The Go-Between (The Nilaruna Cycles Book 1) (13 page)

No light once the sun goes down.

No sight when the sun is up
because of that infernal veil.

No one to speak to. Or laugh
with. Or trade secrets with.

Nili’s gait has become something
of a waddle as her scarred leg pains her. I long to hoist her on my back, but
she wouldn’t want that. She’s fiercely independent, more so than any female
I’ve ever met.

The least I can do is distract
her from the pain.

“You should see the library at
the palace,” I say. “Thousands of books. Tens of thousands. I think a lifetime
would not be enough to read them all.”

“The people of Indrapur have
access to thousands of books?” she gasps. Then she laughs. “How blessed they
are.”

“Actually, the library is only
for the use of the royal family and court,” I say. “I’m afraid it doesn’t get
much use.”

“Oh,” she says. “Do you have a
large untouchable class in Indrapur?”

“Of course,” I say.

“How many are there, do you
think?”

I swallow. “I do not know, and it
pains me to say that.”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel
bad, Kai,” Nili says. “It was just a question.”

“A question to which a proper
ruler should have an answer.”

“You know,” she says, “no matter
what happens, I feel like I accomplished something just meeting you.
Maybe…maybe things will change for the untouchables. Maybe they won’t be so
invisible.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to
agree, because I do. Nili has certainly changed something inside of me.

But I promised her I would not
lie. So I say nothing.

“So…what would you be doing, Kai?
If you weren’t here.”

“It’s late, so I might be up
drawing, or spending time with my father if he’s available.” Or dicing and
playing with one of the servant girls, but I hardly think Nili needs to know
this.

“What do you like to draw?”

“Whatever is in my mind,” he
says. “Sometimes people, sometimes animals. I like to draw fantastic things,
too, things that have never been seen before.”

“I would like to see these
drawings,” she says. “Would you share them with me?”

I’ve never shared them with
anyone. “Maybe someday,” I say.

“Tell me what it’s like living in
the palace,” I say.

I shrug. “It’s my home. It’s
where my friends and family are. The royal family has quarters on the third
floor in the central palace. Courtiers live in the western wings, away from the
sea.”

“Describe it for me,” she says.
“Paint a picture in my mind. If you were going to draw it, tell me what you
see.”

I’ve actually drawn the palace
many times, but I sense this is not what Nili means.

“The palace itself is built of
white marble, honed from the sea cliffs nearby. It’s over seven hundred cycles
old, but you wouldn’t know it looking at it. There’s not a crack, nary a
blemish. The marble reflects the sunlight and shines like a beacon.

“The throne room is magnificent.
It can hold ten thousand people. A blood-red carpet lines the center aisle, and
centuries-old tapestries line the walls. Glorious tales have been woven into
these tapestries, depicting battles, hunts, marriage, and anything worthy of
note in the kingdom. The thrones are carved from dark mahogany, found only on
the southern shores of the kingdom. My father says, though beautiful to look at
it, they make your arse ache.”

Nili giggles. “And I’ll be
expected to sit on one? Perhaps you can commission a cushion to be made. In
hopes of saving your bride from an aching arse.”

I laugh. “A cushion you shall
have. In the brightest jade, to match your eyes.”

“You noticed my eyes?” she says.

“They are unusual,” I say. “I’ve
known only one other person with green eyes, and I never actually met her.”

“Who was that?”

“Tamasi, the Sea Witch.”

“There is a sea witch? Does she
do magic?”

I laugh. “She lived a thousand
cycles ago. She was a siren, a woman who beguiled men with her song and then
wrestled them to a watery grave. She’s just a legend. I don’t know if she actually
lived. But supposedly she had bright green eyes to better blend in with the
waves.”

Nili shivers. “Her name means
night
. That’s an eerie coincidence,
since mine means the
light of dawn
.”

I shiver. “Indeed.”

“Are you cold, my prince?”

I shake my head, even though I’m
freezing. “But you must be.”

“I’m used to it,” she says.

“There’s a lot of discomfort
you’re used to,” I say.

Nili shrugs. “That’s just part of
life, isn’t it? Being uncomfortable?”

Not for me. “I fear we have very
different lives, Nilaruna.”

“Why do you fear it?” she asks.

“We must find some common
ground,” I say. “You have many needs that are different from my own, and I’m
afraid much time will be spent just coming together in understanding. And we
don’t have time for such trivialities.”

Nili quickens her pace, just a
bit. “I understand my needs are trivial,” she says. “Let us speak no more. Even
though I have tried to be myself with you, do not misunderstand. I can be the
retiring, simpering wife. I can see to my own needs. I will figure out the
workings of your world just fine. Do not fret.”

“Nili, that’s not what I meant.”

“One minute it’s Nilaruna, and
now it’s Nili. Choose, my prince. Formalities or familiarities. Our marriage
cannot be built on both. When it is only you and I, I have to trust in one or
the other.”

