Chapter Twenty Nine

  Heed Your Big Sister

  On that autumn night, a daughter of Radina was taken once more. Nephis, Kugo, and Moss crept through the creaking halls of the palace by the sea, the room bathed in pale light. A bundle of blue curtains lay under their arms, stripped from his tall windows. The rooms in the governor’s palace were small, cluttered things, causing one to weave through them as a drunkard in the night. The shadows bent and turned with them, the light of the sea flitting ficklely through bare windows. Up the slender, spiral stairs they pressed until they came to a long hall with a great many doors.

  Calina would be in one of these, surely. But which, they did not know. The first door was empty, a fine and open room meant for a proper guest, but otherwise lacking. The next was the same. As was the next. Each door opened with a slow creak, threatening to shake awake whoever was near. But with no other options open to them, they pressed on. Then, coming near the end of the hall, Nephis pressed open the door to see a lump lying in the silken bed. Great shadows cut across the room, great swaths of black, like blindfolds to the eyes. She crept further in and leaned over the bed to catch the bald head of her sister glowing in the moonlight. The older sister breathed softly in the quiet evening, the fears of the day left for now, the sharpness of her features lessened by moonlight. Even still, Nephis’ heart began to beat to the trill of a drummer.

  She backed and backed away, but then, her hard heels caught on the hem of her skirt and she felt herself slip, falling to the ground with a BANG! Eleonora’s snoring clipped, and she jolted.

  “Hello?” her sister called in a sleep-clogged voice.

  Nephis held her breath.

  “Calina?” Eleonora called as she pulled herself up a little. “Is that you?” She squinted into the darkness, her eyes still blurry.

  Nephis nodded, keeping her back to the wall, so that Eleonora might not see her short hair.

  Her sister fell back into her downy pillows and shut her eyes once more. “Did you have a bad dream?” she asked.

  Nephis nodded, though there really was no need for it.

  “Did you?” Eleonora asked again.

  “Yes,” Nephis whispered in a high imitation of Calina.

  “Ooh,” Eleonora croaked, “Come here.” She waved to her sister with weak hands.

  “I-it’s alright,” Nephis replied in the same faint voice.

  “Come,” Eleonora demanded, pressing the voice from her weary chest.

  And so, Nephis crept to her. Eleonora motioned for her to set her head upon the mattress. Nephis did, the soft, feathered bed gently letting her rest a moment. She felt a thin and warm hand, gently stroking her head. And then, a gentle kiss upon her forehead. It was kind. Her sister’s nose crinkled. “When was the last time you took a bath?” blind Eleonora asked.

  Nephis stuck out her tongue.

  “Don’t worry, Calina,” Eleonora mumbled, sleep taking her once more, “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Even if you do smell.”

  And Nephis waited there for a while, the warmth of her elder sister seeping into her like bright coals on a freezing night. The weight of her hand upon her head was a feeling she could not bear to let go, not yet. The worries of her heart lessened, and all seemed well. And so, Nephis waited there for a while.

  But this moment could not last, nor was it meant for her. She wriggled out of the gentle embrace of her sister and slipped back into the hall. Kugo’s wide eyes showed a little in the darkness, his shoulders were high, and he motioned her back to them. Nephis waved him off; all was well.

  Together they crept one door down, and within was her little sister, fast asleep. Nephis tiptoed to her and gently shook her awake. “Calina, Calina,” she whispered and motioned for the lantern.

  Upon seeing her sister, Calina’s eyes grew wide as golden roses. “Nephis!” she said gleefully, before being shushed rather fiercely by the whole party. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

  “We are taking you to the library?” Nephis answered. “Do you want to come?”

  Her wide eyes glittered in the lamplight, “Really?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Nephis said, “Get dressed.”

  “But what about Ellie?” Calina nervously whimpered.

  “It will be fine,” Nephis assured her, “I will work it out.”

  Calina jumped up to her feet, and after Nephis left a note upon her bed, explaining where Calina had gone, Calina got herself dressed, and they hurried into the night.

