Spurned

by R. Moses

  Chapter Ten

  Naomi breezed right by them and went to the wash basin, throwing her green mask down on her blanket. As she rinsed dust off she said casually, “Good night. Lots of marks.”

  She finished rinsing off and looked at Kara. “Where were you?”

  “I got caught. Had to sit the night out.”

  Naomi sat on her blanket, and the three young women formed a loose triangle. Silence hung between them. Naomi took out her knife and began to clean her nails. Too casually, she asked, “Have either of you heard anything about Vayne and Fante?”

  Kara swallowed and tried not to glance at Lyla. She was going to have to be very careful to not outright lie. She said, “No. Why?”

  “Well...” Naomi shrugged. “It's probably nothing. You know Fante?”

  “Vaguely. She works at the ticket booths, right? Short, brunette?” Kara asked.

  Naomi cleared her throat. “That's her. I've heard that she and my boyfriend have been spending some time together. His last act ends before my shift and seems he's been spending that time hanging out with her.”

  Kara bit her lip as Naomi looked up. She knew she should tell Naomi what just happened. But she could not betray him. She told a half truth. “I saw him a little while ago. He was toweling off from his act and he was going to his tent alone.”

  Not by choice, she wanted to add. But her lips would not open. She did not want to look like a snitch...

  “Oh.” Naomi's shoulders unclenched and she managed a weak smile. “Shouldn't listen to gossips.”

  Kara dropped her gaze to her locked fingers. “Yeah.”

  Lyla had not said a word the whole time and Kara was grateful for her discretion.

  Naomi said slyly, “Speaking of gossip, do you know who is always looking at you, Kara?”

  She looked up and rolled her eyes. “No one looks at me.” She paused. “Who?”

  “One guy does. C'mon. It's so obvious.”

  Confounded, she shook her head. “Nobody is interested in me.” She added in her mind, Except for your boyfriend.

  “Let me give you a hint. His stage act involves scarves.”

  Kara laughed out loud. “He looks at me because he is my best friend and he worries about me all the time. He is convinced that a mark is going to catch me and hurt me. He was nearly right tonight.”

  “He looks at you because he likes you. I thought you knew and were too embarrassed to talk about it.”

  “I don't talk about it because there is nothing to talk about.”

  “Sure there is. Icky likes Kara!”

  She said, “Even if he did like me, which he doesn't, he is way too good for me. Way, way, too good. He's one of those honorable types that the bards sing about. I'm just a thief.”

  “He's not bad-looking either. Even though he's dark.”

  Kara snapped, “Why would that even matter?”

  “Well, you know.”

  “No, I don't know. Enlighten me.”

  Naomi's pale cheeks flushed. “Well, rumor has it he is from the kingdom of Libya, far to the south. Northerners don't mix with them.”

  “Why not?” Kara knew why not, but she wanted to hear Naomi's take.

  “They are not like us!” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “They are all cannibals and hoo-doo mages down there.”

  Kara was getting so angry it was hard to think. She said with forced calm, “That is so ignorant I don't know where to begin. Are you saying Icari, who I thought was your friend too, is some kind of dark hoo-doo mage and a cannibal?”

  “He might be. Do you think he's ever seen a human sacrifice ritual?”

  Kara's hands were beginning to shake. She took her three deep calming breaths and said, “He is my best friend. And if he wanted to date me or any other northern girl, the darkness of his skin should not matter.” She stood up, feeling as if the canvas walls were pressing her closer and closer to Naomi and her stupidity. She turned to Lyla. “Do you want to go to midnight grub with me?”

  Lyla nodded and rose with fluid grace. Kara swept out as Naomi was opening her fool mouth. She stomped through the milling carnies, occasionally glancing behind her shoulder to make sure Lyla had not wandered off.

  They got their stew and water and sat down before the bonfire. No rabbit floated in the greasy concoction, which made Lyla happy. She smiled dreamily at her food and took a sip. Her crazy hair and odd demeanor was already being ignored by the others. The carnies saw a lot of strange things on the road. Lyla was just another crazy girl...no stranger than most.

  Icari joined them after sharing a few jokes with the snake charmer, giving them both a big smile as he sat down.

  Kara was nervous all of a sudden. Was what Naomi said true? Or was she just creating fake drama to distract herself from her own problems?

  They ate quietly for a while after saying hello. Lyla finished her stew and said, “You want to free the unicorn's spirit.”

  Kara nearly spit out her stew. She swallowed it quickly and asked, “How did you know?”

  Lyla smiled. “You talk in your sleep.”

  “Oh.” Kara flushed. “Well, we do want to, but we have no idea how. Any thoughts?”

  Lyla said, “The only way to free such a spirit is if a powerful mage or fae summoned it. Otherwise it is trapped with the darkness.”

  Icari said glumly, “I thought it might be something like that.” He gave them a rueful grin. “Most of the strongest mages work for the King now. And I do not think there are any fae left. They disappeared long ago from my lands.”

  Kara snorted. “Fae are a myth. They never existed at all.”

  Lyla touched her shoulder and Kara looked at her. She made sure she had both their attention, then Lyla lifted her snarled hair just enough to show her ears.

  Kara gasped and whispered, “You have pointed ears. But how?”

  She dropped her mass of hair back down. “I have pointed ears because I am a fae.” She added sadly, “I did not realize my people had become a myth.”

  Icari's look of shock mirrored Kara's own. Lyla said quietly, “Do not speak to anyone of this. My people are often hunted and trapped by dark mages so they can use our gifts of magic for their own ends. You saw how that mage in the manor treated me.”

  They nodded in mutual agreement. A real fae? A thousand questions burned in Kara's mind as Lyla continued. “I can call the unicorn's spirit to me and hold her in the pendant I gave you. I think I am strong enough now. If we can avoid the darkness.”

  Kara touched the pendant, carefully hidden under her two shirts in an inner pocket. It was so beautiful, and she had meant to give it back to Lyla...

  But if sold, it would help to free her mother. She said, “Why do you need this specific pendant?”

  “It is made from a unicorn's horn, an alicorn. She will not fear to enter it.”

  “What happens after she goes into the pendant?”

  “We can carry the pendant to the unicorn's glade and drop it in her pool. I know the place well. It is not far from the manor. Centuries may have gone by, but her spirit knows that place. She will be at peace in her glade. The darkness will torment her no longer if she is there.”

  Kara traced the outline of the pendant through her shirt. She sighed, defeated. She pulled the necklace out with limp fingers and proffered it to Lyla. “It's yours anyway. Please help us free the unicorn.”

  Lyla took it and said softly, “My debt to you is still not paid. I own nothing but this.”

  “Don't worry about it. Just free that unicorn so that I don't have nightmares the rest of my life.”

  Icari said, “Let us leave at dawn tomorrow. I will bring the rest of the holy water. Shall we meet outside my tent?”

  They agreed, then Lyla inclined her head. “May I ask, by the calendars of men, what year is it?”

  Kara said, “The year of King Nikalas Hansun 2728.”

  Lyla blinked. “The year 2728?”

  Icari and Kara nodded. The look of horror that crossed Lyla's
face confounded Kara. Why did the year upset her so? She glanced at Icari and they shared a worried look. He said casually, “I bid you both a good night. I must get some sleep for tomorrow's adventures.”

  They walked back to their tent after saying goodnight to him. Lyla said nothing for the rest of the night, though Kara waited for her to speak until she fell asleep.