Woman of Silk and Stone (8 page)

Before I could protest he was out the door
and I was left alone, blinking at the door and trying to ignore the
heat of threatening tears. The fire blazed cheerily beside me, but
no matter how close I got to it, my bones still felt cold.

The sound of the door opening woke me.

I wasn't sure how long I had been curled up
there in front of the fire dozing, and despite vaguely formed
dreams that involved masculine hands in some intriguing places, the
rest had done me good. I felt more clear-headed and a bit more
myself as I straightened my hair and got to my feet, unwilling to
meet anyone else at a disadvantage. As I turned to face the
newcomer, I heard a gasp and a muttered word in that language I
still hadn't been able to translate, the
Old
Tongue
as Damki had called it.

The boy who stood in front of me looked to
be no more than twelve or thirteen, just at the cusp of manhood and
awkward in the transition. Dressed in an intricately embroidered,
knee-length dark green tunic and fawn colored leggings, he was tall
for his age, the top of his head nearly reaching mine, and I could
tell that his lanky build would eventually fill out into something
pretty impressive; for now his arms seemed overlong and wiry, his
shoulders too broad for such a narrow waist. Big violet-hued eyes
blinked at me from behind luxurious indigo lashes and an unruly mop
of the same colored hair. Golden-skinned, his features were hawkish
and he hadn't grown into the aristocratic hooked nose and high,
tilted cheekbones. This boy would one day epitomize the image of
royalty, but as he shuffled nervously before me, I knew that day
was still a while off.

"Hello, I'm Honey Su..." I started before
the boy-king paled alarmingly and began to sway where he stood.
Less concerned about etiquette than having the king keel over while
alone with me on my first day, I hurried forward and grasped his
arm, gently guiding him over to my couch and pushing him down with
his head between his knees.

"Take a deep breath, there you go...that's
it, wait until the dizziness passes. You're doing fine, just take
another breath...and let it out....that's it..." I crooned as I
rubbed his back, worried over his reaction and wondering what on
earth could have the kid so stressed out.

A few minutes later, he let out a deep sigh
and raised his head, eyeing me warily. Though intellectually, I
knew he had to be the king and therefore probably above my paltry
ministrations, he looked like a kid who was terrified to admit he
got a bad report card. So I did something that was probably against
all the laws and customs.

I gave him a hug.

At first he was stiff in my arms, and his
breathing quickened, his mouth opening and closing, probably to
tell me off or call for my beheading, but after a moment, as I
simply held on, murmuring quiet words of comfort, his whole body
sagged and he leaned into my embrace, trembling.

We sat like that for a while, huddled in
front of the fire, his head resting on my shoulder like that of a
much younger child, his eyes closed peacefully, my chin on his head
and hand stroking his back. It was strange; I'd never experienced
much of a maternal instinct before. I'd always planned on having
kids someday, way down the line, after I'd saved the free world or
become president or something, but I'd never really interacted with
kids as an adult. When I was in college, I didn't really have
contact with anyone not my age or older, and working at Marduk
didn't exactly leave me the time or energy to volunteer at the Boys
and Girls Club. But at this moment, holding this awkward teenage
royal in my arms, I felt a surge of protectiveness and affection
wash over me, opening my mind and making me say the right things,
the things my own parents should have said to me when I was
panicked or frightened.

Although I have never been a big believer in
fate or destiny, in that moment, holding the boy in my arms, I
thought I might have discovered my purpose in Solis.

At last, he rubbed his head slightly on my
shoulder and pulled away, leaving me feeling strangely bereft. His
lovely violet eyes darted over my face apprehensively, clearly
trying to gauge my response to his breakdown.

"Let's try this again," I said gently,
holding out my hand. "I'm Honey Sullivan, the new
Halqu
, from Earth."

He stared at my hand, confusion furrowing
his brow, so I sighed and took his hand in mine, demonstrating the
proper way to shake hands. He was hesitant at first but then got
into it, a faint smile tracing his lips.

