Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “What is happening, Nikura?” he demanded.

  Nikura shook his head and blinked before approaching Zakiel slowly, his eyes narrowed, nose sniffing carefully. He walked all the way around where Zakiel sat on the floor holding Karma, and although Zakiel had no idea what the Sphin was doing, he held still and waited.

  Suddenly Nikura began hissing again and Zakiel turned in surprise to see him staring at the egora on his arm. Zakiel frowned as he looked at his egora, then up to Nikura, then back again.

  “What is it?” he asked. Nikura moved closer until his nose was almost, but not quite touching the gold bead on his egora. He hissed and moved back, his hackles raised and ears flat once more.

  Zakiel did not understand what was wrong, but it was clear enough that it had something to do with his egora. He slid one arm out from beneath Karma, reached up and tore the egora from his arm. He threw it across the tent, then put his arm back beneath Karma to support her head. Timon picked the egora up from the floor, an expression of surprise and confusion on his face.

  “Put that away somewhere,” Zakiel ordered. “Do not get rid of it, just put it in a box or something. Get it out of sight.” Timon nodded quickly, and Zakiel turned his attention back to Karma.

  He was greatly relieved when her color returned after only a few moments, and her eyes focused on him. As soon as she realized where she was, she gasped and quickly scrambled out of his arms and off of his lap.

  “Are you all right?” Zakiel asked, studying her carefully.

  “Yes, I think so,” Karma said after a moment. She wavered slightly on her feet, then sat abruptly on a cushion across from Zakiel. She ran one hand over her forehead. “I felt as though I got hit in the head with a brick, but the pain is gone now. What happened?”

  Before he was able to reply that he had no idea, he saw that Nikura already had her full attention. He waited impatiently while the two of them talked, relieved when Karma finally turned her gaze to him.

  “Nikura says that there is something wrong with your egora.”

  “That part I got,” Zakiel said. “Did he say what?”

  “Demon arts,” Karma replied with a shrug. “Sorry, his term, not mine.”

  “Demon arts?” Zakiel asked Nikura in shock. “From my egora?”

  Nikura nodded.

  “What does that mean?” Karma asked. “I assume it’s bad since the word demon is in there, and I also assume that arts doesn’t refer to murals or abstract paintings. You wanna fill me in?”

  Zakiel stared at Karma for a long moment as he tried to decipher what she’d said. All he knew for sure was that she wanted to know what demon arts were.

  “Demon arts is dark magic,” Zakiel said, hoping that was explanation enough. Karma’s grimace indicated she understood. “I don’t understand how such a thing is possible,” he continued with a frown.

  “Timon?” Zakiel turned to his personal attendant standing nearby. “Can you shed light on this?”

  “I am most sorry, Highness,” Timon replied, “but I’m afraid I don’t know what’s happening.”

  “The new egora that you made for me is corrupted with demon arts,” Zakiel said. “It does not effect me, so far as I can tell. But it has a severe effect on Lady Techu, and Nikura is able to sense it. The question is, how did such a thing occur with one of my belongings?”

  Timon frowned, aware that they were all watching him, but not concerned about that. He was not under suspicion. He was, however, being asked to help his Prince, so he did his best. Suddenly, he remembered one incident, which reminded him of something else.

  “Highness,” he said, “There are two oddities that may be of importance.”

  “What are they?” Zakiel asked.

  “The first was a visit to your quarters by Hara Marene the day before we left Ka-Teru,” Timon said.

  “Yes, I remember she left some date bars,” Zakiel said. “Is that what you are referring to?”

  “Yes, Highness,” Timon said. “What I did not tell you is that she was alone in your quarters when I entered.”

  “Alone?” Zakiel asked in surprise. “For how long?”

  “I’m sorry, Highness, but I do not know. I had just returned from the palace tailor and when I entered, she was there. She said that she did not have time to await my return, so she entered to leave the date bars for you. Then she left.”

  “All right,” Zakiel said. “What is the second oddity?”

