Chapter 6
6
When Kaley got back to her room, she quickly packed her duffel bag, then her backpack. “‘I’m going on an adventure,’” she said, quoting The Hobbit . “But without trolls.” Wherever she went, she was glad Sojee would be with her. Not so much Tanek, who tended to look at her as though she was a duty, something he had to put up with.
There was a quick knock on the door and she opened it to two guardsmen. One thing about Bellis was that it was certainly a mix of people. When she realized that the men’s eyes were dark purple, she stared. She had to make herself look away as they took her bags.
Kaley gave a last look at the beautiful room and reluctantly left. Wherever they went, she was sure it wouldn’t be as luxurious as staying in the king’s house.
She followed the men along a path she’d never seen, going in the opposite direction of the village where she’d met Sojee. They stopped at a carriage—or maybe it should be called a Carriage. Big, shiny, black, trimmed in gold, flamboyantly impressive. Four gorgeous black horses were harnessed to it. Sojee and Tanek were already seated. Sojee was grinning while Tanek was frowning. Nothing unusual there, she thought.
Sojee held his hand out to help her up and she sat beside him, facing Tanek. She ran her hand over the black leather upholstery. “This is worthy of royalty. Or does all of Bellis travel this way?” When Sojee said something incomprehensible, she realized they had never actually talked. They’d exchanged names but no other words.
He reached into the pocket of his vest—which was now over a shirt that covered his bare torso—and pulled out a tiny metal pen. When she saw the blue light, she leaned away.
“Oh no, you don’t! The first time I saw one of those, Jobi put it on my arm and I went to sleep and woke up sitting on a rock. I don’t know what happened in between.” And I plan to ask Jobi what is in my arm that makes the pen work , she thought.
From Sojee’s expression, he had no idea what she’d said. He looked at Tanek and they exchanged a bit of dialogue in another language. Sojee looked shocked.
She glared at Tanek. “Did you tell him something awful about me? Like that I’m not to be trusted alone with a man?”
Tanek’s eyes widened in surprise. “I told him what you said, then added that that tool is illegal on this island. That seems to have surprised him.”
She felt like he was hiding something, but she was sure he wouldn’t tell her what it was. “Maybe the king gave it to him.”
Tanek spoke to Sojee, who shook his head. “He wants you two to be able to understand each other, and he promises that he won’t put you to sleep. I’ll make sure he doesn’t.”
“I trust him more than you !”
Sojee seemed to have understood her as he laughed in a way that made Tanek give him a look of disgust. She held out her arm and Sojee touched the blue tip to the little scar. She felt a tiny electrical shock, then a surge of energy.
When Tanek told Sojee what Kaley had asked about the carriage, she understood him.
Sojee chuckled. “What we drive is more suited for hauling the contents of the outhouses.”
Kaley laughed so loudly at his joke that Sojee looked at Tanek in triumph.
It was late afternoon so the guardsmen lit the big lanterns at the sides of the carriage. It made a soft golden light. The men clucked at the horses and they began to move.
“I wish I had on a Cinderella dress,” Kaley said.
“Is that one of your stories?” Tanek asked.
“It is.” Her answer was curt, not rude, but certainly not friendly. She looked at Sojee. “Have you ever been to Selkan?”
“Only once.”
“So tell me about the place.”
“What I have seen is not as fine as my home island of Pithan, but good.” He told of mountains and lakes and areas of flat plains.
“What about animals?” she asked. “I know there are wolves here. What about lions? Tigers?”
Sojee and Tanek looked blank.
“Wild cats? Jaguars? Mountain lions?” The men stared at her. “Cats. Like house cats, only bigger.”
Both Sojee and Tanek shrugged. They had no idea what she was talking about.
“Tell her about the men,” Tanek said.
“There are many men on Selkan.” Sojee spoke in dismissal, as if it didn’t matter.
She looked at Tanek. “Is that supposed to be bad?”
“Probably not to you.” Tanek turned his head away.
Kaley glared at him. Was that a put-down? she wondered. Did he think she made a pass at every man she met? She smiled at Sojee. “Any birds on the island? What are the houses like?”
“Big, sturdy houses, and many birds.” They were passing through open land, with some forest. There was no sign of habitation. “This is the king’s land,” Sojee said as explanation for the barrenness.
“He seems to own a lot for someone who is no longer officially the king.” She cocked her head at him. “Why did you almost attack him?”
“I’d like to know that, too,” Tanek said.
Sojee stiffened. He was already taller than both of them, but he seemed to grow. “We Pithans don’t want to see her forced into a marriage.”
Kaley stared hard at him. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re telling only about ten percent of the whole story?”
He didn’t answer.
When they reached the water, the carriage came to a halt. Before them was a small dock, with four rowboats tied up. Half a dozen men were working there. They wore black and they kept glancing at Kaley in a way that made her step closer to Sojee.
“These young men are from Selkan,” he said. “They are a generation that has grown up without women. They look on them as mysterious creatures.”
“Don’t we all?” Tanek muttered.
Kaley narrowed her eyes at him but he turned away.
“Here it comes,” Tanek said.
Sailing into sight was a small but majestic wooden ship with a single sail. In the front was the carved head of what could be a dragon. Kaley’s eyes widened in appreciation. “It’s beautiful.” She stepped away from the men to go to the end of the pier to watch it arrive.
Sojee and Tanek went to the carriage to oversee the unloading of the luggage.
“She doesn’t know where she is, does she?” Sojee asked.
“Not at all. I hope we can keep it secret long enough that when she finds out, it will be Jobi on the receiving end of her wrath. I don’t want to be blamed!”
“I agree, so we must try to hide it. Are you good at lying?”
“I don’t know,” Tanek said. “I’ve never had to do much of it. But in this case, I’m willing to try.”
The men went to stand beside Kaley as the ship was tied to the dock. A long plank was lowered and she walked up it, Sojee and Tanek behind her. Their bags were tossed on the deck. Tanek had the most and she wondered if it had anything to do with the homestead he wanted to visit.
It took only minutes before they cast off and were sailing across the calm blue water. There were several men on board, with their black hair and purple eyes, and they never stopped glancing at Kaley. It was unnerving. When she moved to stand between Sojee and Tanek, she heard the word Nessa . It was the name of the prince they were to find. It was annoying that the men were having this conversation without her.
“I don’t think it will be difficult to find him.” Sojee cut a look at Tanek. “I believe you have friends who move about rather freely.”
“You have been spying on me.” There was no animosity in Tanek’s voice.
They were talking to each other over Kaley’s head, as if she weren’t there.
“I like to know who and what I’m with,” Sojee said.
Me, too , Kaley thought, then spoke up. “You mean Mekos.” She was pleased that both men looked down at her in surprise.
“Ah, yes. I was told that Mekos is a Lely,” Sojee said, and Tanek nodded. “Tail?”
“Ears,” Tanek said, and the two men gave low laughs of sharing a secret.
“What does that mean?” Kaley asked, but the men said nothing. Deeply annoyed, Kaley went to the other side of the deck and looked out at the water. She did her best to ignore the boatmen staring at her. With their every task, from coiling rope to adjusting the sail, they moved closer to her.