"I am Tam.
Ensi
Tam
of the House of
Ebab
," he said shyly,
voice low and melodious, startlingly deep for someone his age.

"I take it
Ensi
means king?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light, knowing that
putting him at ease with me was the most important thing I could
accomplish today.

He nodded eagerly and his timid smile grew
wider. "Yes,
Ensi
is my title, but I am
king." He hesitated a moment and then seemed to gain courage. "You
can call me Tam."

I smiled, feeling warmth down to my toes.
"And you can call me Honey," I replied, pleased with how he seemed
to be losing some of his nerves around me.

"Honey," he said, his voice gaining
strength. A red flush worked its way up his neck as he met my eyes,
and the childlike uncertainty in his expression made me drop a few
years off of my age estimation.

"Well, Tam, I have to say, you're the first
person I've met to really make me feel better about dropping into
this world so unexpectedly," I said, knowing I needed to move the
conversation away from his probably embarrassing display of
nerves.

He shot me a grateful look and then pulled
himself together as only adolescent royalty can; his entire bearing
spoke of breeding and a lifetime of training to be superior.

"You are very welcome here, Honey. In fact,"
he swallowed anxiously, losing some of his regained color. "I am so
taken by your...beauty, that I wish to formally propose that you be
my...my..." he broke off, sweat beading on his forehead. I had a
sick feeling about what he would say next.

"It's alright, Tam. Just spit it out."

He gave me a puzzled look, probably trying
to figure out my charming American phrasing, and then stiffened his
shoulders again. "Yes, of course. I propose that you be my..." he
paused to clear his throat, giving me a last, desperate look. "My
consort," he whispered, voice filled with agony.

My gut churned and I felt a sudden, intense
disgust for Efrim and whatever other advisors this poor kid had.
Not to mention that being the "consort" of a teenager was pretty
repugnant to me as well.

I reached out and took Tam's hand in mine,
giving him what I hoped was a reassuring smile rather than a feral
baring of teeth. "Tam, I am...honored by your proposal. But I don't
feel that being a, uh, consort is what I am here to do. Surely
whatever forces ripped me from my world and dropped me here have
something else in store." I kept my voice gentle to avoid offense,
but I needn't have worried. Tam's expression slackened with relief
and he let out a great, gusty sigh.

"Thank you," he breathed, and then snapped
back into it. "I mean, your point is well taken, Honey." He gave me
a sheepish grin and for the first time I caught of glimpse of the
real Tam, a boy I imagined would be a bit mischievous, but very
conscious of his duty.

"Now that is settled, want to tell me whose
bright idea it was for me to be your consort?" I asked archly,
expecting at least one familiar name.

"Efrim said that since you were the first
female
Halqu
, it could only mean that you
were meant to be my queen or consort. And he said you don't live
long enough to be queen, so..." Tam shrugged and gave me an
apologetic look.

"Got it." I gave him a sharp look. "How old
are you anyway?"

"I am thirty years this month," he replied
with a hint of pride.

I blinked at him, incredulous. This little
pipsqueak was older than me? Not possible.

"How is that...I mean, I'm twenty-three
years old. How are you older than me?" I blurted out, losing all
diplomatic abilities in my shock.

Tam looked me over with surprise etched on
his juvenile features. "I don't know, Honey. You appear to be a
woman in her sixties at the very least."

"Well thanks for that," I mumbled,
shuddering a little bit. Sixty indeed.

"Our passage of time here must be very
different from yours. A man reaches adulthood when he is sixty
years of age."

I sat back, sinking into the decadent
cushions thoughtfully, wondering at my oblivious acceptance of
things like time and age since arriving on Edin. Of course time
would be measured differently; I was on an entirely new world in an
alternate dimension. Why would I assume that everything was the
same? I mean, they had horses that looked like big leopards, men
running around who looked like ancient stone carvings, and of
course, blue grass and purple skies. Hell, the kid sitting
fretfully at my side had blue hair, and I doubted it was a fashion
statement.

