Chapter 20

The greatest freedom,and one elusive to many, is the ability to say no.

~ Abayar, Founder Sandsteader Press

Outside, rain pounded down from low dark clouds, making it hard to tell when night gave way to day. Kaylina didn’t care. Other than checking to make sure her brother wasn’t seized by unconsciousness again, she didn’t intend to do anything. She wasn’t getting ready for the opening of the meadery—how could she invite people to visit this vile castle?—and she had no intention of showing up at ranger headquarters for training. She planned to remain wrapped in blankets, dozing and lamenting her foolish decision to leave home.

During the night, more nightmares had plagued her, all featuring that plant, and clanking had come from the catacombs. She’d barely slept. Her brother would tell her she was in a funk, but, in this case, it had to be understandable.

Frayvar sat up and stoked the fire in the hearth.

“I need to start prepping. I wish I had an assistant chef.” He looked toward Kaylina, as if he might press her into the duty, but must have remembered she was supposed to be elsewhere. “You weren’t ordered to report for training at dawn?”

“Screw the training.”

“They know where to find you if they want you.”

“Let them come. If they care. Vlerion is probably still busy with that woman. After she showed up yesterday, he blew off my training.” The hurt in her tone surprised her. She hadn’t truly cared about that, had she?

Once she’d had to train with others, she’d realized that Vlerion was a decent instructor. He’d been patient and hadn’t laughed at her ineptitude or leered at her chest. It turned out that was rare among the rangers. They did need more women working with them, but only so they would smack the men and indoctrinate better behavior in them.

Other than the occasional lawless pirate, someone who pestered everyone, men hadn’t bothered Kaylina that often back home. They’d known her family would protect her. Her grandparents weren’t physically intimidating, but everyone on the islands knew who they were and respected them, and her brother-in-law and male cousins snapped at anyone who was rude to their female relatives. Maybe Kaylina had taken them all for granted.

What had she told Frayvar the day they arrived? It’s hard to get people to take you seriously when there’s nobody behind you.

“Is he a good trainer?” Frayvar asked.

“Vlerion? Yeah, I guess he is.”

“I thought he might be hard on you. Because you hit him on the head and called him an ass and a pirate.”

“He wasn’t exactly un-hard, but he was… decent.”

And he’d been sympathetic about her wanting to protect her brother. She wished she’d asked him more about his brother. She’d hardly asked him anything about himself. Maybe it wasn’t any of her business, but her mother had often told her to stop living in her own head and show interest in others. That had been before the tarmav weed, when she’d cared about her children growing up to be good people.

“Well, if you’re not going to train, you canhelp me peel vegetables.”

“I will. I—”

A chime sounded, startling Kaylina into rolling away from the blankets to grab her sling. Thus far, none of the noises in this place had led to anything good.

“Is that… the door chime?” Frayvar asked.

“I don’t know. Nobody has ever rung the chime when I’ve been here.” She hadn’t known there was a chime. “Or knocked. Unless you count the girl who pelted the door with silverware.”

“People aren’t eager to come up to the keep.” Frayvar pushed himself to his feet, but he waved for her to go first to check on it.

After his night, Kaylina couldn’t blame him. She straightened her rumpled sleep clothes, combed her fingers through her hair, and then did the same for Frayvar, who hadn’t seen a barber since long before they’d left home and looked scruffy.

“Ew, touching.” He tried to pull away from her.

“I’m not hugging you. Don’t be so melodramatic.”

“It’s wonderful that you understand me and are considerate of my preferences.”

“Oh, shush.” She punched him in the shoulder before hurrying for the front door, though she didn’t know if she cared about missing a caller. It might be that Jana, coming again to smile and wish them luck while spying on them.

When Kaylina opened the door, a tidy gray-haired man holding an umbrella and wearing a chauffeur’s uniform stood halfway back to the gate, poised to flee the rest of the way. A silver-trimmed black carriage with four magnificent horses harnessed to it waited in the street. An emblem that was somewhat familiar—had she seen it before in a history book?—marked the side with a sword crossed over an ancient war horn.

Since the chauffeur’s gaze was toward the tower window, he didn’t notice Kaylina. Thanks to the darkness of the day, the red glow was evident.

“If you’re here for a meal or mead tasting, they won’t start until…” Until when? If she or Frayvar had an inkling of sanity, they would call everything off until they could figure out how to remove the curse from the castle. Or at least ensure it wouldn’t result in guests being stricken unconscious. Or worse. “Later,” she finished.

