Page 6 of Ruby & Onyx

Until now, I never questioned how traders pass in and out of the border without any body-snatching repercussions. I suppose that is part of the magic embedded into the charm by Lord Myles. But if he was able to allow the traders to pass through unharmed, why didn’t he create a similar provision for us to exit freely?

Both of my hands float to my head in an attempt to stop the room from spinning.

What homecoming could possibly be near?

Carcera is all that I know.

This is my home. My cottage. My life.

What else is out there?

There must be something else beyond the gods-forsaken walls of Carcera. More to live for, more to dream of. Life must be worth more than this. On the other side of this forest, could I swim in the ocean or climb the mountains written about in the dusty pages of books? Could I sail on a ship or become a farmer? Or both! I could spend my days farming something tropical like oranges or mangos and then retire to my ship at night. I could watch the stars dance above me while the waves rock me gently to sleep.

Hell, even the glowing red eyes would be more bearable out on the open ocean. Sadness pangs in my chest as I remind myself that these are lives that I will never know.

The barrier has never felt more like a cage than it does now.

At least today is Beorscia, the annual feast to honor the god of life and death. I just wish that my stomach would stop churning long enough for me to get out of bed.

“Help me,” I groan to no one.

I peel myself out of bed limb by limb and then slip on a dress that falls just shy of my ankles and splits up the side. The neckline cuts deep enough to flaunt my cleavage. To be frank, the dress may be on the scandalous side, but nobody notices me. I’ll blend into the background whether I’m naked or covered from head to toe in a thick wool fabric.

Once the sun reaches its zenith, I begin the trek to the bottom of the mesa.

The walk takes me nearly an hour, but with such beautiful weather, I hardly mind. There’s not a cloud in the sky, and the sun’s warmth helps to settle my nerves.

To distract my mind from the visions of prowlers, I fix my thoughts on the festival. A spread of chocolate, cookies, and cakes will pile high into a sugary sweet tower, and venison, roasted chicken, potatoes, and vegetables will line the tables next to it. That’s what I really look forward to.

My stomach whines just at the thought of it.

* * *

The floral archway at the garden’s entrance takes my breath away, or maybe it’s the exertion from the walk that’s leaving me gasping for air. The anxiety bubbling up inside of me hastened my steps a little more than I was physically prepared for.

I dodge a line of children playing a game just inside the garden as I enter. They’re lined up in two rows that face each other.

“We stand, locking hands. We fight with our might. No one can break us, not even Shen,” one side sings in giddy unison. A child on the opposing line huffs and runs over, pummeling into the locked arms of two girls. He fails to break through, much to the delight of the winning side. He stomps indignantly to the end of the line, cheeks covered in sugar dusting.

Past the children, who are now laughing hysterically, I approach the narrow stone walkway. It encircles the garden and has four divergent paths leading to the enchanted fountain in the center. The water flows from its well in pink and purple sprays, bubbling up at the top and circling back through the bottom. The garden’s layout is meant to model the village – one large circle, much like the mesa, surrounding a central focal point, like the village.

As I round its center, I keep an eye out for Marco. But my gaze locks with Lord Myles instead, which he takes as an invitation to stroll over to me. That pompous gait of his rocks him forward with heavy, plodding steps. “Radya, are you enjoying the feast?”

“Good afternoon.” I dip into a curtsy and feign politeness. Really, I just want to get in and out of this festival with as much food as I can stuff into my satchel. “I just got here, but I have my eye on the pastry cart over there. I should grab one before they’re gone.”

“No need, I saved you a tart.” He winks as he hands me a cream tart topped with berries. I ignore the fact that it sat in his grubby hands and accept it anyway. If appeasing him is the cost of maintaining my pension, then that is a burden I can live with.

“Thank you, my Lord.”

A nagging thought purrs in the back of my mind. It’s a whisper that I can’t quiet, begging me to ask about the prowler. His image is all I see. “There’s something that I’d like to discuss while you’re here.”

“Anything, dear.” His big belly inches closer to me, nudging too close for comfort, forcing me to step back.

“I don’t know how best to say this, and so I’ll get right to it. I saw a man in the forest yesterday. He charged toward me and then vanished into thin air the second he reached the barrier.” My mind sours at the thought. “Actually, it was more violent than that. The barrier decimated him until only a pile of ash remained.”

Concern forms on his face, twisting it into a question mark. “He tried to cross?” He blinks away a thought as his shoulders curl inward. “Was this man alone?”

“It appeared that way, but Tana mentioned a rumor that others also saw strange men in the forest.” I gulp down the lump forming in my throat. “Do you… do you think there could be others out there?”

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