Breakwater Page 9

  Terraling. That was what my family—the earth elementals—was known as outside the Rim, and for a moment the name caught me off guard it had been so long since I’d heard it.

  Putting my right hand over my heart I gave him a bow from the waist. “Thank you. Can you direct me to the kitchens?”

  “I’m going that way myself, perhaps you will escort me?” He raised his brows, the thick bushy things touching his hairline.

  I bowed again and allowed him to lead, a half step ahead of me.

  “How do you like the Deep so far, Ender?”

  Struggling to find the right words, I cleared my throat before answering. “It is not what I expected.”

  “Ah, things outside our own families rarely are.”

  “I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.” Perhaps he was someone important. Or worse, sided with Requiem.

  “I didn’t give it. Around here, it is best no one knows when help is given. That is a sure way to spend the remainder of your life stuffed into the cells.”

  I licked my lips, knowing I was taking a chance. “Like the other ambassadors?”

  The old man didn’t look at me, but I saw the tension run across his shoulders and his eyes watered suddenly, as if he were on the verge of tears.

  Looked like I’d hit my mark, but even so, he said nothing of my question.

  “Well, here we are. The kitchens. If I can make a suggestion as to the fare you are about to partake?” He turned to face me, eyes serious.

  “Of course.”

  “I find the fruit to be the best form of sustenance these days. Only the fruit. And perhaps a little rainwater from the outer levels.” He gave me a wink and I bowed to him a second time.

  “I will accede to your wisdom. Thank you.”

  He said nothing more, only turned and continued down the hall to wherever it was he was going.

  I watched him until he was out of sight, around the corner, the steady thump of his cane fading. Putting a hand to the doors, I tugged. They were locked, though I wasn’t terribly surprised. If you’re going to poison the food, you aren’t going to just leave it out for anyone to get into.

  I pulled my dagger from my vest and worked it between the door and the wall. Jiggling and turning, I was rewarded with a soft click of the door opening. Looking at the blade, I was surprised it hadn’t cracked with the force I’d exerted. If I made it back to the Rim . . . no, when I made it back to the Rim, I hoped Ash would hold to his word and teach me the art of blacksmithing.

  I slipped through the door and into the room, dim shadows obscuring everything. Everything except the muffled whispers and the subtle movement of bodies crouching low to the ground.

  I tightened my grip on my dagger and stepped into the room. Children’s voices, high and uncertain, whispered to each other and pulled me forward.

  “Who is it?”

  “I don’t know. She’s not an Undine.”

  I cleared my throat. “I’m an Ender from the Rim. Who are you?”

  A tiny head popped up from behind a kitchen table. A young Undine, maybe ten years old, his eyes sunken into his head and cheeks hollow with hunger. “We just came to get something to eat.”

  I put my dagger away, tucking it under my vest. Not easy to grab, but I didn’t want to lose it. The two children watched me and I was reminded kids were often far more honest than any adult.

  So while the old man had given good advice, a second opinion wouldn’t hurt. “Me too. Perhaps you can help me. Is there anything in here that hasn’t been tainted with puffer fish?”

  The little boy searched around and finally handed me a large mango. “Here, the fruit is clean. Everything else has puffer in it by the smell.” He gave a loud sniff to emphasize his point. I was glad the old man had been telling the truth, at least.

  I took the proffered fruit, peeled the skin with my teeth then bit into it as I watched the two kids, twins by the looks of them, scurry around the kitchen. “What are your names?”

  “No, we can’t tell you that.” The boy shook his head. “You could tell . . . Requiem”—he stumbled over the name—“we were here and he would send his sharks to eat us.”

  His sister nodded. “They’d skin us alive.”

  How a shark could skin them alive, I didn’t know, but a child’s fears were always based on true possibility.

  It seemed as though everyone within the Deep was afraid to be known.

  Another direction then. “Why do you take the food from here? Why not just go fishing?”

