“Did you get a glimpse inside?” I ask.
“Yeah. The place is in a shallow valley and I climbed a tree to take a peek. It looks like a small village with one huge manor house.”
“Like a mini-Citadel?” Eve asks.
“Yes.” Nic crosses his arms. “I don’t like it.”
The single entrance complicates things. At least we didn’t have to worry about magic. A void is a naturally occurring area of no magic. I wonder if Gunther knows that voids can be moved by a group of strong magicians working together. They also drift as the blanket of power covering our world flexes and ripples over time.
“Don’t worry so much, Nic,” I say. “I escaped from Wirral prison with only lock picks and a couple darts hidden under fake skin.” I pat my saddle bag. “I’ve lots of nasties with me. As long as they think we’re harmless, we should be able to plan a way to escape with Zitora.”
“Think you can do ‘harmless,' Nic?” Eve asks.
“No. My cover is to keep you both safe, but I can pretend not to care about anyone or anything else.”
That will have to do.
The next morning we pack and approach Tsavorite. The two-story-tall outer walls have been constructed with a brilliant green stone that glistens in the sunlight. It appears there isn’t a walkway along the top. Good news. No need to worry about archers.
An eight-foot-tall steel gate blocks the entrance. Six guards bristle with menace and suspicion when we approach. We dismount. I introduce myself and my companions, explaining the reason for our visit. We wait outside as another person is fetched. Probably someone able to give the order to allow us entrance. My thoughts shy away from the alternative.
An older man approaches the gate and peers through one of the gaps. He studies me without comment, glancing at a parchment.
“It’s her,” he says to the guards. “Let her in. Her friends can remain out here.”
Not good. I touch Nic’s arm to keep him quiet as my mind races to produce a response. My services were requested—someone important is sick.
“Unacceptable,” I say in my sternest mom-voice. “They stay with me or I’m leaving.”
“Why do you need them?” the old man asks.
“I require their assistance. That is all you need to know.”
No response. I move to mount Quartz.
“Wait. I’ll check with my employer.”
Pausing, I turn to the man. “Be quick or we’ll be gone. I do not appreciate my time being wasted.”
I suppress a grin as he practically sprints away.
“Nice,” Nic whispers.
The man returns in a reasonable amount of time and allows us to enter. The gate is raised and I study the mechanism. Our weapons are confiscated by the guards…well, the ones that are visible. Nic scowls as he hands over his sword and dagger.
“I’m Malten, the steward’s assistant,” the man says. “Please follow me to the guest quarters.”
“I’d rather see my cousin. Her letter sounded urgent.”
“Your cousin will send for you. In the meantime you can…” He sniffs. “Freshen up.”
“What about our horses?”
“There’s a stable nearby.”
Appearing mollified, I walk beside Malten. Just as Nic described, the path winds through a small well-kept village. The buildings are only one or two stories high and are constructed with bricks. I spot residences, a bakery, a blacksmith and a tailor shop. The busy citizens bustle about and hardly spare us a glance.
The atmosphere of this place stirs my memories. There’s an undefinable heaviness pressing down. It takes me a few minutes to recall where I’d experienced the same sensation. The Bloodrose cult, living on the isolated Lion’s Claw Peninsula produced the same fog of oppression. Unease raises goosebumps on my arms.
The sprawling manor house grows as we cross the village. The spires of the house reach toward the sky and must be a couple stories higher than the wall. Constructed with those green stones, the house also has blocks of silver. When we are closer, I spot four tall columns of dark jade marking the grand entrance. Calling the house a castle would be more accurate. The guest quarters are located across from the entrance.
“Please make yourself at home. Your escort should be here shortly,” Malten says before leaving.
It’s a relief once we settle the horses in the stable and retreat inside. Nic whistles at the lavish decorations and expensive furniture of the living area. A fire blazes in the stone hearth directly opposite the entrance and on the other side is an extravagant washroom. Six full-sized bedrooms are located on the second floor.
