“Tallis!” he cried, throwing his arms around his friend, who embraced him in return.
“You’re alive!” said Tallis, slapping him on the back. “You’re alive!”
“Of course I’m alive,” said Jeremiah. “You can’t get rid of me so easily.”
“I didn’t dare believe you’d make it out.”
Jeremiah let go of his friend so he could study his face. He’d grown from an adolescent to a man in the years that’d gone by, yet still he was the same. The same eyes, albeit missing some of their sparkle. The same face, underneath the hint of a beard. The same smile, that never failed to draw a smile from Jeremiah’s own lips.
“How’s your family?” asked Jeremiah.
“Still surviving.” A sadness crossed Tallis’s eyes.
“Things are going to get better from now,” said Jeremiah.
Tallis nodded, cautiously. “That’s what people are saying, but I don’t dare believe it. Jeremiah…”
“Yes? What is it?” Jeremiah put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. Tallis was struggling to find his words.
“Your family…” Tallis looked to the ground and kicked at a stone.
“I know,” said Jeremiah, sadly. “My parents didn’t make it. Nor did the baby.”
“It’s even worse than that, I’m afraid,” said Tallis. “Micah is missing. Nobody’s seen her for many months now. I used to see her at the markets, but she hasn’t been there. Nor did she go to the orchards to pick berries this summer, like she usually does. I’ve been searching everywhere for her. At first, I thought maybe she’d fallen into the river where she’d go to wash. Then I came here and… I found this hanging in a tree.”
He reached under his shirt and pulled out a leather cord.
“My lucky walnut!” Jeremiah broke into a smile and reached out a hand as Tallis removed it from his neck and handed it to him. Never did he think he’d see that walnut shell again. It seemed it’d brought Jeremiah luck after all. And Micah too.
“You don’t understand.” Tallis shook his head. “It’s not good news. Micah never took that off. Never. Not since the day you left. She wouldn’t leave it in a tree, unless … unless she walked into the forest with no intention of coming back.”
Jeremiah looped the cord around his neck and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “She’s okay, Tallis. She didn’t go to the forest with no intention of coming back. She went to the palace. Look. There she is. Micah!”
He saw his sister watching him from the group of people who’d stopped to wait for Jeremiah before they walked on. She looked unsure about approaching them, but at the sound of her name came skipping over. It seemed she hadn’t grown out of her bursts of energy. The old Micah was slowly returning.
“Hi dragon,” she said, grinning at Tallis.
“Micah! I thought you were dead.”
“I left you the walnut so you’d know that I wasn’t.”
“Oh.”
A moment of awkwardness hung in the air and Jeremiah stepped back, feeling that these two needed some space.
Tallis went to hug Micah and hesitated. Then clearly not being able to contain himself, he pulled her close and put his arms around her. Jeremiah smiled to see the tenderness of this embrace, compared to the backslapping hug he himself had just received. Was there more to their relationship than Micah had told him about? Perhaps there were feelings there that Micah hadn’t realized. The deep flush on Tallis’s face was evidence that he was more than aware of his feelings.
“Your hair,” said Tallis, loosening the embrace and reaching out a hand.
“My hair will grow,” said Micah, running a hand over the short spikes on her head.
“You still look beautiful,” said Tallis, biting his lower lip.
Micah flushed a shade to match Tallis’s face and shuffled her feet.
Right, so she was just as aware of what was happening between them as Tallis was.
Jeremiah was pleased. Who wouldn’t want their best friend and their sister to fall in love. Especially when they’d all been surrounded by misery for so long.
“I want you to meet someone,” said Jeremiah, smiling across at Rose and reaching out his hand to beckon her.
She returned his smile and walked over to them.
“Tallis, this is Rose,” said Jeremiah. “We’re to be married.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you,” said Tallis, putting out his hand for her to shake, making it clear he was completely unaware of who she was.
Rose took his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Tallis.”
“Were you kept prisoner there too?” asked Tallis, tipping his head toward the palace. “If you don’t mind me asking, why were you allowed to keep your hair?”
Rose smiled. “I was trapped there in a different way to Micah.”
Tallis nodded, although clearly didn’t understand. “Is the new Queen truly as good as everyone’s saying? She can’t be worse than her awful father, I suppose. Have any of you met her?”
“We have,” said Jeremiah, laughing. “In fact, as of about a minute ago, you have too.”
Tallis frowned, then gasped as the realization washed over him.
“Your Majesty?” he said, looking at Rose, and stooping to a bow. “Please forgive me for how I just spoke.”
“Please, stand up tall and be proud of yourself, Tallis. My father was awful. You spoke the truth. I hope to be the sort of Queen who people talk about in the same way when I’m there as when I am not.”
“Yes, my Queen.” Tallis bowed his head as he spoke, then trailed his gaze to Jeremiah, his eyes widening as yet another realization washed over him. “Did you say that you’re to be married?”
“That’s right,” said Jeremiah, taking Rose’s hand in his.
Tallis pursed his lips as if to suppress a laugh and nodded.
