Mariana's Secret Read online

  “And still you kept this from me. How could you?”

  Kendra wiped the tears from her face. “I was trying to protect a Katori secret, we don’t want to become weapons, slaves or worse—hunted.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “You’re right, I knew no dragon would ever attack her, without cause—unless someone was sent to attack her. I feared your memory would reveal her death was real. Keegan is a vicious man…” her words faded into tears.

  Her words painted a new picture in his mind. The fear he’d had his entire life coursed through Kendra’s eyes. She was as relieved as he was. His mother’s death was a fear they both shared. “But now we both know the truth,” Kai said. “She did not die—at least not that day.” He reached for Kendra and shook her shoulder. “How do I turn her back?” he demanded.

  Hesitation filled the space between them. Kendra’s eyes welled with new tears. “If she has been a dragon all these years, I am not sure you can. Her original form, her true mind, and spirit are lost to us now. She may be permanently trapped in dragon form. Only the elders will know if she can be restored. We need their help. I must tell them she did not die. Keegan did not kill her. They may search for her once more.”

  Deep down, something snapped. An uncontrollable rage consumed him. It was difficult to accept this new memory of the past. His heart pounded, and he found it difficult to breathe or think straight.

  “I will find my mother. And you will help me.” Then an idea exploded in his mind. “I don’t know why my mother left or where she went, but I do know I can sense others close to me. Maybe she is close. The Katori people are like beacons of light. You’ve said if I focus, I can find a specific person. You said my mother could search for a person. Teach me, please!”

  “I cannot,” Kendra shook her head. “There are risks if you light up the world. If you do this, it will reveal your location, something I believe your mother was protecting. I want her back too, but not at the risk of Keegan knowing you exist, or what level of power you possess. Besides, Mariana could be anywhere in the world. There are a rare few who could search in this way—glean to find a specific person.”

  One word stuck in his mind. “Who is Keegan?”

  “A violent and dangerous man. Your mother feared him. We all do. I cannot teach you what you want to learn.”

  Her words bounced off his hardened heart. He was no longer willing to listen to half-truths and deception. “Get out,” he demanded. “If you will not help me, I will have to do it myself. Like everything else.”

  Astounded, Kendra reared backward. “Kai please, let me explain.”

  “No, you had your chance to explain. Three years’ worth of opportunity. I will find her on my own.” Kai pointed to the door. “GO.”

  She rose to her feet and stepped into the hall.

  Kai slammed the door behind her. His heart ached at Kendra’s refusal, and tears raced down his face. The agony of his past twisted his soul.

  Chapter 2

  The Mind Master

  The more Kai opened his mind, the stronger his abilities became. The day of his mother’s death had long since been a storm cloud over his mind, a burden. The freedom to explore his gifts without the looming darkness opened new possibilities.

  Despite Kendra’s warning, Kai spent much of his free time trying to glean for his mother. He was desperate for a clue, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not locate her. His range was limited, and without Kendra’s guidance, he had no idea how to expand it or search specifically for his mother. There had to be a way to reach out. He wished Haygan was not away all winter with Simone in Katori. Maybe he could help when he returned.

  What Kai needed most was a distraction. Riome’s training would be the perfect opportunity to focus his talents productively. Like most evenings, he descended the east spire. Tonight, there would no combat training. Instead, he was on a mission. Riome gave him very little information about the reasons behind his assignments. Most were tests in the field. Break into a home, inn, or warehouse and collect something—a book, trinket, or information. Occasionally she had him return the item the same night. Simple tests.

  Other nights he followed people and reported back. However, something about tonight’s mission felt more important. Riome spent extra time preparing his disguise and reminding him how to follow without being noticed. She covered the importance of memorizing the details of a room before searching. And she told him speed was his greatest asset—think and react before the other person. Something they had in common—exceptional speed.

