Page 33

Chapter 33

Beatriz

I awoke to sunshine cutting across my vision. A white ceiling stretched overhead, and soft covers enveloped my body. Where was I?

The previous night replayed through my mind, and my stomach sank as I remembered why I was alone. Why hadn’t I insisted that Laude stay by my side? She would have been safe if I’d stayed on the dock long enough for her to join me. And Zichri was supposed to wake me up once Minerva agreed to whisk us away. I jolted out of bed.

Childish laughter echoed outside the small quarters. I slipped my feet into my boots and exited the simple room with its white curtained window. An urgency pulsed through my veins. I flung the door open only to find Zichri and a scrawny boy standing in the middle of a grassy courtyard. They both held long sticks and brandished them as formidable weapons. The boy swiped at Zichri, who blocked the blow and parried to strike the skinny boy. But instead Zichri disarmed the child and scooped him over his shoulders and spun. The boy howled with delight.

A smile crept up my cheeks as I imagined this same scene with Zichri’s own children—the ones he didn’t have yet. The thought that they could also be my children caused me to blush in embarrassment and pleasure.

“Beatriz, you’re awake.” Cosme strode toward me from my right. “We need to speak to Monserrat. She’s still out of sorts.”

“Of course,” I hedged, but followed Cosme through a doorway, which led to a small dining room. An elegant table decorated with a small bouquet of sunset-orange plumerias took up most of the space. The expected fragrance was overshadowed by a meaty aroma drifting from the kitchen.

Cosme stepped into the kitchen and waved to an older woman. Minerva entered through the doorway at the opposite end with a basket full of mangos. He swept over to help Minerva. I sensed a cozy sentiment vibrating through my connection to him and stiffened my posture.

My knuckles glowed with my gift, and I clenched my fists. The bite of my fingernails on my palms helped to calm the flow of energy until it stopped reaching outward.

“Sorry about that.” Cosme reappeared in front of me. “Minerva said Monserrat’s out in front of the hacienda and is a bit calmer now.” He led the way from the kitchen through a dim passage. Artwork hung on the wall. One painting depicted a valley, another showed a family—mother, father, and a skinny little girl with wild dark curls: Minerva.

We turned left into the small parlor from the previous night. Though the seating arrangement was the same, the daylight revealed the elegant cut of the furniture and the sunshine yellow walls that now matched the daylight pouring in through high windows.

Cosme opened the front door and stepped out, searching for Monserrat. His manners revealed an earnestness. Was it because he still wanted to marry the girl?

“Monse, over here.” He signaled for her to come in and plopped into an armchair.

I moved toward the couch just in case Monserrat needed support. Her papá was dead. Her mamá remained in Prince Hugo’s clutches, which didn’t bode well since he knew about Monserrat sneaking information.

Monserrat trudged into the room with disheveled curls only partly pinned up and stains covering her gown. Why hadn’t she changed into one of Minerva’s dresses last night? Even so, she carried herself with an air of defiance, ever the princess. She met my gaze and sat in the armchair next to Cosme’s.

I straightened my back, a bit put off by Monserrat’s cold manner. “What did you want to discuss?”

“We need to decide our next steps,” Cosme said.

“What about Zichri and the others?” I asked.

“They’re coming. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up.” Cosme’s matter-of-fact tone bristled my nerves.

“For me, the decision is made.” I lifted my chin, daring him to object. “We can’t leave Laude, Jaime, and many of our countrymen like the sailors and the Dotados who aren’t here. What of your friend with extraordinary hearing?”

“Fermín woke up,” Cosme said. “Ignacio betrayed us. The sailors and the others are dead.”

I sank into the corner of the couch, dizzy from picturing the faces of all those who had died on this supposedly simple mission.

Fermín and Lucas strode through the front door. They searched each of our faces and made themselves comfortable. I had the misfortune of ending up between the two of them, with Fermin sitting by me on the couch and Lucas taking the chair beside me. Too much time passed while we perched on cushy couches deliberating.

Minerva entered the room carrying a tray and called over her shoulder, “Can you bring the forks?” On the low table between the seats, she set down a basket of bread, mango slices, meat, and dumplings. She nearly fled the room, but Cosme caught her wrist.

