Born of Water

by Autumn M. Birt

  “We need your help, Finneous, or I wouldn’t have come.”

  “Of course boy, I’ll do what I can, of course.”

  “This is my sister, Lavinia, our family friend, Ria, and Niri. Finneous, we need to sell these goods. For your help, you can have twenty percent of what we get. And Finneous,” Ty had paused with a look that was a cross between entreaty and an apology. “We need to have it all done before the sun sets. You know I . . . we can’t be here past sunset.”

  Finneous had blinked in the silence following Ty’s words. He had placed a hand on Ty’s shoulder. The grim light in his eyes had contrasted with the unaffected smile on his lips. “You know you can count on me.”

  Before they left, Finneous had taken the women up to his chambers above the store. It was the safest place Ty could think for them to be while they were in Sardinia.

  “You will be safe here for the day. I will send up my son, Jistin, to check on you in a few hours. There is food, fruit, dates, and water through the other door. Use the beds, sleep, eat, relax, please. You are welcome here.” Finneous had hesitated a moment, hand resting on the handle to the door. “I do not think I need to tell you not to leave?”

  Lavinia, his brave sister, had shaken her head silently. Through the closing door, Ty had seen Ria sink to her knees, hands covering her face. Framed by the trio of arched windows, Niri had been a shadow, impossible to gauge.

  Ty pulled himself out of his memories. His heart was still beating a staccato rhythm. The streets of Sardinia surrounded him and he was having a difficult time staying focused. He had nearly passed his turn. Now he paused.

  Two narrow streets opened before him. One to his right and the other diagonally ahead, both led into shadows despite the mid-morning sun. The one angling away was the faster route to the merchant where he was heading, but he turned right. He had seen blood spilled in the shorter path once. It had been on his third visit to Sardinia when he was just learning the life he had fallen into was worse than he had imagined.

  We could have gone to Portoreayl.

  Ty pushed his second guessing aside. It was too late for that. The markets in Portoreayl sprawled along the city streets. If they had gone, they might have sold most things in a few days. But Portoreayl was deep in the Archipelago of Bellaia, closer to the Temple of Solaire and often full of Priests and Priestesses. It would not only have added days to their journey, but would have been a risk at least as great as Sardinia. At least here he knew the places to avoid, areas where dark tastes were catered to and no one was safe.

  The longer route Ty had taken ran between the backs of several three story buildings. No doors opened to the street and few windows. There was no good place for an ambush, unlike the twists and side paths of the other way. Ty moved quickly as one building was replaced by a high wall. His eyes slid to the narrow tip of it.

  He had walked that wall on his first visit to Sardinia. What was a high wall to a boy used to walking the rigging of sailing ships? What were heights scaled with only a rope? Nothing. The buildings did not move like a ship in the wind and waves. The feats he had been asked to do had been easy.

  It had been simple to walk the wall and climb up a rope tossed over the balcony a story above. Easy to slip into the upper levels and sneak downstairs to unlock the door. He knew the men he was with, the men who had found him in Portoreayl when he had left his apprenticeship, were going to rob the place. Now, Ty wondered if that was all they did. He wasn’t sure. They had told him to wait outside as a lookout. He had been innocent then. It had only been his first visit to Sardinia.

  The alleyway ended in a deserted street of the medina. Ty’s eyes darted in both directions before he ducked through an arched entry across the way. It lead to another narrow passage. He swallowed as tension knifed down his back. So far, no one had recognized him. It was one of the benefits of Sardinia. Few of those who did business in the markets stayed or lasted long. Very few were established or trustworthy, such as Finneous.

  The thought of Finneous reminded him of Ria and what had happened in the market. The sick feeling of realizing Ria was missing filled him again. It had been instinct that turned him to dive into the thicket of the crowd as he realized Causis was gone as well. Ty would have chosen the alleyway if he were trying to smuggle someone away. When he saw Causis and Ria at last, he had felt powerless to stop the hand flying towards Ria’s face. They were too close together in the narrow street for Ty to throw the knife he’d pulled from his belt.

