Authors: Dena Garson
“He took a turn for the worse?”
Danet nodded solemnly. “A lot worse.” She let her expression
convey her meaning.
Gehiji glanced at the queen, who was still busy writing the
note to Sebak. “Is he still responding?”
“No. His responses are gone. No blinking or communication of
any kind.”
“Even with you?” he asked quietly.
She shook her head.
“Do you think it’s just a relapse? Or maybe a temporary
setback before he shakes off the last of the poison?”
“No.” She shook her head again. “I found another thorn. This
one was hidden under his tongue.”
Gehiji’s expression turned grim. “We need to know who had
access to him while you were away.”
“The queen and I were talking about that earlier. I believe
she was here the entire time but that may be an assumption on my part. She said
there were several people in and out of here though.”
He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You concentrate
on making him well. I’ll worry about finding the person trying to kill him.”
She nodded mutely.
In the back on her mind she was aware of Gehiji crossing the
room and speaking to the queen, but Danet didn’t pay any attention to what they
were saying. She was focused on Ceros.
It was hard to look at his handsome face and not hear his
voice. Even though she hadn’t seen him animated, her imagination filled in what
she was missing. His feelings and his sense of humor came through loud and
clear when he spoke to her.
Despite the fact it had only been a couple of days, she
already missed having him there. In her head.
Her father was right. It was a special connection. A
powerful one, too, given the way she felt about him already. Letting it go when
this was all over was going to be hard and she dreaded it.
Once she had coaxed enough medicine into him, she took her
time cleaning his face and neck. Being able to touch him and feel his warmth
and his breath on her skin was comforting. At least he was alive.
“Danet? Are you finished?”
“Yes, my queen.” She looked over her shoulder to where the
queen and Gehiji sat.
“Come. We have things to discuss.” The queen waved to the nearby
chair.
“We do?” Danet asked as she gathered her supplies. She
dropped the dirty linens on the floor not far from the bed, left the pitcher of
water on the table then joined them.
“We need to make plans about how to best protect Ceros,”
Gehiji added.
Danet sat on the end of the lounge near the queen. “Agreed.”
“I see now that despite the security I have put in place, he
is not safe even in his own chambers,” the queen said.
“Do we know who is behind this?” Danet asked.
“Not yet, but I have a list of potentials based on who had
access to him both times,” Gehiji said. “Unfortunately, that list doesn’t mean
that person or those persons are who is actually behind the acts. There could
be someone else behind the scenes directing people.”
“So even if you catch the person doing the deed, the real
criminal could still be out there and could strike again in another manner at a
later date,” Danet guessed.
“Exactly. That’s why we need to make sure we cut the snake’s
head off, not just its tail,” he said.
“What do you suggest?” Danet asked.
“This is where I will excuse myself.” The queen stood.
Danet looked up at her, questioning.
The queen reached for Danet’s hand. “I cannot be privy to
any plans you two come up with. I need to remain here and see to Rashidi’s funeral.
We cannot put it off any longer. The people of Licosia need to grieve and pay
their respects. Then I must play the role of concerned mother. It will be more
plausible if I do not know what you’re doing.” She squeezed Danet’s hand. “But
know that I trust the two of you to keep him safe and bring him home again
healthy so he can assume his rightful place on the throne.”
“Yes, my queen.” Danet pulled their linked hands to her
forehead. “I will do everything in my power to heal him and bring him home to
you.”
“I know you will, child.”
The queen turned to Gehiji. “If you are half as capable as
Ceros said you are, I know he will be safe under your watch. The things you
have asked for will be delivered within the hour.”
“Thank you, your Majesty.”
“Send word through Hesina or Danet’s father if you need
anything. If I learn of anything, I will send it through Hesina,” the queen
said. “Be safe. All of you.”
“You as well,” Danet and Gehiji said at the same time. They
watched as the queen swept out of the room.
Danet took a deep breath. “Now what?”
“Now we do what must be done to protect Ceros and his
throne,” he said.
