A Time of Darkness (The Circle of Talia) (21 page)

Gabrielle stood and checked her reflection. “Thank you
, Sarah. I guess it’s time to pretend I don’t want to jump off the battlements. I hate having to set a good example all the time. Hmm, maybe tonight you could bring copious amounts of gozzleberry wine to my room. Two bottles should be enough.”

“My lady!”

“Oh don’t sound so shocked. You can stay and drink with me if you like. I could so do with some company.” Gabrielle didn’t wait for an answer, since it was more of an order. She shrugged off any outward sign of sadness and marched towards the kitchens. Hopefully Hermas would have some good news for a change.

Gabrielle didn’t notice as the kitchen staff curtseyed, her eyes on Hermas. The old man sat upon a chair eating warm
, buttered bread, strands of wispy, white hair floating whimsically above his scalp. Upon seeing the queen, he grinned and stood, stiffly executing as much of a bow as his arthritic body allowed. He took her hand and kissed it.

A smile slipped through the queen’s sorrow. “So nice to see you, Hermas. I’ve just risen and wouldn’t mind a walk in the garden. Would you like to join me?”

“Oh, thank you, Your Majesty. I like walking.”

Gabrielle turned to Sarah,
saying, “Please, arrange to have those extra rooms made up. We have the realmist, Astra, arriving in the next few days, not to mention King Fernis of Brenland, Queen Alaine from Wyrdon, and Elphus, the other member of The Circle. Things are going to get very busy around here.”

“Of course, Your M
ajesty.” Sarah curtseyed and hurried to work while Gabrielle and Hermas strolled to the garden.

Hermas led them to a formal garden
about a five-minute walk from the castle. There they sat on a stone bench amongst the birdsong and surveyed the low-cut hedges and gravel walks that threaded a geometric path through emerald-green shrubs. The morning sun warmed their backs, and they could see clearly in every direction: no one would be able to eavesdrop.

“So, my queen, I think we can talk.” Hermas cast quick glances in every direction.

Gabrielle placed a hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Hermas. We won’t be bothered here, unless the trees or birds are spies.”

Her laugh made him smile.

“You never know, these days. Ah, what strange times we’re coming to, and dangerous ones. I’m sorry to hear about Verity.” His eyes glistened, and Gabrielle clasped his wrinkled hand between her smooth palms.

“I know. I’m only just managing. There are days
—in fact, every daythat I don’t want to get out of bed, although when I am awake all I want to do is kill that evil, egotistical, lying bastard.” She clenched her teeth, murder in her eyes.

“If there’s any justice in the world, he’ll get his; you’ll see.”

“Unfortunately we both know the world doesn’t always work like that, my dear friend. Anyway, I assume you didn’t just come here to offer your condolences.”

“How perceptive.” He smiled. “I have received a message that Astra, the realmist Agmunsten promised you, will be here sooner
than we thought. King Valdorryn wants to help as much as he can and has sent Warrimonious to fetch her. They may arrive as early as tomorrow.”

“Well, that’s a relief. Since Edmund left, the burden has been much harder to carry
. War is such an unsavory thing.”

Hermas laughed heartily. “You have such a way with understatement
, my queen.” He paused and looked at Gabrielle. “There is something you’re not telling me. Care to share?”

“Do you remember Boy, Leon’s lackey?” Hermas nodded
, and she continued. “He’s taken Verity’s disappearance almost as hard as I. He decided to take matters into his own hands and ran away yesterday, after everyone left. Agmunsten assured me they would find him and keep him safe, but it’s just another child I have to worry about.”

She stared at her hands, which still held the old man’s.

“If I hear anything, I’ll let you know. At least tomorrow you’ll have your own, personal communications expert on hand.”

“That’s right. I’ll feel much better when Astra arrives. Well, if there’s nothing more you have to tell me, I’d best get back. The young woman from Inkra, Karin, is homesick
, and I know my company makes her feel better, plus I like her, and I could do with a distraction right now. She knows how to play scorpa. Would you believe they have that card game in Inkra too?”

