season avatars 03 - chaos season (17 page)

“A pleasure, Ava.” He took her hand and raised it to his lips, sending a tingle down his arm. “Rest well. We have much to do tomorrow.”

As she left, she gave him a coy glance over her shoulder. Did he really like poetry? A shame she didn’t know much about it. Perhaps she should find a few Challen love poems to share with him.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Two Books

Jenna slept in late and woke up to a hot morning, made worse by Kron’s insistence all windows remain closed and they stay inside. “I’m going to put defenses at every opening, no matter how small.” His face looked haggard, and despite the heat, he drained his chocolate in heartbeats. “I know the Four will protect you, especially this far inside Challen, but I can’t rest until I add my own artifacts.” For his efforts, Ysabel rewarded him with a shy smile before he left the breakfast parlor.

Gwen half-heartedly proposed another practice linking session, but Ysabel and Kay weren’t any more eager for it than Jenna was. The four of them separated after breakfast. Jenna spent an hour with her cranky child before retreating to the Summer Avatars’ study. At least the books and journals crammed into the room were silent. If any previous Summer Avatar had encountered something like the deathbush before, it would be recorded here. All she had to do was find it.

Determination helped her skim through two volumes, but there were still another dozen books on the first shelf, and a score of other shelves to go through. Jenna needed another pair of expert eyes, so she summoned a maid.

“I’d like a pitcher of tea, brewed as strong as you can make it and cooled with some of Winter’s ice,” she said. “Oh, and please tell the Avi Sum I’d like him to come help me in the Summer Study.”

The maid curtseyed, keeping her gaze on the floor. “I’ll ask one of the cooks to make your tea, Ava. But begging your pardon, the Avi Sum left word not to be disturbed.”

“By All Four, why not?”

The maid shrugged. “It’s not for me to know the Avi’s business, Ava.”

The clock in the hallway chimed twice. Early afternoon. Freeze it, it had taken her longer to read the two books than she’d expected. At this rate, she’d need a moon to finish going through the entire study. How much would the deathbushes grow in the meantime?

She sighed. “Just the tea, then.”

When she was alone, Jenna pulled the pins out of her hair and let her braid fall to her waist. She caught the end of it and chewed it for a few heartbeats while she studied the shelves. If she couldn’t read all of the books this season, she had to pick a few that were most likely to help her. Which ones would those be? Personal journals? Histories from the earliest Summer Avatars?

A title caught her eye:
Invasive Plants: A Record of Plants Originally Foreign to Challen But Now Established In Our Fair Country.
She hoped she hadn’t written it in a previous life, as the author obviously liked to use more words than necessary. Still, this book could hold the answers she was searching for—and it was big enough that it would take her the rest of the day to find them. Sighing, she settled into a chair in the corner and began to flip through the book. It was over two hundred years old, according to the date on the front page, but the paper, though soft and yellow, still felt strong. She sent magic into the book, strengthening the paper so she didn’t tear it.

Noises came from the room next door, shuffling feet and men’s voices. Servants cleaning up? No, she picked out Lex’s voice. Why had he arrived so early? Jenna leaned closer to the wall to eavesdrop.

“If this wine is as special as you claim, why keep it here instead of in the cellar?” Lex asked.

“Charles has a feel for grapes, even after they’ve been picked,” Dorian said. “He claims wine ages better if he handles the bottles from time to time. I always thought the bottle would block his magic, but I can’t argue with the result. See for yourself, Your Royal Highness.”

The men were silent, allowing Jenna to hear glasses clink.

“Fit for my brother,” Lex remarked. “I’ll suggest to your Summer Avatar that when he steps down, he and his wife should come to Wistica. Their talents would be useful.”

Something slammed against a table. “Their magic, not mine,” Dorian said. “I’m supposed to forget magic and pretend my sunshine isn’t with the God of Winter. What’s the use of living if I lose both of them?”

“Come now, it can’t be that bad—”

“Bad enough I’d join your army if you want my weather magic.”

A pause. “Can you even use it outside this country?”