Within the hour, a tea tray arrived, delivered by Hesina
herself. “My queen said you needed a few things to protect our young prince
with.” She set the tray on the desk. “She also mentioned you may need a little
help doing so.”
Danet stood to greet her friend. “I’m sorry you have to be
dragged into this tangle, Hesina. Have you been introduced to Prince Ceros’
friend, Gehiji?” Danet asked with a wave of her hand in Gehiji’s direction.
He stepped forward.
“I’ve seen this handsome devil lurking about my dining
room,” Hesina said, “but no, I have not yet been introduced.”
“An oversight, I am sure. It is certainly my honor to
finally meet you.” Gehiji bowed over Hesina’s hand. “I understand you are the
one who keeps the palace running in tiptop shape.”
“You are a charmer, aren’t you? No wonder my girls have been
all aflutter this week,” Hesina said with a grin.
With a jerk of his head in the direction of the desk, Gehiji
asked, “I assume the queen sent more than just tea and cookies?”
“I believe you will find everything you need is there.”
Hesina added, “Oh, and these as well.” She pulled two pouches from her apron
pockets. The clanking of coins gave away what was inside as Hesina handed both
to Danet.
Danet looked to Gehiji. He nodded in affirmation that he was
expecting them. She transferred the pouches to her own pockets.
“My queen said you needed a way to send and receive
messages,” Hesina said.
“That’s right. Will it be a problem?” Gehiji asked.
“Not at all. If you needed to send word from outside the
palace, my boys come and go frequently, so it would not be strange for either
of them to be here.”
“Are they still working at the Metalworks?” Danet asked.
To Gehiji, Danet said, “The Metalworks is in the center of
town. There are a lot of people in and out, vendors included, so a stranger is
not an unusual sight.”
“Perfect,” Gehiji said.
“Now, messages to and from your father might be more
difficult. I think catching him at his clinic would be best,” Hesina suggested.
Danet nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“I have a young cousin with an ailing leg. He helps me with
the herbs out back from time to time. But it wouldn’t be unheard of for him to
pop into your father’s clinic for medicine.”
“Excellent. Now for the hard part,” Gehiji said. “We need to
get Ceros out of here, unseen.”
Hesina took a seat. “The hard part is going to be getting
him past those two.” She pointed to where the guards stood on the other side of
the main chamber doors.
“Agreed. There is never less than one at the door at all
times,” Gehiji added.
“And you’ll not find one who isn’t loyal to the queen and,
by extension, the prince. So bribery won’t work and drugging them will only
raise the alarm,” Hesina informed them. “About the only thing that would draw
them away from their station would be if the palace were under attack.”
“That could be arranged.” Gehiji grinned. “But it would take
a couple of days.”
Danet and Hesina stared openmouthed at Gehiji for a moment.
Finally Hesina shook her head. “It’s too bad we don’t have a
big batch of laundry,” she said thoughtfully. “He would probably fit in one of
the carts we use to haul linens out to the drying lines.”
“What would it take to justify bringing one in?” Danet
asked.
“If we were to change all of the bed linens,” Hesina looked
around the room, “and the draperies in the wing, I doubt anyone would notice
the cart. But how would you justify changing that while the prince was ill?”
They threw a few more ideas around but everything they came
up with had too many flaws.
“We’re just going to have to do it the hard way and carry
him out a window during the night,” Gehiji declared. When Danet started to
argue, he held one hand up to stop her. “If we can get him to Hesina’s area
before daybreak we could sneak him out of the palace in a cart even if it’s
light.”
Danet looked to Hesina. The older woman nodded once.
Resigned, Danet said, “All right. What do you want us to do?”
After reviewing Gehiji’s plan, Hesina said, “I best be
getting back to the kitchens. I need to make sure everything is properly
cleaned then I’ll make sure the carts are gathered up and stored outside the
garden wall.”
“Excellent,” Gehiji said. “I’ll be down to check the area so
I know which paths to take.”
Hesina stood. “Send word if you think of anything else you
need.”
“We will. Thank you, Hesina,” Danet said.
After she had left, Gehiji asked, “Is he still
unresponsive?”