“Now what?” Eve asks.
“I’d like to take a look around, get an idea of the layout, but I don’t want to miss my chance to see Zitora,” I say.
“I counted twenty-five guards,” Nic says.
“That many?” I ask with surprise.
“Yes. While you were gawking like a tourist, I noticed them. They were discreet, so there are probably more.”
Lovely. While we wait, I take advantage of the amenities. My entire family can fit into the sunken bathtub. Too anxious for a long soak, I quickly wash up, change into clean clothes and ensure I’ve plenty of hidden surprises in my clothing. I arrange my hair in a knot, using my lock picks to hold the hair in place. Then I organize my packets of medicines, preparing for anything and hoping I’ll be able to help her.
Nic gazes out the window facing the castle while Eve uses the washroom. I study Leif’s instructions and test my knowledge on the herbs. The corgarviy tea is a restorative good for feeding to an unconscious patient. It also smells like a wet dog. Baka leaves are for soothing muscular aches and pains. And tilipi is for fevers.
“Here comes our escort,” Nic says. “Three armed grunts and one official.” He adjusts his concealed weapons.
I stood and smoothed my naturalist tunic. “Let me do all the talking and follow my lead.”
The official is a man of few words. After he instructs us to follow him, he remains quiet. The guards trail us. Behind the jade columns is a set of huge double doors. However, there is a smaller door that is almost invisible which the official opens with a key. When we enter, Nic has to stoop so he doesn’t hit his head.
It’s hard not to gawk at the grand foyer. A set of sweeping staircases arcs along the side walls. A tile mosaic of a treasure chest overflowing with gold coins, jewelry and goblets decorates the floor. An immense chandelier hangs from the celling. Sunlight sparks off the light pink crystal. Or what I assume is crystal, but can easily be tourmalines or pink topaz.
The official leads us up the right side stairway and along a long corridor. I count doors and note windows and other hallways. Near the end and on the left, we enter what appears to be the living area of an apartment.
He asks us to wait and taps on a door in the back. “They’re here,” he says when it opens a crack. The official leaves, but the guards remain.
A well-dressed man pushes the door wide and enters. I tense. Is this a trap after all? Then relax when Zitora steps into view. Smiling, I keep my expression pleasant despite being horrified by her appearance. Even though she’s only six years older than me, she looks haggard and worn. Her honey-colored hair no longer shines, and the lackluster strands hang to her shoulders instead of her waist.
“Opal, so good of you to come such a long way.” Zitora gives me a brief hug.
“Of course. Anything for family.”
“That’s good to know, Cousin,” the man says. He eyes my clothing, barely concealing his disdain.
“This is Gunther Jewelrose,” Zitora says, introducing us. “He’s married to Zelene.”
I shake his hand, noting gemstone encrusted rings on each of his fingers. His tailored silk clothing can’t hide his large paunch, though. About as tall as Nic, Gunther tries to intimidate me, but I meet his gaze with a flat look.
He releases my hand and gestures. “Who are they?”
“My assistants, Nic and Eve.”
/>
“You need assistants, eh?”
“Zitora’s letter said you were in dire need. My cousin may need round the clock care and they are trained. In fact, we shouldn’t delay any longer; I’d like to see her now.”
Gunther frowns at my firm tone. “Don’t you want to know what’s wrong with her?”
“No. I prefer to make a diagnosis on my own.”
“This way,” Zitora says. “We tried everything, but fear she’s getting worse.”
We enter a bedroom. I spot a woman lying under a white comforter sleeping. She has she same heart-shaped face as Zitora.
“Zelene, wake up,” Zitora pats her arm, which is stretched oddly above her head. “Opal’s here to take care of you.”
I move closer and can’t stop a gasp of horror. “Why is she chained to the headboard?” I demand.
“It’s for her own safety,” Gunther says. “She has convulsions.”
Zitora says nothing, but she laces her fingers together. Instead of crossing her thumbs, they lie side by side—one of Valek’s signals. It means Gunther is lying. No surprise.
