Page 39 of Untamed

“Did you hear what I said?” Her tone held an earnest note.

“Yes. I thought these were all in Himzo.” I touched the hard, worn cover of Laude’s history book and decided to refrain from flipping through the pages to find out what this relic did. “How did you know what it was?”

Mamá wrapped her arms around me. “Long ago, I worked for someone who wanted to retrieve all the relics for himself. I’m worried about how they’ve been removed from the King of Himzo. But this one is here, and it works. The watch will give you night visions.”

I cringed and tugged on the chain, ready to remove it. “I’m not sure this is for me.”

“It was gifted to you. If the Ancient One calls you to have it, He’ll help you. Make sure to pray and keep your heart from wanting to control the power for your own benefit.”

“I’m not suited for power at all.” I started to unloop the chain, but Mamá placed her warm fingers over my hand, stopping me.

“Sometimes we can’t understand why we’re given such responsibilities.” Mamá tucked a wayward hair behind my ear. “It’s overwhelming. But seek the Ancient One for the counsel He gives freely, and your burden will ease.”

I pressed my lips together and swallowed a lump of fear.

“You’re going to need this tool tomorrow.” Mamá's mouth upturned in the corners, though her eyes drooped downward with worries I didn’t understand.

It seemed every person knew what my tomorrow held, except me.

That night, I yanked the curtains around my bed closed and slid under my covers. The pocket watch ticked over my heart. A slice of moonlight cut across my face, and I yanked the bed curtains to remedy the problem. Instead, moonlight slashed over my feet.

Ugh. I didn’t feel like moving, so I left the gap in the curtains. My eyelids tugged downward from exhaustion. The darkness swallowed me whole.

Soon a dreamworld glittered around me, like my entire body was surrounded by water, sparkling in the moonlight. I swam to the surface and gasped as my wet skin met the chill night air. Though I knew this was a dream, the sensation of warm water pressed over my skin, and the halo of black sky pockmarked with a plethora of stars provoked awe.

Why was I in the water? What was this place?

I took in my surroundings. Water all around and nearby, land—no, an island. Golden light twinkled from somewhere within the jungle on the island, so I swam toward it.

My arms burned. Every muscle protested for me to stop, but I couldn’t. An urge to reach the island pulled me forward despite my yearning to rest. I finally met a sandy shore and walked out of the water wearing pants and a tunic. Now, I was certain this was a dream.

Within my lifetime, I’d only worn pants to go horseback riding in my paddock and during my one trip to Valle delos Fantasmas. Voices met my waterlogged ears, and I moved toward them. Sand squished between my toes as a chill coated my skin with goosebumps.

Firelight pulsed somewhere between the trees and revealed several people standing in a clearing. I kept silent as I moved closer. The sand transitioned to poky grass and trees, but I needed to get to the fire.

The closer I progressed, the more I could make out the figures, some standing and others sitting. One older man held a staff, and others wore hats. The people on the ground hunkered back-to-back which registered as odd.

I rushed now, trying to cover the space between us, but the jungle clawed and writhed around me. It twisted around my wrists and ankles as if begging me to stay away. Warning bells rang through my mind, but something about the scene drew me into it.

Now, I could make out the ropes tied around the lady and men on the ground. A lady with fiery red curls turned her face, possibly having heard my approach, and I gasped.

Laude. Laude’s sullen eyes rounded in shock and shifted to gaping terror.

A deep voice said, “Beatriz, we’ve been waiting for you.”

I blinked awake, panting and covered in sweat.

My hand reached for the metal weight over my heart. I curled my fingers around the warm metal edges and clicked on the latch. A melancholy tune plinked from the mechanism, reminding me of a song Zichri liked to sing. The small comfort drowned out my erratic heartbeat.

It was only a dream.

Chapter 16

Laude

Queen Cottia and Ispent this last month on weapons training. The queen knew I was not a formidable opponent, which was why I hadn’t a clue why she chose me to assassinate Whyzer Patro—her old boss—if it became necessary. Even worse, I trained for a role I had not agreed to take, a part I did not want to play.

Though the Queen’s spacious quarters looked like a stately room full of silken drapes, paintings, and polished furniture, she kept a spare room to train for physical combat and hired a trainer to maintain her skill. Clashing swords echoed across the room while I huddled in a corner.

---