Heiress: Birthstone Series Book Two (27 page)

“Are you sure you didn’t do this?” I asked her.

“I don’t have the ability to do this. It was all you,” she
said, her voice cracking with emotion.

“But how?”

“The Fertility and Prosper Gems were the final touch. You
manipulated how they’re used and got the results you wanted. You made the seed
and ground fertile. You made the tree flourish and thrive. Your own memories
did that. ”

I stared at the tree in silence. After so long feeling like
a slave to the gems, after nearly losing control every time I used them, I felt
strong. I wondered if– no, I believed I had a chance at learning how to command
my necklace. And for the first time, I knew I might be able to help this land.

I reached out and fingered the fragile leaves of my tree. As
I touched a firm, round bud of some kind, a movement to my left caught my eye.
I turned my head, curious. I hadn’t noticed them before, but a small crowd had
gathered nearby. I recognized some of the people as those I’d passed by or
spoken with on occasion, but most were strangers.

It didn’t matter whether I knew them personally or not, I
realized, because every one of them had the same look in their eyes as they
glanced from the tree to me. I had never seen anyone in Miranasch look at me
the way these people were and at first, I struggled to understand it.

But then one of the children smiled at me, his large, grey
eyes so hesitant and shy but brimming with . . . something. Abruptly I felt my
Empathy Gem thrum against my chest and I recognized what I saw there, in every
face staring back at me.

It was hope.

“It’s been several days,” Haji hissed in my ear. “I don’t
think he knows where he’s going.”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I stared at Nil as he slumped
against one of the strange gray trees I’d seen scattered around the land.

“We’ll stop here,” he said. His gear dropped to the ground
with a clunk. He put his fingers to his lips and let out a single, long
whistle.

“We’ve only been walking for a couple of hours today. Isn’t
it a little early to stop?” Lirig asked.

“We could cover a lot more ground if we kept going,” Haji
agreed. “As it is, we’ve hardly seemed to make any progress at all.”

Nil scanned the trees instead. I wondered if he was even
listening until he shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll get there in another day or
so.”

Haji snorted. “You’ve been saying that for days. I thought
you said Banthen was close.”

“We skipped Banthen. It’s dangerous there.”

I took a step closer to Nil, giving him reason to glance my
way. I didn’t miss the way his gaze flicked around nervously. “But we’ve
managed to skip every city. I’ve seen nothing but burned and abandoned villages
for days. Have we changed our goal of finding the rebels?”

“They’re not easy to locate, all right?” Nil looked to the
trees again. “Where is that stupid bird?” he muttered.

With a curse, I turned away from him. Tugging on Haji’s arm,
I urged her toward me and led her further from Nil and his tree.

“I’ll be back before sundown,” I whispered.  “Tell Nil I
went looking for some better food than the meager rations we’ve been living
on.”

“Where are you going?”

“I need to look around a bit. Warn Lirig and Faema to be
prepared for anything. That means weapons ready. Just in case.”

“In cast of what?” Haji’s eyes narrowed to slits as they
darted back to Nilym.

I pursed my lips and ran my fingers through my dirty hair.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” With a final nod, I turned from her and marched
deeper into the trees.

When I knew I was alone, I pulled several of my weapons from
their hiding places and made them more accessible. The rest of my gear I hid
beneath a thick curtain of moss that had grown over the cavity in a fallen
tree.

I headed back toward the way we’d come from when we’d first
set out that morning but turned west after I recognized a place we’d passed
through. When the forest began to thin, I knew I’d gone the right direction.

Cautiously, I emerged from the trees and surveyed the land
around me. I was at the bottom of the same grassy hill Nil had gone last night
when he’d thought we were all sleeping. Just beyond the hill was a small city.
I could only guess at which city it was and why Nil had disappeared into it so
late in the evening and for such a long time. Now I was going to find out.