“I think so.” Danet frowned. “I’ve called to him a time or
two as we were talking with Hesina but he didn’t respond. Let me try
concentrating on connecting with him again.”
“Yes, do,” Gehiji encouraged.
She walked to the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress.
She took his hand and rubbed her thumbs on the back as she cleared her mind and
focused on finding their connection.
It was there, glowing in her mind like a beacon. When she
reached for it, she heard a loud roar. It echoed around her, making her jump
back. It sounded like her dream beast, calling out a warning.
She opened her eyes and found Gehiji watching her. “What’s
wrong?”
“I’m not sure.” She shook her head to clear it. “I heard
something.”
“What did you hear?” He moved closer.
“It’s my, well… I don’t know what it is. I just call it my
beast.”
Gehiji’s brow lifted in question.
“I’ve been having dreams of a beast for almost half of my
life. This beast is large with golden fur and long, shaggy hair about his
face.” She shrugged. “He looks rather ferocious but he has always been very
gentle with me.”
He sat forward in his seat and leaned his elbows on his own
thighs. “Does your beast have large paws and a narrow tail?”
She frowned. “Yes, how did you know that?”
“Do you know what an omegamorph is?” Gehiji asked.
She shook her head. “No. I’ve heard the word, but I’m not
sure what exactly it is.”
“An omegamorph is a person who has supposedly been blessed
by the Gods with the gift of transformation. Usually that person can only
transform into one form but there are legends of some who could transform into
whatever shape they needed.”
Danet racked her brain trying to remember where she had
heard similar stories.
“Supposedly there are only a handful of omegamorphs at any
given time,” Gehiji continued. “They are charged with protecting the people of
the Gods and ensuring peace and prosperity in the world.”
“No small chore,” she mumbled.
“No it isn’t. But each omegamorph is given a helpmate. One
who has also been blessed by the Gods in some way.”
The way he said that made Danet look up to study his expression.
He was staring at her intently, as if he were trying to make her understand
something. “So what does this legend have to do with my dream beast?”
“I think your dream beast is an omegamorph.”
She shook her head. “In all the years I’ve dreamed of him, he’s
never been anything but the beast. He’s never transformed into anything else.”
“Perhaps the Gods didn’t want you to see his true form. You
may not have been ready to know.”
“Know what?” Her confusion and frustration rang in her tone.
“Ceros is an omegamorph.”
Danet’s mind reeled.
“His alternate form is a beast much as you described. A
large gold-colored beast who walks on four legs with massive paws and a thick,
full mane of hair about his face. His roar has been enough to make grown men,
full-fledged warriors, wet themselves in battle.”
She shook her head again. “My beast is not aggressive. He is
gentle and comforting. Especially when we walk together. It can’t be him.”
“I may get into trouble for telling you, but Ceros told me
about some of
his
dreams. He said he often found himself in beast form
in a beautiful oasis-like place and a girl would come and sit with him. She
spoke to him and usually petted him. He could never see her face, but she
always wore a simple white gown or dress with no jewels or adornments.”
Danet’s breath caught in her throat.
“He said it was soothing to see her in his dreams,” Gehiji
continued. “He always felt at ease when he woke and he wondered who she was and
why she came to him so frequently.”
She stared at Ceros’ face. “Gods. If what you say is true,
it is him, isn’t it? He’s my beast.”
“Probably in more ways than one,” Gehiji said gently.
“Wait. If he really is my beast, then I was dreaming of him
when he was poisoned again.”
“You were?”
Danet nodded. “Yes. I took a nap at home. In my dream I was
petting him and talking to him as I usually did when he suddenly roared out in
pain and jumped away from me.” She focused on the image in her mind. “He tossed
his head about as if he were shaking something off.” She looked up at Gehiji.
“That might have been the thorn in his mouth. But he also limped on one paw as
he charged into the mist.”
“His paw?”
Without saying anything more, Danet grabbed Ceros’ hand. It
was the one the queen had checked earlier. She found nothing on the surface of
the front or back, but when she spread his fingers apart, there was another
thorn stuck in the soft webbing between two of them.
