Chapter 16
PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT
The trial will be held at dawn.
The words echoed inside my skull, a tolling bell. The warning in the king’s tone, coupled with Jasher’s reaction, conveyed a very clear message: whatever the Ring of Truth was, I wouldn’t like it. But I didn’t back down. I hadn’t lied.
“Guardian. Commanders,” Ahav called, his voice a dagger unsheathed. He didn’t move, but I felt the ripple of his power.
When Ian strode into the room with three others only a heartbeat later, I almost growled. They’d been waiting outside the entire time, and I hadn’t sensed them.
I was on my feet in an instant. Ignore the unsteady ground and shaking legs. Fragments of the visions shimmered in my head, bleeding into the present. Faces, fire, ruin. Clues.
Ian had stabbed me. But first, he’d laughed while holding a glowing emerald. Could it contain the Ember?
An idea to ponder. Later. I glared at him. He watched Jasher, who watched me, lids slitted.
Why had he urged me to avoid the Ring? How much would he hate me for this examination?
I folded my arms around myself as the commanders circled him. Their voices were low, clinical, like butchers inspecting a fresh slab of meat.
“The trajectory of its wings is greater than expected.”
“Those scales. Small in number but as impenetrable as the other beasts.”
“The incendiary gland seems unstable, but potent.”
“I told you I didn’t consent to this,” I snapped at the king.
“And I told you it would happen regardless,” Ahav replied, not the least bit moved.
“Let them look,” Jasher called, an emperor amused by peasants. “Like what you see?”
Kevin spoke up again. “I support your choices. Even the bad ones.”
The king and commanders looked around, confused. Neither Jasher nor I explained.
“Show us your wings,” Ian said, and the commanders stepped back.
A dangerous stillness rippled through my Tinman, followed by a low, lethal laugh. “Anything for you, guardian,” he purred. Part of me suspected he meant those words and only pretended to mock. That he was bound to Ian and must obey. Hadn’t he hinted as much?
His wings burst free with violence, whisking him vertical.
In perfect unison, the examiners scattered farther back. Their eyes gleamed with fascination as they continued their inspection. “Look at those joint hooks.”
My heart climbed into my throat. “Why is Ian allowed to participate?” I quietly demanded of Ahav as Jasher returned to the wall and sat, tucking in his wings. “You said you would proceed as if he’s guilty.”
“Until the Ring proves otherwise,” the king replied without heat, “I’ll also proceed as if he’s innocent. The same way I’ll proceed with you.”
I pressed my tongue to my teeth.
“Give me the journal,” he demanded.
My gaze jerked toward Ian. He seemed absorbed with Jasher, but I wondered if he listened to my conversation with the king.
Legs still wobbling, I staggered to the bed. Reached for the leather-bound tome—
Gone.
I tore through the blankets, scrabbled along the floor, patted beneath the mattress. Nothing. Only cold air and panic.
“It’s missing.” My pulse beat like a war drum. It wouldn’t burn and now it had vanished?
Ahav said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes. He was losing patience with me, hemorrhaging trust second by second.
The men finished their examination and filed out. From his position against the wall, Jasher blew them a kiss goodbye.
“Ian,” the king called, and his friend stopped and faced us. “Tomorrow you will face the oracle in the Ring of Truth.”
Ian canted his head, his gaze quizzical rather than fearful. “May I inquire of the charge, sire?”
A muscle jumped in Ahav’s jaw. “She claims you work with the monstra.”
No reaction. “A serious charge indeed.” The guardian focused on me. “If you apologize and admit you lied, we can continue in peace.” He spoke with the ease of someone who’d already tested the Ring—and won. “But if you continue to malign my character, I will act.”
My stomach turned over. “Are we supposed to box or something? Because I come with truth bombs, not right hooks.”
A slight smirk, soon wiped away, then a head shake. “That isn’t how it works. But so be it, Oracle. We will proceed. Enjoy your night. You won’t get to enjoy another.” Off he strode, whistling, as if he had no cares.
King Ahav trailed him, but lingered in the doorway. “In the Ring, the one who speaks truth strengthens. The one who lies creates shackles. The winner decides the fate of the loser.”
