Page 79 of The Great and Terrible

Our boots thumped against the shiny floor as we approached the pool. The closer we came to it, the more my stomach churned. Fine hairs on my nape stood at attention.

Ian anchored a knee upon the ledge, bent over, and scooped water in both hands. Water he tossed into the air. Shockingly, the droplets didn’t fall. They drew together, forming a shimmery veil. Colors sparked inside it, an image forming.

How was this even happening? According to Jasher, Hakeldama had no magic.

“Daddy,” I cried when the image finished forming. He lay in bed, covered by the pink comforter, staring out the window. He’d lost weight he couldn’t afford to lose, and his eyes were sunken, his skin sallow.“Where’s the portal? I need to get home.”

“In good time, my dear,” Ian replied. “Good time. Look.”

I took in the rest of the scene. A uniformed policeman sat in the chair across from the bed, a notepad and pen in hand. Reading from the paper, he listed locations around the diner where I worked. “My deepest apologies, sir, but though we found her vehicle, we haven’t been unable to locate her bo—her.”

The cop almost said “body.” They thought I was dead.My fatherthought I was dead.

“You can see yourself out,” Daddy intoned. He sounded as if he’d given up the will to live. Looked it, too. Grief etched every line of his being.

I pressed a hand over my mouth. His lips parted as hegeared to say more, but I never heard the words. The water droplets fell into the pool, and the image of him vanished. “Bring him back,” I croaked, a command as much as a plea.

“I’m sorry, my dear, but I can’t. I probably should have explained this beforehand, but the waters only reveal an individual once, for a specific amount of time.”

Homesickness seared the center of my chest.

“Thankfully,” he added, “I’ll be opening the portal tomorrow and personally ensuring your return to him.”

The Guardian’s eagerness wasn’t lost on me. Yeah, he was absolutely ready to be rid of a political rival.

I couldn’t blame him for taking such a route. Easy, quick, and done, no harm, no foul.

He held out his arm in invitation. “Until then, allow me to show you to your room. You can clean up, eat, and rest. In the morning after breakfast, I’ll take you to King Ahav’s journal and Queen Sandrine’s secret room, which we discovered mere days ago.”

The ring buzzed, something it had never done before, and I gasped.

“Moriah?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m fine,” I assured him. But what did the buzz mean? The fact that a “secret room” had been unearthed only after my arrival in Hakeldama, just like the private oasis, proved extremely curious, too. A coincidence that couldn’t be a coincidence. “Would it be possible to see the journal or ring now?”

He winced. “Unfortunately, a band of rebels was hot on your heels, and they must be dealt with before they manage to enter the city. You understand, I’m sure.”

“I do.” Having seen firsthand the cruelty of the rebels, I comprehended it was better to deal with them sooner rather than later. I forced a smile and accepted his offered hand. “In the morning is perfect.”

CHAPTER 20

DOUBLE THE TROUBLE

Ian stopped in front of a door with two deer carved into its center and an unarmored guard posted on each side. He grinned at me. “I’ve chosen one of the best chambers in the palace for you, my dear. Your friends are stationed in the rooms beside it. You have only to open the doors between your suites to see them.”

“I’m to be locked inside?” I demanded, scanning the faces of the soldiers, seeing Jasher, and yet not. Not a strand of dark hair was out of place, and their sunset eyes lacked the sparkle of humor and hints of warmth I’d come to expect. Few had tattoos peeking out from beneath their clothing. “Made a prisoner?”

“Absolutely not,” the Guardian assured me. “They are here for your protection only. And if there’s anything you need, you have only to alert them. They will see to your every whim, as I would do if I were here.”

Okay. All right. “I’d prefer Jasher stand as my guard.”

“Of course. I’ll send him your way after he’s briefed me on his encounter with the very rebels now attempting to harm my people.” Ian lifted my hand and kissed the air above it,never pressing his lips against my skin. “We’ll pick up where we left off at breakfast.”

With a final, firm nod, he released me and strode from the hall. I faced the soldiers. Both stared straight ahead, giving total on-duty vibes. “Hello. What are your names?”

They didn’t speak or glance at me. Fine. I sighed, turned the knob, and entered the room. The door closed automatically with a soft snick. Oh, wow. My room was as spacious as the throne room, with three distinct zones. The sleeping area, a parlor, and a dining nook. Glorious furnishings filled each.

In the sleeping area, stringed lights hung from the ceiling, creating a canopy of stars around a massive bed flanked by two immense columns. Strips of fluffy white carpet stretched between two columns. The ends split into sections and coiled like the lollipop tree roots I’d noticed my first day. A vanity and its large oval mirror trimmed in gold flowers complimented a dresser and chaise lounge, also trimmed in gold.

---