“Please stay.” Cosme’s thumb massaged Minerva’s skin. “We’ll need your insight.”

Minerva blushed. “Of course.”

I cut a look to Monserrat. A flash of anger flared on the princess’s nose, but she quickly settled her features into a dignified pout.

Zichri walked in with a plate of forks and dumped them on the table. The top of his tunic was undone, and his skin glowed from exercise. He went back to the dining room and brought a chair which he placed beside Lucas.

Lucas snatched several slices of bacon and a small bread loaf and stuffed them into his mouth. So did Cosme and Fermín. This scratched at my sensibilities and screamed as almost vulgar.

“Well, since we’re all here, how do we find La Lavia ?” Cosme bit into his bread.

Fermín cleared his throat. “The better question is, what do we do once we encounter Whyzer Patro?”

“Minerva has subdued him before.” Zichri grabbed two loaves and handed me one.

All eyes turned toward Minerva at the opposite end of the parlor. I looked at Zichri who shrugged.

“She has.” Zichri almost grew excited. “I was with her. A bunch of us fought him off and imprisoned him. Minerva even took down one of his cronies herself.”

Minerva clasped her hands in her lap and kept her head tilted downward. “I do not wish to repeat such an event.”

“But our friends will die.” I struggled to keep the aggravated tremor from my voice. We should have leapt onto another galleon last night and followed the maps. “I’ve seen what they’ll do to Laude.”

Cosme reached for a strip of bacon. “I trust you had a vision, but I’m not sure of your interpretation. We’re correct to tread cautiously. That whyzer misuses his gifts and seeks power from other mediums.”

I clutched my bread, fingers pressing through the outer crust. “So are we going to sit here and debate all day long while La Lavia moves onward? Couldn’t Minerva or Lucas take us to the galleon?”

Lucas shifted forward. “We can’t. La Lavia is a moving object. I agree with Cosme. In fact, we should travel back to Giddel and seek the advice of the queen.”

Resisting an urge to roll my eyes, I met Lucas’s stare. “Why Mamá? If we go back, she and Papá will forbid me from following the maps.”

“And for good reason.” Cosme forked several mango slices. “Honestly, I don’t see how else we’ll get another galleon.” He chomped on the fruit, juice dripping from the corner of his mouth.

My teeth bit on the inside of my cheek. My brother had a point about needing another galleon from Giddel, but I couldn’t agree with Lucas and Cosme if it meant I was left behind. Zichri had mentioned Pedroz, and they’d have galleons too.

“Could we not go to the port in Pedroz instead?” I massaged my forehead, impatient at our delay. Precious time ticked by while we stuffed our faces. “Why must we beseech Mamá?”

“Mamá worked for Whyzer Patro.” Cosme’s voice softened.

Monserrat harrumphed. “Here I was thinking the Queen of Giddel was some high and mighty lady.”

“Princess Monserrat.” Cosme tsked. “I wouldn’t be so quick to judge. My mother has been held captive by Whyzer Patro’s threats since youth. Lucas and Minerva also had similar misfortunes.”

The disheveled princess brushed her honey-brown curls away from her face and watched Lucas with an unreadable expression.

“It’s settled.” Cosme grabbed a few dumplings. He tossed one at me. “Eat up. We’re headed home, and you won’t get a chance to eat the best dumplings in all Agata again any time soon.”

I huffed, but Cosme walked out the doorway and deeper into the house. Fermín, Monserrat, and Lucas conversed amongst themselves about Whyzer Patro.

Zichri leaned closer to my ear. “We’re set to go to Pedroz and retrieve a galleon.”

I turned toward him. His full upper lip twitched with a hint of mischief. My gaze traced up the slope of his nose and the arch of a thick eyebrow, marked with a faint scar. When our eyes met, my breath caught. He was achingly handsome and had just eased this anxious heart from its torment.

“Take a walk with me.” Zichri’s deep voice stirred my heart like honey.

I nodded. At least one person understood my plight. He had just as much to lose as I did.

Zichri held my hand as we walked around Minerva’s home. Sun caught in the dark strands of his tousled hair and reflected off his tanned skin. I wanted to memorize every second of my time alone with him just in case this was all we had.