“I would like us to be familiar,”
I say.

“Then do not push me away,” she
says. “Do not call me Nilaruna. Do not assume that because I ask you questions now
that they will never cease. I’m trying to get to know you. Or is that not what
you want?”

I do not know how to reply, and
she continues.

“This conversation took a turn
because I said that being uncomfortable is part of life. It’s something I take
for granted. Yet you did not agree with me. And I assume that’s because you
agreed not to lie. While I might not have a clue what it’s like to live in the
palace, I can guess. This trip is probably the most uncomfortable you’ve been
in your life. And I’m making it worse.”

“You do not make me
uncomfortable,” I say. “Not you personally. But I admit, the difference in our
stations does.”

“I’m sorry I’m not worthy of you,
Kai,” she says. “I’m sorry you are stuck with such a hideous creature.”

I stop her with a hand on her
arm. She turns her pretty half to me automatically. “It is not your appearance
that makes me uncomfortable. It startled me, at first, yes, but I’m already
accustomed to it. It’s me, not you.”

“What’s you?” she asks.

“You are challenging my assumptions.
You are making me see new things in the world. You, a woman, an untouchable,
could go head to head in a debate with any of the great philosophers of our
time. I didn’t know ones such as you existed. And all of that makes me very
uncomfortable.”

“I’m sorry, my prince,” she says
with a low bow. “And we haven’t even agreed to a marriage, and here I am,
asking for intimacies that only a betrothed should be privy to. We should end
the conversation now, before either of us says something we will regret.”

“Agreed,” I say. “Let us have
companionable silence.”

“Agreed.”

We come to a fork, where
moonlight shines through a mighty oak. I follow Nili in the dim light.

“So what’s your favorite color?”
I ask.

Nili turns to me with a grin.
“Green. What’s yours?”

I’ve been with the nestlings for two hours, and there’s no sign that
the rest of the thunder will return.

The first clue is the bones.

Dragons tend to be hoarders. But
the hoarding has an order to it, a thoughtfulness, if you will. This thunder
has a particular tunnel in their cave system set aside just for bones.

And yet bones litter the floor of
the main cave. The females have obviously not been around to tidy up.

The second clue is the bones.

The females tend to hunt large
prey that will feed many. But the bones I see are those of rats and rabbits,
the small prey that the nestlings could easily catch close by.

I spent quite a bit of time
introducing myself when I arrived. I’d never been allowed near the nestlings,
and they didn’t know me. Still, they weren’t fearful. They’ve probably never
met any creature outside their thunder and have no reason to fear.

But they were…enthusiastic. Eager
for attention. They huffed fire at each other and me and basically made a
shambles of the place.

They finally fell asleep atop one
another after I fed them.

So I have a moment to explore.
But only a moment, as Nili is nearing my cave and she’s brought visitors.

The prince and his underlings.

And I do not like their thoughts,
not one little bit. The prince is probing Nilaruna, seeking information on her.
What reason could there possibly be for that, except to get to me?

I banish these thoughts and
concentrate on the task at hand.

Magic is present here; the cave
is thick with it. But dragons are inherently magical creatures and wield far
more power than the average human being. I could be sensing only the residue of
their workings.

I run my hand along the walls of
the cave. I sense nothing out of place.

I move to the cave’s mouth, and I
wonder why I didn’t sense it on my entry — my entire body buzzes with the
shock of a thousand bee stings.

I shake off the unpleasant
feeling and walk back into the cave. I feel nothing.

I run my hand along the outer rim
of the mouth. And there, in plain sight, is a spell laid to keep the nestlings
in.

Nili and her companions reach the
great oak and continue on up the mountain. I don’t have much time.

I grab the nestlings, one in each
claw, and run out of the cave. I launch myself skyward.

The lazy little tots do not even
wake.

“Maja? Are you here?” I call into his cave.

I get no answer, so I think to
him.
We’re here. Are you close?

Very, my love. I’ve set a table and laid out food and drink. Rest
until my return.

“It’s black in here,” Manoj
complains. “Can I light a torch?”

I reset the veil atop my head.
“Yes. Please do.”

I hear him strike flint to steel,
and the rag-wrapped branch he pulled from his pack erupts. He holds it aloft,
and all of us settle our gazes on an amazing feast centered before us.

“I guess he did know we were
coming,” Kai says.

“Manoj, there’s a bracket in the
wall, there, where you can set the torch.”

He does, and we approach the
table. Kai reaches for a flagon of wine, but Manoj stops him with a hand on his
arm.

“No, Kai. It could be poisoned.”

“Maja would not poison you,” I
say. “And he certainly wouldn’t poison me.”

I grab the flagon and pour the
wine into a silver goblet. I take a sip. “See?”

“Eat only what Nilaruna eats,”
Manoj says.

I sigh. “I’m not his bride yet.
I’m not going to be poisoned today. Relax, Manoj.”

