Month: May 2021

When I was a child, messengers had arrived at my father’s palace gasping out desperate news of Dalyn’s fall. It was shocking, entirely unexpected, but at least reasonably explainable by ordinary things like armies. The messengers who had arrived later, bearing news of Shyr Valla, had been white faced, shifting on their feet with the impossibility of their news. The jewel of the Magron Mountains was just…gone. All her people and the armies arrayed at her feet vanished into thin air. No bodies. No camps. No giant hole in the ground or volcanic eruption. The entire ruling family, including crown princess A’rora Wynn, were inside the city at the time. Trinh Kegan and eight of his knights were at the edge of the valley and turned up six years later, no time at all having passed for them.

“She’s alive?” I demanded, “Is she like you?” I looked at the twins, then Eliah, who were among the time-passed knights.

“No,” said Rakov, grimly.

“She’s incorporeal,” said Quill.

“A ghost?”

“Not exactly.”

“Not exactly?”

“I suppose we really have only her word that she isn’t a proper ghost,” put in Eliah.

“That,” added Rae’d, “and the fact that we all saw her, and some of us have no Sight to speak of. Ghosts can’t just make you see them like that.”

Eliah huffed, “Can. Can’t. How much do we really know about ghosts?”

Quill raised a hand in a gesture of peace, “She appeared to us last time we were working near the Empire and told us that the entire city and the lost army are on the ethereal plane and have been this entire time. She has been trying to break through between the planes—and is apparently finally strong enough to do so.”

I stared at Quill. I knew very little about the planes that made up Serrifis. I knew only what was taught broadly, partly due to my focus on physical pursuits and partly due to the wars that cut short my formal education. There were several planes of existence, according to thinkers. The material world was ours, then there was the ether, which belonged to sprites and pixies and anything else that Seers saw drifting through walls, then there were heaven and hell. I remembered being told you had to pass through the ether to reach either heaven, or hell, and ghosts were people who got lost on the way. An old memory surfaced, and I bit my lip as I began to wonder.

Eliah and Quill both perked up. “You know something,” said Eliah.

“Not really,” I said slowly, “But I think I encountered her, or someone else from Shyr Valla. I didn’t understand at the time. Ayglos did, too. It’s how we realized we had some human giftings after all.”

“What happened?” prompted Quill.

“Back in Dalyn, before Tarr died…remember when the ambassador drugged me?”

He nodded, his mouth thinning to a grim line.

“Someone woke me up before the drug wore off. Slapped me and yelled until I woke up…I never saw her. I can’t even swear I heard her properly. Tarr said there were so many ghosts in Dalyn it could’ve been anyone,” I shook my head, “But Ayglos saw her. When he was pursued by the Huntsmen a golden woman was keeping watch for him, warning him when they got close…I don’t know if he would’ve made it without her help. He always thought it was Lady Tirien.”

“A’rora does look a bit golden these days,” said Rakov. “She had red hair, before.”

“It could’ve been her. We didn’t exactly have time for a long chat about her activities the past six years before she faded again,” said Quill. “But that’s why we’ve been tasked with research. To learn everything we can about the ether, and the magics that could push a city into it. And maybe pull it back out again.”

*

When the others left, I flopped back on the pillows and stared at the ceiling while Quill locked the door again. “You know,” I said, “You promised me private hot baths and a lot of money on this job.”

“So I did.”

“Your room is much nicer than mine,” I felt the bed shift as he came to lay down beside me again. “I’ve been waiting on someone else this entire time.”

“You got some hot bathes, didn’t you?” he said, snuggling close and planting a soft kiss on my temple.

“Yes, but I’m a princess and require lots—” my words cut off as Quill kissed the sensitive spot under my ear and I forgot language.

“You do require lots,” agreed Quill, amiably.

“What happens now?” I managed.

“Right now? Whatever you want.”

My entire body tingled, but I said, “Longer term.”

Quill propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at me, his expression serious. “If King Keleman gives us access to his library, I’ll be staying here to research for the next few months. After that, returning to the farm with whatever we find. What about you?”

Reaching up, I traced the neckline of his shirt with my fingertips.  “We were headed to Cartahayna when you found us.”