  “Your missing egoras,” Timon said. “I am certain that I packed a box with several spare egoras for you, but when I looked for it to replace the one lost the other day, I couldn’t find it. I had to make a new one.”

  “Yes, you mentioned that,” Zakiel said. “Tell me, Timon, was the box containing the spare egoras in my rooms when Hara Marene was there alone?”

  Timon thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, Highness. Your personal belongings were packed, but not taken to the boat until later that night.”

  “Thank you, Timon,” Zakiel said. “Please bring the bead box to me.”

  Timon bowed quickly before going into the next chamber. He returned a moment later with the familiar lacquer box handed down to Zakiel by his grandfather. Zakiel took the box and looked at Nikura.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “He says that if he hisses, you must close it at once,” Karma said.

  Zakiel nodded in agreement, then raised the lid, a shiver of apprehension racing down his spine as he did so. He gritted his teeth and slowly turned the box around so that the front faced Nikura. The moment the Sphin gave a sign, he would drop the lid back into place.

  He was so focused on Nikura, that Karma’s soft whimper didn’t immediately register. Only when Nikura’s head snapped toward her, did Zakiel look. Karma’s face was pale again, just that quickly. He dropped the lid and flung the box toward Timon who snatched it out of the air and, not knowing what else to do, hid it behind his back.

  Zakiel watched Karma carefully as she breathed deeply for long moments. He wanted so badly to scoop her back into his arms, but he sensed that she would not welcome that. Not right now. He didn’t know why, but he intended to find out before the night was over.

  “Timon, pour some tea for Lady Techu, please,” he said.

  “At once, Highness,” Timon replied. “I will just put this box out of sight first.”

  A few minutes later Karma gratefully accepted a steaming cup from Timon and offered Zakiel a little smile. “I’m fine now.”

  “At least your color is back,” Zakiel said, not quite believing that she was truly fine at all.

  “So that’s what happened yesterday,” she said after taking a sip of her tea.

  “This happened to you yesterday?” Zakiel asked in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me? I thought that you were angry with me.”

  “I was...upset...with you,” Karma said. “I thought that’s all it was.”

  “I still don’t understand why you were upset with me,” Zakiel said. “But one thing at a time.” He turned to Nikura. “Could you determine the source of the corruption in the box?”

  “He says that all of the gold beads are corrupted with dark magic,” Karma told him. She glanced at Zakiel, then looked down, biting her lip.

  “What is it?” Zakiel asked.

  “Apparently the dark magic effects no one but me,” she said. “Does that mean that I am sensitive to it, or is it directed at me?”

  Nikura sat down and fixed his gaze on Karma. She listened to him for a moment, then turned to Zakiel.

  “He says that it is directed at me, but that those sensitive to such things would feel them to some degree as well,” Karma said. “He asks if you ever sensed anything unusual.”

  Zakiel started to shake his head when he remembered something. “The other night, after Timon made the new egora for me, and again this morning, after he moved the gold bead to indicate my feelings for you, something strange did happen.”

  “I’m sorry,” Karma interrupted him, unable
to stop herself. “Did you say you moved the bead for me?”

  “Yes, of course,” Zakiel said with a frown. “I know that Kapia saw it this morning, and I assumed she told you about it.”

  Karma frowned in confusion.

  “I will leave you two alone in a moment to work out your misunderstandings,” Nikura interrupted before she spoke. “Please ask Prince Zakiel to relate the strangeness he mentioned first.”

  Karma nodded and quickly repeated what Nikura had said.

  “Both times I touched the gold bead, just for a moment. Immediately afterward I experienced a very disturbing vision of Marene.” He told them what Marene had looked like in detail, then waited to see what Nikura had to say.

  “Nikura believes that Marene is responsible for the demon arts,” Karma said.

  “That’s not a surprise,” Zakiel said, then shook his head. “I take that back. It is a surprise. I have always known Marene to be manipulative and selfish, but I would not have guessed she would use demon arts.”

