Page 14 of Ruby & Onyx

“Come,” he commands, so I obediently follow him into the lift. He turns the crank hidden on the side wall, and the doors close, trapping us in here together until we reach the top. I feel like a mouse to a hawk and so vulnerable within the confines of this too-small space.

“This thing won’t drop us, will it?” I ask nervously, but the guard refuses to acknowledge my question. He stands still as a portrait as the box continues to lift us further and further into the air. I wonder how many enchantments this mesa holds.

The higher we climb, the more my ears begin to protest with popping aches. My head starts to feel like it’s leaking air in a slow, dizzying fizz.

After what feels like an eternity, the doors open. I release a heavy sigh of relief and then suck in the cool morning air like oxygen is in short supply. It takes a considerable effort to stumble out of the lift and onto the gravel path, but I manage – if for no other reason than to escape that death trap. This is my first time visiting Lord Myles’ estate, and I’m already off to a terrible start.

Once I’m able to see straight again, I’m struck by beauty. Immaculately trimmed rose bushes encircle the mesa like a fortress of thorns. Manicured trees line the path to the front door in perfect order. And the home itself, my gods, it is stone and marble, arches and spires. Large stained-glass windows, colorful and intricate, showcase peacocks and other birds with bright feathers. I’ve never seen anything like it. The estate that I pictured looked more like the rest of the village – small, shabby, and modest. But this, no, this is like stepping into a painting.

My father worked for Lord Myles for a time and occasionally would visit the estate. He told me all about the mesa’s unobstructed views of the village, but he never spoke of its grandeur. Every time he visited, he waved to us from the grounds, or so he said. We could never confirm one way or the other, but I relished the thought nonetheless. I would wait for an hour after he left and then run outside to wave back to him. My mom would lift me into her arms to help me get a better view. All I ever saw was the monolith, never the wave returned. I took joy in that tiny, insignificant gesture, nonetheless.

I take a cautious step toward the roses and find that you really can see all the way to our cottage. Almost. If you squint your eyes just right.

When I peek down at the ground below us, my gut lurches. I’ve never been so high before. My head spins with the rush of it, and I stagger back, dizzy and shaking.

“Let’s go,” the guard clips.

I follow in step behind him, still a bit unsteady on my feet, as he leads me down the path. Two short and plump figures appear in front of the iron door, which is at least four times their heights, and I nearly choke. It’s too late to turn back now.

“Radya! What brings you here?” Lord Myles shouts from the marble steps of his home. The guard nods dutifully to each of them and then turns on his heels to march back to his post, leaving us alone.

“Hello.” I dip into a curtsy that sets me off balance, and I stumble to regain my footing. Gods, formality and grace are skills that I never did master. I recover awkwardly and hurry closer, as they stand firmly in position at the front of the estate. When I’m close enough to speak without yelling, I say, “I need to tell you something.”

“Very well.” Lord Myles nods a tad uneasily, shifting a handkerchief between his thumbs.

Deep breath. “I saw three more men stalking the barrier. They spoke to me. Asked me questions. When I tried to press for more information about who they were or where they came from, they fled,” I explain as succinctly as possible, hoping that brevity might lead to absolution. “I worry that something might be wrong.”

Something like alarm flicks through Lady Lora, but she quickly recovers and softens her gaze. “Can you describe them to me, dear?”

“They were tall, a bit disheveled, weary, even.” Lady Lora, who couldn’t be more than five feet flat, would barely reach their chests. “And they were cautious. It seemed like they knew what would happen if they crossed. Like they had witnessed what happened to the other man and came back to test the barrier’s limits. One of them threw a stick through it.”

“Did they penetrate the barrier?” He leans a little bit closer, waiting for my answer with bated breath.

“No, they failed.” This time.

I squeeze my trembling hands together so tightly it hurts. What if they return, having learned some way to cross?

“That means that they’re still out there. We’ll double the guards until we track them down. Doesn’t matter if it takes every patrolman we have, it will be done.” He stares out into the distance as if searching the woods from this vantage point might bring him closer to finding them. Though, who knows, maybe he does have some sort of heightened magical vision or a threat-detecting enchantment visible only to him. If so, he doesn’t let on.

He nods as if confirming a thought and then steadies himself. His face shifts in an instant from that of a ruler to the mask of a welcoming host. He exchanges a conspiratorial look with Lady Lora, and she quickly mirrors her husband’s unsettling shift. She says, “I’m sorry that you had to witness such a terrifying thing. I know that it must have been frightening for you. Please, come in and join us for some tea.”

Tea? Why would they invite me in for tea?

I said what needed to be said, so there’s no use in dragging this out any longer. My feet, on the other hand, disagree and begin stepping toward the front doors that could swallow my entire cottage in one gulp. Finely dressed servants pull them apart with the golden knobs shaped into the likeness of a feather. It appears to take some degree of strength to open those colossal, heavy doors, as they have to put their whole weight into it.

I follow Lord Myles inside, and I can hardly believe what I see. It’s so massive, so ornate. A giant staircase with a banister made of gold extends down the left side and curls inward. The ivory floors shine so bright that I can almost see my face reflected in them. Paintings line the walls. One after the other, they depict scenery that I’ve never born witness to. The mountains. A brook that appears so real that I can almost hear the babbling water streaming past the rocky shore. A cliffside castle on the sea. Where are these places? That hollow longing in my chest pangs at the sight.

We turn into the sitting room on the right, where chairs made of tanned leather surround a mahogany table. The fireplace in the corner of the room is flickering, despite the day’s heat. And candles of all sizes are placed on every open surface.

It all feels so overdone. But then again, so does Lord Myles.

“Al, would you mind getting Radya some tea?” Lady Lora asks the servant by the door before taking a seat, while Lord Myles clumsily plops himself into the chair beside her, leaving me to sit opposite them.

The servant, Al, turns his attention to me. “What type of tea would you like?”

I didn’t know that there were options for types of tea. My mother used to bring us tea, once upon a time. I didn’t care for it like she did. I preferred the familiar buzz of coffee. But that was years ago, maybe my tastes have changed. “Whatever you have is fine.”

“Green, jasmine, black, dandelion?” He bristles at my indecision.

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