I straightened my shoulders and tried to put on an air of
confidence. I figured nothing would get me killed in this place faster than
looking like I didn’t know what I was doing. As I strode up the hill, the tops
of the buildings came into view. I was surprised at how ragged they appeared,
most of them thatched and muddy. Some of the homes were made of sturdier
materials such as stone and wood but they were crudely built at best. Several
beggars sat in the streets, unwilling to move even when someone clopped by on a
land kelpie or some other beast. A few filthy children played listlessly in the
dirt but they seemed too tired to do more than glance up when I walked past
them.

I tried to keep my ears tuned in to any conversation around
me in hopes of hearing someone speaking about the rebellion. I strolled past a
rundown building with a battered sign that had been nailed to a stake and
pounded into the ground nearby. Clustered near the door were several men who
appeared rough, unshaven, and drunk. Haggard-looking women moved amongst them,
passing out some sort of bubbly green drink and hunks of meat dried in thick
strips. I ducked into an inconspicuous corner and leaned up against the outside
of the building to observe people and listen to the raucous banter nearby.

More than half an hour passed with no mention of the state
of the kingdom, war, or anything regarding the rebellion. Most of the talk
consisted of who found the largest gem while working in the mines and which
person got their hand cut off after getting caught trying to connect to a gem
they didn’t own.

From what I gathered, the king had taken ownership over quite
a few different gem mines. Those without bloodlines were often required to
labor in them for appointed amounts of time in exchange for a small, weak gem
they could use to trade for services or food. When they began to talk about the
best trade they received for their awarded gem, I heard Nil’s name.

“Have any of you seen the little scrounger? He hasn’t been
around for nearly a fortnight at least.”

“No,” someone responded, “I thought I saw him sneaking
around last night. He’s staying out of sight for some reason.”

“I’ll tell you why he’s staying out of sight!” yelled
another. “He’s burned enough of the soldiers that they all want his head.”

“What did he promise them this time? Another Sea Gem?” At
this, several men roared with laughter.

“I heard . . .” someone spoke above the noise. When the men
quieted down, he continued. “I heard he promised to turn in some foreigners to
the king. Vowed they knew something about the Gem Heiress.”

The laughter resumed but I hardly noticed. I felt my body
grow hot in spite of the cold, gray clouds hanging low over the town. I shook
my head and clenched my teeth to keep from cursing out loud. We’d been so
stupid to follow him! He’d done nothing to gain our trust and yet we’d wandered
after him like blind fools.

“The only people more ridiculous than Nil are the soldiers
who listen to such a claim,” one of the men said. “Serves them right for
believing such rubbish. Haven’t they learned by now that you can never trust
Nil’s trades?”

“I’ll tell you what,” shouted a voice. “If any of you ever
bring
me
a foreigner, I’ll treat him and everyone else to a round of
drinks. And we’ll toast the so-called Gem Heiress and all her cursed
bloodlines!”

The men’s cheers and laughter filled the air before the
conversation moved on to the latest family to get harassed by some of the king’s
soldiers for suspicion of gem hoarding. I’d heard enough. I pushed away from
the wall with my shoulders and strolled past the men, making sure to nod coolly
at them when they looked my way.

I wove deeper into the city and found myself surrounded with
stone buildings, roughly cobbled streets, and throngs of unwashed, ragged
people. Poorly made wooden stands situated along a few of the roads slumped
beneath produce that looked several days old. A few stands proudly displayed
colorful but lifeless gems. I guessed they’d once had power but had already
died. Other wares of higher quality were flaunted the further I ventured in the
crowds. I saw looking glasses like the one Haji had inherited from the
mainlander soldiers after they’d invaded Vairda, well-made boots and shoes of
polished brown leather, and even jewel-studded trinkets that could be worn in
hair or around wrists. I doubted anyone could afford them.

