by Aimee Moore
“I did. Others from my world could have done this more justice, I’ve never been the creative sort. But the end result was achieved, you are pleased.”
“Well, I didn’t expect another world within a room.”
Karne placed my hand on his arm, taking me further into the strange world. “The unexpected is just one more joy of being in bond with a Nialae, Seraphine.”
I tried not to frown as he led me into a massive tree, through a curtain of star-shaped flowers. They let off tiny tinkles of sound as we moved them. The other side of the space was dimly lit by strange stalks coming out of the ground, emitting an orange glow. A beautiful symphony of notes chimed from them. Peaceful, unobtrusive, yet breathtaking; my heart beat faster with each sweep of the higher notes.
I stepped away from Karne in wonder, touching one finger to the tallest stalk. It was soft and a little wet, like a bruised flower petal. It glowed brighter for a moment at my touch, its note deepening. And then the melody of all the stalks changed to match the note.
“Magnificent,” I breathed.
“Lamystaim,” Karne said in a hushed voice. The notes were rising to a beautiful peak, the melody sweeping me to stillness in my urgency to hear more.
“There are people in my world who specialize in breeding these plants for the royal family. I have attended entire breeder’s concerts where the notes of this species of plant have moved me to weeping. But that is what it is to be on Niall, to know such beauty as to weep from it. This is paltry in comparison.”
I frowned at Karne as I rose.
“Come, I have procured a passable feast,” Karne said, putting his hand at my back.
I followed to a short table with no chairs, only pillows for lounging. The scents of food stirred my stomach to growling as we sat across from each other.
I ate in silence, for fear Karne would ruin this too by comparing it to his treasured Niall.
“You were out this morning,” Karne said.
I paused. “Yes, I needed fresh air,” I said at last.
“You need not fear for your life, Seraphine.”
I dropped the brittle, savory fried vegetable I was nibbling on. “What?”
“The knife in your food. I set a way to find our aggressor.”
“Oh,” I breathed. “And how did you manage that? You’ve forgotten the message about Tanebrael so soon?”
Karne’s eyes sparkled in the dim light. “Corinth bluffed about Tanebrael, I’m not worried. And I’ve employed a long-forgotten trick in finding our aggressor. I have managed alone time with each of the Nialae who were in meeting with us, casually mentioning a different meal as your favorite to each of them; and that I planned to surprise you with it tonight. If the lamb is tampered with, then I shall arrange to have Fenror murdered. If it is the soup, then Allowyn. And so on.”
I gave a soft nod, looking down at the artful arrangement on my plate. “How very clever you are. It’s a wonder you Nialae do not turn soft and frail with all your prowess being whispered behind closed doors instead of charged on to battlefields.”
“Make no mistake, Seraphine, Nialae have endured their fair share of battles, and I can certainly wield a sword as well as any Child of War.”
I flicked a hard glance at Karne before turning my attention back to my plate. “But prowess of the mind is keen, even in battle,” I said. “Did you learn such things from your vast library?”
Karne set down his fork and lifted a wine glass. “No. Thousands of years being what I am has made me this way.”
“I would like to see the books you have gained from Caelund, if possible,” I said.
“Of course. When we are done here in Elanthia then you shall be free to peruse them at your leisure.”
I frowned at Karne. “If you think to entice me to stay beyond the month we agreed upon then you’ll find yourself sorely mistaken. Take me to the library.”
Karne narrowed his gaze at me. “This interest is sudden.”
“Or perhaps your attention to detail is sudden.”
Karne scowled, swirling the navy liquid in his wine glass. “I cannot afford to lose time ferrying you across the world at your whims, Seraphine.”
“Yes, I know. I was rather hoping I could grab a few books at a time and hold them here as I studied them. Then perhaps return to trade them in a few days’ time. It is a pleasing compromise, is it not? I don’t know about Nialae, but for humans… Marriage consists of much compromise.”
Surprise flashed in his eyes at the word ‘marriage.’ “Very well, I’ll take you tomorrow, and you may gather what you wish.”
