Chapter 6 #2
“And he put on a display of soaring. All the women were in awe of him.” Aradella caught more flowers and waved to the women
who were standing still. She put her finger to her lips, meaning that they were to keep the secret, and they nodded in understanding.
“They loved me so much,” Mekos said to his father, “that there may be a few pointy-eared babies.”
Aradella scoffed. “If you’d touched one of them, Valona would have made you into a girl.”
Tanek and Kaley blinked at each other at this banter.
“Where is Valona?” Kaley asked. “We only saw her from a distance.”
Mekos leaned back against a bag of coconuts. “I heard there was a fire and every plant in her private garden was burned to
the ground.”
“We were told that the six prettiest girls in the Lair set it,” Aradella said. “They even danced.”
“There was nothing left,” Mekos said. “So maybe Valona is dealing with that.”
Aradella leaned against a bag of pineapples across from Mekos. Their outstretched legs were so intertwined, they were like
latticework.
Kaley turned around to Tanek as he guided the horses down the long road back to the Cauldron. “I’m afraid you’re right. Something
happened that we know nothing about.”
“Yes.” He lowered his voice. “And under no circumstances do I ever want to know what my son was up to.”
Kaley reached into her pocket and pulled the Truth Necklace halfway out. “I don’t think I should put it on, do you?”
“Not unless you want a burn to go all the way through you,” Tanek said, then snapped the reins.
Behind them, Mekos and Aradella held hands under the cover of her big dress. Early this morning, women had come to them and
told them about their lives. For generations, everyone in the crater, from guards to children, had lived under the dictatorship
of one woman. There were no prisons. The punishment for breaking any of Valona’s rules was death. Even the women who pretended
to love her were glad she was finally gone. Their talk buzzed of going to other craters, of meeting people. Some were talking
of visiting other islands. They smiled at each other, feeling good at what they had accomplished, but minutes later, they
passed a woman riding a horse. Tanek and Kaley paid no attention to her, but Aradella and Mekos knew she was the guide they’d
run away from. The look she gave them was full of hate.
“Someone’s not glad Valona is gone,” Aradella said.
“Now she has no one to worship.” Mekos replied.
Aradella frowned. “My aunt-queen will not be happy to see that I’m still alive.”
He squeezed her hand. “By the time she makes another plan, ours will be done.”
They looked at each other. They couldn’t speak of what they were going to do, but they were thinking about it so hard they
could read each other’s minds. They were confident that their plan would work.
When they got close to the Cauldron, where Aradella was to marry Prince Nessa, they could feel the excitement of the women.
Tomorrow the men would arrive! Their anticipation was a vibration, a sort of buzzing that seemed to electrify the air.
They could see that an effort had been made to clean up the town, and even hide the more damaged areas of the houses.
Everything looked better, even if it was superficial.
And the women were looking great! Clothes had been washed and pressed, and their hair was so shiny it glistened.
“All done for the men.” Aradella wasn’t smiling. It was hitting her that now she’d have to face her aunt Olina. Of course
the queen would have somehow found out what had been done to Valona. If no human told her, her mother could conjure a vision
in a pot of something unspeakable. There would be no anguish about that, but Aradella was still alive. She had no doubt that her aunt would go into a rage—then punish her niece. What will she do to me this time? Aradella wondered.
Mekos moved to sit on the edge of the wagon and Aradella got beside him. Under her big dress was her patched padding. She
and Arit had done their best to repair it, but it was still scratching her. At least the fabric covered that she and Mekos
were tightly holding hands. “I’ll have to go to my . . .” She didn’t know what to call where she lived. Home certainly didn’t describe it.
“I think you should stay with me,” he said.
“That’s not possible.”
He squeezed her hand. “Just two more days, then . . .” He smiled at her.
“You have it?”
He knew she meant the mask. “Yes. I just hope Kaley doesn’t see that the box she keeps so close is empty.” He twisted around
to look ahead. “Sojee is waiting for us.”
Aradella groaned. “I do hope he brought my beautiful cousins.”