  They stopped and the boy looked up at me. “Requiem made it so all the fish will only come to him. Mama said it’s so we will make him king because he will feed us then. Mama hates him.”

  I rocked back on my heels, eating my mango, wondering how far I could push the questions. “Do you two know where the princess’s rooms are?”

  The little boy didn’t stop stuffing his bag as he answered. “No one does. She’s hidden away.”

  Now that was interesting. How was it that no one could know where the crown princess was? Or maybe they just didn’t know because they were kids.

  I gathered more fruit, mostly mangoes and bananas, when a thought struck me. “How did you two get in here anyway? The door was locked.”

  Grinning, the little boy pointed at the grate under his feet. “Pipes run all under the Deep. Since you’re an Terraling, you just got to be able to hold your breath.” He stepped off the grate, slid his fingers through it and flicked it open. He and his sister—with their bags of food—slid into the water, pulling the grate closed over them with barely a splash.

  With the children gone, I slipped out of the kitchen and made my way to our room. The matter of the food being withheld from the people explained a lot. The lack of motivation, the sheer fact so few people were up and around and those who were barely registered anyone around them. The only ones eating well were those at the banquet. The nobles and high-ranking officials.

  There was a light under the door of our room when I reached it. I knocked softly. “Bella.”

  The sound of feet and voices . . . I jiggled the handle, a thread of fear slicing through me. “Bella.”

  Feet on the padded floor, the rustle of cloth and then the door opened, but it was not who I expected to be standing there.

  Familiar honey-gold eyes stared into mine, blond hair catching the light. His leather vest was open at the throat, baring an expanse of sun-darkened skin. “Ender, your timing as always is impeccable.”

  I swallowed hard, unable to speak, my mind caught up with what had been going on behind the closed door before I’d knocked. “I found mangoes.” The urge to slap my head with my hand was strong, but I held the bag in front of me and pushed my way in. “You got my message then . . .”

  Belladonna was stretched out on the bed on her side, her hand resting in the curve of her waist. A smile on her lips like the cat that had snuck into the creamery and had its fill.

  I laid the bag of fruit on the table, reminding myself that Ash didn’t like Belladonna in the least.

  He folded his arms over his chest. “No, I didn’t get your message. Your father decided it would be best if we were both out of the way while the ambassador from the Pit decides our fate. You weren’t the only one killing Enders.” Ah, there was that.

  I narrowed my eyes at him, looking him over. He didn’t get the message, which meant he didn’t understand how much trouble we were in.

  Which could mean he wasn’t here to help us at all. I didn’t want to believe it of him, but if our father was trying to bump us off, and wanted to be sure it happened . . . sending another Ender would be good insurance.

  “How did you get in here? Belladonna, I told you not to let anyone in except me.”

  Belladonna sat up and I put myself between her and Ash. His eyes widened slightly as he took in my stance. “You don’t think I’m here to hurt you, do you?”

  “How did you get in here?” I repeated. My muscles strummed with building adrenaline. I didn’t want to fight him, but what option would I have if he attacked my sister?

  He folded his arms and stared hard at me. “The humans send in boats full of food. How do you think the fruit gets here? I hitched a ride with one of them. As to this room. I knocked, the princess let me in.”

  Belladonna laughed softly. “How brilliant. Perhaps we should try that next time, Lark, instead of rowing into shark infested waters.”

  Heat suffused my cheeks. It was a smart move, but how was I to know about the shipping lanes? No one had suggested it to me. There were a lot of things not adding up.

  “Ash, I need to speak to the ambassador privately.” I pointed to the door.

  His eyebrows shot up, but he backed out closing the door behind him.

  I turned to see Belladonna on her knees on the bed. I put a finger to my lips as I approached her. Crouching beside the bed I forced myself to think like a chess player. Where would I put the pieces if I wanted to take out those who caused me grief?

  Belladonna put a hand on my shoulder, her gray eyes thoughtful. “I think he’s here to make sure we don’t survive.” Her words echoed my own suspicions.

