The Wicked House of Caroline

“Your Eminence, Captain St. Moore is here.” The attendant bowed as she stood just outside the entrance to the room. Iris looked up a list of dishes and desserts that the royal kitchen had given her. As expected of the royals, their list was as thick as a book with different sections sorted by both ingredients and serving type.

It didn’t include recipes, either. It was just the names of the dishes, their contents and flavor profiles, as well as a few illustrations. She’d gotten the book the week before and had barely scratched the surface of the first section on finger foods. There was still the supplementary book on wines and other beverages.

Iris let out a heavy breath and lowered the book. She gave the attendant a nod. Under normal circumstances, being alone with another man was reason for suspicion, but it was different when she was the oracle. In addition, Luther trusted her. Right now, he was holding court and doing everything he could to become a fitting king.

To support him, Iris took hold of managing the household affairs. Or at least, what she could.

That blasted old man that was the Third Consort resisted giving any power away, even household responsibilities. If it weren’t her own wedding, she was sure the Third Consort would argue that she was not yet part of the family and had no say.

Iris sneered. It didn’t matter what he thought. Sooner or later, she would be Queen and Luther loved her. He would give her household affairs as his wife.

“Your Eminence.” A tall man arrived. His light armor was replaced with his escort knight uniform of a burnt yellow and white. He entered and knelt down in front of her, placing his right hand over his chest and his left hand over his knee.

Iris opened his mouth to greet him, but her eyes landed on the hand on his knee. When not on active duty or on the field, paladin wore white gloves. The Captain’s right hand wore a glove, but his left hand was wrapped with a bulky white bandage.

“Be at ease, Brother Marius,” she said, distracted. The captain bowed his head and rose to his feet. Iris looked past him and gave a nod to her attendant, who bowed her head and stepped back, pulling the door closed.

When they clicked shut, Iris stood up and rushed to the man with a distraught expression. He raised his hand and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m all right.”

“All right? How can you be all right? What happened to your hand?” Her voice rose with each sentence, her face frantic. She’d known Marius since they were children and he was rarely injured once he began to rise through the ranks. He had a reputation for being so precise that an opponent would miss him by a hair, allowing him to get close enough to attack.

He lowered his eyes and clenched his jaw. “Someone retaliated.”

“Retaliated? Who dared?” Iris demanded as she tugged on his good arm and had him sit. “What happened?”

The Captain took a seat across from her and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Lady Caroline stabbed my hand before she died.”

Iris’ brows shot up and she froze in her seat. “She what? How?” In her past life, Lady Rebecca’s method of dealing with others was never physical. She never physically fought with others and instead went through other channels to fight back. And this was with the knowledge that she knew a little sword play.

Iris never expected the noble woman to retaliate.

“It was my fault,” the Captain told her with his lips tight as he shook his head. “I dropped my guard. She was not trained as her brother was and I didn’t consider that she’d make such a desperate attack.” He raised his hand to his chest and narrowed his eyes. “I underestimated her for a moment.”

Iris drew her lips inward and frowned. “How did she stab you?”

“Her hairpin,” the man replied. “I don’t know how she got it. Perhaps that old man who was driving the carriage gave it to her. Anything that could be used as a weapon should’ve been taken from her when she was arrested.”

Iris swallowed hard and sat back. “How deep is your wound?”

He gave her a wry smile. “Not deep at all. It just needs to heal.”

Iris nodded and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry about that.”

“No, it wasn’t your fault,” he replied. “I didn’t expect that woman to still be so vicious even knowing that she was at death’s door. At the very least our mission was completed.”

Iris closed her eyes and leaned back against the sofa, her body relaxing. She looked back at the paladin with a hesitant expression. “You’re certain?”

“The carriage lost control and tumbled down a cliff, into the rocky shoreline and turbulent waters. Lady Caroline was unable to fight against the current and she and the carriage were taken under by one of the whirlpools. When we left, there were no remains in sight.”

Part of Iris wanted to see the body to confirm Lady Rebecca’s death, but it was not wise. Still, if the paladins confirmed that she had drowned and was taken by the sea, then it must’ve been true.

“Were there any witnesses?” she asked.

He shook his head once. “The driver got drunk the night before and stumbled away to relieve himself. He never returned. We searched the surrounding woods for him and only found his drinking jug and shoe next to a river. We presumed him dead and left without him.”

“He drowned in the river?” Iris frowned. “You never found his body?”

“He would’ve been swept downriver for some time. We did not have time to follow the river and try to find him. As we passed the last checkpoint and were no longer in need of the driver, we proceeded with the mission.”

Iris nodded. “Was anyone else injured?”

