Authors: Kathleen O'Neal Gear

It Sleeps in Me (19 page)

BOOK: It Sleeps in Me

2.62Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

ads

FAR EYE STOOD OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE TO THE MATRON’S House. When he saw the three of them step out, he searched Sora’s eyes, and a small, satisfied smile curled his lips. Flint must know she had used his plan.

“Nephew,” Wink said. “Please accompany us. We’re going to the Chieftess’ House.”

“Yes, Aunt.”

Wink led the way, marching down the mound stairs with determination. As they crossed the plaza, people watched them curiously. Everyone knew about the meeting, and longed to hear what had happened. Before they had finished climbing the steps up the front of Sora’s mound, several of the Oak Leaf warriors who’d been in the chamber had hurried into the plaza. Hushed, incredulous voices rose as people scurried from place to place, carrying the news that their chieftess had offered her own life to Water Hickory Clan to compensate them for the loss of Skinner. Given the circumstances that she did not even recall what had happened, they would see it as either a supremely heroic act or utter stupidity.

“Stand guard at the entrance,” Wink told Far Eye when they
stood below the huge carving of Black Falcon that glared down at them from near the roof peak.

“Of course.” Far Eye took up his position to the left of the entry.

Wink ducked through first, followed by Sora; then Rockfish entered and led the way into the temple. The Eternal Fire blazed, filling the chamber with the fragrance of burning cypress. The sacred masks that lined the walls watched them with dark empty eye sockets and gaping mouths.

Wink swung around and growled, “Sora, have you lost your wits? What did you think you were doing!”

Sora calmly seated herself and gestured for Wink to sit beside her, which she did, but not without looking reluctant. “There’s something I need to discuss with you.” She looked up at Rockfish. “With both of you.”

Rockfish anxiously paced in front of the fire. “I don’t understand, Sora. After what we said last night, how could you—”

“I did it
because
of what we said last night.”

Rockfish stopped pacing. “What do you mean?”

“I have to know what’s going on. Don’t you see? If Sea Grass accepts my offer, she has to give me twenty-eight days. You said it yourself. If this is about the jade, Sea Grass can’t wait that long. She’ll have to act quickly to get rid of me, and I—”

“What do you mean ‘I’ said it?” His brow furrowed.

“When we were discussing the jade,” she said in surprise. “You said when your people learned that Shadow Rock Clan had backed out of the war party they would immediately try to make alliances with Water Hickory Clan and Blue Bow. When they do, we’ll hear of it, and then we’ll really know what’s going on and we can—”

“Sora,” he said a little breathlessly, “what makes you think she didn’t settle this matter with Blue Bow long ago? She may have gathered enough warriors from distant Water Hickory villages to be the
only
ally he needs.”

“But I—I thought—”

“Blessed gods,” he said through a taut exhalation, “that was just one possibility. I never intended for you to take it as fact!”

She felt a little shaky. What if Sea Grass and Wood Fern had already sent their warriors to Blue Bow’s village? What if they were, at this moment, on their way south to find the Scarlet Macaw People?

No. I would have heard about such a large movement of warriors.

Wink said, “You two had better tell me right now what you’re talking about.”

Rockfish roughly ran a hand through his gray hair. “Sora told me that when all this began you suggested it might be a plot by Water Hickory Clan to discredit Shadow Rock Clan.”

Wink glanced at Sora, as though not certain why she’d shared that information with Rockfish, but she said, “Yes, I did. Why?”

Rockfish opened his hands. “We spent most of last night talking. I told Sora I agreed with you. It seemed to me, and still does, that if Water Hickory Clan could force Sora to step down as chieftess, it would disgrace Shadow Rock Clan and prohibit Long Fin from ascending to the position of chief.”

Wink’s face slackened. All of her life, she’d been grooming her son for the role of chief. “Hallowed Ancestors, what else?”

Rockfish folded his arms tightly over his chest. “I also told her that if you changed your council vote, my people would be outraged. They would immediately start looking for new allies to go after the jade, and it wouldn’t be long until they forged an alliance with Blue Bow and Water Hickory Clan.”

Wink bent forward as though on the verge of emptying her stomach. “Then I can’t change my council vote.”