Perfect. Ian didn’t stand a chance.
Ahav’s gaze burned into mine. “If you tell even one falsehood, Ian will have every right to take your head. Punishment for your baseless accusations.”
“I’m not worried,” I said, confident.
“You should be.” His jaw tightened. “Something in me doesn’t want you to die, even though your survival marks the betrayal of my dearest friend. This time loop you believe we’re in… It would explain why I feel as if I’ve met you, a stranger, a thousand other times.”
My pulse leapt. Could he feel our shared blood? See the echo of himself—or of his queen—in me?
“Let’s talk again after I dominate in the Ring,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. He would be more inclined to believe me then. “And don’t worry. Like I told you, I have no intention of killing Ian. Only binding him.”
Ahav’s eyes darkened. “If he is the monstra clonemaker, as you claim, I’ll kill him myself.” He left then, sealing the door behind him. The air went with him, the room shrinking until every breath scraped.
Okay, so, I’d made a mistake, accusing Ian without a surefire backup plan. If Ian fell, the bond controlling the monstra would snap, and Jasher would be dragged to the grave with him.
Dread thickened my blood to an icy sludge. “New plan,” I announced to my roommate. “Tonight, we learn how to sever your tie to Ian without the Ember.”
Jasher shrugged, unconcerned. “You can’t save me. We’ve passed the tipping point. There’s no stopping the momentum now. Can’t you feel it?”
The pressure? Yes. There was never a moment I didn’t. “I won’t let you die,” I vowed. “I’ll search every book.” This was Elowen’s room. Perhaps she’d left an instruction manual. A clue. A potion. Something! “I’ll summon her.” Yes. That.
I rushed to the pool, calling, “Elowen. Let’s talk. I’m ready to bargain.”
Minutes passed without a disturbance. I tried her magic phrase. “Until the end.”
Nothing.
I huffed, frustrated.
Jasher flipped his coin, infuriatingly calm. “You should dance for me before I die.”
“You’re not going to die,” I snapped. “But please, tell me more about the dancing.” This was the second time he’d mentioned it.
“Remember,” he stated. Flip. Catch. Flip. Catch. Kevin stood with his arms raised, as if cheering.
Discouraged but not defeated, I perused the bookshelves for anything related to the monstra, family legend, emeralds, embers, breaking codes, or the history of Hakeldama. I found mathematics manuals. More math. Math, math, math. Gardening. Nothing I needed.
Wait! I focused on the spine of a single book. Was that…surely not…
I withdrew the leather-bound tome, and my jaw nearly unhinged. It was. I now held the king’s journal, as if someone had stashed it there, just to stop me from showing the king.
Prickles erupted over my nape.
The sound of rippling water reached my ears. Clutching the tome to my chest, I spun. Elowen rose from the water, climbing the steps with a slow, elegant roll of her hips. Water droplets clung to her crimson hair and skin.
Finally!
The affection flowed from the memory I’d unearthed. I still didn’t comprehend the nuances of our relationship, but like my mom, I was starting to trust her. I wondered how she’d acquired the scars.
Today, Elowen wore a bikini made of crimson seashells and red moss with a sheer short skirt.
Bangles clinked on her wrists and ankles.
A crown of coral protruded from her head, and shards of colorful glass dangled from her ears.
A perfect perfume of coconut and sunshine wafted from her, as if she’d just come from a tropical island.
“Hello, Rye.” She stopped a few feet away and studied me with great curiosity.
Perhaps I peered at her the same way. I felt as if I’d waited my entire life for this moment. “Elowen,” I acknowledged with a dip of my chin. “Thank you for coming.”
“Forgive me for staring, but until this point, I’ve only seen you in visions. I didn’t allow myself to spy on you, though I knew we would meet,” she admitted, clearly proud of herself. “I’m glad you drank the serum. This azure hue suits you.”
My shoulders popped straight. “You turned me into someone I’m not. I’m no longer me.”
Jasher rose and pivoted, facing us, fully invested in our conversation.