“According to Kron, we can. Or we did, hundreds of years ago in a lifetime none of us remember clearly anymore.” Dorian’s voice twisted so much it was easy to picture him snarling as he spoke. “Very convenient, that. No wonder the foolish girls are taken in by him.”

Foolish girls?
Jenna would have loved to burst into the room next door and show Dorian how foolish she thought he was. But Lex said calmly, “What do you mean? He has a type of magic I’ve never seen before, and I’ve traveled from one end of the Fip Empire to the other—and outside of it, too.”

Lucky him.
Jenna wished she could travel so widely. She’d be happy just to hear Lex’s tales of other lands.

“The magic may be real, but everything else he’s been telling us about another Goddess causing Chaos Season has to be wrong,” Dorian said.

“Not according to my God.” Lex’s voice dropped, becoming much deeper and colder. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”

“The young women will need our support, especially Kay,” Dorian said. “She’s so scrawny a raindrop could knock her over.”

“Your Four Gods and Goddesses make some…unusual choices for Their Avatars. Or perhaps being bound to deities for so many lifetimes makes you…unusual.”

Now it was Dorian’s voice that sounded dangerous. “And what does that mean, Avatar of War?”

“It means our gods have set us on very different paths. And with that, Winter Avatar, I bid you farewell. I must prepare for tonight’s campaign.”

The door to the hallway opened, then closed. Jenna pressed herself against her chair, worried Lex might see her and realize she’d overheard them. He passed the study without glancing in her direction.

More liquid splashed into a glass next door. “Unusual Avatars indeed,” Dorian grumbled. “We’re normal; he’s the strange one serving only one life as Avatar. Such odd magic he has; if only he could run it backward….Oh, Sunshine, if you were still here, we wouldn’t have to deal with all of these other Avatars trying to take over. Why, Winter, why?”

Glass shattered.

Jenna held still, not daring to turn a page of her book. Winter magic could be very dangerous, especially in the hands of someone as ill-tempered as Dorian.

After the room next door fell silent, she stared at her book for a long time, but the letters on the pages turned into meaningless shapes, offering her no help with either the deathbushes or the other Avatars.

* * *

Jenna took a short break to nurse Robbie, then returned to the study. She eventually managed to skim the book on invasive plants, but she found nothing resembling a deathbush. She searched for methods to kill unwanted weeds, but all she could find were techniques she’d already tried or knew wouldn’t work. If only she could find some animal that could safely eat the deathbush—or another plant that could outcompete it. She’d done something like that in a previous life, hadn’t she?

She studied the shelves devoted to personal journals. Her first name had always started with a “J,” so it was easy to pick out her previous lives: Jilly wo’Leaf, Josh Sunflower, Janet r’Ivis, and of course Jacob Raddesdeath. He’d known the most about killing weeds. With a sigh, she selected one of his journals—not the last one—and flipped through it. A sentence leapt out at her: “Some seeds prevent their rivals from sprouting. I discovered this by accident, as I was trying to find strains of tropical plants that could be adapted to grow in Challen…”

“There you are, Ava!” Clover swept into the study and straightened a pile of books. “It’s nearly dinner time. Which dress shall I lay out for you? Something formal, in honor of the War Avatar’s visit?”

As much as Jenna would have liked to wear her newest favorite—a hunter green dress with cream trim and a daringly low-cut bosom—Gwen had suggested they all choose practical outfits so they could leave immediately after dinner. “The forest green and light blue poplin will do. I’ll also need sturdy boots and a wool-lined cloak.” It might be cooler in Tradetown, but Jenna had to be prepared in case Chaos Season occurred.

Before leaving the study, Jenna needed to mark her current page in this journal, so she could reference it later. What could she use? She didn’t see any loose sheets or bookmarks handy, but a better solution came to her. She found Jacob’s final journal, the one with Glory’s death spelled out in shameful detail, and slipped it into the volume she was currently reading. Avatars weren’t supposed to damage their documents, but in this case she had to make an exception.

Perhaps after this adventure is over, I can destroy that journal, or at least rip out the appropriate pages.

