply it to in the kitchen. With Jenkins’s assistance, she found and filled the kettle and used her magic to start a fire beneath its position on a metal burner. More rooting revealed nothing edible and she sighed when her stomach growled. “I don’t suppose there’s a restaurant delivery service here or anything.”
“No, Miss Caliste.”
“Fine.” She considered her options. “Tell me, is there a prohibition against using portals in this part of New Atlantis?”
“Yes. It is only permitted at the dock and then only with the Empress’s permission. If you do not have one of her seals, the magic protecting the city will block the ability to create a portal.”
“Well, that’s irritating. I guess I can’t pop home for a snack.” She thought about the problem a little more deeply. “Wait, you’re telling me the nine families have to come through the docks whenever they leave the city?”
“The patriarch or matriarch of the house is given a special seal that allows them to portal directly to and from their home. The rest are required to obey the restriction.”
“It keeps them humble, I get that.” She didn’t mean any of the words. They were merely to keep her brain moving. Based on what she’d seen of the Atlanteans, humility wasn’t a virtue for them. “Isn’t that me, now?”
“As the eldest scion, it is. But you must still seek the seal from the Empress. It can only be bestowed by her.”
Hope jumped in her heart. “You said eldest scion. Does that mean there’s another? Is Atreo alive?”
The voice didn’t respond immediately and seemed reluctant when it finally did. “Master Atreo lives and is technically younger than you as you were born minutes before he was. But given his…current condition, he couldn’t serve as patriarch in any case.”
Her hunger was forgotten. “Where is he? What’s wrong with him? Tell me.”
It was inevitable that eventually, Jenkins would refuse a request, but she would have selected almost any other one if she’d been offered the choice. “I’m sorry, Miss Leblanc. I cannot do that until you are officially recognized as the head of the family.”
“Because of the Empress’s rules? Let me explain to you what I think about them.”
“No, ma’am,” he said quickly. “Because of your parents’ rules.”
The realization that her parents would have talked to Jenkins exactly as she did struck her like a punch. They had lived there and had a life in New Atlantis and, for some reason, left with her and maybe with Atreo, for reasons unknown. The energy flooded out of her, and she suddenly felt lightheaded. She found a mug and poured the hot water over a tea bag and inhaled the steam from the bitter brew.
Tanyith sounded impossibly cheerful, given what they’d been through. “Hey, Cali. Did the ghost offer any restaurant recommendations?”
She chuckled. “No. Apparently, we’ll starve.”
“Nope. Not with me on the case.” He threw two wrapped protein bars at her, and she caught them greedily. She couldn’t tear the foil off the first one fast enough and moaned in pleasure at the sensation of calories flowing into her.
“You are a lifesaver. My hero. Where’s Fyre? I assumed he was with you.” She concentrated and felt normal emotions from him, nothing alarming, but he wasn’t in the house.
“Nope. He wandered off at some point. I haven’t seen him this morning.”
She sent him a message asking if he was all right and received what she’d come to associ
ate with comfort in response. So he’s okay. That’s good. All right, Cali, get your brain together. There are things to do and people to see.
“Okay, Jenkins, tell me this,” she said between mouthfuls. “If I require the Empress’s seal in order to be the head of the household, is there an easy way to do that? Some functionary I need to get an appointment with or something?”
“No, Miss Caliste. You must receive the seal directly from her hand.”
“Damn. I assume that won’t be easy. Is there a secretary I can see to book a meeting?”
“No, Miss Caliste. You may, however, have a message delivered. There is stationery in the den, as well as a cache of currency to pay for it. When you have it ready to send, you need only have your servant walk to the next ring. There are many courier services there.”
She tried to stifle her laugh at the long-suffering look Tanyith gave her but wasn’t able to. “Yes, I’m sure my servant can handle that. How do I get to the den?”
It required several turns and a stroll down a long hallway before she arrived at her parents’ working area. The desk was heavy, wooden, and open in the middle. Chairs were tucked under both sides of it, and she could almost picture her mother and father seated across from one another, engaged in whatever it was they did while they were there. She found the stationery, an elegant pen, and both a small canister of wax and a stamp with the family’s image.
Seal? Crest? I’ll go with symbol. She spread the paper out and brushed it carefully to remove any dust before she began to write.
The fountain pen flowed beautifully. When she had finished, she read it aloud to make sure it sounded right. “Empress. I formally request your recognition of my status as the head of the Leblanc family and that you grant all the privileges that go along with it. You can reach me at my family’s manor. Respectfully, Caliste Leblanc.” It was simple but clear, and that was about all she could manage for the woman who was likely behind the attacks on her in New Orleans.
She folded it with sharp creases and inserted it into the envelope. A raised fingertip applied magical fire to the canister of wax and she dripped the liquid onto the flap. She pressed the stamp into the puddle and managed to not twist or slide it. When she withdrew it, the image of the compass was perfect. She sauntered into the hallway and found Tanyith, who had changed into his backup clothes. “All right, servant, how about we take a walk?”
He grinned. “Are you sure you don’t want me to simply do it for you, O great and wise Matriarch Leblanc?”
“Well, I would, but I discovered this.” She held a bag up that clinked with the sound of the coins within. “Let’s drop this letter off and find actual food before I die of starvation.” She sent a message to Fyre. “Will you come along?” The flood of approval made her smile. “Good. Off we go.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Usha stepped through the portal that connected her office to the dock in New Atlantis and strode purposefully toward the staircase. The Empress’s summons had been unexpected but its delivery by one of her ruler’s personal circle of elite soldiers underscored the need for haste. Despite that, here I am, walking from the outer section to the inner like everyone else.