  “What are we taking?” Calina asked as they stepped into the bitter night.

  “We’ll borrow one of the Governor’s carriages,” Nephis explained, as she rubbed her shoulders warm.

  “Not your own?” Calina asked.

  To which Kugo snorted.

  “Actually, we have a -” Moss began.

  “No, our carriage is simply not large enough,” Nephis interrupted. “The Governor is a very generous man, and we would be remiss not to take advantage of it.” She continued for a while, explaining the virtues of accepting the gifts of others, slowly steering the question from questions of carriages.

  “Hmm, I suppose so,” Calina wondered as they made their way across to the manor stables. “But what are the curtains for? Aren’t those the Governor’s?”

  Indeed, the blue curtains had belonged to the Governor and the first floor of his manor. “Yes,” Nephis answered, “As we cannot be seen in the palace, due to all those nasty rumors about my disappearance, we will need to disguise ourselves. The Ebedi Devlit people often cover themselves rather thoroughly, and so we will be imitating them. Will you be alright having servants so strange?” Nephis asked with a chuckle.

  “I will!” Calina answered gleefully, “But if you do not want the rumors, why not let them know you are well?”

  “Perhaps another time,” Nephis vaguely answered, “I have my own reasons for not wanting to be known.”

  Calina hummed sadly in thought.

  They turned the corner to the manor’s stables, which were long and possessed of no fewer than three carriages. Standing out in the cold was a servant with long, scarlet locks, warming her hands with puffs of steaming breath, like a slender and bucolic dragon.

  “Ilena!” Nephis exclaimed and hurried to greet her. “Will you be our escort tonight?”

  “You remember me?” the maid was shocked.

  “Of course I do!” Nephis answered. “Have you made any headway in becoming Governess?”

  Ilena grew red in the face until there seemed nothing but a rose blooming in the shadow of the stable. “Of course not!” she stammered, “Such a thing would be unforgivable!”

  Nephis laughed so hard she feared the whole kidnapping might collapse beneath her.

  The maid regained her composure, straightening her dress and turning up her nose, though her cheeks remained as flushed as before. “I am honored you remember, M’lady. Though I wish you forgot some of what my fat tongue has let out. The good Governor asked me to prepare the carriage for you. The driver is waiting. Now, get in quick! It’s mighty cold out, and I’d like to go back to my bed!”

  Nephis continued to snicker as they all piled in. The Governor had arranged for a fine, private carriage, much like the last, with room for a whole party and curtains to keep the whole world out, should they wish. Once they were in, the driver set off, a single knight by his side to watch the roads. Calina peered out the curtain, watching the night-shrouded city go by. It was a rare sight for the princess. The streets were lit by spotted lantern light and shivering townsmen. Beyond them, the less scrupulous kept in the shadows, afraid to be purified by it. Despite the danger, neither the driver nor anyone was afraid of the night crawlers. For all the wealth bundled up in that carriage, the Governor was a friend of the Emperor, a man not afraid to extend the noose to the furthest corners of the world.

  “Nephis,” Calina innocently pressed, “Why did you speak so familiarly to that servant girl?”

  “To Ilena?” Nephis asked, “Why should I not?”

  “She is a hired hand,” Calina answered simply.

  “I’ll have you know, Father knows the names of each of his servants. And I would not get very far without speaking to mine. It would be lonely if I could never speak to Kugo or Moss,” Nephis said.

  Calina did not respond.

  “This is unlike you,” Nephis mothered, “You were never like this when we slipped out to town. I always spoke with the merchants and the guards, and you did too! Oh, I remember your little-”

  “That was then!” the little princess burst. Calina seemed unsure. Her lips were pouting, and her eyebrows knitted together.

  “Don’t worry, your highness,” Kugo tried to assuage the little princess’ fears. “With your sister, it’s rarely a conversation.”

  “Hey!” Nephis exclaimed.

  Calina began to smile a little, though quickly hid it when Nephis met her eyes.