As I walked, I scanned the faces of everyone I passed,
searching for anything that would give me a reason to request information about
the rebellion. But all I saw were cold, blank looks from people too tired to
make eye contact with a stranger, too lost in survival to think of anything
more than the next meal. I felt a deep pang of longing for Vairda. It had been
so easy to talk with my fellow islanders, even if I’d never met someone before.
Sharing a few clumps of land in the middle of an ocean created a sense of
community I doubted citizens of Miranasch could understand. I was lonelier than
ever as I stood, isolated in the vast throng of mainlanders, and wondered if
anyone in this foreign world was trustworthy or friendly.

I felt myself get jostled and I pressed my body against one
of the buildings to steady myself. When I regained my footing, I turned my
attention to the walls and signs fixed to several of the buildings’ surfaces.
Most were notices with pictures of gems, encouraging people to mine for the
king and help support the kingdom. Some had symbols I didn’t recognize that
appeared to be some sort of code. After staring at these for several moments,
unable to decipher their meaning, another sign caught my eye.

An image of a blazing stag head had been artfully penned at
the top of the parchment and beneath was a black silhouette of a crown. Under
the crown were the words:
Reward; Gems in exchange for information about
foreigners. King Shir is aware of strangers from another land claiming a
kinship with his Highness. Their desire is to destroy the kingdom of Miranasch
and claim all gems for their own use. They are a threat to the glory and order
of our land. All information will be considered valuable.

After I read the notice, I glanced around. When I didn’t see
anyone looking my way, I ripped it down and stuffed it into my vest. It would
serve as proof to the others when I told them of Nil’s treachery.

I moved to leave but a moment later, the bare spot where the
king’s sign had been caught my eye. I leaned closer and peered at the weathered
wall. Faintly carved into it was a simple tree, similar to the one Aylen and I
had seen in an underground chamber in Vairda. A lightning streak was poised
above it, hovering as though waiting for the right moment to strike. I took in
the unique twist of the branches and the way they splayed out, each its own entity.
My heart beat a little faster as the possibilities rolled around in my head. It
couldn’t be a coincidence.

I turned and began to scan the crowd again, searching for
the same symbol. I studied clothing, jewelry, skin markings- anything that
would give me a clue. I began to wander, my eyes sharp and observant.

Hours passed and the day began to wane while I searched.
Crowds thinned as people began to leave for their homes. Most shops hadn’t
begun to take down their wares yet and this encouraged me. I prayed I still had
time.

I walked slowly up the streets, heading back toward the
outskirts of the city. I would have to return to the others soon but I wanted
to give one final search.

This time, I stopped at some of the tables. I tried to talk
quietly with the merchants, matching their accents as best as I was able. I
pretended to study their goods actually in search of the tree symbol. When I
found nothing, doubt began to creep in. For all I knew, I had seen a child’s
scribble on a wall. Was I so desperate that I’d see signs where they didn’t
exist?

I began to make my way out of town, dejected. A few more
stands still lined the streets as I drew closer to the edge of the city. Most
were selling food but I recognized the table with the hair trinkets. I nearly
strolled by it but I had visited too many merchants to just move on. One more
wouldn’t hurt.

I approached the stand and nodded at the woman seated
nearby. I felt her eyes follow my movements as I fingered the bracelets and
hair pieces, looking for anything that resembled a tree. I released an almost
inaudible sigh when nothing even slightly matched the symbol.

My disappointment must have shown because the woman stood
and made her way toward me.

“Was there something in particular you were looking for?”

Her voice sounded older than she actually appeared. As I
studied her more closely, I noticed jagged, red lines stretching across her
neck. I drew back a little, surprised, but forced my eyes to her face a moment
later. She had been beautiful once, I could tell. Her features had been
delicate and symmetrical at one time but were now accented with creases and
scars. The scars were the hardest to look at. In some places, her skin appeared
as though it had been used for target practice. I couldn’t imagine the pain
she’d experienced in her life.

Meeting her eyes, I said the same words I’d already said to
countless other vendors. “My sister loves the forest and she wants something
with a tree on it. Do you have anything like that?”

She blinked at me a couple of times before she turned and
began to rummage in the boxes she’d stored beneath her stand. She emerged with
her hands full of wrapped goods.