  Nikura stood and stretched. “I will leave the two of you now,” he said.

  “Thank you, Nikura,” Karma said.

  “Yes, thank you, Nikura,” Zakiel said, addressing the Sphin directly. “Before you leave, what should we do with the corrupted beads?”

  “He suggests they be removed from the box and placed in the bag with the one from the egora,” Karma said. “They should then be buried in the sand. As deeply as possible.”

  “Very well,” Zakiel said. He turned to Timon who nodded, indicating he had heard and would take care of it.

  They watched Nikura leave, then Karma glanced at Timon before emptying her cup.

  “Timon,” Zakiel said, not taking his eyes from Karma.

  “Yes, Highness?”

  “Please ask Sir Bredon or Sir Garundel if they can spare a gold bead for my egora,” Zakiel said.

  “At once, Highness,” Timon replied, understanding perfectly. He went into the next chamber and came out a moment later with the bead box and the bag containing the egora. A moment later, he was gone.

  “Shall we begin with the egora?” Zakiel asked, standing up and crossing the tent to a large basket in the corner.

  “Yes, I think so,” Karma replied with a nod. “Will you tell me what you meant when you said you moved the bead for me?”

  “That’s simple,” Zakiel replied. He pulled a silver flask from the basket and walked back and sat down. He opened the flask and poured a generous amount of red-gold liquid into her empty cup, then his own. “I wanted the bead moved to announce that I am in love, and that I hope to make the woman I love care for me in return.”

  “And the woman you love is me?” Karma asked, her heart pounding so hard she was sure he could see it.

  “Who else?” Zakiel asked.

  “Marene?”

  Zakiel’s first reaction was to laugh, but her wary expression warned him against that. “Tell me what you thought, Karma,” he asked, reaching out to pick up her cup and offer it to her.

  Karma hesitated, then took the cup and raised it to her lips. She sipped the liquid, letting its sweet warmth roll across her tongue. She was suddenly tempted to drain the cup in an attempt to soothe her nerves. Instead, she put the cup down and tried to decide how to respond to his request. He held his hand out to her, and she placed her hand in his, relieved when she felt him squeeze hers gently, encouraging her.

  “Before we left Ka-Teru, Marene indicated that you and she would one day marry,” Karma said. “I did not believe her.”

  Zakiel squeezed her hand again, knowing there was more. “Then Kapia told me the meaning of the gold beads, the day we fought the Ken-No-Kel, and when I saw it on your egora the next morning, I thought it was for Marene.”

  “Why would you have thought that?” Zakiel asked, frowning. “I didn’t move it into courting position for you until that night.”

  Karma shook her head, confused. “There was a gold bead there, I’m sure of it.”

  “Yes, of course,” Zakiel replied. “I have worn one in the waiting position for several years now to indicate that I will marry only for love.”

  Karma’s head came up and she stared into his eyes in surprise. “I’m sorry, can you say that again please?”

  Zakiel repeated himself, then added, “Marene is not subtle, Karma. She’s always made it quite clear what she wanted from me. In recent years, her wants became expectations, though I promise you, I never gave her cause to believe I had feelings for her. In fact, I made it quite clear to her on more than one occasion that I had no interest in her. It was like talking to a stone.

  “On the day of my majority I began wearing the gold bead in the waiting position, partly in an effort to put her off. It stated clearly for all who cared to look that I would not marry until I found a woman to love, and who would love me in return.”

  “Kapia told me that a gold bead means that you are either courting, engaged, or married.”

  “Then her knowledge is incomplete,” Zakiel said. “Which explains much. You were upset because you thought I kissed you while committed to another woman, is that right?”

  Karma could only nod, too embarrassed by her assumptions to speak.

  “I understand why you were upset,” Zakiel said, “but didn’t you think better of me when you saw that the bead had been moved to a new position?”