  “Don’t put that away!” Nephis teased and began to poke and prod at her sister’s belly. “We’re to have fun this journey, and I won’t have a frown spoil it!”

  And for a while, the shrill laughter of a little girl filled the lonely streets.

  For a week and some days, they traveled along the old roads, heading up and over towards the library. The simple name of Governor Constantin Gil secured them the plush beds, hot baths, and belly stuffed feasts that Nephis had been longing for, for months. The journey was peaceful, graced by rolling hills and the warm hue of autumn. But for a while, Calina was on an adventure, a proper one with inns and a monster (Moss), and late nights on lonely roads. The stuffy halls of the White Palace were dashed by the crisp, open air; and the fears of her missing sister were put away by the happy bells of her laughter.

  After many days, they arrived at the Library of Saint Albert. It’s well-shorn campus crawling with green students. Nephis, Kugo, and Moss slipped over the costumes Kugo had sewn together, great, baggy blue robes that resembled what someone of that far eastern land might wear. Nephis thought it was terribly heavy; then again, they were made from curtains. Slowly, she bound the coverings about her face, so that only her eyes peeked out. Moss and Kugo were much the same, if not more covered than her, in that way she was lucky – at least her thin hands might creep through the veils and feel about the trinkets before her.

  The shelves stretched far into the rafters, tomes and wooden walkways scratching at the highest points of the monastery, just out of reach of curious birds upon the hoary head of its crown. The students buzzed from place to place, taking and returning books from their rightful place and then back into their oaken cage. And for all the grandeur of their entrance, none of them seemed to notice Calina and her entourage. The little princess stood before the tall desk, where a librarian stared down upon her as if from a cliff. A fish swam round and round a glass bowl, circling forever until purpose should find need of the poor beast.

  “Ahem!” Calina announced herself in a small voice.

  The clerk looked down on her, a scrawny, red haired boy. “Can I help you?” he asked in a warbling voice.

  “I am Calina Liana Flores, Duchess of Sibin, and I – er,” she turned to Nephis in a panic.

  The blue-clad servant bent over to whisper into the girl’s ear.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “And I have a relic! Go and fetch your . . .” the Duchess once more looked to her councilor. Before returning with the same confident smile, “Proctoress! Go and fetch your proctoress!” Calina flashed her silver signet ring.

  The clerk sat in stunned silence. What luck on his first day on the job! “Right away, Miss!” The clerk slid down to the floor and rushed off.

  Shortly, there came a tall and slender woman, her hips swaying as she stepped, her raven hair shining in the green light as ink shimmering upon the page. And then, she bowed, “I am Lady Luminita, Proctoress of the Studium of Saint Albert. It is my pleasure to welcome you, Fair Lady.”

  Nephis struggled to contain her laughter at the illusion, for indeed a withered hag lay beneath it.

  Calina nodded, “Very well, Proctoress,

  They were led down into the office of Lady Luminita. It was not a terribly large office, but was pressed to the gills with fabric flowers, vines, and leaves so thoroughly that it might as well have been a closet. Banners of blue and gold hung from the walls, and glass bobbles were neatly spaced along the shelves. Everything was precisely arranged and arranged by the book. Indeed, the décor was quite different from the last time Nephis had seen this place. Evidently, the fashion of the time had changed. She, once more, could hardly contain herself and began to crack and hiss from beneath her robes.

  “Is everything alright with your servant?” the doll-eyed proctor asked Calina.

  Calina tugged at Nephis’ veil. “What is wrong?” She asked Nephis.

  Nephis waved her hands before her, trying to keep her away, but looking at the false Proctoress in her tacky dungeon was nearly too much. In the end, Nephis bit down on her tongue so hard that the taste of copper spread through her mouth.

  “Excuse my servant,” Calina said in a flutter, “She is not used to the cold weather; she must have caught a cold.”

  “Oh, it is quite alright,” Lady Luminita said, “It is not easy these days. Tell me, do your sisters too have servants from the East?”