“No, only me. I got too close. She had tried to escape and I threw her back into the carriage. That was when she rushed forward and stabbed me before the carriage went down.”

She shook her head. “That woman is crazy.”

“She was facing death and lost her mind. It is not unheard of,” the man replied. “Have the others returned from their missions yet?”

Captain St. Moore was the leader of the troop assigned to her personal escort by the Temple and while a handful of them followed her into the palace, most of them were kept outside. This was both a logistical issue so that the burden of feeding and housing all the accompanying paladins wouldn’t be placed on the royal family, and strategic, as it made it easier for Iris to have her resources at hand without being under the direct eye of the royal guards.

“Brother St. Harvey should’ve returned from the coast, but he hasn’t sent word of his arrival. One moment.” Iris reached to the table next to the sofa and rang a little bell.

The doors opened once more and an attendant stood outside, bowing her head. “Yes, Your Eminence?”

“Has any report been received from Brother St. Harvey, Brother St. Pierre, and Brother St. Killian’s guards?” Iris asked.

The attendant kept her head bowed as she replied. “No, Your Eminence. No contact has been received from those three guards.”

Iris’ lips pulled downwards as her eyes narrowed. She expected such a situation with the two paladin guards who went north and east, as to travel to those exile points were furthest, but for the paladins going west to the coast, it should’ve been, at most, a week round trip.

“Check with the boarding house where they are staying,” Iris said. The attendant nodded and stepped out, closing the doors behind her. Iris chewed on her lower lip. “Brother St. Harvey should’ve returned already.”

“Yes....” Captain St. Moore frowned. “They were escorting the former Duchess and her two small children. Perhaps Brother and his men had some guilt over the two children.”

Iris wanted to shake her head. The paladins of that troop were all loyal to her and commiserated with her struggles growing up orphaned at the Great Temple. They wouldn’t have too much sympathy for spoiled noble children. In addition, Iris had stressed her concern that if any of them escaped death, they would certainly come back for revenge.

How could an oracle without combat experience or training, let alone biha ability, defend herself against nobles trained to kill at a young age? Killing the entire family was a precaution they had to take for the safety of the oracle.

“Brother St. Harvey has a gentle soul,” Iris replied instead as she lifted a hand to her chest. “I hate to have put such a burden on him.”

Captain St. Moore’s face softened. “Don’t feel guilty, my sister,” he told her in a gentle voice. “Those children are a threat if they grow. We must protect you.”

His words were satisfying.

“Thank you, Brother-” A knock came from the door and Iris turned towards it. “Enter.”

“Your Eminence.” The door opened and the same attendant who’d just left returned holding an envelope. She held it with both hands, presenting it to Iris. Iris gave her a nod and she stepped into the room to give it to her.

Iris took the envelope and opened it. Her eyes scanned it and her head shot up. “Where did you get this?” she asked as her fingers clenched the parchment. “Who gave this to you?”

The attendant blinked, appearing surprised at the oracle’s sudden sharp voice and demanding posture. “A royal guard brought it. It was delivered to the gate.”

“The gate?” Iris narrowed her eyes more so. “Who delivered it?”

The attendant shook her head. “I am unsure-”

“Find out at once!” Iris shot up from her seat and pointed at the door. The attendant bowed her head repeatedly and scurried out, closing the door behind her.

Captain St. Morris stood up and frowned. “What was sent?”

Iris didn’t bother hiding it from him. She handed him the parchment and he unfolded it. His body tensed and his hand trembled as he looked down at the sheet and the bold, black characters. There was no name, no date, just a single, mocking sentence.

Your paladins are pathetic.

Captain St. Morris’ face flushed as he gritted his teeth. “Did any of the other drivers return?”

“I haven’t heard that they have. The drivers weren’t our people,” Iris replied.

He folded the paper and put it down on the table between them. He frowned before looking at Iris. “I will check to see if any of the other drivers returned or if there is word from them.”

Iris nodded as the Captain bowed towards her and headed out the door. Iris lifted her hand and pressed the bridge of her nose. Her chest was tight and for a moment, her legs began to shake. She carefully sat back on the sofa and leaned forward; her eyes fixed on the paper.

There was no reason for anyone to send her such a message unless something really did happen to the paladins she sent. Over a dozen of them were missing, with six that should have already returned.

She lifted her hands and grasped the sides of her head, wracking her mind to remember what she could about the Carolines. In her past life, she didn’t have any actual in person interaction with them. Outside of Lady Rebecca, she’d never seen any of the other members of her family. Iris had only heard about them.

Duke Caroline was a war hero and a master fire biha user.