Twenty minutes later, when she entered the dining room, Jenna was relieved to see her sister Avatars in outfits similar to her own. Charles and Dorian had brought their weatherproof cloaks with them as well. Kron wore a satchel with many stuffed pockets, and Lex had changed into a field uniform in drab earth colors and no medals. Sophia, who planned to stay behind, was the only one in a formal gown and jewels. The head housekeeper frowned slightly as she surveyed them, and even the servers with the first course—a chilled cucumber soup—seemed surprised.

Gwen ate with perfect manners, nobility drilled too deeply into her to need fancy clothes. “Are we all ready and willing to do what must be done?”

Ysabel swallowed hard and managed a tiny nod.

“By The Four, must all of you go?” Sophia asked. “I can’t believe one Selathen man requires this much magic to be subdued.”

“He may have allies with him, Dear.”

“Even so, Charles, the others can manage it just fine without you. Why risk yourself?”

“To see the deathbushes,” Jenna said.

He raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said they were all destroyed.”

“I hope they are, but if we find one, I’d like your thoughts on how to destroy it.”

Sophia glared at her during the rest of the meal. Thankfully, no one else wanted to make conversation, polite or otherwise. They all devoured their way through the meal at twice the normal speed of a formal dinner.

“I apologize for the poor meal, Your Royal Highness,” the housekeeper said to Lex as the servers brought out peach and berry pastries. “We’ve hosted royalty before and can serve you as your rank requires, given the opportunity to do so.”

He selected one of each pastry. “No need to apologize, Dame. I’ve eaten field rations alongside my men. If your chefs could feed an army like this every day, we could conquer the world.”

“Perhaps when this business is done, we could have a formal dinner and dance,” Jenna suggested. Lex would be honor-bound to take a turn with all of the unmarried women, but she’d wager he’d give her the most dances.

Kron broke in before she could flirt further. “I need another doorway for the portal to Tradetown. Where should I put it? A doorway that isn’t used very often would be best.”

“How about the Summer Study?” Dorian said with a disdainful glance at Jenna.

“By All Four, I do read!” Why didn’t Charles support her? The insult was directed at him too. “As a matter of fact, I’ve been researching the deathbushes.” Did Dorian suspect she’d overheard his conversation with Kron earlier? Maybe she could throw that back at him. “Use the sample room next door to the Summer Study instead.”

Kron nodded. “That will do. The rest of you can wait in the study while I prepare the portal.”

The study was crowded with seven other people in it. Gwen took the opportunity to scan the titles, as if she planned to read while she waited. What if she noticed Jacob’s last journal was missing? Jenna snatched up both of his journals, keeping the fatal one inside the other, and read out loud, “All the weeds grew when sown by themselves or with grains, but when I placed this seed among them, they did not sprout. Only whole seeds worked; those that had been hulled could not defend their spaces from the encroaching weeds.”

“Is that about natural weed control?” Charles asked. “What seed was Jacob referring to?”

Ysabel peered around the corner. “The portal’s ready.”

“I can look it up later,” Jenna replied to Charles. She slid the journal with its secret back into place.

Ysabel’s cat suddenly growled, and his fur stood on end.

“Freeze it,” Gwen said. “Does everyone have their winter clothes?”

From halfway across the room, Jenna could feel the blast of cold air coming through the portal. The ground beyond was covered in white.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Deathbushes and Chaos

Jenna groaned. Chaos Season in the middle of summer always seemed like a special insult. Some people found cold and snow in summer a break from the heat, but she hated how it interfered with the crops. Over the centuries, the plants in Challen had developed some resistance to changes in temperature, but Chaos Season still interfered with the growing season. Once a Chaos Season had been tamed, she always had to restore the crops to their normal state.

“Is it widespread?” she asked.

“I’ll know once we’re on the other side,” Kay said.

Jenna drew her cloak tightly around herself and stepped through, pleased that Dorian and Lex hesitated before following them.

The portal brought them to the back of Ysabel’s house. Snow came up to Jenna’s knees in an unbroken sheet. The windows looked dingy, and the house had a deserted feeling to it. Ysabel picked up her anilink  and studied the house. “The songbirds haven’t seen anyone going in or out of the house since we left. I’ll wager my father is living in his watch shop downtown.”