Steel Dominance (33 page)

She carefully smoothed the note, licked the nib of her fountain pen, then added some words in the space at the end.

I’ll be waiting. Tell him
… She stopped, gripping the pen so hard her fingertip ached. Then she wrote some more, making sure the letters were clear. …
I love him.

God.

After putting the note back into the casket and a last pat on Zigzag’s head, she shooed him. “Go. Please? Pretty please?”

Zigzag whined and nudged her, but when she only chewed her fingernail, he turned and set off out the window.

“Good-bye,” she murmured. The scrabbling sounds as he somehow negotiated the wall made her throat seize up.

Should she look? She covered her mouth and thought.
No, I can’t
. If Zigzag fell, she’d never forgive herself. A scrap of paper from the desktop swirled out the window and into the sky, free.

She smiled.
Dankyo is coming with an army. But what commands did he mean?
The slave commands? Those were the only ones she knew of. And how many days was a few?

When he came, she should be prepared for a fight, and who better to help than a Clockwork Warrior?

With that to inspire her, the thoughts that had mired, untangled. Disbelieving, she stared down at the book.

Yes, oh yes. That’s it! The answer. But, how can that lead to anything?

“Taste your blood and ashes.”
The verse on the plinth tied in to the poetry. The ashes…she knew where and what they were. She’d sorted that verse out already. But this seemed to lead to something utterly different from what they’d all believed in for hundreds of years. Was the emperor-bey’s vision of a clockwork army truly so wrong? This seemed the ultimate in false advertising.

And…am I game to try?

“Are you okay?” Tansu placed her hand on Sofia’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “You’ve been sitting like this for ages, looking at the same page.”

“Um. Yes. I’m okay.” She turned.

As always Tansu was perfection—her black hair streamed down past her shoulders, her ivory-themed dress was provocative yet elegant. Without her, nothing would have been possible. One advantage of her long years spent in the harem was that Tansu had learned who she could trust, and who would look the other way when some small transgression was involved.

“I need you to take some of my blood and put it into the silver grille where the book sat on the Clockwork Warrior.”

Tansu blinked, then shifted away a little. “What? Why?”

Might as well tell her
. She needed this woman, and needed her as a friend. “The clues say to place the blood of the chosen there.”

Her eyes widened. “And you are this chosen?”

“I…”
Yes, it does sound mad
. “Whoever solves the puzzle is the chosen one.” Sofia tapped the book. “I know that seems crazy, but you are to apply the blood and then wait for some change to happen.”

Tansu frowned. “And then?”

“I think I have to either eat or drink whatever grows.”

“Grows?” Her eyes stilled. She grimaced. “You’re serious?”

Under Sofia’s fingers, the book pages flapped in a sudden breeze. She nodded. “Yes. And yes, it makes me feel ill to imagine what that might be.”
Mostly because I don’t know what those ashes are from. Human? Ugh.

“And then…what happens?”

“I have absolutely no idea.”

“Oh. Great. That’s…wonderful.” The twist of Tansu’s mouth said otherwise. “Well, then. How do we take this blood?”

And this too made her feel ill. “I was hoping…without using anything pointy on me?”

“Difficult…but, you have your period?”

She made a face. “Ick. Also, menstrual blood is different. I can’t chance messing this up.”

“Well, then.” Tansu slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry, but the only other way I know of to get blood is to cut you somewhere.”

“Ugh.”

“I’ll go get something pointy.” She patted Sofia’s hand and smiled wryly.

“Oh boy.” The thought of her skin bleeding… “Take your time.”

She returned all too soon. To keep out of immediate sight of anyone who might enter the room, Sofia sat on the bed and laid her hand, palm upward, on the bedside table. She tensed and looked the other way as Tansu nicked her finger, but then she peeked. She gulped. Her blood was very red and dripped slowly into the thimble held beneath her finger. She sucked air through her teeth. “Owww.”

“That’s enough. It’s done.” Tansu put aside the thimble. She slipped onto the bed and perched herself next to Sofia, then rested her hand on Sofia’s silk-covered thigh. With her fingertip, she did small, slow circles. It was a very intimate gesture. Sofia repressed a shiver. “You’ll never be a warrior. But I like you this way.” This time when she leaned in, she kissed Sofia on the lips. It was a gentle, soft caress, delicately done, yet arousing.