His son had been stationed at the Northern Pass and also a fire biha user.

Nothing much was known about Duchess Caroline or the two children.

Iris pursed her lips. Did she underestimate them? Was there something about them that she didn’t know?

She grit her teeth and restrained the urge to kick the table. Since they were uninvolved in the past when such a scandal was affecting their daughter, Iris didn’t think they would do much in this life. After all, the Carolines spent their time in their duchy. They didn’t come down when Lady Rebecca was divorced or planned to remarry.

She knew they had power and influence, as did any of the Five Houses, but why had she overlooked them? She thought she had taken additional precautions because she’d send several paladins with them. Shouldn’t they have been enough? She chewed on her lower lip.

This was her fault. Like Captain St. Morris she’d lowered her guard. She thought that having them exiled and killed would be enough, but what if they weren’t killed.

Her eyes narrowed. But one person against six paladins? The paladins aren’t useless. There were strict requirements to be selected and their training was comparable to any elite warrior. Iris sat up straight and shook her head.

Now that she had thought about it, she didn’t know where the note came from or who sent it. It was impossible for one person to fight against six highly trained paladins. Even if the Carolines were well trained, their biha was also suppressed, and she was told that they were in chains when they left.

Perhaps a Caroline did not send the note.

She felt a chill on her back. There were two other people her paladin guards had been tracking and she’d lost track of.

“Josephine!” she called out as she rose to her feet.

The door opened and another of her attendants bowed. “Your Eminence?”

“Brother St. Henry and Brother St. Patrick, have they sent back word of where they are?”

“They are still running an errand for you in the south, Your Eminence.”

They hadn’t found the Second and Third Prince yet. Those two had seemingly disappeared. Iris frowned.

“Send word to call them back. I have another errand for them.”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

Her eyes opened and above her was a dark, clear sky littered with stars. Beks laid in place, staring above her as she took deep, slow breaths. She turned her head and squinted. It was night, but it was well lit. She could make out the stone pillars around the pool area well and pushed herself into a seated position, as if unsure if she were seeing things.

Each pillar had two stone sconces shaped like stars with a hole in the center where a stone of sort was caged inside: one sconce faced the pool and the other outside.

Beks thought that these were used to hold lanterns or candles, but there was no place to put lanterns or castles without removing the stone. It seemed that there was no need to, as the stones themselves were glowing bright enough to illuminate the area.

She felt something slide off her chest and looked down. Her eyes widened as she saw the top of her dress fall onto her lap and reveal the top of her breasts. She wasn’t wearing her clothes; they were just placed on top of her body.

She grasped the fabric and pulled them close, turning her head towards the pool. Her eyes narrowed.

She remembered throwing off her clothes, as she was too hot and the clothes were restricting her. She then fell into the pool, naked, and then lost consciousness.

Beks swallowed hard as she clutched her clothes against her. Her eyes swept over the brightly lit room and found nothing was amiss. Next to the ledge where she usually slept, the salvaged bowl with her urapearl remained untouched.

But there was no way for her to drag herself out of the pool. She’d remember doing that, wouldn’t she? She drew her legs closer to her and looked around before hastily putting on her dress. She could feel the heavy weights of the gold plats still in the pockets of her petti skirt and furrowed her brows.

It would’ve been obvious that she had gold on her if someone lifted the dress and skirt. It simply weighed too much to only consist of fabric, yet the gold was untouched.

Did I climb out myself? Her brows shot up and the tenseness around her chest relaxed. There was an obvious answer that wasn’t alarming at all.

It must’ve been Snowflake.

Snowflake was so smart and knew how to carry things. He also had no value in gold plats. If he returned and saw her unconscious in the pool, he’d pull her out and even try to cover her body so she wouldn’t get cold.

Beks froze once more. There was no reason for her to get cold on a tropical island, even at night. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, but then told herself that if Snowflake was her Snowflake, then he would’ve known that she buried herself in blankets back in the Old Tower.

Beks silently praised the horned serpent before sitting up on her knees and adjusting the now loose and tattered dress. As she tugged it down, her brows furrowed once more. She moved her arms from side to side, twisted her waist, and rolled her shoulders back.

Her eyes widened, pleasantly surprised.

The heaviness that had weighed her down since she arrived was gone. She touched her skin and while warm, it was a normal temperature. She didn’t feel hot or overheated. She touched her face. She wasn’t sweating.

Beks rose to her feet and gasped. She threw out her hands to try to balance herself and found that her legs were a bit shaky. They didn’t ache and there was no lack of strength. Her balance did feel a bit off, so she took small, slow steps towards the edge of the stone patio. She reached out and placed her hand against a stone pillar to brace herself as she stood in place and took a deep breath.