  “I didn’t notice the new position,” Karma said. “I deliberately did not look at it, to be honest, and even if I had, I don’t know that I would have realized it had been moved.”

  “Kapia saw it yesterday in the courting position and thought it was for Marene,” he guessed.

  “I’m afraid so,” she said. “I’m sorry, Zakiel.”

  “So long as you know the truth now, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s easy enough to explain the truth to Kapia. What I don’t understand is why you were angry with me to start with?”

  “You made it clear that you could not go against your people, or your beliefs, and be with me,” Karma said, determined to be completely honest after the mistake she’d already made. “Immediately after you said that, I saw the gold bead on the egora and thought you were promised to Marene. Now I realize that it was the dark magic effecting me, but I didn’t know that at the time. It just intensified everything and made it worse.”

  “Karma, you mistook the meaning of what I said,” Zakiel replied. “What I was trying to say, badly I now realize, was that I could not enter into a relationship with you unless, according to the customs of my people, our intent is, someday, to marry.”

  “Oh,” Karma said, unable to think of a single intelligent thing to say in response to that rather shocking statement.

  Zakiel smiled, but there was worry in his eyes. She tilted her head to the side and waited for him to explain further. “I only wanted you to understand the true meaning of my intentions, so that you could decide whether or not to accept them.”

  Zakiel drained his cup and refilled it from the flask before continuing. “I am Prince of a large and, for Rathira, powerful country,” he said. “Among my people, I am held in high regard. But to you, a woman who has traveled among the stars, I doubt that my being Prince of a primitive country on a backward planet is enough to hold you. I wanted to know if I had a chance with you.”

  “Why didn’t you just ask me?” Karma wondered.

  “Because I was afraid of your answer.”

  “And now? Are you still afraid of my answer?”

  “No,” Zakiel said, gazing into her starry eyes. “I’m not afraid any more.”

  “Why not?” Karma asked, a smile playing around her lips.

  “Because I realized that if you say no, we still have two more orbs to find after we find the Moon Orb.”

  “Meaning?” Karma asked with a frown, not getting the connection at all.

  “Meaning that I will still have lots of time to convince you to change your mind,” Zakiel replied.

  “I can be stubborn when I want to be,” K
arma warned him.

  “Really?” he asked, rising to his feet and holding one hand down to her. “I hadn’t noticed that about you.”

  “That doesn’t say much for your powers of observation,” Karma replied as she eyed his hand. After a moment she placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her to her feet. “And here I was, feeling guilty for doubting your prowess as a warrior.”

  “You doubted me?” he asked, running one fingertip lightly along her jaw. Never had he felt anything so soft as her skin.

  “I wondered if you were granted the office of Hunter General just because you were the prince, or if you’d earned it,” she admitted, her eyelids closing as the touch of his finger sent fire racing along her flesh.

  “Your opinion changed?” he asked, leaning down to place light, lingering kisses on her forehead, her cheeks, her neck.

  “Mmmm,” she murmured, the sensation of his soft, warm lips nearly obliterating her ability to think. “Then I saw you in battle, and I knew that the title Warrior Prince was not honorary.”

  “And now?” he asked, pulling back to look into her eyes.

  “Observation is an important skill for a warrior,” she said, arching her brow at him.

  “I cannot argue with that,” he said. “Will you allow me to restore your faith in me?”

  Karma tilted her head slightly and studied his face for a moment before nodding. “Yes, of course.”

  Zakiel leaned down and brushed his lips lightly against hers, then licked her bottom lip with just the tip of his tongue, unable to resist the temptation of that little dent. He heard the breath catch in her throat, and smiled. When he lifted his head he met her gaze with his own.

  “I observe that you care for me, and want me, as much as I care for and want you,” he said. “But you are uncertain now. Hesitant. I’ve taught you to doubt yourself.”

  “No,” Karma said, reaching up to stroke his jaw as he had stroked hers. “You did not teach me to doubt myself. But I did learn how much it hurts to care for someone who does not feel the same way about me.”