“I’m not—” How to say it politely?

“No?” Tansu smiled wanly. “I thought not. Perhaps not at this time. Will you promise to remember me, though?”

The lashes of Tansu’s eyes barely moved. Her finger had stilled on Sofia’s thigh but stayed where it was. “I will. I will remember you.”

“Thank you.”

Another day passed. Tansu reported nothing had grown beneath the silver grille. The morning after that, her period had slowed to a trickle—a bare smudge on the cloth pads. Surely not enough days had passed?

She hovered nearby after Tansu returned from her morning bathe. Should she tell her?

“What is it?” Tansu looked up from the bracelet she’d slipped on. “Could you do this up for me?”

“Of course.” Keying the tiny tongue of silver into the slot was a welcome distraction. She held her tongue tip between her teeth as she concentrated.

“You’re so cute when you do that.”

Sofia frowned. “Hmm. I’m not sure I want to be called cute.” The plaintive sigh from Tansu made her pause. She lifted her head. Lying was just not her. She couldn’t do this. “I’m sorry, I know you…”

“Shh. I understand. You are Dankyo’s, not mine. I’m not a flower, and this is but an infatuation of mine.” She pulled her hand away. “I will survive.”

The nonchalant angle of Tansu’s eyebrow seemed dismissive, yet tempting. An undercurrent simmered; her eyes were bright.
If I touch her, if I run a finger down her arm, I think she’d kiss me.

She stepped back and smiled weakly.

The inclination to tell her about the waning of her period had passed. What would be the use?
But please, another day, two…

When Tansu left to go to the Clockwork Warrior, for the first time in years, Sofia wanted to pray. Had to, whether she believed or not. With a thump, she went to her knees on the rug beside the gold-and-white divan. The blue pattern of the rug blurred.

Someone knocked at the door.

“Yes? Come in,” she said, barely loud enough to be heard.

One of the younger women of the harem entered in a swirl and swish of green silk, then stood before Sofia and bowed her head. “Excuse me. The harem mistress has called you to her.”

“Thank you.”
Why?
Only the one possibility leaped at her. They’d been counting the days too.

When the door shut with a muted thud, she stared at her fingers. They were white and blotchy red where she’d laced them together. They hurt.

In a small room bare of anything except a padded table and a chair, the harem mistress examined her, then brusquely declared her ready for the emperor-bey in one day.

This can’t be. Why is
everything
going wrong? Even if Dankyo comes, it may not be soon enough
. The honeyed timber shutter of her room door was before her. She remembered nothing of the walk back.

She entered, went to the desk, sat, and dragged the book over. Maybe she’d missed something? Methodically she ran through the verses again. One by one, her fingernail scored a line down each page.
What have I missed?

Why should this hold the answer? It was just some crazy poetic monument to some long-gone warrior in a battle. She was nothing but a university researcher lost in a cesspit of intrigue and hatred, and she really had no idea what she was doing. She perched her elbow on the leather blotter and softly hit her forehead with her palm, over and over.

Concentrating was impossible. Her thoughts were a stew of other clues and possibilities.

Last night Tansu had seemed unsettled, then at breakfast her hands had trembled, and she’d vomited afterward. Was she merely ill? And how had she convinced the guards to let her visit the Clockwork Warrior, and look the other way?

The letters on the page she’d been reading were an unfocused mess of black.

Had Tansu dared to offer herself to a guard—and would they dare to sleep with one of the women of the harem?

She shook her head and murmured, “I hope you didn’t do that.”

It made her wonder what became of a slave if she became pregnant to a guard? Concealing pregnancy, here, would be impossible surely? Especially since Tansu had not been called to the emperor-bey’s bed for months. What would be the penalty for getting pregnant to a guard? Execution?

All this pondering led her to a ridiculous thought. What would it be like to bear Dankyo’s child? To hold a child of theirs, of his, in her arms… Tears filled her eyes. Both a longing and a deep sadness filled her. She lifted her head and stared at the slim window. She might never know.

“Stupid.” She sighed and went back to her reading.

When Tansu returned, Sofia held her breath and waited for the door to click shut. “Anything?”