“You’ve been asleep for three days; you shouldn’t be standing right now.”

A man’s voice came from behind her and she whirled around as her heart leapt to her throat. She stumbled back and almost slipped down one of the steps if she didn’t hold on to the pillar. Despite her stumble, she didn’t take her eyes off the man standing at the threshold of the building.

He’d taken a step towards her and extended his arms, but Beks held out her free arm to stop him.

“Don’t come any closer! Who are you?” Beks glared at the man and reached to the back of her head. Her eyes widened as she realized her hair was down. Her hair pin was missing and her dagger.... She didn’t know where her dagger was.

The man didn’t move from where he was and he lifted his hands to show he was unarmed. “I don’t mean any harm,” he told her in a calm, gentle voice. “I’m the one who pulled you from the water.” He motioned to the pool.

Beks bristled. If he pulled her from the water, then he pulled her naked from the water. “Who are you!”

“I’m a survivor on the island, just like you. Aren’t you also a survivor?” He drew his head back, as if suddenly seeing her as a danger.

Beks nearly balked. Why was he cautious? She was the one who woke up after three days. She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. “Did you say I was asleep for three days?”

The man nodded his head once. “Yes. I was nearby and heard screaming, so I ran here. When I arrived, you were thrashing in the water. Just as I grabbed you, your body went limp.” Beks frowned. His answer made sense. “I really don’t mean any harm. If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t have waited until you were awake.”

Once more, a sensible answer. Still, after everything that happened to her, she forced herself to be on her guard.

“Perhaps you’re waiting for another opportunity. One with better rewards.”

A flash of surprise went across his face and for a moment, he seemed speechless. His brows knitted together and he shook his head.

“It seems that whatever I say, you won’t believe me, so I’ll save my breath,” he said with some reluctance. He took a step back. “But you’ve been asleep for three days. I have some food.” Beks opened her mouth to reject him, but he cut her off. “It’s jungle fowl and some fruit. I just cooked them. I’ll split it in front of you and we’ll eat from the same piece. I couldn’t have tampered with it otherwise, right?”

He seemed wary as well. Beks drew her lips inward and bit them, then lowered her hand to her stomach. Now that she was a bit more awake, she was indeed hungry. That might’ve also been why she was dizzy when she stood up.

She looked at him and gave him a small nod. “All right.”

“All right,” he repeated. He backed away slowly, as if trying not to startle a wild animal. She curled her lip up a bit. Who was the wild animal? She was the one who clearly needed to be cautious.

Beks made sure he’d stepped further away from the entrance before walking towards the ledge against the wall to sit. Her body wasn’t heavy or aching, but she was weak from hunger. As she sat down, she kept her eyes on the threshold the man had walked through.

Her brows furrowed. There was light coming from inside. Did he light the sconces? And if so, how? She couldn’t help but raise her guard.

When the man returned, he had a small roasted carcass of a bird and half a bread fruit on two plates stacked together. He put them on the ground and knelt down.

He glanced at her as he reached back and took out a dagger. “This is yours, right? It was near the pool. I’ll give it back to you. It’s just easier to cut things with a blade than tear it apart with your hands.”

Beks gave him a nod and he proceeded to cut the bird down the center. Everything was split evenly and he placed her portion on the empty plate. He also placed the dagger across it before pushing it forward. Without a word, the man picked up his plate and stood up, then walked to the opposite end to keep as far a distance from her as possible.

She let out a small breath of relief. She stood up and carefully walked to the plate, looking at him before she snatched it off the ground and hurriedly returned to her seat. The two ate in silence. Beks tried not to take her eyes off of him while he casually ate on the floor, one leg hanging off the steps while leaning against a pillar. He didn’t look back at her and instead gazed out at the night sky.

Now that she had a moment to observe him, Beks ran her eyes down his clothes. His pale, baggy pants were cut and he wore leather sandals on his feet. They looked warn and his feet and exposed ankles were scraped. It was likely that he wasn’t used to being outdoors. His top was a loose, sleeveless black linen top, wrinkled and snagged in a few places. His arms were red and peeling from the sun.

From those alone, he didn’t seem to be lying about being a survivor on the island.

He didn’t seem to wear any jewelry except for the metal clasp on top of his head. Beks tilted her head to the side. She didn’t notice it earlier, but his hair was pulled back into a high ponytail with just a few strands falling over his forehead. Straight black hair reached well past his mid back.

Her eyes moved to his face. His features were familiar and a sense of nostalgia crept in.

“Are you from Langshe?” she asked.