  His attire was well-worn dark pants, a white shirt, and a reversible jacket. His face was bedecked with faint freckles, and his hair was reddened with some sort of dust Riome swore would wash out. Around his wrist, a dirty white rope bracelet, worn by sailors. Stuffed inside his boot was a small dagger, and a large sailor’s knife with a braided rope handle was strapped conspicuously to his hip.

  The tunnel below the palace that opened into Hightown’s warehouse district was warm and musty. Kai was happy to exit into the fresh air. His route took him deep into Rimtown. He was given a warehouse location and a brief description of a man he was to follow. Kai kept his expression stern and his arms free at his side. He worked his way briskly through the city to his pickup point, a warehouse near the outer wall used by fishermen.

  A brute of a man exited the warehouse as Kai rounded the corner. The cauliflower ears and the milky white eye identified Kai’s mark. Kai walked straight passed the man, crossed the street, and turned the corner. He also took note of the brute’s enlarged knuckles. This man was a fighter.

  Once out of sight, Kai concealed his white shirt with the dark coat he had been carrying. Back on the main street, he resumed his pursuit. Within minutes, Kai was close enough to his man to pick his pocket. As Riome taught him, he studied the man’s stride to identify any hidden weapons. The hitch in the man’s walk and the crinkle in his pant leg meant he had a knife in his left boot.

  The stiffness on his right side and the lack of a swinging arm suggested a second weapon concealed one on his right. The bulky black bag weighing down his left shoulder suggested unknown possibilities. Kai backed off and crossed the street behind the next oncoming carriage. From the other side, he followed.

  When the man turned the corner, Kai removed his dark coat and flipped it inside out, revealing a tan version of the same jacket, then he darted to catch up. Taking a chance, he crossed the street and quickened his pace. Kai had an inkling about the man’s destination, and he wanted to get there first.

  The Drunken Dragon had a particular reputation. One thing it didn’t have—guards. Anyone who chose that establishment did so because they were looking for a good time, or they wanted to avoid Diu guards. Kai assumed the man he followed preferred the latter.

  In the fading sunset, Kai grabbed the pub door. Two men stumbled outside. Out of the corner of his eye, Kai saw the man cross the street. His instincts had been right. Inside, Kai approached the barkeep and purchased a room. The barmaid slid a key across the counter as the brute entered the tavern. Kai ordered a drink before slipping the key into his pocket.

  From a table near the stairs, Kai watched the brute. He too purchased a room, but he went straight upstairs without ordering. Unsure what else to do, Kai sipped his ale. A young barmaid approached his table. “Your meal, sir.” She slid a bowl of stew over to him, even though he had not ordered one. “Please inspect your room thoroughly. Let me know if you find anything out of place. Enjoy your meal, complimentary with your room.” She nodded toward the stairs.

  The woman in front of him may have been a stranger to everyone else, but Kai knew who she was—Riome. He didn’t have to glean through her disguise to realize it was her. He’d seen this outfit in her vast collection of costumes. Plus, she’d used this accent around him before. Clearly, she wanted him to know she was there.

  And he knew what her message meant: when the man returns to eat his meal, search his room, but leave no trace—take nothing. Beneath
his coat, Kai’s heart pounded. He hurried through his meal and waited. Thunderous footsteps echoed down the stairs. At the bar, Riome poured ale and played her part. The man stepped off the last step, and Kai slid from his seat and scurried upstairs.

  Six rooms. Four open doors, two closed. Kai’s key had the number four etched into the handle. He stood in front of his open door. Two sconces flickered on the wall above a small fireplace. The room looked clean but felt stuffy. There was a single bed, armoire, desk, and chair. Behind him, giggles and grunts told him bedroom five was occupied. Room six, next to his, had a closed door. Six must be the brute’s room.

  With his own door closed and locked, he opened his window. A refreshing breeze blew back the curtains. The alley behind the inn was dark and gloomy. Kai leaned out his window and saw curtains from room six flutter in the night. A candle flickered.

  There was not much time.