Faaris reaches for an apple. “I
agree. Let’s look for danger in the proper quarters.”

Manoj’s face turns purple in the
firelight. “That’s exactly how assassins work! They hit you when you least expect
it!”

Kai breaks off a handful of
grapes from the bunch. “Then you don’t have to eat, Manoj.”

Halfway through our meal, I
notice Manoj stealthily grab a turkey leg.

I’m here
,
Maja says in my head.
Prepare them.

For your dragon form?
I ask.

Yes.

I swallow my food and take a sip
of wine. “My prince, I’d like to prepare you for Maja. He will be here any
second.”

Kai nods at me.

“There’s no specific protocol you
need follow. Just be respectful. But his, uh, form, it’s unsettling, and a bit
intimidating.”

“You need not school us on
receiving emissaries,” Manoj sniffs. “We are far more versed in this than you.”

I bow. “Of course. But you are
not receiving anything, Manoj. Maja is receiving you.”

Manoj presses his lips together
and says nothing more.

“Maja’s form is that of a Western
black dragon. But he can speak just as a man can. Please treat him the same as
you would any man of stature.”

“A dragon?” Faaris says. “Good
night, I’ve always wanted to see a dragon!”

Manoj cocks his head. “Why a
Western black? Those aren’t native to our lands. I would think he would be a
druk.”

“This is your lucky day, Manoj
Mitra, Faaris Gupta, and Prince Kai ben-Jagir,” booms Maja’s voice from behind
us. We all turn. “I am indeed a Western black. Perhaps Shiva can answer your question,
Manoj.”

All three of them bow low to
Maja. I bite my lip.

And I run to him.

“You are safe, Nili,” he whispers
into my hair as I cling to him. “Thank the gods. How is your leg holding up?”

I nod into his haunches. “It’s
fine. I could climb a thousand mountains if I knew you were at the top.”

We just hold one another.
Eventually, though, the other three become restless. Manoj clears his throat
rudely, and Maja lifts his head.

“Did you have something important
to say?” Maja asks him.

“I…yes. Time is short. We should
get to the point of our visit.” Maja stares him down. “And we realize that you
and Nilaruna would like some time alone.”

I smile up at Maja and pull back.
“He’s right. Time is our enemy. And the sooner we get this over with, the
sooner we can have a proper reunion.”

Maja nuzzles my cheek with his
own and nods. “I apologize for my abrupt arrival. You have returned my beloved
to me, and I am grateful. Welcome to my home, Prince Kai and friends. I am
Maja, Hermit and Protector of the village of Dabani. I am at your disposal.”

Kai steps forward and bows low.
“Thank you, Maja, for the gracious welcome. I apologize for our unannounced
arrival and for interrupting your duties, but much is at stake. I would like to
share information and agree on a plan of action.”

“Nili, why don’t you inform me of
the latest events?” Maja asks. “You know what I know.”
And anything you don’t want to share with them, just think to me.

Of course, Maja
, I think.

I recount the goings on. I leave out
the part about Kai asking for my hand, preferring to break it to Maja in
private.

But Manoj foils that plan.

“Shiva was also quite clear about
Nilaruna’s role in thwarting the assassination attempt,” Manoj says.

“Wait,” I say. “I’d like to
discuss that privately with Maja.”

“I believe it should be discussed
in the open,” Manoj says. “We want the situation accurately represented.”

“Manoj,” Kai says, warning him
off, and I almost breathe a sigh of relief.

Until I hear Maja’s thoughts. He
must be reading Manoj’s mind.

Nili, is this true?

Is what true, exactly?

Shiva says you must marry the prince to save the kingdom?

That is not how I would have put
it. Accurate representation, my foot. But I suppose it is one perspective.

There are other options, Maja, but that is one of them.

Twin puffs of smoke spew from
Maja’s nostrils.

“Are you two communicating?” Kai
asks bluntly. Maja swivels his head to him.

“Anything that passes between me
and my Go-Between is sacred,” Maja says. “I do not have to answer your questions.”

“I’m not asking you to,” Kai
says. “But I get the impression you now know what Manoj was talking about.”

“You seek to wed Nilaruna to save
your own life!” Maja roars. “What kind of coward are you?”

“Maja,” I say, but he doesn’t
answer. “Maja!”

He finally looks at me, and I can
see fire smoldering in his nose.

“Stand down! Prince Kai is an
honorable man trying to do the right thing by his kingdom. I believe that. We
must speak about this rationally.”

“There is nothing rational about
sacrificing the woman I love for anyone or anything!” he bellows. “You cannot
have her.”

“If you’ll just hear me out,” Kai
says, but Maja growls, grabs me tenderly in his claws, and rushes out of the
cave.

***

“Should we follow them?” Faaris says.

I can hear them clearly.

“No,” Kai says softly. “Let them
be. They will return.”

“How do you know?” Manoj asks.

“Because this is Nili. She will
make him.”