The man froze for a moment. He lowered his hand and looked towards her with a gentle smile. “What makes you think that?”

“I had an uncle from Langshe,” Beks replied. It wouldn’t hurt for him to know. “He used to keep his hair like that, too.”

The man’s eyes seemed unreadable for a moment. “You were close to him.”

She nodded without hesitation and swallowed a piece of bread fruit. “I loved him very much.”

“I’m sure he loved you, too.”

Her head perked up and she narrowed her eyes. “What did you say?”

“I asked what happened to him.”

Beks paused. “He passed away. He was riding a horse and had an accident.” She lowered her eyes and hoped he wouldn’t ask for details. She herself didn’t know what exactly happened, only that one morning she woke up and the maids told her that Uncle Timur fell off his horse.

By the time she was able to run out and find out what happened, Laurence had arrived and told her that Uncle Timur had died. She didn’t believe it at first, as Uncle Timur was an amazing equestrian. Now that she thought about it, his death seemed to start the end of her childhood.

The two drifted into silence once more. Beks finished eating her bread fruit. She must’ve been hungrier than she thought. She opened her mouth to thank the man when she caught a movement outside. Her eyes widened as her heart leapt to her throat once more. Joy and relief filled her face.

“Snow-”

“Where have you been?” The man’s stern voice cut her off and Beks snapped her head to him in question. The man stood up. He was tall and lean, and his movements were smooth. He stood on the top step and seemed to glower at the massive serpent.

Snowflake ignored him and slithered around the rotunda to get to the side where Beks was. He flickered his tongue and, for the first time, stuck his head through the pillars to get close to her.

“Snowflake!” Beks put her plate aside and rushed up to hug him.

“Snowflake?” As she draped herself over the side of Snowflake’s head, the man let out a small chuckle.

Beks was instantly taken back to when she was a child and named her snake. Everyone had been amused. Snowflake was a good name for any white pet, but a snake?

“His scales look thin and delicate, like snowflakes. He’s white. The name is fitting.” She defended herself and Snowflake, who flickered his tongue and remained nudging his head against her. Beks narrowed her eyes at the man. “Has he come often?”

The man raised one dark brow and looked at the serpent. “He brought me here.” Beks snapped her head back and looked at Snowflake with a frown. “He’s very good. When I first arrived, I ran into him. I thought he was going to eat me, but he brought me food instead.”

Beks’ brows shot up, then she smiled. “My Snowflake is very smart and kind.”

“He’s yours?”

“Yes.”

“You tamed him?”

“No, he has always been tame.”

“Always?” Now the man looked uncertain. Beks closed her mouth tight. She’s said too much. He wouldn’t believe her if she said that Snowflake could be her childhood pet.

“Since I arrived, he hasn’t hurt me, either,” she replied, choosing her words carefully. “He has also brought me food.”

“I see....” The man said with a nod. “Then, we’re lucky. We might’ve starved without him.”

Beks nodded. Despite herself, she lowered her guard against the man simply because of Snowflake. If the horned serpent wasn’t aggressive at the man, then he wasn’t likely a threat. In addition, she felt safe with Snowflake there, literally between them.

“Thank you for the food,” Beks told him.

“I just roasted it. He...Snowflake, caught it.” The man picked up his empty plate. “Leave your plate there and I’ll wash it so we can reuse it.”

Beks nodded. “Thank you.”

“No need.”

“For taking me out of the water, too,” she said as she climbed on top of Snowflake’s neck. “I held on to a vine, but if my body went limp, I would’ve released it. If you didn’t come, I could’ve drowned.”

The man lowered his head and seemed to think for a moment before nodding. “You’re the first person I’ve met on his island. I couldn’t sit there and do nothing.”

Beks nodded as Snowflake slithered back out. “I’ll get some air with Snowflake.”

He nodded. “Don’t stray too far.”

“I won’t,” Beks said. She felt her lip curl up a bit. The conversation sounded a bit familiar. She paused and looked back at him. “What is your name?”

He tilted his head to the side and the light caught his eyes. She restrained the urge to look surprised. Langshe people usually didn’t have blue eyes.

“My father named me Jargal,” he replied.

“Jargal....” she repeated, as best as she could to mimic his accent. It was a strange mix and she thought that perhaps he just moved around a lot. “Please call me Beks.”

He paused. “Beks,” he said, his voice sounding almost thoughtful. “You’ve just woken. Don't go too far.”

“I know. It’s dangerous on the island. Have you seen the rokh?”