  Before Kai knew it, he had one leg out the window, searching for the timber frame running around the outside. The edge of his foot felt support, and he eased his other leg outside. Using both hands, he held tight to the roofline and slid his foot forward along the wooden ledge. Getting another handhold, he slid closer to the open window. He dared not look down.

  When he wrapped his arm around the adjacent window and slipped inside, he almost collapsed under shaky knees. Uncertain how much time he had, Kai began to search the room.

  Two lit sconces illuminated the room, a mirror image of his own. The desk drawers were both empty. The armoire bare. He ran his hands around the back corner of the cabinet—nothing had been stuffed behind. The porcelain basin was dry, the water pitcher full. The bed smooth and untouched.

  Underneath the bed skirt, Kai found the black bag. Stuffed between several rumpled articles of clothing, he found a well-worn book. The aged honey-colored leather was cracked and stained with dried blood and ink. He opened the clasp.

  Kai flipped page after page, memorizing as many details as he could. What he saw both shocked and disgusted him. Bloody fingerprints dotted the corner of nearly every page.

  The owner is a bad man, he shuddered.

  The sound of laughter in the hallway reminded him he had little time. He read more entries, then he gleaned the downstairs pub. The brute gulped the last of his ale, pushed his bowl and mug to the barmaid, and rose from his stool. Kai was out of time.

  Swiftly he flipped through the remaining pages, making mental notes. The man was on the stairs. Kai closed the book, secured the latch, and returned it back to its rightful place. He knew he did not have much time, but he couldn’t help but take a quick look through the satchel. The bottom was filled with knives, metal and wooden batons, a leather strap, and a chain. The scabbard on one blade bore the Milnos raven.

  The brute climbed the stairs. Kai closed the pack, shoved it under the bed, and smoothed the bed skirt. One last scan of the room—everything looked correct. Kai climbed out the window back onto the wooden ledge. In his mind, he gleaned the brute opening the door as Kai slid between the gap spanning the two windows.

  Heart pounding, he edged ever closer to his window. He inched along, hand over hand. He watched the brute slide his pack from its hiding place. After a search of the contents, he tossed the bag on the bed. Kai hooked one leg over the windowsill of his room, desperate to get inside. The man approached the window. Kai heaved himself inside and collapsed on the floor as the man leaned out his window.

  ◆◆◆

  Alone, Kai walked back through the city. Hidden by shadows, he leaned against a Hightown warehouse to watch the guards patrol. He waited for Riome one street down from an old grate—the access point to the old armory where he trained with Riome and Dresnor. He knew where to go, but he was told to wait, so he waited. The streets of Hightown emptied. Still, he waited—for hours.

  Down the street, Kai heard the click of shoes on cobblestone. He gleaned the area. The darkness faded. Ambient light illuminated the road. One figure strolled in his direction. Her brilliant light bloomed with his gleaning—a Half-Light. Happy to know it was Riome, he relaxed.

  He heard a young woman’s voice. “Hey, sailor. You mind walking a girl home?”

  “My pleasure, little sister.” He extended his elbow to Riome.

  Riome stepped up to him, wearing a new dress with blue lace, and her hair pulled into a tight bun. A hefty bag hung from her shoulder. He assumed it carried the barmaid dress from the Drunken Dragon.

  “Little sister? I am what, six or seven years older than you,” she feigned displeasure.

  Kai looked down on her. “Yes, but I am taller—little sister.”

  They strolled together down the street. “Why won’t you tell me about your past?” he asked her.

  “My secrets don’t matter, Kai.” Riome patted his arm.

  Mystery and intrigue surrounded her like a warm blanket. She was the perfect spy. Kai wondered what she knew about their common heritage. Her inner light gave one secret away, whether she liked it or not, she was like him—a Half-Light.

  Kai nodded to a passing guard. When the path was clear, they entered the grate-covered tunnel he used earlier. The tunnel was humid and warm from the water drainage pipes.

  In the armory, Riome had Kai shake out the red dust from his hair before having him rinse the remaining dye in an old washbasin. Once the water ran clear, he changed into regular clothes and met her outside the Master General’s tower. Kai’s visits to Cazier had become so commonplace that no one gave him a second glance.