She pushed the gripe aside with a sigh as she climbed. Simply to be allowed to move at will through the domed city meant she was someone notable. It was easy to forget that when she was away. The Empress had promised that when her tasks were done, she’d have her own home in the circle beyond the second circular street, the best land available to anyone not of the nine. She contented herself with admiring the buildings she passed and imagined that one of them could someday be hers.
The guards at the inner ring recognized her but she was, nonetheless, stopped and quizzed as to her purpose. They verified that the ruler was expecting her and sent word to the circle of defenders closer to the palace. Usha gazed at the spire while she walked. The grand tower never failed to encourage her because it always reached for the highest goal it could see.
Exactly like me.
The ceremonial entrance to the Empress’s home was open, huge double doors spread wide to reveal the opulent entryway beyond. A lush scarlet carpet stretched down the center from the doorway and out of the chamber and extended all the way down the large central hall. The uniform white blocks that made up the structure concealed its size with their sameness but entry to the first room revealed it. The ceiling was several stories high and topped with two enormous panes of glass that allowed the light from above to filter in. Between them, an endless flow of water played with the illumination to give her surroundings the feel of being beneath the waves.
As she walked slowly through the space, she passed columns to both sides, the same white as the outside but decorated with precious gems and coral that glittered in the changing light. During her first visit to the palace, this room had been filled with the city’s elite, all waiting to offer congratulations to her face and whisper snide comments about the up-jumped commoner in their midst when she’d moved away.
Usha held no illusions about who and what she was—the servant to the Empress because she had fought her way to that honor through ritual combat. She could kill nine out of every ten of the supposed nobles without breaking a sweat and had little doubt about her ability to finish the remaining ones with slightly more effort. At the time, though, the muttered insults had bothered her.
No longer. Her focus was different now and it lay ahead. She left the first room and entered the main corridor, which had murals over both walls accented with gold, coral, and gemstones of every hue. They told the tales of Old Atlantis and served as a touchstone to remind visitors of their shared history. Usha enjoyed both the artwork and the stories it revealed and had spent happy hours there while waiting upon the Empress’s pleasure. Now, she strode past them without slowing, intent on reaching the throne room.
That door was closed, however, and the Empress’s seneschal stood before it. She wore a long dress in shades of a blue so dark it was almost black and deep scarlet. It reached from her ankles to her throat, with ornamental buttons the entire way. She was probably half again Usha’s age, with short dark hair pulled back in braids from her face. The woman gave her a nod and gestured toward the ruler’s working office. She returned the acknowledgment and mouthed, “Thank you,” and received a small smile in reply before she stopped and knocked gently.
“Come in,” the Empress ordered and Usha twisted the heavy golden knob and opened the door. While the throne room was deliberately overstated opulence designed to display the grandeur of the monarch, this chamber was comfortably rich and luxurious. She felt far more like she belonged there than in the ceremonial space and imagined her ruler did as well. Quick steps brought her to a position directly across the large wooden desk from the other woman, where she knelt and waited to be recognized.
Empress Shenni’s voice was amused. “Rise, my servant, and sit.” She gestured at the chair set at an angle to her desk, and Usha complied. The woman’s high cheekbones and perfectly sculpted eyebrows would have looked right on a work of art. Her eyes blazed with energy below the thick, dark-crimson locks of her hair, which were bound into strands that resembled tentacles. She wore a simple dress accented by a thick golden torc around her neck that appeared to have one of every precious stone variety in existence. The symbol of the monarchy looked heavy, which seemed appropriate.
The ruler returned her attention to the large tome on her desk and ran a fingernail down it as she read. Usha waited patiently and would be content to do so for as long as required. Her gaze wandered around the room, seeking any new additions since the last time she’d been inside it some time before. The walls were still a rich shade of navy-blue with white wooden borders at the top and bottom. To her right was a reading nook with a luxurious chair, a lamp, and a small table. Behind the Empress was a huge cabinet that reached from floor to ceiling and contained books, paintings, and countless other expensive items. The left side of the chamber held several low cabinets. The only door wa
s the one she’d entered through.
On this occasion, it was only a couple of minutes before Shenni draped a wide velvet marker over the book to mark her page, closed it, and slid it aside. She folded her hands on the surface of the desk and smiled. “It’s good to see you again after so much time, Usha.”
She laughed. “It has been only a day, Empress.”
The other woman gave her an amused grin. “Indeed. But far too long, nonetheless. Tell me, are there any changes?”
“No, Empress. More of the same, although Danna tells me our distribution to the humans is increasing. You were wise to have me put her in charge of that operation.”
Shenni nodded. “Excellent. You may need to stay for a couple of days and it’s good you have someone who can oversee your people while you are away.” She slid a piece of paper across the desk and gestured with her chin for Usha to examine it.
The thick stationery contained only a simple message. Her eyes widened as she read it, then she set it on the wooden surface with a shake of her head. “Caliste has certainly made a sudden leap of insight.”
The Empress responded with a sharp nod and tapped her fingers on the small bell that hung in an ebony frame on her desk. Almost instantly, a servant arrived and she tilted her head toward the cabinet on the side of the room. It was the work of moments for the uniformed man to mix drinks for them—ice, rum, and fruit juice—and he closed the door as he backed out of the room.
Shenni took a sip, then set her glass on a stone coaster at her left hand. “She isn’t wrong. As the eldest remaining Leblanc, it’s entirely within her rights to make the request.”
“What are the repercussions of granting it?” Usha asked.
“None, really. It will allow her to portal to the house, which means it will be more difficult to track her visits.” The Empress’s guard maintained a very close watch on the docks, which were the only way into the city. She had known of the girl’s arrival almost instantly after it happened. Only one of the special seals held by the nine could evade the magical defenses placed over the rest of the city and allow someone to portal into any other part of New Atlantis. “But it opens other possibilities as well.”