“No, you can’t.” Sora put a hand on Wink’s shoulder. “We must pretend that the council vote is still undecided. It’s the only way to draw them out.”

“Draw them out?”

Sora squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t you see? If I can drag this out for another twenty-eight days, I’m
sure
I can discover what
they’re doing and why, and how many people are involved. Maybe even why they want me to believe that Flint’s soul—”

“What makes you think they’ll actually give you twenty-eight days?”

She sat back on the bench. “It’s customary.”

“Yes, which means they must officially grant you twenty-eight days. That doesn’t mean they can’t hire someone to kill you in secret tomorrow. I’ll have to surround your house with fifty guards!”

“No. Far Eye is enough. I don’t want it to look like I’m afraid.”

“I don’t care what you want.” Wink lurched to her feet and paced back and forth before the fire. The gray hair in her long braid twinkled in the orange gleam. “I’m the matron of this clan. I will not allow them to assassinate you, Sora!”

“Wink, I don’t think they can afford to—”

“Oh, it won’t be official. Sea Grass and Wood Fern will have to scream that it was done without their knowledge, but you’ll be just as dead!” Wink stabbed an angry finger at Sora. “I have to speak with Feather Dancer. But I’m not finished with you yet. I’ll be back.”

As she stalked toward the door, Rockfish sank down on the bench beside Sora. Sweat beaded his nose and sparkled across his wrinkled forehead.

“She’s right, Sora. She has to protect you.”

Sora took his hands and held them. In a soft trusting voice, she said, “Rockfish, could you go to Feather Dancer? Tell him I must speak with him as soon as he can get away.”

He squeezed her fingers. “I’ll have to wait until Wink has finished her business but … why do you wish to see him? You’re not planning on countermanding Wink’s orders, are you?”

“Of course not. I would never do that. I just need his advice. Something’s happened.”

“Can’t you discuss this with me?”

A strangely suspicious tone underlay his words, as though he feared what she might say to Feather Dancer. She shook her head and smiled up at him.

“It’s about town security,” she lied. “I need to work out strategy with my war chief.”

“Very well.” He stood up. “I’ll go right now. Perhaps I can catch him before he must start organizing warriors to surround our house.”

“Thank you.”

When he’d left the temple, she rose and headed for her bedchamber.

“IT’S NOT TRUE, IS IT?” FEATHER DANCER ASKED WHEN HE arrived a short time later.

Sora handed him a cup of tea and gestured for him to sit on the mat across the fire. He took the cup and knelt. His arm muscles bulged through the thin fabric of his tan shirt.

“Yes, it’s true.”

“You offered your life? After what we discussed?
Why?”

Sora dipped her own cup into the pot that sat in the ashes at the edge of the fire. After she’d entered her chamber she’d removed the cone, washed it, and tucked it away in her personal basket; but the strange carvings continued to flit behind her eyes. She remembered very well the tangles of snakes, the spirals, the enormous creatures with long tails. A strange haunted sensation had filled her. She knew that cone. It was a magical device that had belonged to Flint. He’d used it many times to bring her pleasure. Where had Far Eye gotten it?

“I need time, Feather Dancer. If I’d denied the killing, they might have ordered their warriors to attack Blackbird Town.”

“I think that was a mistake.” He frowned down into the pale
green liquid in his cup. “Will they give you the traditional twenty-eight days?”

“They haven’t decided.” Her mouth quirked. “Wink suspects they’ll grant me the twenty-eight days, then secretly have me assassinated.”

“Yes, she told me that part. I’ll prepare for it.” He clutched his cup hard. “But you could be right. If they do actually give you twenty-eight days, they may reveal their true intentions.”

“I hope so.”

He looked up, and his scars reflected whitely in the firelight. “Where were you this morning?”

Her breathing went shallow. She inhaled a deep breath to fortify herself. “I thought you were asleep.”

“No. I saw you walk away with Far Eye.”

She jerked a nod and fumbled to set her cup on one of the hearthstones. “Far Eye is … acting strangely.”

“In what way?”

“We walked down to the burned-out tree, and he—he forced himself upon me.”