Zelene opens her eyes, but stares at us as if she can’t comprehend what’s going on. Feeling sick to my stomach over what I might find, I pull Zelene’s covers back a few inches. Nic, Eve, Zitora, Gunther and the three guards are all watching me. “Everyone out. I need to examine her.”
All but Gunther move toward the door.
“You, too,” I say.
“I’m her husband.”
“I know.” I gaze at him as if determining the best way to kill him.
He glowers, but leaves. Thank fate. I close the door and return to Zelene. Her eyes are shut.
“It’s okay. He’s gone,” I say.
This time she looks at me with desperate hope. “I’m not sick.”
“I know.”
“Gunther he’s…I…we…”
“He won’t let you leave?”
She nods.
“Does he know Zitora is a Master Magician?”
“Yes. She’s trapped here because of me! That’s why I didn’t tell her where I was. He’s…” She draws in a deep breath as if collecting her thoughts. “He thinks she’ll return with the Sitian army to steal all his gold.” Zelene shakes her head. “I’ve been ingesting jungle weed to stay sick. You need to pretend to heal me, leave and bring back help. I’m sure the security forces in Kohinoor will rescue a Master Magician.”
I consider her comments. “He’s not going to let us leave.”
Her face crumples. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” I examined the cuffs around her wrists. The lock will be easy to pop.
“I married him.”
“I’m assuming he’s changed.”
“Oh, yes very much.” Zelene swallows, as her nose reddens.
“Keep taking the jungle weed for now. I’m going to try various treatments on you as we plan an escape.”
“But it’s impossible.”
I smile. “I’ve been told that many times before, and, so far, they’ve all been wrong.”
Opening the door, I order Nic to fetch hot water and mugs.
Gunther blocks his way. “My servants can—”
“No,” I say. “Nic knows the correct temperature I need.” And he needs to check out the layout of the building.
When Gunther refuses to move, I add in an exasperated tone, “Dreemata leaves are fragile, and if the water is too hot, it nulls the medicinal benefits.”
“What’s wrong with my wife?”
“I’m afraid she has acute ribrolympoma.” I hold up a hand. “She hasn’t progressed into stage five yet, so I might be able to cure her. But it’s going to take time, and I’ll need to be able to do my job without wasting time having to explain every treatment.”
“All right.” He steps aside and gestures to one of the guards. “Show him to the kitchen.”
Nic leaves.
Gunther points to the floor. “The guards stay with you and I’ll assign a servant to help. I want frequent updates on her condition.”
“That’s fine as long as the guards keep out of the sick room and out of my way.”
His fleshy jowls crease with annoyance. “All right. I’ll be in my office.”
Zitora and the guards relax once he’s gone.
I gesture to Eve. “Bring my pack. Zitora, I need you to tell me when the symptoms started.”
Eve grasps my bag and they join me in Zelene’s room. I close the door and take a breath.
“That was impressive,” Zitora says as a brief spark of the woman I remembered returns to her pale-yellow eyes. “I didn’t know you could be so…” She makes circles with her hand as if trying to encourage the right word to pop from her mouth.
“Bossy?” Eve asks.
“Confident!”
“A lot has happened in the past two and a half years.” I look at her. “To both of us.”
She nods in agreement then moves to her sister’s bedside. “It took me about a year and a couple seasons to find Zelene and I was thrilled when we reunited after eleven years apart.”
“Until you met my husband,” Zelene says.
Zitora clasps her hand. “I’m still glad.”
“Gunther was so sweet.” Zelene gazes into the distance as if peering into the past. “We were married for two years when his father died, and his mother poisoned Gunther—her only son! She wanted his inheritance. When he recovered from the poison, he was a different man. Paranoid, he built this compound over the next year, and we’ve been living here for four years. Each year has been worse than the last and now he refuses to leave.”
“Do you know what poison she used?” I ask.