The man reached the spot where she had been sitting and picked up the plate. “The rokh? Yes, but it’s not dangerous,” he said as he turned around. “Rokhs have a strict diet. They don’t eat people.”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

Beks stared at the large bird on its roost on a tumbled tower. The room was lined with stone blocks that used to make up the domed ceiling and the layers of branches and stray feathers nearly took up its diameter. She shouldn’t have been surprised that there wasn’t one rokh, but four.

A mated pair and their already large babies. There was a chirp beside her and the down-covered chick as large as her thigh opened its sharp beak at her. It let out a high squeak and she tossed another strip of boar into its mouth.

Not to be ignored, the other chick on her right side nudged her side and opened its beak, as well. Beks dropped another strip of boar into its mouth.

“I’m out,” she said as she lowered her arms. “No more food.”

She held out her empty hands for the birds to sniff and then returned to their nest, stumbling on their feet as they waddled away.

Rokhs ate boars and deer. In particular, the giant boars and deer on the island. They’d chase them out of the jungle to pluck them up and bring them to a nearby ledge, where they’d then rip apart strips of meat to bring back to the nest to feed the little ones.

Snowflake had taken her to see them. Contrary to what Beks worried, the animals didn’t seem to be in conflict with each other. In fact, the male rokh let out a screech and Snowflake seemed to snub him as he slithered up the old stone stairs wrapping around the exterior of the tower.

He stopped by the main entrance and just as Beks slid off, two balls of gray fluff appeared. Of course, considering the size of their parents, they were far bigger than any baby bird she’d ever seen. They seemed to have no fear as they waddled over to her. The female rokh remained in her nest.

It was the female rokh who’d chased her and though Beks had asked her why it chased her, the rokh only looked at her with her head tilted to the side, not understanding.

Beks supposed it didn’t matter, as long as the rokhs did not see her as a food source.

“I’m going back.” Beks climbed on to Snowflake, who was waiting outside, and then went back to the building that she now shared with Jargal.

While she was curious about how he ended up on the island, he didn’t ask much about her, so she restrained her curiosity so as not to be rude. She’d only known him for two days, and though she was reasonably comfortable, as Snowflake was there, she didn’t know much else about him. The two maintained a respectful distance, though they gathered things to burn and cook, and shared food and made light conversation. Jargal was also very good with his hands and had made numerous baskets using the palm leaves all around them.

Beks figured that since he could make baskets, she could weave a mat. Jargal had shown her and she was almost done with it. Meanwhile, the other morning, she’d found where he slept inside and found that he had already finished two mats to sleep on.

She and Snowflake returned and after she slid off, Snowflake nudged her, flickered his tongue, and turned around. She furrowed her brows. Before, Snowflake would only return to the forest at night, but now he was leaving in the middle of the afternoon. Beks didn’t know where he went.

Sighing, she walked around the building to get to the pool rotunda, which in her mind was her room.

Since she woke, she hadn’t had any heaviness or fevers at all, and so her need to soak in the pool no longer felt like a necessity. Her entire body felt light and relaxed. That didn’t diminish the pleasure of soaking the pool. It was still hot and humid and the cool, refreshing water was welcomed.

Thinking of it, the urge to soak in it rose. Jargal proposed for the two of them to split up and comb the mountain top complex for any items they could use, specifically cookware or weapons. He went out to a series of buildings further away while she covered the buildings closer to where they were staying.

She’d spent the morning scouring rooms with no roofs and overgrown vegetation and found rusted metal sticks. They thought that the items were nails that once held together wooden furniture. Jargal thought that perhaps they could be repurposed to fishing hooks.

Beks had only nodded. It was at least half a day’s hike back to the shoreline.

The shoreline itself was also curious. When Beks first arrived on the mountain top, the entire island was covered with low clouds and fog that stretched out over the water.

On the first morning after Beks woke, she and Snowflake had watched the sunrise from the pool rotunda and Beks almost couldn’t believe her eyes.

The fog and clouds were gone. There was no hint of them dissipating, it was as if they never existed.

She could see clear across the island on every side. The shoreline was a clear divider between island and sea. She’d asked Jargal when the fog lifted and he had to think for a moment.

“I didn’t notice it until you pointed it out.”

She couldn’t help but wonder if there was some connection to her attack and the pool to the island’s weather.

She shook her head. That was a ridiculous idea.

Beks walked around the corner to the rotunda and saw a movement between the pillars. Knowing that she wasn’t alone, Beks didn’t think much of it and continued to approach. Perhaps Jargal had returned and was looking for her.

She began to climb up the steps. “Jargal, are you-”

A splash of water was heard and she froze one step away from the deck. Her eyes were wide as the man in the pool stared back at her. Neither seemed to move. Beks wasn’t sure what to do.