  “Er-” Calina paused, “Yes!” she said shakily, “Yes, all of us do.”

  “How interesting . . .” the Proctoress hummed, “I must keep that in mind.”

  “Oh?”

  “But on the subject of sisters,” Lady Lumitia’s tone changed, her voice drooping and swaying like salt and honey, “I am so sorry about your sister,” she said and drew Calina into her breast. “Her Ladyship was here only a few months ago. I showed her through these very halls. We talked for hours. Were it not for our stations, I thought, perhaps, we might be friends one day. And now, to think she is gone,” Lady Luminita’s voice broke and she began to wink her eyes until a single tear dripped down her lush cheeks. “I can still hear her voice!” she suppressed a sob.

  From between the false ridge, Calina glanced at Nephis, who quietly shook her head at the lie.

  “You must be devastated!” Luminita lamented.

  “Indeed . . .” Calina said, “I am.”

  Lady Luminita wiped away the tear with the hem of her black velvet sleeves. She drew out Calina so she might see her better. “You look just like her!” And before Calina could respond, Luminita continued, “Now, what brings you to my demesne? I have been told you have a relic you would like sorted?”

  “Indeed . . .” Calina said, “I do.” And she turned to her entourage and snapped her fingers, to which Kugo revealed a small wooden box, which housed the silver and gold amulet.

  Lady Luminita’s posture changed. She grew stiff and iron-eyed upon seeing the ancient thing. From her sleeves, she produced a metal wand, from which she held up the chain. “You can never be too careful when handling old things,” her voice grew gruff and almost elderly, “Many are useful. But just as many are dangerous, anything could set them off.”

  The room fell silent as she turned it every which way, watching how the light fell upon it, scanning it for runes or hidden markings. Then, she began to say strange words in a foreign tongue. Kugo’s chest trembled at the words; he had heard similar spoken by his abbot long ago. He knew it to be Elvish, for at his monastery were some few tomes written in the ancient tongue, but what they said and what the Proctoress spoke, he did not know. Evidently, neither did the amulet, as the Lady frowned at the lack of response.

  “Fiddlesticks!” Luminita cried before quickly wiping the irritation from her face in a flash. “Ah! Forgive me, my lady, I did not mean to lose my composure in front of you. Ahaha. I will have this down to our scholars in little time at all.”

  “May we watch?” Calina asked.

  Nephis froze. She wished to tell her no, but was certain that her accent would give her away.

  “As you wish,” Lady Luminita replied her face frowning and her eyes bagging. No. That was not it. Her face was sagging!

  “Proctoress, are you feeling alright?” Calina asked.

  “Yesh?” she replied and then touched her face. “Oh! Please forgife me! I musst fresh’n uhp!” And the fair lady Luminita hurried them out of the room.

  Nephis might have laughed and chortled at this, but the thought of bringing her sister to experiment with a strange amulet had dug in at her mind. Indeed, if Eleanor did not kill her for taking her off of the Governor’s grounds, she certainly would for this. She whipped around to see her sister gazing curiously at the door.

  “Calina!” she hissed, “We cannot go to watch them with the amulet!”

  “Why not?” Calina protested, pouting as she did.

  “It’s dangerous!” Nephis retorted.

  “Coming here was dangerous!” Calina replied.

  “We do dangerous things all the time,” Moss interjected.

  “Moss!” Nephis nipped. “That’s different! Magic isn’t something to be played with!”

  “Weren’t you demanding Ellie to duel you?” Calina pressed.

  “No- that’s,”

  “Doesn’t seem consistent,” Kugo chided. Nephis could feel the smug grin from beneath his robes.

  “Not you too! No, I am serious. This is a bad idea,” Nephis brought the schemers in close. “This is from the Black Period. We have no idea what could happen.”

  Calina’s eyes were sparkling like the brightest stars.

