"So," says Es, sitting down in chair next to me and crossing her legs. "When can we get back to Portland, darlin'? Because as fun as this pleasure palace is, I got friends and family who miss me. I also pray I haven’t been fired."
"Me too," says Pete, sighing and running his fingers through his hair.
I fold my hands together in my lap, thinking. "Well, Fen left yesterday to scout out Stonehill. When he and Dean return, we should be able to make a concrete plan. Then once Levi is defeated, you’ll be safe to return to Portland."
Es sighs. "This Levi is really that bad, huh?"
"My words don’t do him justice. You really have to meet him. Or on second thought, don’t." The three of us laugh, and Varis grunts, still trying to meditate.
After a moment, he finally appears to give up. "Arianna, when Dean returns, can you please ask him to show me the Mirror of Idis. It is a Fae artifact, a piece of Fae history, and I, as a Wild One, should have access to it. But instead he keeps it locked up in his room. And from what I’ve heard, gazing into it more and more by the day."
I bow my head, sadness filling me at the thought of Dean and what he told me. He still looks into the pool because he sees a happier life. A life that may even be possible, if I were to choose him as king. But my heart belongs to Fen.
"I’ll ask him," I tell Varis.
"Thank you. Now, since it doesn’t seem like we’ll be doing any training tonight, I’ll be off. I do however expect you to catch up on your reading. Good night everyone." He leaves with a flourish of his cape, and I roll my eyes, tired of my currently assigned text: The History of Fae Cheese and Other Delicacies.
Es looks over at me with a raised eyebrow. "Training going that bad, huh?"
I grunt. "Slow. Like molasses. I'm learning simple tricks and some useful incantations, but nothing that will win us a war. However, if you need to find a rabbit or change your appearance, I'm your girl." My voice is sarcastic, though the things I've learned have been interesting. It's just not enough.
"I take it you're frustrated?" says Pete.
"Yes." In so many ways. Fen is gone. I miss him. I want to explore our relationship more, but we're always stuck in one mess or another. I wish I could whisk him back to my world for a normal dinner and movie date. But that's not a life I will ever have if I stay here and fulfill my contract to the princes.
Es studies the shelves of books. "Is there nothing else he can teach you?"
My lips curl in a smile as something occurs to me. "There's nothing more he's willing to teach me, but… there might be something else I can learn. Let’s go!"
I jump up and run into the hallway, Pete and Es at my heels. "And how will you learn this, exactly?" asks Pete, panting. He never did have the strongest constitution.
"There’s a book. A book Varis hid from me the first day we studied. I bet it has something I could use."
"Have you considered there’s probably a reason Varis doesn’t want you reading that text?" asks Pete. "I know I haven’t known him long, but he’s shared some great wisdom with me, and I’ve yet to see him wrong."
I speed up, my excitement growing. "I'm sure he thinks he has good reasons, but he's holding me back, and we don't have time for that. People are dying!"
Pete is quiet the rest of the way, seemingly swayed by my argument. He could never stand the needless suffering of others.
Once we reach the correct hallway, I use illusion to make us look like the many scantily-clad servants who wander the halls and rooms of the palace day and night. We each carry a platter laden with food and drink and make our way toward Varis's room, as if we have every right to enter.
Once at his door, I enhance my senses and listen for any breathing. There is none. Instead of retiring to his room like he said, Varis probably went out to the local inn. I’d heard he was developing a taste for Baldar’s Nectar of the Elder Ones.
I turn the handle and the door opens, unlocked so servants can clean, or in our case, more nefarious things.
His room is as tidy and neat as I would have imagined.
"I have a bad feeling about this," whispers Pete, but I shush him and look around.
My enhanced vision picks up traces of recent prints of dust, things Varis touched. His bed. His closet.
I look under his pillow, find nothing, and then check the closet. Stashed deep past layers of fur cloaks, I discover the black leather book he hid from me.
When I touch it, my hands fill with cold, and I hear something in the distance. "You hear that?" I ask, but Pete and Es shake their heads.
Strange. I open the leather and run my hand over the cover. The ice seeps into the bones of my hand, making them ache, my skin prickles, and my arm hair stands on edge. I slam the book closed quickly and shove it back into its leather cover, then replace everything as I found it.
"So what now?" asks Es.
"Now, I need to read it."
I guide them back to my room and drop our new illusions. Pete and Es stay with me as I peruse the pages of the old manuscript, using a translation spell to understand the glyphs. Most of what I come across terrifies me: human sacrifice. Nude rituals. "Guys, I really hope I don’t have to do this stuff for Yami to grow stronger." I show them one picture of a woman being cut open from chin to groin, her organs pulled out to 'read'.
Pete recoils and Es bends over. "Think I’m going to vomit."