  But Causis had stopped and fallen back as if struck. It had given Ty the time he needed to grab Causis. But something didn’t make sense in his memory. Linked to it was the threatening image of Hahri with a hand raised ready to strike as he glared at Niri, who stood with her head downcast as she stared at the stones of the street.

  Ty tripped on a loose cobblestone. He fell against a house, hitting his shoulder. He wrenched his thoughts from Niri, of how weak she had been. Almost in the same state as Ria or her condition the morning they sailed into Dion.

  Niri does not need my help or protection. She is a Priestess.

  Ty pushed the memory away, forcing himself to believe what sounded false to his ear. He needed all of his concentration for the day ahead.

  The passageway ended just off a main street to the bizarre in a quarter far from Finneous’ shop. To his left a battered navy blue door was propped open from the dingy stucco building. The interior was dark, but Ty knew the proprietor would be there. Ty had never met Ennis, but he had heard of him. Finneous had not argued the visit. Still, fear was like ice sliding down into his chest. Taking a deep breath, Ty pushed his way through the door. A knife stopped him just beyond the threshold. He froze at the feel of the blade against his neck.

  “Your business?” The voice was matter of fact, almost bored.

  “I have silver to sell. I want to see Ennis.”

  The knife stayed a moment. The sack Ty carried was prodded once, the silver inside clinking.

  “Alright then, he is out back. Walk straight ahead.”

  Ty did as he was told, not turning to glance at the man guarding the door. The skin between his shoulder’s itched as if the blade would strike him at any second. Sardinia had rules, but not everyone abided by them. No one did all the time. You just never knew in these streets when the random order of things would conspire against you.

  The door straight ahead was open. Through it, Ty found Ennis. He was a broad shouldered man, strongly built though aging. His skin was black but his eyes were milky white. It took Ty a moment to realize Ennis was blind.

  Ennis put down a silver goblet he was studying, running his hands along the intricate design on the stem. His bald head turned toward where Ty had paused.

  “Yes?”

  “I have silver. I was told you were the best man in the market to take it to.”

  “Perhaps, bring it here.”

  Ty placed the sack in front of Ennis, pulling open the string. Ennis reached in and began to pull out the pieces, setting them on the table before him with deliberate precision. Serving spoons, an ornate fork, three small plates, a full set of cordial glasses, everything was studied, weighed, and measured by careful fingers.

  “Yes, I can take these. All real, very good. I’ll give you 400.”

  Some of the tension left Ty’s frame. It was a good price. A fair price even. He nodded, his throat dry. The sudden smile on Ennis’ face made Ty realize his mistake.

  “I . . . of course.”

  “It’s okay. I heard your shirt rustle. Didn’t think you’d refuse, not if you were in Sardinia selling silver.” The warmth of Ennis’ smile faded slightly. He sighed and pulled out a handful of coins.

  As Ty left the shop, the guard was not visible at his post. Though Ty did not doubt he was nearby. The weight of the coin against his hip where it was hidden inside of his shirt was a comfort. One sale done. One step closer to leaving. Ty allowed himself a moment to hope before he took a deep breath and began the journey back to Finneous�
� shop to pick up another bundle.

  Finneous had returned and left again before Ty came back for a second run. Jistin was managing his father’s shop just as the first time Ty had seen him.

  “Finneous doing well?”

  Jistin smiled with a nod toward a small bag. Ty picked it up, appreciating the clang of the coin. Finneous always managed better than Ty could ever hope. Luck found Finneous where it ignored Ty completely. Ty put his earnings along with Finneous’.

  “Have you checked on my sister and Ria?”

  Jistin shook his head. “Lunchtime,” he wrote. “They are still upstairs, Don’t worry.”

  Ty blushed slightly. He bent and picked up another bundle, this time of cloth and golden thread. Jistin grabbed his arm before he could leave.

  The note Jistin pushed into Ty’s hand read, “Be careful. You shouldn’t be here.”

  “I know.”

  Ty turned and slipped back out of the store.