  But right as Nephis might have corrected her error, the door to the office swung open to reveal a fresh-faced Lady Luminita. “Forgive me, darlings! A woman must pretty herself from time to time. And, don’t worry, I took the moment to alert the scholars that we are on the way.”

  “Of course, Proctoress,” Calina said with a side eye to the robed Nephis, “Let us join you.”

  “It would be my pleasure,” Lady Luminita answered with some trembling.

  And so, the entourage followed the proctor through the river of passing students, arrayed in green and silvered robes, into a deep and guarded dungeon beneath the abbey. The air below was cool and dry, the walls were unadorned, and all light within the basement was closed behind glass. Not one iota of combustion was to be exposed to the air.

  “This chamber lies at the outer wall of the garden, fifty feet beneath the earth,” Lady Luminita explained the intricate and responsible portions of the school, “Just in case something does happen, which nothing will happen today, but in case of such an event, the students and tomes are safe - from - harm!” The Lady Luminita continued on in extolling the virtues of the library to Calina, while hardly paying any mind to the rest of them.

  After what felt like an eternity, they arrived in the furthest chamber, which was held fast by two large and iron doors without seam or handle. They were inlaid with panels of the moon and stars and of a great number of saints whom they petitioned to protect whatever deeds occurred beyond their watch. The Lady stood before the great doors and spoke. “Palime!” Her voice bounced in the stone halls, and then the doors opened out to her, as if to greet her.

  “Come now,” she instructed.

  The room within was round with a great ring in its center, where were a great many scorch marks and slashes in the stone. Waiting for them were a half dozen scholars, all itching to try their hands at the new relic. And so, Nephis, Kugo, Moss, and Calina sat along the outer edge of the room, watching as they endeavored to uncover its secrets. Calina’s eyes sparkled, and she kept a close eye on the amulet. They tried a great many things, beating it, beating each other while one wore it, speaking ancient words into it, exposing it to fire; indeed they tried a great many things. Eventually, the minutes began to drag, and Calina started to grow bored of watching strangers toy with a mundane device.

  One of the scholars must have noticed this as well, for he came up to greet the princess. “Welcome, Lady Flores,” he said to Calina, and they engaged in some fleeting conversation, which eventually fell to her strange servants. “Your retainers, they are quite strangely dressed.”

  “Oh!” Calina was flustered, “Yes, yes, they are from Ebedi Devlit!”

  “Really?” The scholar answered with some puzzlement. He looked about the three of them, and his eyes fell on Nephis, or rather, the silhouette of a young woman.

  “Hello, Miss,” he approached her, “You are from the Eternal Kingdom, is that right?”

  Nephis nodded, for it was not polite for a woman from that region to address a man so forwardly.

  “Do you like it there?” he asked, a simple smile on his face.

  Nephis nodded once more.

  The man knelt beside her, as if trying to peer behind her veil. He was not an ugly man, Nephis thought, looking a bit like a weasel, long and thin with a shrewd face, but she was not interested in him. This, however, did not deter the scholar, who continued to pepper her with questions, to which she would answer with a simple nod or shake of the head. “Your eyes, they really are quite lovely; it is a shame you hide them.”

  Nephis shook her hand before her face. But as she did, she caught a glimpse of something; the elder Lady Luminita, still in her youthful guise, was looking at her and the young scholar. Her eyes were sharp and piercing, her face was bitter and strained, her knuckles were white on the gold and silver chain of the amulet. Nephis averted her gaze. No good could come of that.

  “Your hands really are quite lovely, like ivory upon the waters of your robe. Surely not all the women in your nation are so beautiful,” he continued.

  Nephis desperately waved her hands before her, and then felt something pulling her gaze up, a welling of something in the back of her skull. Lady Luminita’s gaze was like iron upon her, and she was muttering under her breath. All of her focus was upon Nephis and this scholar boy. A chill ran down Nephis’ back, and she had a terrible desire to run, when all of the sudden -

  She was thrown back and landed on the stone with a terrible crash. Her head ached from the impact, and her vision began to fade. The scholars, Calina, and Moss all began to clamor, but what they said and did, Nephis could not tell. The air tasted of copper, she thought.