  Pain zinged through me at the thought of not being able to trust Ash, but I nodded. “I agree. There was no talk of sending him away, why Father would send both of his Enders at the same time . . . this doesn’t make sense.”

  “What do we do? Requiem is the devil incarnate. Do you know he is starving his people?”

  “How did you figure that out?”

  She snorted softly. “At the banquet. The things said and unsaid were all there if you know what you’re looking for. How did you find out?”

  “Kids in the kitchen. Requiem is keeping the fish at bay somehow so the people will let him be king if only to be fed.”

  The silence between us lasted only a minute or two, but in it I knew we were allies finally. I put my hand over hers on my shoulder.

  “We play their game better than them. That is our only chance.”

  She chewed her bottom lip. “And Ash?”

  “He needs to stay in the dark. If he’s here at Father’s request, to make sure we don’t survive, he can’t know we are working together.”

  Bella’s eyes darted to the door, then me. “You’re stronger than him, aren’t you?”

  I knew what the real question was. Could I kill him? Shaking my head, I didn’t answer her. She grabbed my face. “You have to be. Or we’re both dead.”

  CHAPTER 9

  o say the night passed in companionable silence would be a lie. Belladonna slept on the bed, and I lay beside her wide awake and staring at the ceiling. Listening to Ash’s slow even breathing as he sat against the doors. Guarding them. I pulled out the thin knife he’d given me, tucking it under my pillow. Just in case he decided to come at me, at least I wouldn’t be fumbling with my vest.

  My mind whirled with questions and possibilities, the darkness of the night seeming to urge my thoughts into the worst possible scenarios. Why had Ash really come? Was he telling the truth? Something about what he’d said didn’t sit right with me and that was the core of my unease. He wasn’t honest. I felt it with every breath I took.

  Ash lied, and that truth ate at me.

  Beside me, Belladonna rolled over, her face peaceful in sleep. The morning sun spilled in around us, backlighting her and making her hair glow. Here was the sister I remembered. Not the sister she had become. I touched her forehead, smoothing back her hair, wondering if the damage Cassava had done could be undone. Like the mother goddess had done for me.

  “No, I don’t want to,” she whimpered, her face crinkling up and tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. She jerked away from me, her eyes opening, but she didn’t see me. I knew that look. I’d seen it in the mirror more than once. Belladonna saw her past and she didn’t like what she looked at, saw all that she couldn’t escape, no matter how far she ran.

  I spit out the first thing that came to my mind. “You want the shower first?”

  Scrubbing her hands through her hair she nodded. “Yes. Come help me out of this dress.” There was really no need to help her, but we still had to discuss our plan and see if we could find a way to survive the Deep.

  My eyes were dry and crusted over with dirt, salt, and flecks of gore still. I stood and stretched my arms over my head, limbs protesting the long night unmoving. I glanced at Ash.

  He still slept. His head leaned against the door, eyes closed.

  I headed to the bathroom attached to our room.

  Belladonna was already naked and scrubbing herself under the flow of water.

  Half the room was set up as a shower, the walls tiled in pale blue marble flecked with black streaks, but the base of the shower was a pure white sand. I slid a hand over the marble to the dangling handle next to the shower. Guessing, I pulled on it.

  Water poured out like a miniature waterfall. I stepped under the flow, gasping at the temperature. Not hot by any means, the water was clean, fresh, and smelling of rain. It beckoned. I couldn’t help opening my mouth and gulping down a few gallons, finally quenching my thirst. I scooped up handfuls of sand from the bottom of the shower and scrubbed it over my skin and hair while the water pounded around me.

  Finally feeling refreshed, I stepped out of the shower, but let it run. I grabbed a towel for myself and handed one to my sister. She wrapped it around her body and we tucked our heads close together, the rushing water drowning out our words.

  “I’m going to find Ambassador Barkley, or whatever is left of him. You make friends with Requiem. Take Ash.”

  She nodded. “Be careful, Lark. We only have each other.”