Stars above, just drop me in the library and leave me. I took a calming breath. “I’m bored and wish to go today. K’cine and I have become friends, and I was hoping to spend some time with her. She did promise to give me a lesson on the Southern dialect of my people, you know, as apparently we do not all speak common.”
Karne watched me for a time with a slight crease in his brow.
“And I find myself missing your obnoxious mansion,” I said with a forced smile.
“Such anxiousness,” Karne said in quiet stillness.
“Yes, the cure to this shard may be sitting in your library, waiting for me at this moment. Would you not be anxious to rid yourself of this?” I gestured to the bespoken malady in my shoulder.
Karne rose. “Come here, then.”
I obeyed, my heart pounding with excitement. Karne placed his hands on my hips, staring down at me. “I would do much for you, Seraphine,” he said.
I forced myself to calmness, sharing a small smile. “Thank you,” I said, placing my hands on his chest. I waited for him to take us there. But as time ticked on and we looked into each other’s eyes, I began tense against the shifting of the moment.
“My people are predictable in their duplicity,” Karne murmured. “Always a motive, always a well-plotted move. You, Sera, are a pure splash into this stagnant pool of Nialae treachery.”
I frowned. He couldn’t possibly think me too pure to betray him. And yet, he was looking at me as if he did. “There was nothing pure about the splash of Jamet’s blood, Karne. You overlook my wrongs.”
There was a heavy pause. “Tell me. Did you find this place pleasing?” Karne asked.
I let a tiny breath of frustration out of my nose. “Yes,” I said, “it’s beautiful here. Thank you for going to such great pains for me. I shall not forget this.”
“One day you will, because this will pale in comparison to your new reality.”
He was right; one day I would forget this. But not for the reasons either of us thought. I smiled up at Karne. And for just a moment, he looked at me as Dal does. Truly looked, with a soft smile, warmth and caring in eyes that only held malice in the past.
And then the world sucked out from beneath me.
The library was bright compared to the dim inside of Karne’s mock Niall. The smells of flowers and moss were gone, replaced by parchment and dust and old wood. K’cine and Zraine, heads bowed over a book, looked up as we arrived. Growl was nowhere to be seen as I stepped away from Karne.
“Finally, some company,” K’cine said. “Zraine was suggesting we attempt to make some of the things in this book and honestly I’ve never been more grossed out in my life. I mean, I have nothing against tea, but have you seen what this ginger stuff looks like?”
K’cine held the book up to us, the pages beautifully illustrated with a drawing of whatever ginger was. I laughed at the ugly lump on the page.
“Nice disguise by the way,” K’cine said, putting the book back down.
“Well I have grown bored of Nialae fare,” Zraine said. “What is the benefit of seeing another world if one cannot live through the culinary joys of culture? And Seraphine, my sweet, you are a sight to behold; how splendid the blond is upon you.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“The Elanthian books,” Karne said. “Where are they?”
K’cine pointed backward. “Growl is moving a shelf for t
hem.” Karne nodded.
I walked over to K’cine. “I am sorry to have left you alone with Zraine and the ginger root,” I said, giving her a radiant smile.
K’cine cast me a confused look for a moment, black eyes searching my own.
I placed my hand on hers. “It has been too long.”
I’ll need an explanation, came K’cine’s voice in my head.
I gave a soft nod.
“You’re telling me it’s been too long,” K’cine said. Then she leaned in close, “Zraine has been in a state since his people’s marriage season just begun and he’s—"
Zraine threw his head back. “Do not say it, I cannot bear the thought,” he said.
I laughed. “Do you have those books on the Southern dialect? I think it would be useful for me to learn, I wish to travel there one day.”
Okay, now you’re pushing it. How much do I have to play along with here?
I wish you could hear my thoughts, I thought in exasperation.
I can.
Oh thank the stars. Work with me, please. I need Karne to leave so I can get away.
He’ll kill me.
Don’t worry, I’m taking the fall for all of this.
