“These items belonged to my beloved wife,” he said quietly, grief echoing in his voice. “I can’t bring myself to go through them. My daughter packed everything up before she returned to Onyx Court, but I need the papers she packed away. There’s important information in them. If you can help me locate them, I’ll help you in return.”
“Right,” I sighed, putting my hands on my hips as I observed my task. “Okay, nothing to it but to get started.”
I began opening boxes, rifling through their contents as I watched the sun sink lower in the sky, biting my lip. But I kept on, and finally hit what I was sure I was looking for in the sixth stack of boxes. I checked the papers to be sure, and stopped in my tracks upon realizing they were instructions for his daughter for use upon his death.
A deep sigh left me, my body nearly shuddering with it, as I considered why he needed these now. I left the room, papers in hand, and found him drinking tea as he looked out on his little garden.
“Are you sick?” I asked quietly, making him turn his head to look at me. He sighed lightly, putting down his tea and coming closer.
“I’m dying, my Lady. The gods call me home, and I’ll be able to see my wife again in the Otherworld.” He looked at peace, and I found myself envying him for that surety. He had clearly lived a full life that he was happy with, and he seemed just as pleased to face what came next.
I swallowed hard, nodding at him. He chuckled raspily, taking the papers and laying them out neatly on the kitchen table, adding a note on top that had to be for his daughter.
“Well, we’d best get you where you need to be, hm?” he said after setting everything as he wanted it.
“How long do you have?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Not much longer, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day,” he replied, easily as anything.
“You shouldn’t be alone,” I argued, making him laugh and shake his head.
“High King Azurill said you were a feisty one! But I promise you, I won’t be alone. My community will be here for me, and your desire to help an old man shows the kingdom will have a good queen in you, should you win, my Lady. Now, come along,” he insisted, leading the way to a horse tied up beside his house.
“This is for you,” he explained, while handing me a piece of paper. My eyes widened when I realized it was a map. Not just any map either, but one that had a star dotting the end point, with the name Takara right above it.
“Good luck, my Lady.” He winked, making his way back inside as I shook my head in confusion. Azurill and his tests. The man lied to me about what the outcome of helping him would be, but in the very best way. This wasmuch better than going through even more people to get clues. A direct map to the family meant my win was on the horizon.
I jumped up on the horse, eyeing the setting sun with a racing heart, and took off down the road, following the map to my future.
Chapter forty-six
Linnea
The Takara family was quite a way across the city, and I rode as fast as I safely could without hitting any pedestrians, following the directions written out for me.
They lived in the poorer area of the city, near where the Forest of Discontent had spat us out. I slowed the horse as I neared my destination, and coming to a stop as I hit the street the star indicated. Dismounting, I tied the horse to the nearest tree, and made my way further down the road.
I was keeping my eyes peeled, examining every house for any indication of which one they lived in, when a little girl ran up the street with tears streaking down her face. The sun had already set completely, and I could only hope Sania had been similarly delayed. If we both succeed in getting the items, who arrives first may be what makes or breaks this for me.
“Are you alright?” I asked the girl softly, not wanting to scare her.
She hiccupped, looking up at me with luminous green eyes, tears overflowing in buckets from them. She shook her head, whimpering, “I miss my daddy.”
My heart clenched, and I kneeled down to her level. “Can I tell you a secret?”
She nodded slightly, and I leaned in to whisper, “I miss mine too.”
“What happened to yours?” she asked quietly, lisping the tiniest bit. She grabbed at her long green hair, twirling it around her fingers in a nervous action I’d seen many children do. Myself included.
“He was killed,” I told her, keeping my tone as light as I could. “What about yours?”
“He was too.” She sniffled, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. “He was a solider. Mama says he was very brave, and he served the realm, but I just want him back.”
She broke down in tears again, and I hugged her to me, stroking her hair as I murmured to her. “I know, I would do anything to see mine again. But you know what?”
“What?” She hiccupped through her tears.
“My mother was killed along with my father, and I’d do anything to see her again, too. But it sounds like you still have yours, yes?” My voice was quiet, tinged with the pain of that loss and the vengeance I sought still incomplete.