We stayed within the tall walls around Minerva’s home. Though the faint pink color of the walls was chipped at the edges and the grounds had overgrown plant life, Minerva’s home had the husk of a fancy getaway. How had a single young woman come to own such a decadent house?

I looked over my shoulder, seeing a sun-kissed yard with no one in sight. “How will we get another galleon?”

He tapped his index finger over his lips and led me through a back gateway with dark curled edges shaped into vines. The metal hinges creaked as they opened and shut. Before us stood a panorama of verdant mountains from afar and a lush valley below. Colorful houses sprinkled the mountainside.

“This is beautiful.” I gawked. “Where are we?”

“We’re on the outskirts of Giddel and Pedroz.” Zichri watched me intently.

My stomach fluttered. “It’s a wonder that a lone girl lives here.”

“She has her maid and little Tomas.” His voice held a playful reprimand.

I met Zichri’s gaze and giggled. Mamá would have chastised me for such childish behavior if she were here. I calmed myself with a lungful of fresh air. “You know what I mean. There’s no one to protect her.”

“You forget that she’s a portal maker.”

“Portal maker or not, she’d have to be with her maid and the boy all hours of the day if they all needed to flee.” I peeked at the walls behind me. “This seems like a prime location for ruffians to attack.”

Zichri pointed outward. “Notice the sheen at that tree over there.”

I squinted in the distance. The sun caught on something in the air and reflected a rainbow of colors. “That’s odd.”

A crooked smile cocked on Zichri’s face. “She placed a portal around her home. We can’t leave the premises and return. Just look at those birds.”

Searching the tree line, I noticed small yellow warblers. They tweeted and hopped about the branches at the top of the tree. One bird swooped toward us and disappeared without even a squawk.

My breath caught. “What?”

He let out a rich laugh. “The creatures end up on another tree at the other end of her territory. Animals that enter the protective ward get transported to the other side.”

We continued our walk on the outside of the wall around to the front. I took in the leafy brush and trees, trying to find a kink in the invisible shell over the property. Our boots squished over the moist grass, and sunlight beat on our foreheads, unimpeded by whatever force cocooned the estate. Zichri pointed to a tree near the front entrance. More warblers tweeted and disappeared, then reemerged from thin air.

I adjusted my dress collar and curled my fingers around my necklace chain. “Can anyone see the house, or does the whole place appear transparent?”

“It’s invisible to anyone outside the property.” He led me to the front tree. “Only portal makers who have been here before can enter.”

We stepped onto the gravel entrance of Minerva’s estate. The giant front gate yawned open as if to invite all those who wandered into its embrace.

The way Prince Zichri eyed me ignited heat on my cheeks, but I wouldn’t be self-indulgent. He gently swung my arm like he meant to spin me into his embrace, but I kept him at a distance. Our focus needed to stay on procuring a galleon and saving those we loved.

“How does this help us get to Laude and Jaime?” Whatever ease we had found in this stolen moment fled with my question.

Zichri traced the vine-like markings on my knuckles. “I say this so that you’ll know the measure of power Minerva stewards. Your brother is right about you being safer in Giddel, but I know you won’t give up that easily.” He winked.

“You do know me too well.” I tried to stop my lips from curling upward.

“We also need Minerva to convince the stewards in Pedroz to lend us a galleon.”

I stopped. “If the stewards see me, they’ll be more likely to imprison the three of us. And how does this Minerva have so much sway over those who govern Pedroz?”

Zichri squared in front of me. “What if I told you Minerva is the reason Himzo and Pedroz could attack Giddel without so much as a sign?”

My back stiffened, and I yanked my hand from Zichri’s. “I don’t understand. Cosme said she saved Giddel.”

“She might also be the reason Cosme knew of the attack before it happened.” He watched me intently.

I tucked stray hairs behind my ears and crossed my arms. A warm breeze undid the strands I had corrected. “Is she my enemy or a friend?” Blood pulsed at my temples.

“She’s a friend who is stuck between three kingdoms.” The certainty in Zichri’s voice gave me pause.

Couldn’t she use us against each other? What if she betrayed us like his brother did Aracibel? The whole innocent young senorita appearance could be an act. Then again, we couldn’t attain a galleon without Papá or Cosme.