  CHAPTER 9

  SARDINIA’S SHADOWS

  Ria had collapsed to the floor before Finneous shut the door. His warning about not leaving had seemed to severe the strings that had kept Ria together. She had fallen sobbing to her knees. As the door clicked closed, Lavinia sunk to the floor to comfort her friend. Niri stood watching, feeling detached from them, her body, this town, and what she had done to Causis.

  “I don’t want to be here. I want to go home.”

  “It’s okay, Ria. I’m here, I’ll protect you.”

  Ria pulled back her hands from her face enough to give her best friend a scathing look of disbelief. Lavinia’s face infused with color. She took a moment to pull herself together before putting her arm back around Ria’s sobbing frame.

  “Ty,” Lavinia started, clearing her throat. “Ty will protect you. You know how much he cares about you.”

  “Hah,” Ria pulled her hands down and looked at Lavinia. “Your brother is nothing more than a thief and a liar. What has he told you about where he has been? He certainly didn’t learn to put knives to people’s throats in Mirocyne or his apprenticeship, Vin. He isn’t who you think he is.”

  Niri’s breath started coming quicker, pumping her chest as if the air were too thin. She stumbled backward until she felt the geometric blinds of the arched windows under her hands. She held on to the wooden slats with all her strength.

  Lavinia’s expression was crushed. She shook her head as if to knock out Ria’s words. “No, how could you say that? He saved your life today!”

  “If this gift were anything useful, he wouldn’t have to! I would have killed Causis myself.” Ria stood up with the explosion of her words. She rocketed into the depths of the house. Lavinia with tear stained cheeks followed at her heels.

  Niri’s gut wrenched. Every word made her head spin. She stumbled blindly toward the sound of falling water. Tripping, Niri found herself on a stone bench in the inner garden of Finneous house. Water fell in sheets from the one story roof of the arcade to narrow pools lining the inner courtyard. Sunlight glimmered on the protecting enchantment created by an Air Elemental which spanned the open roof. Only one thought filled Niri’s swirling mind.

  “What monstrous thing am I?”

  When Ty came upstairs as evenings shadows swallowed the inner garden, Niri’s thoughts had not improved.

  Ria and Lavinia, exhausted and then satiated after Jistin’s arrival with plates of spiced meat and rice, had fallen asleep on the settees in the front room. Ty stood watching them for a moment before glancing around and seeing Niri alone in the garden. He came out and slouched onto the bench on the other side of the path, leaning back against a jasmine tree. The scent of evening flowers showered on both of them as the tree took his weight.

  Niri closed her eyes, partially coming back to herself. They sat in the silence of the falling water for a moment before Niri roused herself. She looked up to see Ty’s half closed eyes on her. He looked spent. His hair was lank and the angry fire was gone from this eyes.

  “How did it go?” Niri asked, her throat burning so that she had to whisper. She swallowed trying to moisten it.

  “Okay, most is gone.” The weariness drained even Ty’s usual scathing temperament toward her. Ty was still watching her carefully. “And here?”

  Niri lifted her eyebrows in a half hearted gesture. “Ria is doing better. She was upset for awhile but sleep and food helped. Lavinia is good at keeping her calm.”

  Ty waited a moment. “And you?”

  Niri looked up to meet his gaze. He wasn’t mocking her. Niri’s lips pursed as tears flooded her eyes. Scrunching her forehead against them, she looked away. Ty moved swiftly to the bench next to her, placing one hand on her forearm as he had in the bizarre after . . . .

  Niri’s mind shied away from the thought and then rushed back. The words started tumbling from her lips before she was able to stop them.

  “I don’t know what I am. I can’t take it. I’m glad, so glad to have saved Ria. But what she said today, after what I did. But I didn’t mean to! And I stopped. Perhaps the Church is right. The best place for us is there. My skills need rules. They kept me from using them. I didn’t harm anyone . . . just the children I took from their parents like I was taken. Taken back to the Church to have rules beaten into them. But don’t you see? That is the only reason I didn’t take Ria today. I can’t take this, not being a Priestess, not being able to stop myself. But I can’t go back without Ria, and I can’t take her back to die. She had a right to be that angry at Causis.”

  Niri finally paused. Her eyes were still held in Ty’s blue. He took one hand and wiped the tears from her cheek, a puzzled line between his brows.