  I flicked the pull handle of the showers, shutting the water off and turned. Ash stood there, watching.

  “Ambassador. Your presence is requested.” He stepped to the side. Behind him was a human slave. The first we’d seen.

  Belladonna sucked in a sharp breath and I struggled not to do the same. Skeletally thin, I wasn’t even sure if I looked at a man or a woman, an adult or a child. Draped in a thin white cloth, the material only accentuated the jutting bones and jagged hollows where flesh should have been.

  The slave held out a silver platter, arms shaking with the effort. He spoke, carefully. “Requiem would like to eat you. Eat with you, I mean.” I darted forward and grabbed the platter. On it was a single note with Bella’s name written across it in bold script. I handed it to her. She cracked it open.

  “Requested to dine with him. Again.” She threw the letter down, strode into the other room, and grabbed two pieces of fruit. “Here, eat this. Your body offends me.”

  She shoved the fruit at the slave who stared up at her, then fell to his knees as he jammed the fruit into his mouth. Crying, he ate, and I couldn’t look at him. This was the ugly truth of the Undines. Even without Requiem at the head, they thought nothing of having slaves. Even that old man I’d met the night before, he’d seemed kind. And yet, he likely had his own set of slaves to tend to him.

  I dropped my towel and went to grab my clothes. Which were no longer on the floor where I’d left them. Scooping my towel back up I wrapped it around my body, tying it off along my chest. The flash of white cloth slipping through the door caught my eye.

  The human slaves were quick with their chores it seemed.

  “They’ll bring them back,” Ash said. “The slaves are very good at what they do.”

  My jaw dropped and Belladonna elbowed me hard. “Of course they are. See, Lark, they even brought us clothes to wear.”

  On the bed were two outfits. Or what passed in the Deep as outfits. A swath of black silk lay stretched across the bed next to a pure white swath of silk. White was what the slaves wore.

  I picked up the white silk, knowing what it meant to put it on, to admit I had no value. Requiem knew I was a bastard. “Want to guess which one of us this is for?”

  Belladonna sucked in a sharp breath. “He wouldn’t go so far.”

  I shrugged. “We don’t really know him other than the fact he tried to kill us at least twice and me three times.” I hated to admit I didn’t understand the games and politics, but Belladonna knew this world better than I did. My jaw tightened, but I managed to speak. “Do you think I should wear it?”

  She fingered it. “No, I think I will wear it. It’s a better color on me, black is too harsh.”

  Ash grunted softly. “What are you up to, Belladonna?”

  She batted her eyes at him. “Whatever do you mean, Ender? I wish only for Requiem to see I serve him while I am here. Do you not think the white is fitting?”

  Clever, clever girl. Lips twitching, I fought back the smile as I helped her wind her body into the white silk. She was right; the white did look fantastic against her dark hair and smoky eyes. Her hand went to the griffin tooth still around her neck. “This is too crass with this silk. You wear it, Lark.” She all but flicked the necklace across to me. I caught it and slid it over my head. Why had she given it back? Perhaps she really didn’t like it, maybe she really did think it clashed with the white silk.

  Of course, she didn’t know that it was magical either.

  Dressed as much as she was going to be, Belladonna held out a hand to Ash. “Come, take me. Let us explore this place.”

  Ash hesitated, glanced at me still in my towel then took her hand. “Of course.”

  So well trained as an Ender, he didn’t think of breaking the rules. Of turning down a command from someone superior to him.

  The door closed behind them and I dropped the towel forgetting the slave who’d brought us the message. He cleared his throat. “Lady, do you need help with the silk?” I nodded.

  “Yes, please. I didn’t think to ask for help before they left.”

  He moved to my side and I wondered how long he had before he would be dead. Even with the influx of calories he’d just had, I knew he didn’t have the strength to last more than a few days. Yet, his hands were still deft as they wove the black silk around my body, pulling it tight and tying it off at my waist. “There you go. Right as rain.”