Feather Dancer’s eyes narrowed with deadly intent, and she knew if she didn’t quickly explain, the young warrior would be dead. Feather Dancer started to rise.

“Wait. Please, sit down.”

He stared at her with blazing eyes. “Tell me quickly.”

The circlets of conch shell on her blue dress flashed as she rose to face him across the fire. “I swear to you, he’s not Far Eye. This may well be part of a plot, but—”

“Of course it’s part of a plot! Why did you let him touch you?”

She spread her hands in a pleading gesture. “Please, tell me something. When you arrived at the pond and found Skinner and me, you said that Skinner was still alive and that Far Eye smelled his breath, then smelled the pot of poison. Isn’t that right?”

“Don’t tell me you believe Flint’s shadow-soul slipped from Skinner to Far Eye?”

“It’s possible, isn’t it?”

No expression showed on his face. “I don’t believe in souls, Chieftess. But I do heartily believe in human deceit. Did you tell Matron Wink or your husband about this?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

She hesitated. “I don’t know. I just didn’t feel—”

“That was a wise decision.”

“Why do you say that?”

He walked around the fire and stared down at her like a wrathful giant. “Several reasons. With you gone, Matron Wink’s son will ascend to the chieftanship. Also, she won’t have you around to disagree with her, which means her power will be magnified tenfold, and perhaps …” His gaze darted around the room, as though considering a new element.

“Perhaps what?”

He tilted his head uncertainly. “Matron Wink and your husband worked together to try to convince you to go after the jade, didn’t they?”

“Yes.” She felt strangely uneasy. “But they frequently agree. Why?”

“The matron saw your husband often when you were married to Flint, didn’t she?”

“Well, of course she did. He was a Trader. She was the matron. She worked with him on Trade agreements.”

The scars at the corners of his mouth twitched. “Did it occur to you that they might have seen the jade brooch long before you did?”

A queasy sensation taunted her belly. “No. I’m sure I saw it first.”

“You couldn’t have. Grown Bear spoke with Matron Wink right after the chunkey game. Rockfish was there, too. In fact, Rockfish introduced Grown Bear to Wink. I saw it.”

“Yes, but I hardly think that constitutes—”

“Did Matron Wink also work out ‘Trade agreements’ with Skinner? As a war chief from Water Hickory Clan, he would have
made a powerful ally to go after the jade. With Water Hickory Clan and Rockfish’s people, she would have had only one obstacle left. You.”

“Oh …” It was a small tortured sound. She flushed.

Grown Bear and Skinner had appeared within moments of each other. Had they walked in together?

No. No, it couldn’t be true. Wink, Skinner, Grown Bear, and Rockfish?

She simply couldn’t believe all of them could hate her that much.

Wink was the only person in the world that she trusted completely. If Wink told her she’d just flown to Sister Moon and returned on the wings of a dragonfly, Sora would believe it.

“This is all interesting,” she said, “but it doesn’t make sense to me. Why would Wink do that? How could she possibly gain personally from such an agreement?”

“If you were gone and she could obtain canoeloads of jade, it would catapult her son into a position of enormous power. Long Fin would be the preeminent chief in our world.”

Impatiently, she snapped, “Yes, but none of this explains how Far Eye could know—”

“Far Eye is her brother’s son! He’s also Water Hickory Clan! Don’t you see? He has a great deal to gain if Long Fin ascends to the chieftainship. Wealth, prestige, power. All the things that motivate young men. And if Long Fin should die, Far Eye will vie with Short Tail for the position of chief.”

“He’s too young. Short Tail would win.”

Feather Dancer gave her a stony look. “If Short Tail is alive, yes.”

Sora sank back against the mat. He was right. What was one more murder in all this? But how could Far Eye have known how to use the cone? Even if Flint had given it to him, he’d worked it exactly as Flint …

She felt suddenly light-headed. She turned away so he couldn’t see her expression.

Far Eye had known about the first time Flint brought her ecstasy with his hand. He’d known how to use the cone and how to tie it in place.

They were all things she’d told Wink about.

She turned back and found Feather Dancer giving her a sad look, as though he felt sorry for her. “What are you thinking?”