I could feel that wave of dread cresting
again, the one that told me I was near the brink of collapse. Too
many things had occurred one after the other since I lost my job
that morning, or whenever it was. I had no way of telling how much
time had really passed, how long I would live in this weird new
world, or what the hell I was going to do.

"Honey, are you alright?" Tam asked
worriedly, taking in my hundred-yard stare with concern. I just
nodded absently and rubbed my temples, trying to ease the steadily
building ache that threatened to engulf me.

"I'm just a little...overwhelmed. It's been
a really long day," I choked out, appalled to find that tears were
streaking down my face as though someone had turned on the faucet
without me knowing. A tentative hand reached out and patted my
shoulder. Smiling wryly, I squeezed Tam's knee and leaned my head
back, too drained to try to figure out my next move. Life was
simply moving too swiftly for me to catch hold, and I felt like I
was chasing after a train that was speeding quickly out of my
reach.

"I will have you shown to your quarters and
you can rest. When you feel better, we'll speak again," Tam said,
an unexpected maturity entering his voice as he took on the role of
caregiver. I just nodded gratefully and hauled myself up to my
feet, completely sapped of energy and ideas.

"Thanks Tam, and sorry I'm such a boring
Halqu
. I promise I'll liven up when I've
had a chance to get my bearings. I just need about forty-eight
hours of sleep and gallon of coffee."

The boy-king looked nonplussed, but merely
nodded and gestured for me to precede him to the door. He seemed
pretty relaxed now that we'd settled I wasn't going to be his
consort, whatever that entailed. Hopefully not what I thought it
meant, because by my vague calculations, Tam would be the
equivalent of about a twelve-year old back home. Not exactly kosher
boyfriend material.

I opened the door and winced at the size of
the crowd waiting, my new pal Efrim prominent among them, looking
expectant. I shot him a dirty look, and managed a wan smile for the
rest of the audience. Tam stood to his full height next to me,
donning his kingly bearing like a burdensome mantle far too heavy
for a boy his age.

He glanced around until he caught sight of a
short, willowy girl who couldn't have been much older than him. Her
dress was less ornate than that of most of the crowd and she looked
uncomfortable hovering on the fringes. With an engaging smile, Tam
gestured for her to come forth. Sea-green eyes widening anxiously,
she stepped towards us, her entire body quivering like a bow pulled
taut.

"Yes, Bright One?" she stuttered, addressing
Tam while keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. When he answered, I
assumed "bright one" must be something like "your highness." Filing
away that little tidbit, I looked the girl over more intently.

She was small and slender, not yet grown
into a woman's body, her wrists fragile and delicate beneath the
heavy draping of her gown. While not as beautifully embellished as
some of the others, it was made of good quality fabric, sturdy and
well-fitted, like shantung silk. The turquoise color accented her
unusual eyes and pale blond hair, and set off the now familiar
golden-tan skin that seemed to be the norm here. Despite her
obvious trepidation, her face held a sweet expression, and I
couldn't help but notice the similarities in features when she
glanced up at Tam.

Perhaps a cousin? A childhood playmate?

"Hili, of the House of Kishar, I appoint you
as advisor to Honey Sullivan of Earth. You are to educate her in
the customs of Solis and be her devoted companion." Tam glanced at
me and I nodded my approval, grateful that he was sending this
amiable-looking girl to help me rather than whatever devious cow
Efrim probably would have picked.

"Bright One, perhaps someone more
experienced would be more appropriate," Efrim started, but I
quickly interceded, watching the uncertainty wash over Tam.

"Oh, I think Hili and I will get on just
fine. But thank you, Efrim, for your selfless concern. I look
forward to the many discussions we will no doubt have as I advise
his high...er, Bright One in matters as I did back on my world. I
feel certain my
age
and
experience
will be useful in that capacity." I drilled
the villainous looking advisor with a deadly glare, hoping I got my
message across and there would be no more talk of cradle-robbing in
the future.