“Tallis,” said Rose, touching him gently on the arm. “I’m forming a Symphony to help me govern Forte Cadence and I’d like to have people with all different experiences sitting on it. Would you consider joining us? I need a representative from the Valley of the Blessed, to provide a voice for the people.”
“But… you don’t even know me, Your Majesty.”
“Jeremiah and Micah clearly think highly of you. That’s all I need to know. No need to answer me now. Why don’t you accompany us today and you can give me your answer later?”
Tallis nodded. “I’m honored to be asked. And I don’t need time to decide. Just as you trust the opinion of our friends here, so do I. I’ll join your Sym… what was the word again? Forgive me.”
“Symphony,” said Micah. “We all use our individual voices and opinions to form a harmonious approach.”
“Shall we continue on our journey?” asked Rose. “Our growing tribe is getting restless.”
They rejoined the people. Tallis caught up to Jeremiah briefly to poke him in the ribs and hiss in his ear. “You’re marrying the Queen!”
Jeremiah laughed. “I’m marrying Rose,” he corrected.
Tallis clearly couldn’t see the difference. But Jeremiah could, and that was all that mattered. He was marrying Rose the person, not Rose the Queen. A woman who was brave, fair and smart. A woman who made his heart race and had surprised him with her ideas, determination, and vision.
They set off once again, down the hill, toward the Valley of the Blessed. Only now it really was blessed, thought Jeremiah.
He leaned toward Rose as they walked, his lips brushing softly on her ear.
“I love you, Your Majesty,” he said.
She smiled. “Please don’t ever stop saying that. Although you can drop the Your Majesty bit. I keep thinking people are talking to my father.”
“Well, I can promise you that I never said that to him.”
“Jeremiah!” She laughed.
He sighed, letting out a deep breath. “And don’t you ever stop saying that.”
“What?” Her brow crinkled.
“My name.”
She looped her arm t
hrough his and together they led the crowd of people toward their Evernow, no longer wishing for their past or their future, but happy to be exactly where they all found themselves right at this moment.
AFTER THE EVERNOW
“The Whisperers are whispering. The Whisperers are whispering. The Whisperers are whispering.”
Four hundred voices rose and swirled in the air, floating directly into the ears of the people gathered on the palace lawn outside the arena.
The doors had been thrown open, so the Whisperers’ voices would carry, and the residents of the Valley of the Blessed had been invited to sit outside and listen, while they devoured baskets of food that lined the steps of the arena.
This was the first Whispering since King Virtus’s death and the new Queen had made it clear that from now on these ceremonies were for all to enjoy. The balcony in the arena had been rebuilt and extended so that the people who didn’t wish to sit on the lawn could come inside.
They waited, wondering what the Queen’s first wish would be for.
“The Whisperers are whispering. The Whisperers are whispering. The Whisperers are whispering.”
Those who lined the balcony saw Jeremiah sweep his hand across the arena, satisfied his army’s voices were warm. He smiled at them, his eyes alight with pride. They returned his smile with love in their eyes.
The first row of Whisperers fell into silence and knelt on their mats with their heads bowed. They wore clothing of all colors and their hair was growing in shades of brown, blonde and red.
Once in place, the second row followed, then the third. This continued until the final row of Whisperers were on their knees. An army of four hundred people, men and women alike, all waiting to hear the Queen’s deepest wish.
Jeremiah raised his hand above his head, his eyes scanning his army, looking to make sure they were ready. The Whisperers kept their heads down, maintaining a respectful silence.
Satisfied once more, Jeremiah brought his hand down slowly, holding it at his side. He looked to the balcony at the rear of the arena where the Queen was standing with her people. He nodded at her. The Whisperers were ready.
The Queen blew him a kiss, then swept her hand across the arena to show her appreciation.
“The trees are bursting with fruit,” Jeremiah whispered.
The first row of Whisperers lifted their heads, eyes and ears glued to their leader.
“The trees are bursting with fruit,” Jeremiah repeated.
No noise could be heard as the first row of Whisperers rose to stand.
“The trees are bursting with fruit,” they said. Not whispered. Said.
The second row lifted their heads and stood.
“The trees are bursting with fruit,” the first two rows said together.
With each row that joined, the chant became louder, the arena filling with voices, calling out in unison, over and over, as they brought the Queen’s wish to life.
Those people standing outside were certain they could see the trees around them bend forward in the gentle breeze as tiny buds formed on their branches. At last, a wish for the people. A wish that would fill their bellies and restore their health.
The Whisperers continued to send their words out to the sky and as they wished, their numbers grew, as the Whisperers who’d left for freedom, returned to join them and add their voices to the call.
The people watching were infected by the words, and unable to resist, they added their voices to the chorus.
Seeing this, Queen Rose, smiled and joined in.
“The trees are bursting with fruit!”
The Whisperers smiled as they sent their wish into the sky. Their purpose was to whisper. Their power was in their voices. They were individuals, with hopes and dreams and names, but together they could be more. They were part of a glorious army, granting wishes for their Queen. A Queen they trusted with their future.
There was one Whisperer who trusted her more than any other. He was the one who stood at the front, refusing to be called the Conductor.