The chauffeur looked at her, his mouth opening slightly—in surprise?—when he took in her rumpled sleep clothes. What had he expected? A perfectly made-up woman in an impeccable dress?

“Are you… Kaylina Korbian?”

“Yup.”

“The woman who began ranger training yesterday with Lord Vlerion?”

“Yup.” Kaylina tensed, realizing the man might have been sent to drag her to ranger headquarters. But this looked like a nobleman’s carriage, not one of the city taxis.

The chauffeur looked her up and down again, as if he couldn’t believe he had the right person. Kaylina was tempted to shut the door but noticed a second man waiting by the carriage. Muscular, scarred, and armed, he wore the same uniform but looked like someone sent along to deal with disrespectful commoners.

“Very well. I’ve been sent by Lady Isla of Havartaft to retrieve you for a meeting at her estate.”

“Uh. Who is that, and where is her estate?”

The chauffeur blinked slowly a few times. “You don’t know where Havartaft Estate is?”

“I’m not from around here.”

After another moment of consideration, during which he possibly noticed her darker skin, he said, “I see. The estate is approximately one hour’s ride to the north in a rich agricultural valley that extends from the Strait of Torn Towers to the west and the foothills of the Evardor Mountains to the east.”

That was more detail than Kaylina had expected. She didn’t know if the chauffeur was precise by nature or wanted her to have an idea of how much land the Havartafts owned and be impressed. With the mountains looming close to the water in places, she wasn’t sure it was as vast as it sounded.

“You may wish to change into more… respectable attire for the meeting,” he suggested.

It wasn’t enough to say my lord—or lady? Her clothes had to be respectful too?

“You don’t think Lady What’s-it would like my floral-pattern pajamas? These are Vamorkan trumpet flowers.” Kaylina touched her hem. “Bees love them.”

His lips pressed together. As a chauffeur, he probably wasn’t nobility himself, but maybe he felt so deeply loyal to the Havartafts that he believed his life would end if he delivered an inappropriately dressed visitor to the estate. Or maybe they flogged servants who didn’t perform adequately.

“Look, I don’t know anything about a meeting, and I’ve got a lot to do today. I appreciate you coming all the way down to get me—” that was a lie, “—but I need to help my brother peel vegetables. We’re opening our eating house tonight.” Maybe. The courtyard part. “Oh, how about you tell Lady Havartaft about our mead? Do you want me to give you samples to take home? Maybe she won’t be irked with you for not collecting me if you show up with a goodie bag.” Kaylina remembered that Targon hoped her new meadery would attract commoners with ties to the Virts, not aristocrats, but she didn’t care. She wanted all people to enjoy her mead.

“Ms. Korbian. You will come to this meeting. It is of grave importance.”

“I don’t know who Lady Havartaft is. How important can our meeting be?”

“She is Lord Vlerion’s mother, and this is about your safety as well as his.”

“Oh,” was all Kaylina could mouth for a long minute. That changed things.

She turned to find Frayvar listening to everything from behind her.

“I can handle the vegetable peeling,” he said. “Just… please promise to be back before serving time. I don’t want to be knocked unconscious again. Besides, who other than you can tell people about tasting notes?”

“You know as much as I do about the mead. You know as much as I do about everything.”

“Not about how to stay upright in our own castle.”

She grimaced. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She eyed the horses as she lifted a finger toward the chauffeur. “Give me a moment to change.”

“Yes,” he said with relief.

He might be disappointed when he saw how modest even her good clothing was, but Kaylina jogged to the kitchen to brush her teeth and hair, change clothes, and grab a bag of honey drops that she’d made for treats. She’d intended to give them to the taybarri when Vlerion wasn’t looking, but she might need to bribe one of the horses out front to help her escape later. Since she’d offered, she also grabbed two bottles of mead.

“My clothes might not impress any nobles, but this will.”

The chauffeur raised his eyebrows when she came out with the bottles in her arms, but he didn’t tell her to leave them, nor did he comment on the sling or knife at her waist. The muscled man opened the carriage door for her, revealing an empty interior. Blue velvet cushions offered comfort and immediately brought thoughts of naps to mind, especially if Kaylina would be riding alone. She would rather have asked the men questions. Primarily, why did Vlerion’s mom want to see her? But once the carriage started up, with wheels and hooves clattering on the cobblestones, there wasn’t any opportunity for chitchat with the men riding outside on the driver’s bench.

Kaylina watched the castle as the carriage rolled away, the window glowing as ominously as ever. She vowed to return well before nightfall to do what she could to help and protect her brother.