“Let’s hope empathy is something else our races have in common.”

Gabrielle gave him a wan smile as they stood. Walking back to the castle, she tried to appreciate the sun on her face, but it wasn’t easy.

***

Gabrielle and Karin spent the day playing cards and sketching—the Inkran was more than proficient at drawing still life and portraits, a pastime the queen also enjoyed. Conversation was limited, although Karin was picking up Veresian quicker than the queen expected. After dinner, when they retired to the queen’s private sitting room, Sarah joined them and brought the wine they had spoken of that morning.

Leaning back into her silk-covered armchair, Gabrielle sipped red wi
ne out of a crystal goblet. The wine heated her tongue with its spice and she swallowed, savoring the warmth. The room was quiet, save for the low trilling of the crickets—the fire remained unlit in the unusually warm night. Gabrielle spoke, her words as smooth as the wine. “So, Karin, tell us more about your home. Did you live with your parents?”

“Mama and
Papa?”

“Yes.”

Karin hesitated, attempting to formulate her answer. Her speech was slow and her accent clipped, but they understood her words. “I lived with Mama. My father was not with us. Now he is dead.”

She bowed her head, hiding any emotion, as was the Inkran way.

“I’m sorry, Karin,” said Sarah. “Do you have any sisters or brothers?”

Head down, she answered
, “One brother. He is smaller, but taller.”

“Oh, you mean younger. How old are you, if I may ask?” the queen ventured. Karin’s almond-shaped brown eyes met the queen’s and were no less captivating for the resignation
clouding them.

“I am
twenty-winters old.”

“Oh, you look so much younger. I thought you might be sixteen,” said Sarah, who reached down and scooped a handful of sweet, dried frocus berries from the plate next to the wine bottle.
“Have you tried these? They’re good.”

The queen’s maid did her best to lighten the mood, but it seemed a night for
suffering suffocating emotions, facing what one would rather walk away from, and secrets.

Gabrielle stared at Karin, wondering why the girl, of all people, had ended up here. She wanted to get to the heart of who this girl was. Karin, so unreadable, her Inkran heritage
the master of all teachers in that respect, but the queen still sensed there was something important yet to discover. And she planned to unearth it tonight. Gabrielle opened her mouth to speak, but a chaotic flapping at the window startled her. She turned to see a blue feather floating to the ground—the same sky blue as the family crest. A harvel perched on the thick stone sill, black eyes staring out of a midnight-blue face. The predator’s curved beak preened at the lighter breast feathers, dislodging another one.

Karin rose
calmly and padded to the window, careful not to startle the visitor. She cooed an impressive imitation of the bird’s tongue. Fixing its gaze on her, it tilted its head to one side, listening. When Karin fell silent, the bird nodded once then flew away. Gabrielle and Sarah looked at each other and back at Karin.

The queen stood and joined the Inkran at the window. “Karin, what just happened? Who are you?”

The girl’s eyes met the queen’s. Without flinching, and with the calm air of royalty, she answered, “My father is King Suklar. I am second in line to the Inkran throne. Ashander is my pet. I talk to her. She will let my mother know I am all right.”

Gabrielle was too stunned to hide her shock. She returned to her chair. “Sarah, be a dear and pour me another drink
, please. And just when I thought my day couldn’t get any worse. Please come here, Karin. We have much to discuss.”

“Yes
, Your Highness.”

Gabrielle gulped
down her wine. Why the honorific? What was she trying to say? Did she have the girl’s support? It was a long night. Gabrielle sent Sarah to bed some time before dawn while she spent the night learning about Karin, her country, and family. As they rose to seek their beds, a rap on the door interrupted them.

“Yes?”

The muffled voice on the other side of the door answered, “It’s your guard, Philip, my lady. I’ve come to let you know a dragon and a realmist await you downstairs.”