Jargal had asked if he could use her pool to soak, as well, as he believed it had healing properties, and she agreed. She knew he’d use it when she wasn’t there.

She just didn’t think that he’d use it now.

In broad daylight.

Where she could watch the narrow slivers of water slide down flushed skin over taunt muscle, down between the narrow valleys before returning into the pool from which they came. For a man who had been on the island for some time, he was surprisingly fit.

“Snowflake really did bring you enough to eat. You’re not skin and bones at all.”

Jargal, who was standing and reaching for his clothes at the edge of the pool when she called for him, seemed to flush even further. The water line was just below his belly button and his hands had lowered to cover himself underwater.

“Miss Beks, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get dressed.”

No one is stopping you. Beks bit her lips and turned around. “I’ll face outside.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were bathing. I’ll be more cautious next time,” she said as she heard water hitting the floor as he climbed out. She grimaced. “Why don’t we talk when you’re done?”

“It’s all right. I just need to wipe the water off and dress. Part of this is my fault; I should’ve told you when I was going to use the pool.” He let out an awkward laugh. “I’m afraid I showed you something embarrassing.

Oh, you most certainly did not. “The human body is not shameful.” She’d seen statues that weren’t as pleasing as what she saw in the pool.

She heard him laugh once more. “I never apologized for seeing you undressed. At the time, it was urgent and I acted without thinking. I’m sorry.”

“You saved my life. Don’t apologize,” Beks told him, her voice firm. She meant it. She’d rather him see her naked than her drowning. She paused and narrowed her eyes. Wait, does this mean he thinks my body is something I should be ashamed of? She looked down at her protruding chest and narrowed her eyes. No, my body is fine. It is Jargal who is wrong.

“Soaking in the cool pool when it’s this hot is very relaxing. I also lost track of time and didn’t realize you were coming back,” he replied.

“Have you been back for long?” Was it time to cook?

“Not too long. I found what I think was a study.” At this Beks’ ears perked up. Jargal continued. “There are ink sticks there, as well as some metal nibs for writing. There are also many stone plates with carvings. Unfortunately, I can’t read them.”

“Do you recognize them at all?” Beks turned around, excited, and watched as Jargal pulled his shirt over his head. His long, dark hair was in a knotted bun at the top of his head. He pulled the shirt over his defined stomach and didn’t seem at all bothered that she had turned around.

Instead, he frowned and shook his head. “I’m versed in several languages, including Classic Esuser, but I don’t know what those carvings say.” He reached up and undid his bun. Beks watched, almost entranced as thick, black hair tumbled down.

How is it so shiny? And tangle-free? What is his secret? Beks narrowed her eyes. More importantly...where did he find a comb?

Jargal turned to look at her and seemed a bit taken aback by her intense gaze. “Miss Beks?”

She shook herself out of her stupor. “Can you take me to the study? Maybe I can recognize the carvings.”

He looked pleasantly surprised. “Do you know languages?”

“A few.”

“Wonderful!” He raised his arms and pulled his hair back before fastening it into a high ponytail. “Let’s go. I don’t know what's written in them, but it may have something to do with the island or the civilization that once lived here.”

He led her around the complex and down one of the paths. The stones were covered with a layer of dirt, but even with part of it reclaimed by the jungle environment, they could tell where a path was.

The tier was situated on the southern side of the complex and about halfway between the top and second to the top tier. Like a lot of buildings, much of the roof was either gone or partially caved in. Jargal led through the side and through a large doorway.

The chamber had no windows, but the domed top did have an oculus. It wasn’t very large, so instead, the large room had six chains dangling from the ceiling, all holding metal cages with a glowing object. The perimeter of the room was surrounded by piles of broken tablets. Perhaps there were wooden tables and chairs at one point, but now, there were just broken pieces and dirt.

“Take a look at these tablets. They all seem to have the same writing.” Beks was drawn out of her thoughts as Jargal picked up a tablet that was still whole. There was a small pile that was to one side and he had likely gathered them and cleaned them off before he left earlier.

The stone itself wasn’t very thick and they were smaller than the size of her head. Along one side was a deep groove with dirt caked inside.

Beks took it from his hand and looked at the straight lines of vertical carvings. The characters were rounded. “I don’t think this is solid stone. It feels like cement.”

“I thought so, as well. The carvings look like they were written when the material was wet and then allowed to harden.”

Beks touched the lines with her fingertips. She fixed her eyes on the characters and then compared them to every unfamiliar script she’d seen in various books back in Kadmium. She was quiet for some time and Jargal didn’t say a word. They stood still in the center of the room in silence.

Beks’ blank expression made it appear as if her mind was no longer with them.