He nodded. “A visit home, or do you have another job lined up?”

“Just circling back. As we do.” I chewed my lip. “Finding a way to bring Shyr Valla back could change everything.”

He nodded again.

“Absolutely everything.”

“I’m aware of the significance.”

Staring at the stitching of Quill’s shirt, I struggled to sort through the idea that A’rora Wynn and the armies of Dalyn and Shyr Valla were in the ethereal plane. In theory, that meant that Seers would be able to see them. Which…air whooshed out of me in a soft gasp. “That’s why she killed all the Seers she could find.”

“That was our conclusion.”

“I need to tell Ayglos about this. And Namal needs to know.”

“Will he believe it?” asked Quill.

“I think so. Namal needs evidence, and likes logic, but consequently he can be persuaded. You have a lot of witnesses.”

“Yes, but these witnesses are all sworn to a man he hasn’t spoken to in years.”

Shaking my head, I said, “I don’t think he’d hold that against you under these circumstances. Such a bizarre thing to lie about.”

“So, you’re going to Cartahayna, then?” Quill’s voice was neutral, carefully so.

I looked up at his face, poignantly aware again that we were laying in his rooms, on his bed, in his clothes…That he loved me, and I loved him. That I could ride away with my brother this afternoon and not see him for months and months, and when we met again, I could leap into his arms and kiss him like I’d always wished I could.

But that didn’t mean I wanted to leave.

Besides which, if the Lost City of Shyr Valla really was in the ethereal plane, bringing it back would be a tremendous blow to the Empress who had taken so much from us. It was a blow I wanted to be a part of. I thought it wasn’t a stretch to assume my kingly brother would feel the same. Tracing the line of Quill’s lips with my fingers, I said, “Ask me to stay.”

A smile curled across his face and he bent close, whispering against my mouth, “Stay.”

The End

Zare Caspian will return.

*

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There was a knocking sound at the door. Quill bolted upright, I came fully awake as I tumbled off his chest and caught myself before landing face first in the pillows. The knock came again, a little pattern that sounded familiar to me.

“Fornern’s fists,” muttered Quill. He rubbed his hand across his face. “It’s probably Rakov.”

Sunlight was streaming in through a gap in the curtains. I wasn’t sure which way Quill’s rooms faced offhand and had no idea what time it was. Apparently, we’d slept quite hard and quite well. I realized with a jolt that Shiharr and Azzad were on the trunk at the foot of the bed with my other knives. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept without a knife under my pillow.

Quill turned to me, “If I don’t answer he’ll probably pick the lock to see if I’m dead or if he should look elsewhere.”

“I would do the same,” I conceded, sitting up and stretching. I made no move to get out of the bed as he threw back the covers and stood up.

Pausing on his way to the door, Quill asked, “Are you ready for them to know?”

The knocking pattern rapped out more insistently. Then the door handle rattled.

“No time like the present,” I said, fluffing my hair, which was almost certainly a colossal mess.

The look Quill gave me was as good as a kiss, then he opened the door, revealing Rakov on his knees with lock-picking tools in his hands.  Eliah and Rakov’s twin, Rae’d, were standing behind him.

Rakov stood and pocketed the tools. “Finally.” His eyes skipped over Quill’s bed clothes. “Were you…sleeping?” he sounded surprised. How late was it?

“I was,” said Quill, “May as well come in.” He stepped aside and motioned for them to enter.

Eliah noticed me first and a huge grin spread across her face. I felt heat spread across my cheeks and I quirked a smile at her.

Rakov and Rae’d both froze when they saw me. Pushing past them, Eliah walked right in and plunked on the bed, pushing me so there was room for her against the pillows. “At last. And it’s so much more efficient to have you both in one place.”

Rae’d recovered before Rakov, and walked over to the desk, pulling out the chair and facing it into the room before sitting. “It’s good to see you again, your Highness.”

“Your pretty lies please me,” I replied, drawing my legs up and folding them as Eliah reached across me to steal pillows from Quill’s side of the bed. Fornern’s fists, one night and I’d claimed half his bed as mine.

“They aren’t lies from me,” Rae’d smiled, “If Rakov said it, it might be a lie.”

