A wicked idea sprang to mind, and I rubbed my hands together with glee. I needed to send a message to Lord Faren. Once I’d spirited Tanith away last night, his sorcerers had likely used their magic to chase away the bats. The message was obvious. Those in the palace would suffer for the sins of Lord Faren and his ancestors. But I needed a bigger message, a bolder one, to let Lord Faren know his actions would affect the entire city. The river would provide a way.
Kneeling by the bank, I dipped a finger in the water and tasted it. Clean. Sweet. The castle had sufficient water, and when I fished, I fished for pleasure, not need. We would be fine without the resources from the river. Pulling my knife from my belt, I held my hand out, palm up, and slowly sliced the skin open. I pressed my lips together against the pain before plunging my hand into the water.
Blood floated around my arm, a dark melody of crimson slowly spreading to the surface. Blood. Life. Energy. I watched it float, my eyes narrowing as I recalled a rumor about me. Legend held that I drank the blood of children to give me everlasting life. I’d done nothing to combat those rumors, finding them absurd. Children were too young to have blood worth drinking, not to mention the blood of an adult was more potent. Blood gave me power over others, but this time, it had been Tanith’s blood that had awoken me. If I tasted it, I’d find out why, but now was not the time to focus on that dark thought.
Dropping the knife, I put my flute to my mouth and played a short, awkward tune with one hand. I needed the magic to work, not necessarily for the notes to be perfect.
The cool waters numbed the pain of my self-inflicted injury, and slowly, the blood flowed faster, a stain covering the surface of the water. It drained out of me, slowly but surely, and weakness consumed me. I sank further to the ground, unable to play, holding the flute in one hand. This was drastic magic, dangerous, but I’d come back from the dead to win, and this time, I’d go to any extreme to free the thralls.
9Tanith
Questions burned inside me once Oren left and I waited, breathless, but silence came from within. Oren. I liked his name for it almost made him sound mortal, human. I was deeply curious about him and his plans, but I had to make my own.
When I entered the bedroom, the door to the hallway was open. My heart leaped. I wouldn’t be trapped like a prisoner in the bedrooms. But where to explore? And would I find my way back if I left the room? Aunt Matzie wanted me to find Oren’s weakness, and I wanted to return to Solynn. Money was my only hinderance, but Oren was sly. To outwit him, I had to take a chance that he hadn’t counted on my boldness.
Returning to the room I’d slept in, I put on my cloak, shaking as much dust out of it as possible. The gargoyle by the fireplace looked so much like a statue. If not for Oren’s words, I would have assumed last night was just my imagination. Pulling out the journal and my aunt’s letter, I stood in front of the mantel and announced, “I need a light.”
The transformation was instant. The gargoyle’s eyes popped open, and it wagged its tail as though it were absolutely thrilled to serve me. Despite my dire predicament, I laughed as it belched out a ball of fire. Tiny flames licked at the wood, but it was enough. I held the end of the letter in the flame, watching it turn to black ash.
“Thank you,” I told the gargoyle. “You’re adorable, you know, and I still haven’t thought of a name for you. I’m going to explore the castle. Would you like to come along?”
He wagged his tail again and inclined his horned head, as if he wanted me to pet him. Dropping the end of the burnt letter, I scratched his head, my fingers pausing as I touched cold stone. My brow furrowed as I stared at the lively eyes and wagging tail. What was this thing? Some odd cross between a cat, a goat, a lizard, and a bird?
“I’m going to call you Pip,” I decided, patting his head.
Before leaving the room, I tucked the journal in the wide pocket of my cloak. If I found a quiet spot, I’d read more, although I still feared Oren would sneak up on me. Regardless, I left the room, the thump of Pip’s footsteps beside me.
The castle was a confusing lair of traps. Each time I opened a door, a spiraling staircase led up, never down. Some doors opened into cold rooms with covered furniture, a blanket of dust, and layers of cobwebs strewn about. Creepy. With a shudder, I closed those doors and continued on my fruitless quest. The castle seemed determined to guard its secrets. Was this Oren’s magic at work? I imagined him laughing at me from somewhere, for how could I escape if I couldn’t find the exit?