“No. Nothing. Nothing grows. I’m sorry.”

“I see.” Time had run out. Tomorrow the emperor-bey wanted her. She exhaled, squeezed her eyes shut. Cloth whispered as Tansu walked over and knelt beside the chair.

“What is it, my Sofia?” Tansu’s warm hand covered hers and stilled her twisting fingers. “Tell me.”

“My period is finished.” She looked at Tansu. Such concern showed in the tiny frown lines and the tension in her mouth. “The emperor-bey will see me tomorrow.”

“Oh.” The flinch aside of Tansu’s gaze was only for a second. She patted Sofia’s hand. “This will not kill you. You must remember it is only sex, and I know you’ve done this before. Life will go on.”

The right words didn’t come. There seemed none. “Yes. I suppose it will.”

“Be strong, Sofia.”

Being strong didn’t seem to be an option. What would Dankyo tell her if he were here? Would he pat her and say,
be strong?
She didn’t think so. But then Tansu had lived with this for much of her adult life. The prospect of being here forever chilled Sofia to the bone.

But Dankyo is coming
. Doubts crammed into her head. This was not exactly the easiest place to assail or infiltrate. What if he fails?

Tansu still patted her hand.

“I don’t know that I can do that. I just…” Sofia’s voice hitched. The patting stopped. “I’ll try. But I just don’t know.”

“Sofia, don’t you suicide!” The fierceness in Tansu’s voice rattled her, as did the terrible frown and the paleness of her face. “I won’t have that. I won’t. Others have done that.”

I didn’t say suicide
. “I won’t.” What had happened to those others that suicide had been their best option? “No. I’d rather try to climb the walls, or dive into that waterfall. There’s a chance of survival.”

If anything Tansu went whiter. “No. No. You mustn’t. Please. I’ll think of something else.”

Though she nodded, the idea had been planted.
If Dankyo doesn’t arrive, the waterfall. Yes
. She leaned over and hugged Tansu, whispered, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Just be good. Don’t try to leave me, not like that.”

“I’m sorry I upset you.”

But Tansu simply nodded and breathed into her shoulder. Though her breath warmed Sofia, the trembles alarmed her. What was this? Tansu was always the levelheaded one.

Tansu pulled away. “I have something to tell you.” Her brown eyes fastened onto Sofia.

“Oh?”

“I didn’t say this, because it’s not…good. Not exactly. They say that Dankyo has been captured by the Ottomans. The emperor-bey has bargained for him, and he is being brought here—tomorrow or the next day.”

The world halted and waited, teetering, on the very precipice.
He’s really alive
. Relief sank in, like the first stone on a path to solid ground. How mad am I? He’s a prisoner, and yet…
alive.

“They say that is certain.” She shrugged. “But, I also heard a rumor that perhaps it is a ruse. That he comes to rescue you.”

“Oh. Now that is better.” The room swayed. Sofia breathed again. “But you don’t know for sure which is true?”
Please, please, please, let it be the second, but…how does she know all this?

“No. I don’t.” She took Sofia’s hands in hers. “However I believe the second is more likely. Do not give up hope.”

“Of course not. I won’t.” Questions swam round and round in her mind. How could he rescue her if he came as a prisoner? How did Tansu learn all this? How much could a harem slave know about the outside world? Did she have a guard on a leash? How?

The most devastating question of all arrived in her head and jumped up and down screaming for attention.
If she knows this, then what is the likelihood that Xiang or the emperor-bey knows?

“How did you find all this out? Could the emperor-bey know this too? Or Xiang?”

“Not all, no. I can’t tell you why. Please, the person who told me risks death.” Tansu stood, flicked her loose mane of jet black hair behind her, and proceeded to wind it into a long tail, then into a bun that she knotted on itself. The way she concentrated on her task meant her eyes didn’t meet Sofia’s.

“I see. Then you mustn’t say.” Still, she wondered.
So convenient. But, Tansu is my one ally.

Without looking, while tucking in the last strands of hair, Tansu spoke quietly. “You don’t trust me anymore, do you?”

The voicing of her thoughts left Sofia speechless. She didn’t want to lie. Not anymore. So she said nothing.

“I see.” Tansu walked away into their sitting room.