A tinkling laugh left the water maiden. “Do you think I’m trying to turn you into Andrea?” She smiled. “You, Moriah Shaker, are not Andrea, and you never will be.”
“But I’m a Smurf,” I all but shrieked. “At least to others. Your serum altered my DNA. I’m now craving water and having visions. Something I didn’t do pre-serum. I even foresaw the assassination of the queen.” Among other things.
“And you saved her,” Elowen said, beaming. “But there’s no way to change someone’s species. Not in this world or any other.”
I anchored my hands on my hips. “Explain why everyone but me sees a blue water maiden.”
“Haven’t you heard? Perception dictates reality. Expectation is a powerful force, ensuring people only ever see what they expect to see.”
Maybe. “But why would anyone expect to see a blue water maiden when they gaze at me? How can the expectations of others cause me to see the future?”
“How indeed,” she taunted with a coy smile before clicking her tongue.
This. This was a big reason I’d hated dealing with Iris. Misdirection, suppositions, and unnecessary puzzles, oh my. But I didn’t back down. I got direct. “What do you know about Ian’s tie to the monstra?” We would return to my new oracle abilities in a bit.
Another coy smile as she stalked a circle around me, saying, “I didn’t come to bargain but to instruct you and to issue a warning.”
Too bad. “I only care about Jasher right now.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw him jolt.
Her smile slipped, just for a moment. “Soon, you’ll wish to create another waterway. Just want it more than air, and it will open.”
Exasperating woman. “That’s not how the world works.” But was that how I’d opened the waterway before?
“And you know that, how?” She patted my head. “Now for the warning. If you enter the Ring of Truth tomorrow, you will die.”
What? “Why? How? I’m armed with the truth.”
“Are you?” She turned and glided closer to the water. “Memories you haven’t yet accessed hold certainties you haven’t yet faced.”
I looked to Jasher for help and got a you’re the one who summoned her shrug. “I’m certain Ian is the leader of the monstra, and that’s what matters. Do you know how to sever the tie or not?”
Anger flickered in her scarlet eyes, all hint of kindness evaporated. “You fight to save your betrayer while I’m forced to contend with our true enemy.”
“Hardly. I’m actively opposing Ian, too.”
“I do not refer to him. He is but a weapon wielded by the ones in control.” She descended the pool’s steps, entering the water. “I speak of Sin,” she offered quietly. “She Is Near. A shadow siren. Sin and her Malkom.”
The names scraped me raw. Jasher must have had a similar reaction. He paled.
“They have reemerged,” Elowen said, “and they’re aiding Ian. You should be worried, my dear. Very, very worried.” She disappeared beneath the surface a second later.
Her words echoed. Shadow siren. Sin. Malkom. Dread slithered through me, a boa tightening its grip. Sin was the woman I’d seen in my visions; she must be. Malkom was her sidekick.
“What’s a shadow siren?” I asked Jasher.
“A nightmare of darkness and pain.” His jaw clenched. “That’s all I can say on the matter.”
So he knew more, but he wouldn’t say more. Or couldn’t. I fisted my hands once, twice, hating the thought of Elowen in danger. Hating my ignorance.
Jasher steered the conversation in another direction. “If I interpreted her confusion-speak correctly, there’s a secret you aren’t ready to accept, but you’ll be forced to do so in the ring, and it will kill you.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “After Ahav’s threat, I decided to avoid the Ring. If I have to apologize to Ian, so be it.” Whatever it took.
Jasher flipped his coin. “I’m conflicted, princess. Half of me wants to think the worst of you.”
“And the other half?”
“Doesn’t.”
I sighed and marched to the bed, grabbed the blanket and a pillow, and carried them to my companion. He ignored me. Flip. Catch. I made him a pallet, then returned to the bed, intending to read the journal all night long. Answers awaited me.
But first. “If it’s up for a vote,” I said, “I pick option three. Think the best.”
Flip. Catch. Jasher smiled, all teeth and cunning. “You shouldn’t. One day, our tables will turn. I will be free…and you will be my prisoner.”
I snorted, as if he’d told a joke, but inside, my calm shattered.