All of this transpired within a second, so fast was our thought conversation.
“I think I left it in the other desk in the back,” K’cine said. “Sometimes a girl just needs a breath of fresh air by the windows. Especially surrounded by these two.”
“Let’s get it,” I said.
“Sure, leave me to find our next culinary adventure alone,” Zraine pouted in his thick accent.
I followed K’cine to the back, passing Growl. He was arranging an empty shelf next to a pile of books, some of which were leaning against the forgotten weapon rack from one of Karne’s earlier quests for knowledge. Growl watched me as I limped past, gaze touching on my ivory hair and faun-colored eyes. K’cine and I made a show of looking for a book written in the Southern language. “Not sure which one you want,” she said, looking through a few of them. “There’s actually twelve different languages down there. Your species breeds like bugs in the warmer climates.”
“Stars’ light, twelve?” I said.
“Oh yeah.”
I groaned. “Which of them am I to pick?”
“Well, we’ll have a time of that, won’t we. I think it’s logical to determine which parts of the Southern continents are most populous, then, if you want the biggest advantage, I suggest learning the language known by most in those populous areas. For example, your common is only common to you, otherwise it’s the midland dialect to everyone else, as the arctic tribes further north of here haven’t yet been converted to midland lifestyle.”
“Yes, I noticed that in the water temple Karne took me to.”
“Right. Midland dialect is kind of the business language of midlanders, some even adapting a bilingualism to trade. I imagine there’s a Southern language that serves a similar purpose bridging the lingual barrier between cultures.”
“Sera,” Karne said behind us.
I startled, turning to him.
“I’ll return when the sun begins to set,” he said. “It will have already set in Elanthia by the time I arrive, such is the distance between these two places, so we will be expected at dinner. I trust you’ll have gathered everything you need by then,” Karne said.
I smiled. “Yes, I will, thank you.”
Karne gave me a nod, and then he was gone. My time was ticking now. Since Yasmil was no longer in Karne’s employ, she hadn’t known where to look for him, but my luck would soon run out.
“Alright, what’s it all about,” K’cine whispered.
I let off a long breath. “K’cine, thank you for helping me.” I fidgeted with my necklace. “One of the queen’s handmaidens will bring my mate here shortly to help me find a book explaining the core keys. It’ll enable me to access the Helegnaur.”
“Finally; Karne has been after that blasted thing for months,” K’cine said.
I let off a sigh. “I’m in over my head,” I whispered. “I don’t trust any of these Nialae with it.”
“Trust nothing if not their ambition, I say.”
Zraine began making an awful ruckus in the front of the library, and I shoved past Growl, who was approaching, to race forward.
There he was. The man whose face I’d longed to see every day since I’d been forced into this gilded prison. Standing there in the library entryway, watching me.
“You made it,” I breathed.
“You doubted,” Dal said with a smile.
I laughed, descending the stairs and wrapping my arms around his neck for a kiss. “Never,” I whispered.
An earsplitting roar pieced the air behind me. I turned, jumping back just in time to avoid being caught in the chaos that ignited. Growl flew down the stairs at Dal, wielding one of the forgotten swords with a snarl.
Dal unsheathed his own sword in one deft move, striking it to the side as the other Kraw reached him. Growl was rebuffed with a loud clang of steel. He roared and swung again only to be deflected with ease once more. They circled each other as I crested the stairs to stand near K’cine and Zraine.
“Intruder,” Growl said to Dal. “You have come to take what is ours.”
“All that is mine is there behind you, and she chooses me of her own free will,” Dal said. “Let me pass peacefully so I may continue my errand.”
Growl spoke in Kraw then. “There can be no peace from intruders. Especially intruders who claim ownership of the Warlord. A challenge: the rite of command. Do you refuse?”
“No rite of command is needed,” I growled in Kraw. “I have named my second.”
“The challenge has been made,” Growl said to Dal. “Would you dishonor your Warlord by refusing like a coward?”