  “I really don’t have a clue what you just said.” He was trying to be serious but laughter hovered on his lips. It choked her sobs in turn, welling up from her lungs so that they both coughed a laugh for a moment. Ty’s palm cupped her check, his fingers extending along the side of Niri’s head so that he cradled her. She leaned into his comfort as he sobered up.

  “Other than saying you thought of taking Ria and didn’t . . . won’t, I hope.”

  Niri gave her head a shake. “No, I won’t consider it again. I realize now that I truly can’t see harm come to her, not by my hand. I know what I did to protect her today . . . but that is what frightens me. If I have this ability and I’m not a Priestess . . . what am I? I’m afraid I’m far more dangerous now than I ever was under the Church.”

  The line between Ty’s brows had deepened. “I don’t know what you mean. What did you do?”

  Niri’s heart was hammering again, throbbing in her chest. She looked away.

  “Tell me something first.”

  “Alright.”

  “Jistin gave me this today at lunch, when I asked him how he knew you.”

  Niri handed Ty the crumbled paper. He smoothed it open. On it in Jistin’s scrawl were the words, “He saved my life.”

  Ty flexed his jaw muscles and closed his eyes briefly. He glanced into the front salon toward his sleeping sister.

  “She doesn’t know. I didn’t show it to her.”

  “But you want to know.” Niri nodded. “And then you’ll tell me what you did?” Niri’s brown eyes filled with tears again as she nodded. She was buying time, but it helped her find calm.

  Ty took a deep breath, looking at the stones of the path. “I left the ship I had been apprenticed on.” Ty paused, his shoulders barred to hold out the forthcoming criticism.

  “I rather guessed that much,” Niri’s sarcasm surprised even her. Ty glanced up and they both chuckled again. Ty blinked, his shoulders unknotting as he looked at Niri. She waited.

  This time Ty looked around the garden as if searching for words to continue. “I ended up with those men you saw in Mirocyne for a time.” He glanced towards the salon one more time, looking back when he saw his sister was still asleep.

  “Small time thieves, so I thought. I didn’t know what I was doing . . . . Jistin and Finneous were kind to me when we came to Sar
dinia. The men, they saw that as an opportunity.” Ty’s eyes were darker, a weight bore down on his shoulders. This time Niri offered her hand in sympathy. He took it, a smile flitting across his lips before being overrun by internal shadows.

  “Since Jistin knew me, I was to get him to let me in and then . . . .” Ty couldn’t say it. His words choked off and he looked away. He cleared his throat, the muscles of his neck tightening to cords as he struggled to continue. “He couldn’t call for help, you know?”

  Niri nodded, her eyes overflowing again.

  “I couldn’t do it.”

  “You warned them?”

  Ty nodded. “I couldn’t be a part of it, not that. It meant I couldn’t go back. I had to run again.”

  Ty leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees his wrists dangling toward the ground. Niri felt the tightness of her chest ease a little. She felt like she was beginning to understand a small portion of Ty. It wasn’t what she expected.

  He looked over his shoulder at her. “You did something to Causis, didn’t you?” Niri’s face washed of color. “And Ria wanted to do something?”

  Niri nodded, glancing away. “I don’t blame her. She felt her power. I think she nearly used it,” Niri looked at Ty with a guilty look on her face. “I could see it all around her and then . . . it was gone. I don’t know what she did. I don’t think she knows what she did. But suddenly she was just a very frightened girl standing before Causis and there was nothing she could do.”

  “I,” Niri swallowed as her voice wavered. “I wanted to protect her. I reached out and felt the water in Causis’ blood.” Now Niri looked Ty steadily in his eye.

  “I stopped his pulse.”

  Shock registered across Ty’s face as understanding sunk in. He pulled back away from her, his eyes hardening.

  “Is that what they teach you in the Church. Your method of killing criminals?”

  Hot tears stung her eyes as she looked down, shaking her head. “No, don’t you see? That is what I mean. All I could do in the Church was purify water, call rain, move water for irrigation. I had no idea, Ty.” She looked at him, feeling so lost and confused.