“Everything he—he did … this morning …”

“Were things the matron knew about?”

She closed her eyes as memories flared to life. “Before I married Flint, I used to tell her everything. She was my only friend. The one person I trusted to keep my secrets.”

“Was she ever jealous?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

Sora tried to imagine how she would have felt if Wink had told her every exhilarating detail of her sexual encounters. Without Flint in her life … she might have been a little jealous. Or a lot.

Softly, as though to calm her down, Feather Dancer said, “You are very vulnerable right now, Chieftess. You
must
stop believing that Flint’s shadow-soul exists. I promise you, it does not.”

She glared at the floor. “You may go, War Chief. Please send Far Eye in.”

“Why?”

“There are questions I need to ask him.”

“Do you think that’s prudent? Perhaps it would be better to wait.” Hotly, she ordered, “I need answers now.”

“I understand, but until we know more—”

“You are dismissed, War Chief!”

Feather Dancer shifted uncomfortably, as though he wanted to say something else, but wasn’t sure how it would be received.

“What is it?”

Rain began to patter on the roof and drift down the smoke hole. The fire sizzled when the drops splattered on the logs. The sweet scent of damp cypress rose.

“May I speak frankly, Chieftess?”

“Haven’t you been doing that since you arrived? Go on.”

“Do you still wonder if this is your former husband’s reflection-soul?”

“I do.”

“Then if I am not mistaken, today is the ninth day after his death.”

She blinked. She had to think about it. “Yes, it is. Why?”

“Reflection-souls can only remain on earth for ten days before they must go on to the afterlife, or they become homeless, wailing ghosts. If he’s still here after midnight tonight, you will know that one of two things is happening.”

“What things?”

“Either you’re dealing with a ravenous shadow-soul, or the people you trust most are working against you.” He gave her a grave look. “I’ll tell Far Eye you wish to see him.”

Just before he reached the door, she softly said, “Wait.”

“Yes?” He turned.

“Perhaps I should speak with Teal first.”

Feather Dancer held the curtain aside for her. “If you must, but remember, no matter how much you want to, do not tell him all of our suspicions. He might feel obligated to discuss them with the matron.”

“Yes, treason is serious business.”

“Deadly
business.”

When she walked forward and ducked out into the hallway, she glimpsed someone stepping into the council chamber at the far end of the hall.

Feather Dancer surveyed her face. Standing there with her gaze fixed on the swinging council door curtain, she must look like she’d seen her assassin, which she hadn’t, but she wasn’t certain she hadn’t seen the hem of his cape.

“What did you see?” he whispered as he drew his stiletto from his belt.

“A man. I think. I only caught a glimpse of someone going into the council chamber.”

“Stay here.”

Feather Dancer eased down the corridor, silent as Hawk’s shadow. Outside the council chamber, he hesitated long enough to listen; then he threw back the curtain and peered inside.

She saw his brows knit into a single line across his forehead.

“Who is it, War Chief?” she called.

Feather Dancer gave her a knowing look and stepped aside to allow the man to exit into the corridor.

Rockfish walked out. He turned to face her, and guilt tensed his mouth.

“Rockfish? Is something wrong?”

He glanced at Feather Dancer, then tipped his chin up and answered, “I was looking for Feather Dancer. Matron Wink wishes to speak with him immediately.”

Feather Dancer calmly strode back down the hall and stood directly in front of Sora, blocking her husband’s view of her. He used his stiletto to point to the floor.

She looked down. Tracks scuffed the dirt.

When her gaze shot upward, Feather Dancer nodded slightly.

Rockfish was standing here—listening outside the door. As soon as he knew I was leaving, he must have tried to get away, but he only had enough time to make it to the council chamber.

She nodded to tell Feather Dancer that she understood, then walked around him and swiftly strode down the corridor. Rockfish’s jaw clenched when she passed by without a word and stepped outside into the misty rain.

Far Eye stood beneath the eaves, shielded from the streamers that poured off the roof.

“Go and speak with the matron, War Chief,” Sora said.

Subtly gesturing to Far Eye, he murmured, “I will return as quickly as I can.”

BOOK: It Sleeps in Me

2.62Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Read Book Download Book

ads