Before Gabrielle opened the door
, she turned to Karin. “You do know I can’t possibly let you go now. Our countries are at war. I will have to post two guards to accompany you for the duration of your stay until my husband says otherwise. I wouldn’t let the truth of who you are get out either; there are, unfortunately, some Varesians who would sooner kill you than see you returned to your homeland. Now go and get some sleep. I’m afraid I’ve kept you up all night.”

Karin curtseyed, her face unreadable. “Yes
, Your Majesty. I understand.”

Gabrielle let the girl out and gave instructions to her guards. After
attempting to fix her hair, which she was not used to doing, she hurried to meet the new arrivals. Even with strands of dark tendrils escaping her braid and the shadowed ridges under her eyes, no one could mistake her for anyone but the queen as she strode into the king’s reception rooms with the elegance and straight-backed assuredness she had practiced since childhood. Gabrielle hoped the new arrivals could be trusted because she needed their help.

Suffering the continual torture of not knowing if her child was alive or dead, revenge was her primary motive, but Gabrielle also had a plan. Talia needed to go to the final war united. What the queen proposed might be their only hope. Putting on her friendliest smile
, she appeared in front of Warrimonious, the imposing, gray dragon; and Astra, the diminutive realmist from across the ocean. Astra wore a loose-fitting purple dress and her chocolate-brown hair fell in tight ringlets to her shoulders—violet, cat-like eyes watched Gabrielle with a serene stare. The queen almost felt naked in front of the woman’s knowing gaze.

“Welcome to Bayerlon. I’m so glad you’re both here.”

The dragon bowed his massive head, and Astra dipped a curtsey. Warrimonious spoke; his deep, confident voice wrapped Gabrielle in security—she definitely felt safer now than she had in a long while. “It is our pleasure, Your Majesty. I will be staying until my wife returns. Have you heard any news?”

The queen hesitated and
realized he must mean Arcese. “Oh, she’s your wife? Congratulations; she’s an extraordinary dragon.”

Gabrielle felt strange
, as she wasn’t used to having polite conversation with dragon captains, or dragons in general, come to think of it.

Warrimonious smiled
—a sight Gabrielle was trying to get used to. “Have you heard anything?”

“No, I’m sorry. They only left yesterday
, so they wouldn’t have reached Klendar yet. Don’t worry. Zim and Agmunsten are quite capable of looking after her, and to be honest, she seems able to look after herself.”

“I wouldn’t normally worry about her, but….”

“But what, Sir Dragon?”

“My beloved wife is with child.”

“Oh, congratulations again, it seems. Have you tried contacting her?”

“I’m unable. Normally we can speak mind-to-mind, but it’s like shouting over such a long distance
, and anyone else with the ability would be able to hear us. It is imperative that her mission not be compromised. The enemy mustn’t know we are coming.”

“I understand. Why don’t we discuss this later
?” Gabrielle now stood close to the dragon, and she placed a soft palm on his thigh, patting it in a calming gesture. “You must both be hungry, and I have so many questions to ask Astra—I want to hear all about where you come from.”

“The Academy?” the woman asked, purposefully being obtuse.

Gabrielle smiled and pretended her question had not been fended off. She enjoyed being direct, and if others were reluctant to follow her lead, she would wrangle them to her way with stubbornness renown throughout Bayerlon. “No, Astra. I would like you to tell me about Zamahl.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.” Astra inclined her head and Gabrielle noticed the twitch of a smile on her lips.

“Please follow me to the dining hall.” Gabrielle walked with purpose. Her husband was away doing what he could for Talia; now it was her turn.

Zim landed with a thud
, any grace forgotten in his urgency. He spoke into Arcese’s mind. “Sister of mine! Put up a fire shield. I shall melt the glass. Arie’s shield will not hold much longer.”

“Zimapholous!”
She resisted the desire to embrace her brother. Her joyful exclamation was all she allowed herself before dredging what power she could hold from the Second Realm and creating a protective bubble inside Arie’s. As she tied the power off, hairline cracks slithered haphazardly over the original shield, and just before it shattered into the ether, Zim breathed scalding flame. The attacking shards melted and fell to the floor—glowing, red slag pooling on the stone.