  “Miratre!” Someone called in the darkness.

  Ah. That was that old crone’s real name, wasn’t it?

  “Miss Miratre!” the voice called again.

  Nephis lay on something soft. Her head still ached. Indeed, all of her ached a little. The two of them must have been brought somewhere to rest.

  Someone was tapping her face. Enough! Nephis thought. Let me rest! But the tapping would not stop, and so she peeled open her weary eyes. Someone stared down at her. One of the residents of the monastery studied her, trying to make out her condition.

  “Miss Miratre!” he called to the crone. But he was looking right at her.

  “That’s not my name,” Nephis croaked. Her voice was hoarse and haggard. Whatever had slammed into must have been worse than she thought. No good comes from being near experiments like that!

  The monk sighed. His voice sounded relieved, but his brows were knit in frustration. “Pardon, Lady Luminita,” he corrected himself.

  “What are you saying?” Nephis replied in that same horse voice, and then lifted her hand to shoe him away. Before her was an old, withered hand, purple veins bulging from skin like parchment. Nephis let out a small, sharp gasp.

  “Ah, you are awake, Proctoress,” the monk said, “I had begun to worry.”

  She shot upright. She was in a room she had never seen before. Tall windows let in light from the evening sun. Simple beds all stood in a row. Some were taken up, but most were empty. Nephis swung out of bed and scuttled to a window where the withered reflection of Proctoress Miratre stared back at her.

  “Proctoress,” the monk scrambled towards her. “You hit the ground quite hard. You need to rest! You’re not as young as you used to be.”

  “Where is the princess!?” she snapped.

  “Oh! Of course. She is in your office with the relic. I hate to say, none of them could figure out what it was for. After that, I should hope the royal family does not cut us out. One of the princess’ servants was also thrown to the ground,” the monk explained.

  “Take me to them!” she demanded. “Right now.”

  “Yes. You’re right,” the monk shook his head with a groan. “It should be you who sees them off and apologizes for the whole thing.”

  “They’re leaving?” Nephis gasped.

  “Yes, I think the princess had enough of us for one day. We offered to let them stay, but their servant wasn’t feeling well,” the monk explained. “It really is a failure on our part, letting them in to watch. I understand why you thought it might be alright, but-”

  “Ah! Stop talking,” she exclaimed and pummeled the brother’s arm. “Where are they!” she demanded, “Take me to them right now!”

  “In your office! I told you, they’re in your office!”

  Nephis hurriedly hobbled towards the outer door. The sun was setting, so they must have been in the western wing of the college. The Proctoress’ office was nearer to the eastern end. What luck! With every step she took, her knees squealed. She was so terribly slow. Eventually, she made it out and into the library proper, where a sea of students swarmed around the hall.

  “Out of my way!” she squawked, and the students parted when they saw her.

  “Proctoress!” A librarian ran up to her, “Proctoress Miratre!”

  “Not now!” she beat back.

  “Only a moment!”

  “No!”

  Nephis pushed passed them as best she could until at last she came to stand before her office door. She could hear Kugo and Moss speaking from within, their voices muffled by the wooden door. She pressed it open.

  “I really think you should keep the disguise on,” Kugo chastised Nephis.

  They all froze.

  Before her stood Kugo and Moss, both still in their blue robes; Calina, who watched the whole scene with great interest; and herself, Nephis, who was admiring herself in the mirror.

  “What did I tell you!” Kugo hissed. “What are you going to do now?”

  Nephis, the physical one, was adjusting her crimson robes and short, raven hair. “Oh, you’re such a worrywart,” she said in a saccharine tone.

  “No, it’s not,” Kugo hissed and whispered something in her ear.

  Nephis’ body scoffed and playfully pushed Kugo back. Then she turned to look herself in the eye, her gaze catching the old woman’s. “No, it’s alright. I’m sure she’s already figured out who I really am.”