In one last spark of defiance, I took the stairs leading up, fingers trailing along the ridges of the railing, taking in the carvings of winged beasts and flowers. The lights lit, as though sensing my presence, but the higher I climbed, the more a strangeness came over me, much like in the crypt. Except this time, it felt like a pressure, pushing down on me. My legs felt weighed down, and my head felt like it was clamped in a vise that slowly squeezed.
When I turned around, Pip was not beside me, but further down the stairs, wagging his tail as if begging me to return. Whatever was upstairs did not want to be seen. What if it was some evil that would hurt me? But what if it were a clue to finding out more about the Piper? I paused, coming to a stand still as the pressure increased.
If my aunt’s words were true, I had all the clues in my pocket. I just needed to read the book. With a frown, I addressed Pip. “This has been a fruitless search. I’d like to go back now.”
Pip thumped down the stairs. He was quick for a stone beast and proudly led the way back to the bedrooms.
The open doors and sunshine streaming in from the balcony were a welcome relief, and after a quick search, I satisfied myself that Oren had not returned.
During my absence, someone had cleared away breakfast and replaced it with more covered dishes. I lifted the dome-shaped covers to reveal cucumber sandwiches, stripes of smoked fish over a crusty white bread, stuffed eggs, spiced chicken, and an assortment of fruits and tiny cakes, each one the size of my finger. My mouth watered at the sight and I sat down, expecting Oren to join me for lunch.
He never came.
Deciding he had business, even though I did not know what he did, I ate, washed it down with tea and water, and then settled down to read, listening for signs that someone was coming.
I read about magic and muses, talents and old trees, and how the magic of the world had become lost as times shifted and changed. The book didn’t seem like a collection of knowledge about the Piper, but more of a history of magic. It made no sense to my predicament, and I skipped a few pages impatiently, trying to figure out what Aunt Matzie had wanted the reader to discover.
Taking a break for more tea, I slipped the book in my pocket and leaned out over the balcony. A jolt went through me. Of course. The balcony was my escape. All I needed to do was find some rope. Leaning out over it, I stared down, my heart sinking as I realized I was four or five stories up in the castle. The fall would be deadly, and I doubted I’d find rope that long. Thoughts churning, I looked to Pip for support, but he lay belly up, warming himself in the sun. For all appearances, he’d turned to stone again. This place was odd.
Unlike at the palace, there were no footholds or grips to keep me from falling on the way down. The balcony dropped straight down, and the land swelled then dipped into thick forest. There were no paths, no animals, and another tower blocked my view of what was beyond. I shivered.
Was I alone in an enchanted castle with stone servants? Who else was here with me, and where was Oren? As much as I didn’t want to listen to him, I wanted him to return. Unease settled like a rain cloud on my shoulders, and even the knife tied to my thigh did not make me feel safe. Crossing to the room, I checked the main bedroom door for locks, for I didn’t want to be trapped inside. I closed it and opened it again, and the door obeyed. Feeling better, I returned to the balcony to read.
Oren did not return. That evening, I found a tray outside my door filled with delicacies that made my mouth water. I ate heartily and still he did not come. I had Pip light a fire in Oren’s room, since it was bigger and more comfortable. Careful to touch nothing, I studied old maps, scrolls, and drawings of what looked like shooting stars falling from the sky.
When I started to nod off, I retired to my room, noting the bed had been made and my clothes hung in the wardrobe. I lay down and slept soundly, my exhaustion at the change of my situation finally catching up with me.
To my disappointment, in the morning, Oren still had not returned. I spent a fruitless day reading, opening the door to find trays of food, but nothing else. By midday, I was bored and angry with him. Where was he? Had he locked me in his castle only to leave and carry on as if I weren’t there? I needed to try harder to escape, and not let the castle bully me into staying.