Dal laughed. “Coward? Come then, know my cowardice.” Then he dragged his blade across the palm of his sword hand. Crimson burst around the razor edge as he returned the sword to the proper hand.
Growl tensed at the insult, pulling his lips back in a snarl that showed long canines.
“What,” K’cine said, “is happening?”
“Kraw politics,” I said. “Dal has spilled his own blood, both to give Growl the advantage so that Growl’s loss will be more dishonorable, and to say Growl cannot spill blood himself.”
“They are going to tear each apart,” Zraine breathed. Then he rounded on me. “Do something!”
I stood tall, raising my chin to Zraine. Patroma settled around me, looking down her nose at everyone, smiling with superiority. “This is the Kraw way. Interfere at your own peril,” I said. Then I turned away from Zraine’s pale look of shock to watch.
Growl roared and rushed at Dal, who gave his sword a deft spin and charged. Dal disarmed his opponent in a matter of moments, Growl’s sword scraping across the marble tile as Dal elbowed him in the mouth. Growl’s spectacles clattered to the tile next to splats of blood.
Dal sheathed his sword in one swift movement and punched Growl in the face, knocking his head back with such force that my own neck hurt to witness it.
K’cine hopped with terror, covering her mouth. “Stars almighty, he’s going to kill him!”
“He’s being gentle,” I said.
“Make them stop!” She yelled at me.
Zraine turned to me with a snarl. “Growl was your friend. What kind of woman lets a friend be destroyed like this?”
“Stop them or I will,” K’cine said to me.
“Growl wants this,” I said in a low voice.
More wet meat noises filled the space as Dal drove the point home with brutal punches. Finally, he lifted Growl by the shirt. Growl, bloodied, his hair wild and half untied, eye swollen shut, was limp as he watched.
“Your challenge is met,” Dal said in a deadly voice. And then he dropped Growl with a heavy thump and walked away.
I descended the stairs to meet Dal on the blood-slicked floor. K’cine and Zraine rushed past me to give pity to the
ir friend.
“He won’t want your help,” I said to them. They ignored me, crouching by their injured peer. Growl shoved them away with a snarl as he sat up.
K’cine turned to me. “I never should have helped you.”
I frowned at her, then looked up at Dal. “Your hand,” I said.
Dal uncurled his fist, displaying the slice he’d made in the palm of his sword hand. It was the only injury he bore, one that he gave himself, and it was already closed.
I nodded. “You gave him a great gift this day.”
“Are you mad?” Zraine shrieked at me from next to Growl. “He nearly killed him!”
I frowned at Zraine. “Stand back and give him his dignity.”
Growl, sucking in another wet breath, stood, wiping the sleeve of his once dignified jacket across his face. Already his wounds were closing. Growl took his time, walking with ginger care over to Dal. His face was puffed up and half of it was purple.
He nodded to Dal. “Thank you,” he said in Kraw.
Dal nodded back, then spoke in common. “You have displayed courage enough to challenge the Eyes and Ears of the Warlord. For that is what I am. Strength, brother.”
Growl stood as tall as he could. “Strength. To Dragonfly Song Clan.”
I gave a grave nod to Growl.
He put a hand on Dal’s shoulder, sucking in another ragged breath, and said, “I would know if your clan has room for another.”
K’cine, mouth still ajar, blinked and shook her head as if to clear it. “I can’t find a word in thirty-seven languages for this insanity.”
Dal nodded at Growl. “We will consider our options at a later time.” Then Dal turned to me. “The books.”
“Where did you put the books Karne brought from Elanthia?” I asked Growl. “I’m looking for one in particular.”
“Come,” Growl said, stalking before us.
“Growl, will you not recover your injuries?” Zraine said, aghast.
“Do not insult him,” I said to Zraine as we swept past.
Growl stood a little taller as he walked.
The shelves in the back were as Growl left them moments ago. The books were piled haphazardly next to the shelving, awaiting their sorting.
I glanced at Dal. “Do you remember the title?” I said on a breath as we knelt to search.