Mekos laughed. “When you’re queen will you have them executed?”
“Better. I’ll have them clean all the toilets in the palace.”
Smiling, he leaned forward to kiss her but he stopped himself. Not yet.
When the wagon halted in front of the gate to the Cauldron, Sojee spoke to Tanek and Kaley on the seat. “You’re to go to the
Sanction Room in the palace. Now.”
“Uh-oh,” Kaley said. “I bet we’re going to find out why this old wagon was sent to us. Is the queen angry about something?”
Sojee swung Kaley down. “That would imply that there are times when she is not angry. It’s never happened and never will.”
Kaley laughed. “What’s waiting for us?”
Sojee looked over her head to Tanek. “It’s what you asked for.”
Tanek smiled broadly. “All of it? Everything?”
Sojee’s eyes sparkled. “There is more than you imagined.”
In the back, Mekos got down, then swung Aradella to the ground. Her face was solemn. She’d not seen the big, beautiful Sanction
Room since she was a child. It was where her father listened to the problems of the people of Pithan and where he greeted
important visitors. As far as Aradella knew, Olina had never used the room. “I’ll see you later,” she said to Mekos, her eyes
conveying her hope for the days to come. Turning away, she headed toward the gate and her solitary apartment. It was going
to feel small and confined after the freedom of the Lair.
“You too,” Sojee said, but when Aradella kept walking, he caught up with her. He was so tall that he bent to speak to her
in a low voice. “You’re invited to a great surprise for Kaley. Jobi has done it all.”
Aradella’s eyes lit up at the mention of her friend. “He’s here?”
“Yes, but don’t tell Kaley. They’ve had a bit of a falling-out.” Sojee looked over her head. “Come and see what it is.”
“But the queen—”
Sojee put his hand on her upper arm. “Don’t worry about her. Right now she’s pretending that she’s a kind and loving person.”
He gave a snort of laughter. “Let’s take advantage of it for as long as it lasts. Come have some cake.” His hand was still
on her arm. “Unless you’d rather eat something that will keep your arms as strong as Hale has made them.”
Aradella’s eyes widened. “I, uh . . . I . . .”
He let go of her arm. “Young Mekos is waiting for you.” He saw her face change, then he looked from one to the other, and
his eyebrows raised. “Did you two enjoy your time at the Lair?”
“Oh yes, we did.” Every feeling Aradella had was in those words.
Sojee gave a great, loud belly laugh. “I am very glad! Now go!”
Aradella held her skirt away from her legs, ran to Mekos, and they entered the palace.
The others were ahead of them and Aradella had to think about how to get through the labyrinth of halls to find the Sanction
Room. Her heart was beating fast as she was afraid that any minute Queen Olina would leap out at them. She’d shout, “Arrest
her! She killed my beloved friend Valona.” Aradella knew there would be no trial. There’d just be death.
But the halls were empty. Was even the Queen’s Guard getting ready for tomorrow?
“This way.” Aradella paused. “No, this way.”
Mekos pulled her into an alcove, their bodies pressed together, and kissed her. “Just two more days,” he whispered, his lips
against hers. “You haven’t changed your mind?”
“Never.” She looked around. “If someone sees us—”
He kissed her again. “There are two women three hallways to the left, but no one else.” He cocked his head. “I just heard
Kaley laugh. She’s very happy about something.” He stepped back and sniffed the air. “I smell food.” He held out his hand.
“Shall we go see?”
She took his hand and they ran through three hallways then stopped at big double doors.
Mekos pulled one open and they stepped inside—then they stopped as they looked about in awe.
There were two wide rows of pretty chairs flanking a long white rug. At the end was a wooden arch covered in flowers of white,
pink, and lavender. To the side was a long table covered in a white cloth and great pots of food. In the center was a cake.
Mekos and Aradella stared at the cake in open-mouthed astonishment. They’d never seen anything like it. It was a hill of round,
terraced layers. Pink sugar roses ran in a spiral down the sides.
“What is all this for?” Aradella whispered.
Mekos shrugged. He had no idea.