This shook Rakov to action, and he crossed the room to glare more effectively at his brother. “That is not true. I was merely surprised to find you in our good Captain’s rooms.”

“Because you’re not very observant, Rakov,” said Eliah, brightly.

“I’m observant,” growled Rakov. “That doesn’t mean I expected her here.”

Rae’d folded his arms. “Quill is one of the best men I know. If I trusted anyone to sleep with a foreign princess, it would be him.”

“Am I a foreign princess anymore if we’re all exiles?” I asked.

Quill locked the door and returned to sit on the end of the bed. He gave me a longsuffering look, then addressed the others, “What news of the hunt for Lucius Tene?”

“Gone as if he never existed,” announced Eliah.

“Not even the hounds found any trace.” Rakov sounded grim.

I blew out a breath. “That is most impressive.”

Rakov continued, “Belledi Valredes left this morning, quite openly and leisurely, with one of the Angari lords. The guards apparently also caught someone else who tried to break into the palace and others who defaced a wall with some obscene objections to the treaty…so they had a very busy night.”

Eliah took up the narrative, “The Imperial Ambassador has already spent some time groveling to both Kings and distancing himself from Tene. I’m told he seems quite genuinely horrified.”

“That’s quite a lot that’s happened already today, what time is it?” I asked.

“Nearly noon,” answered Eliah.

Had I ever slept till noon without being wounded? “Fornern’s fists.” I had an instinctive flinch that the leanyodi would be looking for me. Except they all knew I wasn’t really one of them, and probably deduced that I’d stop showing up after the wedding.

“I need to clean up, then,” said Quill, sounding just as surprised that we’d slept so late, “and seek an audience with King Keleman. Rakov, have you been to King Balint?”

“Not yet,” Rakov folded his arms, looking strikingly like Rae’d, beside him. “I was going to approach him after his lunch meetings.”

I bit my lip to keep from commenting. Quill looked at me as if I had said something. I spread my hands, “Alright, I’ll ask. Is there something special about these audiences?”

No one spoke for a long moment. The members of the Breaker’s team looked at one another.

Then Eliah said, “Well, I’ll say the words on Quill’s face: I think we should tell her, because she may know something that can help.”

Rakov sighed. “There it is.”

“We haven’t shared intelligence with the Galhirim in years,” Quill pointed out.

Everyone was looking to Rakov, now. I got the impression that while this mission had been Quill’s, Rakov still held a higher rank in overall company.

“Should I leave so you can discuss?” I asked dryly, starting to push back the covers so I could climb off the bed. I knew it was a serious issue for them, and I knew I was touchy about Trinh Kegan.

Eliah slapped her hand down on my knee so forcefully I jumped. “Stay.”

“Ouch,” I glared at Eliah. She was unaffected, patting my knee with affection.

“If we tell her,” said Rakov measuredly, “She will tell her brother. I will have to tell Trinh that we made the decision to bring the Galhirim into this.”

“Which brother are you worried about, the Fox or the King?” I asked, “Because the Fox will find out soon, but you have at least a few weeks before the King finds out. And at this point, they are all going to find out you’re acting cagey as demons.”

“Trinh did say he’d do whatever was necessary,” said Quill, his eyes on Rakov. “It’s not as if we’re telling an enemy, or even someone whose interests aren’t aligned.”

Rakov looked at Rae’d, who inclined his head. “Quill’s right, he did say that. And sharing intelligence with the Galhirim doesn’t mean he and Namal have to speak ever again.”

“Alright,” Rakov spread his hands. “Alright. Tell her.”

Now all eyes shifted to me as Quill said, “As I told you in Wimshell, the King of Angareth now owes me a favor. But…we’re here to gain access to the King’s libraries.”

“His libraries? Why?”

“Because we are trying to find any and all writings about demon magic…and the ether.”

I stared at him, struggling—visibly, I’m sure—to not jump to uncharitable conclusions. “What in Serrifis does Trinh Kegan want with demon magic?”

Quill rubbed his hand across his face, “This is going to sound really crazy.”

“Try me,” I said archly.

“We’ve seen A’rora Wynn.”

*

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