  “What did you discover?” Cazier questioned.

  Riome motioned to Kai. “You first, Kai.”

  “The man carried clothes, weapons, and a logbook, which read like a laundry list of torture. Entry after entry—date, punishment, and result. Whoever the prisoner was, the brute has been unable to break his character.” Kai surmised. “Based on the date of the first entry, this prisoner has suffered nearly two years of physical and mental torture compounded by periods of sleep and food deprivation. The log details everything. Months of regimented beatings followed by hours of interrogation. The brute even logged dates of recuperation required before resuming, noting he feared killing the prisoner several times.”

  “Any notation about who the prisoner is or where?” Riome probed.

  “I’m afraid not,” Kai answered. “There was no mention of the prisoner’s name or the information this prisoner was meant to divulge. If the brute was the torturer, according to his notes, he was sufficiently disappointed that he was unable to break the prisoner in question. The last entry mentions a pending transfer and a note to the prisoner’s next jailor. The last summary stated: ‘The prisoner refuses to submit—your mission—break him—befriend him and lead him to betray his country.’”

  “To where?” Riome begged.

  “Didn’t say,” Kai sighed. “Only gave a transfer date of six months from now. Although, now that I think about the exact words used, the brute mentioned the prisoner will need time to recover before he is ready to be moved to the port. Maybe he means to move the prisoner by ship.”

  Riome motioned to the door. “Good report, Kai. You may go.”

  “Wait, I want to know what you know.” Kai looked between his cousin and Riome. “Who do you think this person is? You cannot shut me out.”

  Cazier said nothing. Riome shook her head no. Kai bolted to his feet and leaned over his cousin’s desk. “So, I am a tool. You use me and toss me away. Why not use one of your other spies—unless you can’t?” Kai studied their glances.

  “It’s not a matter of trust, Kai,” Cazier insisted. “But you are correct. You are the only other person I could use for this mission. Riome understands the danger. I trust you—you are family, Kai. There can be no mistakes. We cannot miss our opportunity to rescue…” Riome tugged at Cazier, halting his monologue.

  Kai stared at them both. “Please, I risked my life for the answers you wanted. The danger sure felt real while I dangled out a second-story window—twice.”

  “You
know nothing of real danger and risk.” Riome clenched her jaw. “This was a simple mission. I’ve spent years teaching you the craft, testing your skills. You still have a lot to learn. But you asked for this—to be a spy. We don’t always get to know why we risk our lives. If you must know, we three are the only ones involved. This is not a highlight in your journal, Kai.”

  “I know better,” Kai promised.

  She only pondered her decision for a moment. “After you went upstairs,” Riome explained, “a second man came into the pub, purchased a drink, and sat in the corner. He stared at the brute, as you call him. This new man looked like a scholar. He was entirely out of place in the Drunken Dragon. After your man went upstairs, I watched the newcomer. His face was familiar, yet different. Then you left. I meant to follow, but the brute came back downstairs. He sat with the scholar and handed him the honey-colored book you described.

  “Naturally, I had to follow the scholar. Outside, I watched him enter a Hightown carriage and ride away. I was unable to keep pace,” she concluded.

  “So, let me ask again, who are you looking for?” Kai pressed. “You must have an idea who they have, even if you don’t know where. Why do you care about this man?”

  Riome’s eyes turned away. Cazier waved his hand to steady her. “I care because he is my brother, King Andrew of Nebea,” Cazier said. “We have been chasing news, or rather rumors that he is still alive. He’s being held prisoner, but we don’t know where or by whom.”

  “But we held a funeral for Andrew.” Kai’s brow furrowed together.

  “What matters is I accepted the rank of Master General of Diu over becoming King of Nebea because I wanted access to the spy network my father developed here. My father was a strategist with the ability to see what is not evident to the average mind, as do I. If I were king, I would be forced to remain in Nebea, my brother Ashwin would be here. He lacks discernment.”