Suddenly, a flight filled her eyes once more and she took a sharp breath. “I recognize it.”

Jargal’s eyes widened. “What is it?”

“Berup.”

Jargal drew his head back and shook it with a look of disbelief. “Berup doesn’t have a written form. It was purely a spoken language along the ancient coast.”

“No, I read in a book that Berup had a written form called High Berup. It was associated with the Gurani society, which vanished five thousand years ago....” She trailed off and squinted. “When a volcanic eruption sank it.” She looked up and around. “The language was widely spoken because of trade and Gurani’s influence, but the written High Berup was a prestige language of the Gurani and only the educated could read and write it.”

The man opposite her looked at her curiously. “How do you know this?”

“My eldest foster brother has an interest in ancient civilizations and he liked to share it with me. I’ve read all the books in the pal- in his family’s library on the subject,” Beks said, trying not to shift her eyes away.

Jargal nodded. “Then...can you read what these say?”

Beks bit her lips and reluctantly shook her head. “I can identify it, but I don’t know how to read it. High Berup has been lost.”

Jargal’s shoulders fell and he let out a heavy, disappointed sigh. “I suppose we won’t know what these say.”

“High Berup wasn’t the only language written at the time, if we can find something written in a language that is still understood and High Berup, we can decode out the language.”

“I’m afraid the chances of that are slim to none.”

“Not if we find an important tomb,” Beks replied. “Many ancient tomb inscriptions for the powerful were written in multiple languages.”

He chuckled. “I don’t know if we’ll find one here.”

Beks frowned a bit. “I’d like to try. The hard part is that it will be difficult to read if it’s inside....” She furrowed her brows and looked up. “That reminds me, I haven’t asked yet, but how did you get light inside? All the sconces in the rotunda and the main building now light up.”

Jargal was climbing over the piles of stone tablets littering the chamber floor. He looked up. “Those are light pearls. They absorb light biha and in the absence of light, they will start to glow. When there is enough light, they will dim.”

“Where did they get the light biha?” Jargal lifted his hand and there was a faint glow over his palm. “Light biha.”

Beks gasped and rushed forward, easily stepping over the tables. “You can use light biha? I don’t know anyone who can use light biha!”

“It’s one of the rarer abilities,” he said with an amused smile. “It’s also not as strong offensively, like fire or water, so I’m afraid it’s not a very useful ability.”

“But it means you have a biha well!” Beks told him, unable to hide her envy.

Jargal chuckled and looked at her curiously. “So do you.”

She tilted her head to the side and gave him a wry smile. She shook her head. “I can’t use biha. I don’t have a biha well or a spirit core.”

Jargal lowered his hands and squinted at her. “But...you do have a biha well. I can sense it. In fact, it feels rather large.”

Beks shook her head once more. “No, you’re mistaken. I was born without one. People are born with biha wells and spirit cores. I didn’t have either when I was born,” she repeated.

“I thought so, too,” Jargal said in a quiet voice. “But when I entered the rotunda that night and found you, I was nearly thrown back by the amount of biha in the air and it was coming from you.”

Beks drew her head back. She was sure wasn’t lying, but what he said went against everything she knew. Perhaps he saw something wrong. “Me?”

“Yes,” Jargal nodded. “Light, dark, and life biha users are extremely sensitive to bihar, both in the environment and with people. All that biha in the air was pouring out of you until it burst.”

Her eyes widened, unable to comprehend what he was saying. “It burst?”

Jargal furrowed his brows. “Isn’t that why you passed out?” he asked. “The island is more bihar-rich than any place I’ve ever been, and it seemed as if your well were so full that it couldn’t contain all the bihar it was absorbing. Think of a wooden barrel...you put too much into it and keep forcing more in, what happens?”

Beks swallowed. “It bursts apart and everything comes out.”

Jargal nodded. “That’s what I sensed with your biha.” He shook his head. “I thought you knew. I was going to ask you about it.”

Beks shook her head. “I don’t know...I’ve never had....” She squinted and trailed off. “Are you sure? I thought biha wells would simply stop absorbing when they were full.”

At this, the man appeared a bit hesitant to agree. “There was something strange I noticed above the flow of biha when it...overflowed. For a moment, the biha was still, and then it began to collect back into you.”

“My biha well....” She lowered her hands to her stomach. “It was absorbing biha?”

“Bihar is absorbed at the same rate, it’s just that the larger the well, the longer it takes for the well to be full. However, the biha was moving faster, as if being controlled.”

Beks frowned. She had been unconscious then. “Controlled by what?”

Jargal’s blue eyes rose and seemed to look at her forehead. “A spirit core.”