She used the sheet to pull the thorn out then held the
fabric open for Gehiji to see. “No wonder he wasn’t coming around. He was still
being exposed to the toxin.”
His face drew into a frown. “That’s small. I’m surprised it
affected him so much.”
“It’s probably due to repeated exposure and his body not
having healed yet,” Danet explained. “I hope this wasn’t in so long it creates
lasting damage.”
“Is that possible?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“We need to get him out of here before they strike again.
He’s got to shake this off so he can go to that council meeting and prove he’s
fit to rule.”
“When do you want to try to move him?”
“We need to wait until it’s fully dark.” He looked to the
windows. “The first sun has set. I had best go down to the gardens and have a
look around. Will you be okay here alone with him?”
“Yes. I will be fine.” She laid the thorn on the bed. “Let
me get something to put that in,” she pointed to the offending thorn, “and then
I’ll treat the place I removed it. Now that we know for sure there is a threat,
I won’t let anyone near him.”
She went to the desk and rummaged around in her basket of
supplies. She found her medicine and something to store the thorn in and took
them back to the bed. After she scooped up the thorn and set it aside, she
treated the wound.
When she returned her things to the basket, Gehiji
approached. “Here.” He handed her a small knife in a protective casing. “Keep
this hidden in your pocket. It’s extremely sharp. If you use it, be aware that
it
will
cut whatever or whoever you get it close to.”
Danet nodded and tucked the knife into her pocket.
“I will return shortly.”
“Do you need me to do anything while you’re away?”
“Other than heal him?”
She nodded.
“Make sure you have everything you need packed. Your
medicines and herbs, I mean. We won’t have room for much else, I’m afraid.”
“I require very little,” she assured him. “But I will pack the
tonic Father made for him and a few basic supplies.”
“You might pack some of the food Hesina brought too.”
She glanced at the tray they had not yet touched. “All
right.”
“I’ll return after nightfall but I won’t come through the
suite doors.”
“Be careful.”
He gave her a boyish grin. “Always.”
With a sigh, she returned to Ceros’ side. Sitting on the
edge of the bed, she watched the rise and fall of his chest. Was it really
possible that he was the beast in her dreams? Gehiji seemed convinced of it.
That would explain why their connection was so strong.
It was embarrassing to think about what she might have said
when she talked to him in her dreams. Things from her day. People she treated
in the clinic. He probably got bored listening to her.
She shook off the thought.
While she had the room to herself, she needed to pack. The
items they had to have went into the basket next to the desk. Using the spare
tunic she’d brought from home, she covered the contents to make it look like a
pile of dirty clothes.
When she lifted the largest cover on the food tray she was
startled to find weapons instead of sweets. Some she couldn’t identify. Those
needed to be hidden before anyone looked for snacks.
She stashed a few things into her baskets of supplies,
another in her personal bag along with a partial bag of coins. Another went
into the desk drawer and the last couple she hid in the bathroom.
When she was satisfied she had everything she could think
of, she returned to Ceros’ side.
I don’t know if you can hear me or not. I’d like to think
that you can because that would mean you were getting better. And I pray you
are healing.
The doors to the suite opened and closed and brought Danet
to her feet. She slipped her hand into her pocket and clutched the knife. When
she saw Ceros’ younger sister, Femi, she relaxed.
“Oh good, you’re here,” Femi said in her usual upbeat
manner. “How is he?”
“Still unresponsive.”
“Oh.” Her usual bubbly personality dimmed slightly. “I was
hoping he just needed to rest for a while.”
“I would like to think so as well, but at this point, I
don’t think that is the case. But we’re still watching him and trying to figure
out what’s wrong.”
Femi stood at the foot of the bed with Danet and looked at
Ceros, each lost in their own thoughts.
Finally Danet turned to Femi and said, “I know this is a
tough time for the family, but I’ve been so focused on Prince Ceros I haven’t
been able to check on anyone else. How is everyone holding up?” Danet asked.