His name was Jeremiah.
THE END
The Alchemists of Evernow
BOOK TWO
For Franki - your friendship is the best kind of elixir
Before the Evernow
“We are lucky, oh so lucky, we are lucky, we have luck. We are lucky, oh so lucky, we are lucky, we have luck.”
The women at the apothecary sang their song of luck as they worked, distilling oils into tiny glass bottles to heal the people of Wintergreen.
The Alchemist had taught them this song, and at the end of each verse, they’d take a deep sniff of a sachet of oil-infused salts that dangled from delicate green ribbons around their necks. The floral scent would be drawn into their airways where it would mingle with the essence of their soul.
The oils were keeping them safe. Protecting them from the blue plague that was wreaking havoc across the kingdom, stealing the breath from the lungs of the men, leaving them clammy and gasping, until their bodies lay still.
There was one woman working amongst them whose husband was at home in the final stages of the plague. He had only days left. Hours perhaps. She’d seen the plague many times and knew what to expect. His skin had turned the tell-tale pale blue color a few days earlier, a sure sign that his suffering would be over soon.
The woman set down the bunch of thyme she’d been holding and rubbed her swollen belly. Soon her child would be born. A child who’d grow up without a father to guide her, just like all the other children in the village. Unless the baby was a boy. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have the chance to grow up at all. A sick feeling sank to her gut and she lifted the sachet of salts to her face and inhaled, enjoying the feeling of calm pushing aside her fear. It would be okay. She was fortunate to be having a child at all.
“I must go to check on my husband,” she said, letting the sachet fall to her chest.
The worker beside her nodded, not breaking her song to reply. “We are lucky, oh so lucky, we are lucky, we have luck.”
The woman left the apothecary, smiling at the young boy who lived in the house across from the garden. He was picking a stem of lavender, his eyes darting around searching for his sister, as was his habit. This boy seemed to be immune to the plague and the woman was glad. He was like a symbol of hope for Wintergreen.
The boy returned her smile with a frown. He often frowned at the women in the apothecary, staring at them as if they’d all lost their minds. She’d once heard him shouting at his sister telling her to wake up, which was odd as she was already awake.
The woman returned home and went directly to her dying husband, leaning over and kissing him lightly on the forehead.
Her husband groaned, trying to speak through his raspy breaths.
“Hush now,” she soothed.
Thankfully, he’d held on while she’d been gone. Her work at the apothecary was important and she’d had no choice but to leave him for a short time. He’d tell her that he understood if only he could open his eyes and speak.
There was something wrong with this situation. Something that wasn’t quite adding up, except she couldn’t figure out what it was. Her brain got foggy like that sometimes and it was confusing. Better to just remember what the Alchemist told her to do when she felt like this.
Breathe.
She brought her sachet to her nose once more and reminded herself how lucky she was.
The Alchemist knew what was best for all of them. And working for him was best. He was the greatest Alchemist the world had ever seen. If it weren’t for the apothecary, the women would have no protection, leaving them to succumb to the plague and be laid to rest next to their husbands and sons in their freshly dug graves.
She put her hand in her pocket, withdrew the cloth the Alchemist had given her and waved it under her husband’s nose, noticing his breathing grow shallower. The elixir of oils infused in the cloth was keeping him calm, taking away his pain. It felt good to be able to help him like this. She�
��d aided her father to his death only months before and he’d passed calmly too.
Spreading out the cloth over her husband’s bare chest so he could take in the full benefit of the elixir, she left him to sleep. A sharp kick in her ribs reminded her that she hadn’t eaten all day, so she went to the kitchen to see what she could make for supper. Her child needed sustenance to be born healthy.
But it was hard to make soup without vegetables. Difficult to roast meat when you had none. Impossible to make porridge without any oats. She took what little food she had from her larder and put it on the table.
Singing her song of luck, she set to work, making a fire from the kindling she’d gathered the day before. “We are lucky, oh so lucky, we are lucky, we have luck.”
Bringing a small pot of water to the boil, she threw in a dandelion root and a lamb bone she’d boiled so many times it was more like a stick of chalk. She’d have a three-course meal tonight. A cup of dandelion tea for starters, bread for main and a dried apricot for dessert. She was lucky. Life had been kind to her. She had her health, a good job, and a house. And she’d been blessed with a child in her belly. Hopefully, a daughter.
She tipped a small portion of flour onto the table, added a pinch of salt and some water, kneading it into a sticky ball and placing it on a tray in the warmth of the fire. She worked quickly so she could return to her husband’s side while she waited for the bread to bake.
As soon as she stepped into the bedroom, she knew she hadn’t hurried fast enough. His slow breathing had stopped and his face had relaxed into the composure of the recently departed.
Her hands fluttered to her chest, then landed on her rounded belly and she rubbed her child through the worn fabric of her dress. Her child who’d never know her father. Tears burst from the corners of her eyes like raindrops and traced their way down her cheeks in jagged lines.
Remembering what the Alchemist had told her, she reached for her salts and inhaled deeply. “We are lucky, oh so lucky, we are lucky, we have luck.”
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 22