Zelene sits up with excitement. “No. Why? Can you cure him?”
“Sorry, no. I was just curious.”
“Oh.” She slouches.
Feeling bad, I change the subject. “Have you tried to escape?”
“Many times,” Zitora answers for her sister. “Before and after I arrived, but… He still loves her. This is the only way we thought we’d be able to get help. Thank fate the messenger found you—he claimed that as long as he had a good description he could track down anyone.” She gives me a wry smile. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this, but I’m not sorry it worked and I’m hoping you brought your husband, Kade, and his Stormdancers to blow the walls down.”
Why did she—oh. I twist my wedding ring with its fire opal around my finger. How do I explain that I married Devlen, the man she still believed is an evil criminal instead of Kade?
“You have missed a lot,” Eve says in amusement. “Me, Nic and Opal are the entirety of your rescue party.” Seeing their horrified expressions, she continues, “Don’t worry. We got this. We can disable the guards, you can wear their uniforms to disguise your identities, and we’ll walk right out of here.”
It’ll be more complicated than that, but that’s probably the best way to escape. However, I remembered the grim atmosphere when we crossed through the compound earlier. “Unless no one is allowed to leave.”
“Everyone who works here also lives here,” Zitora says. “Gunther pays them well and he brings in plenty of supplies. It’s rare for them to leave, but they go visit relatives and go on vacations.”
“What about my children?” Zelene asks. “I’m not leaving without them.”
Ah, hell. “How many and how old?”
“Two boys, ages six and three.”
Too young to understand what’s going on or to keep quiet. Lovely.
“Does that change things?” Zitora asks Eve.
Eve and I exchange a glance. “Yes, but we’ll figure it out,” I say. “Where are the children?”
“During the day, they’re either in the nursery or the gardens. At night, they sleep in a bedroom in Gunther’s suite with their nanny,” Zelene says.
I try not to let my dismay show. “We’re going to need a detailed map of the house.”
“I can draw
you one,” Zitora says.
Nic arrives with the hot water. Out in the other room, I put on a show of mixing leaves and making a healing tea. I ask the servant to bring another bed into Zelene’s room and then send her for supper for all of us as it’s getting late and my stomach is growling.
Once everything is arranged, I set up a schedule so one of us stays with Zelene at all times. Zelene takes her next dose of jungle weed. The servant is dispatched to update Gunther. Eve remains behind for the overnight shift as Nic and I return to the guest suite. Two guards follow as Zitora accompanies us, leaving one guard with Eve.
“No guard for you?” I ask in a whisper.
“Gunther threatened to harm my sister if I try to escape.”
What a swell guy. Maybe Nic can pound on Gunther before we leave—he can think of it as a good-bye present. When we arrive at our suite, the guards take up positions outside the entrance. We sit in the living room. I sink into the plush cushions of the oversized couch and in a low voice ask Zitora about the daily operation of the compound.
“Delivery wagons come in almost every day. They unload the supplies, get paid, write down the new orders and leave. Gunther’s factory managers report to him once a week, his business partners hold their meetings here and his money collectors drop off his profits a couple times a week.”
“Is there a day where there’s lots of activity at the gate?” Nic asks her.
“Yes, but there’s no schedule.”
Hard to believe that someone as paranoid as Gunther wouldn’t know exactly what and who is expected. “There must be one. Does Gunther have an assistant?”
“Yes. His name is Pirro.”
“Can you include his office and living quarters on the map?” I ask.
“Sure. But enough of Gunther, tell me what’s been going on with you! Why didn’t you marry Kade? And who did you marry?”
Nic stands. “I’ll leave you two to catch up, but I will say that the man Opal married is a good guy. One that I’m proud to call my friend.”
I smile as Nic climbs the stairs to his room. Nic was upset when my feelings toward Devlen changed. In the beginning, Nic believed Devlen’s desire to make amends for his prior actions was all an act.
“Who is it?” Zitora asks, leaning forward.