“Fine,” I said. “We’re at her mercy, I suppose.” Emotion swelled, unbidden and wild.

Zichri brushed the pad of his thumb against my cheek. “We’re going to retrieve Laude and Jaime.” He held my shoulders. “It’s not your fault they were taken.”

A ball of emotion pressed against my heart and bubbled at the corners of my eyes. “I should never have let her leave my side.”

“You could have been taken along with her.” He tilted my chin up to meet his gaze. “We should seek the counsel of the Ancient One.”

I let my eyes meet his and tears streamed along my nose. “All right. We don’t have time to follow mere speculation or my dreams.”

“Have you had any more dreams?” He motioned to my collar where the gold chain was exposed.

“No,” I said. I should have elaborated to see if there was more to my visions that he might be able to interpret. Saying it aloud would make them more real, a living and breathing reality.

He nodded and prayed for wisdom and favor from the Ancient One and from people who might help along the way. His fervent words fed something inside of me that had been caged: hope.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“What’s wrong?” He traced my tears with the warm pads of his thumbs. His eyebrows furrowed with concern. “This isn’t just about getting Laude and Jaime back.”

“What if the Ancient One continues to punish me for who I used to be?” My voice hitched. “I was terrible to other people. You should hear what they thought of me.”

“You’re a mind reader too?” His brown eyes snapped wide.

“Sometimes emotion-charged thoughts whisper to me. Perhaps the Ancient One allowed Laude to be taken because I used my gift when I promised to never use it again.”

He wrapped his arms around me. “The Ancient One doesn’t give bad gifts.”

“This sure feels terrible.” I leaned my head against his hard chest and inhaled, soaking in the scent of sea salt and grass. His warmth and comfort did more than all of Uncle Uly’s lessons or Papá's ultimatum. The sweet release of knowing I had been pardoned and not punished left me free to use my abilities for good.

He released my shoulders reluctantly and stepped to my side. “Let’s meet with Minerva.” He bobbed his head with a boyish assurance that his plan would work. He entwined his fingers with mine and gave a gentle squeeze. “Beloved, are you ready?”

“No, but we don’t have time to wait for me to be truly ready.” My words came out choked and lifeless. From here on out, I’d have to put aside the turbulent ocean in my heart and lean on the Ancient One.

We crossed through the sitting room where we’d left breakfast. Now, my stomach growled with hunger, but I wouldn’t stop in case a delay would cause Minerva to reconsider helping us. When we made it to the kitchen, Minerva stood alone, wiping a counter.

Her gaze rose to meet us. “We’re teleporting to my home in Pedroz.” An awkward pause had my lips fumbling to fill the void. But she continued, “Zichri and I will be accepted into the palace, but I’m afraid you either will have to hide or offer a worthy gift.”

“What do you mean by worthy gift?” I clutched Zichri’s firm arm, digging my fingers into his long sleeve.

“I mean,” her gentle voice wavered, “you aren’t welcome, and a galleon is no small favor to ask.” A light glow shone from the girl, silhouetting her figure. She waved an arm behind her, causing a black hole to shimmer in the air. “I doubt your brother will follow our lead as he, too, is not welcome at the Pedrozian palace.”

Zichri stepped toward the darkened circle of air, pulling me along, and we slipped into the black abyss. The now familiar, but still strange, pull yanked at my body and tousled loose hairs around my braid. My boots met hard stone, and I found myself in a space even darker than the moonlit night.

Minerva’s form floated toward me, aglow with the strange light from her neck. Her sure footsteps scuffed the floor, and more noises clattered from somewhere off in another room. Zichri kept a firm hold on me as my eyes tried to adjust to the sparse light coming from somewhere behind me. Still, I could only hear my heart thundering in my ears.

“Beloved,” Zichri’s voice soothed like honey, “do you still have the Heart Song?”

“What do you mean?”

“The relic?”

A weight suddenly pressed on my breastbone, and the dark room surrounding us peeled away into a vision of the Pedrozian throne room bathed in the midday sun. My hand hovered before me with the pocket watch dangling before the hungry eyes of the steward of Pedroz. The image vanished like salt stirred in water until all that was left were my thoughts, the dark room, and Zichri’s steady breath beside me.