Speechless in Achten Tan: Book 1 of The Sands of Achten Tan, page 10
Opu Haku spends the rest of the day teaching us how to choose the best bones for conjuring, which is sadly more a creature anatomy lesson than learning magic. After hours of listening to him discuss the porous properties of the common cave proddip bones versus the more rigid sand proddip bones — and flinching as he claps his staff loudly by my ear when I nod off—I conclude Opu Haku loves talking about bones. Big surprise.
When he finally releases us for the day, my stomach is growling audibly.
"Finally, I've found one part of you that speaks," Kaii jokes as we pack away the carefully selected bones we'll be working with the next day. I flick my chin up at him: zedayen. His grin just widens.
The first time I showed him my chin tattoo, Kaii laughed so hard he almost rolled off the top of the rib.
"You seem quiet, but you are just full of surprises, aren't you?" he chortled.
I huffed because it's not my fault I'm quiet. I was never quiet while I still had my voice. The next hand signal I taught him was bashdun, and I already flashed it to him a few times this afternoon. After that, he insisted I show him all of my less polite tattoos and guessed their meanings.
Okay, I'll admit—it was fun teaching him to curse in sign language.
Kaii grins, not in the least perturbed by my insults. "Let's finish up here and I'll treat you to some extra spicy ribs." I want to stay mad at him, but my stomach accepts his offer with another growl. Obviously, my body parts have more say than I do when it comes to Kaii's offers.
As we exit the room, we find Opu Haku standing in the hallway talking to Rapaecio Pallor. The two men are occupying the middle of the hallway, so Kaii and I skirt around them. The advisor's sallow eyes follow me with interest, and I look away to avoid meeting his gaze. Pressing close to the side of the hallway, I accidentally knock over Opu Haku's bone staff, that was leaning against the wall. Oh, no! I've broken enough things in Opu Haku's palace for one week. Horrified by my clumsiness, I reach out to catch it before its precious crystals smash into the floor.
Time slows as my fingers encircle the staff.
Somebody shouts, "Nooooooo," but I can't tell if it's Kaii or Opu Haku crying out. All I know is, as my fingers wrap around the staff, I can see everything. My words of power become clear. All the magic I've ever needed lies at my fingertips. I exhale in awe.
"It's so beautiful."
In that instant, my gaze encompasses the entire rib, all of Achten Tan, and beyond. I can see Gerwyn puttering around in her rooms, Lakshmi in her market stall, Kamal and Niall out in the desert on patrol. Geb tending to someone in the healing house. I see it all at once, too fast to take in more than snippets, and then a mist rises around me, blocking it all from view.
"Mila, let go.” Kaii's voice is in my ear. His fingers wrap around my arm.
"I can't," I cry. "It's stuck. Help me."
Before Kaii's fingers land on the staff, Opu Haku barks, "Kaii, no! Don't touch it—it can kill you."
The chief barks, a quick staccato beat of words and sounds, words of power dropping in a barrage on my shoulders and hand. He's trying to pry open my hand, commanding my bones to move. I scream in pain.
"Father, no! Give her a moment," Kaii begs.
"We don't have a moment," Opu Haku rasps. "She's opening a doorway."
The staff shows me a counter spell. Gandu Ti Emet, I whisper, and the pain fades. My hand remains locked around the staff. I feel a terrible presence inside my brain. The staff enables me to see everything, but something is also seeing through my eyes, riding on the power coursing through me. I’m not opening a door—I'm becoming one.
The staff is the key to unimaginable power. If I could master its secrets, I could become powerful. So powerful I wouldn't need it. I could unlock my voice; unlock all the secrets I hadn't had access to before.
"Mila, let go," Kaii shouts, grabbing my shoulders. "Pull back."
I feel his hands on me, but I can't see him or the hallway anymore. No sound penetrates the milky tendrils of the thick white mist. For a moment, I'm unsure if I'm still in Chief's Rib, or if it has transported me somewhere else. My feet squelch as though I'm standing in mud. Something swirls in the mist, growing closer and closer. Shapes, murky and ominous.
Dark eyes open, staring right at me.
“Mila—let GO!" Kaii's fingers dig into my shoulders painfully.
I gasp and finally release the staff. The world snaps back into place.
Opu Haku grabs the staff and Kaii grabs me. I'm trembling so hard I can barely stand. Kaii wraps his arm around my shoulders and guides me to a seat in the entryway. I fight him, straining back towards the room where Opu Haku disappeared with the staff.
"Mila. Stop." Kaii's voice is strained with concern. I can't focus on that. I strain against him. Already, everything I knew when I touched the staff is fading. All the knowledge and power could be mine again. I just need to touch the staff.
I look up as Opu Haku emerges from the council room, without the staff. His face is a maze of shadows and secrets I cannot read.
"You shouldn't have been able to touch my staff…" Opu Haku mumbles, as if talking to himself. "It could have killed you."
"Maybe you shouldn't have left it lying around then," Kaii mutters. Opu Haku's gaze snaps to Kaii, but he doesn't react. Instead, his jaw clenches.
"This was a mistake. I don't know what you are, but I cannot teach you. Our agreement is canceled. Never step foot in my rib again."
I spring up, fists clenched.
NO, I tap. He can't do this to me. He can't let me get a glimpse of everything that is possible if I have the staff and then immediately take it away.
"Remove her from the premises," Opu Haku snaps, and Kaii bows his head. Traitor. I turn my back on him, marching to the open room where the chairs of death await. Refusing to accept this 'No' for an answer. I'll come back with Gerwyn and get her to plead my case.
Kaii tries to catch my eyes, but I ignore him as we wait for the chairs and while we’re descending. Geb approaches us as we disembark. My taut muscles relax at the sight of him. He's a balm for the anger simmering in my body.
"I was looking for you. Are you done for the day?" His eyes flick curiously from me to Kaii, noticing the tension between us.
Instead of answering, I step into his space and push myself up on my toes, threading my arms around his neck to pull him down for a kiss. Geb grins and returns my kiss eagerly. I let myself melt into his embrace, releasing the tension of my last encounter with the Bone Master. When we finally break apart, we both sigh.
"Why did we wait so long to do this?" Get asks, wrapping his arms around me.
"I will never tire of watching that," Kaii grins.
Geb flashes me the hand signal for bashdun, side-eyeing Kaii.
"Oh, I know that sign," Kaii declares happily, then blinks. "Wait, did you just call me a bashdun?"
"Yes." Geb glares openly as his arms circle my waist, pulling me tight against his chest.
"Play nice," I sign.
Kaii doesn't know those signs yet, but Geb huffs against my neck. "I haven't seen you since the council meeting," Geb pouts. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," I sign. His warm breath and his body heat are giving me shivers. I want to drag him somewhere private, not that I know of any such place in Achten Tan, but then my stomach growls again. Geb chuckles.
"We were just going to get something to eat. Join us?" Kaii asks, as if I hadn't been ignoring him since Opu Haku's unjust decree. He's clearly not feeling like a third wheel, despite the way Geb and I are embracing.
Geb looks down at me, and I nod. "I'm so hungry, I can't think," I sign.
"Come on, my treat." Kaii gestures, turning towards North Ribs Ribs.
"I can pay for our food," Geb mumbles, shifting his grip to tuck me under his arm.
"Then next time can be your treat.” Kaii claps him on the shoulder as if they're old friends. Kaii is a force of nature. It's hard to stay mad at him for long, and Geb isn't the type to hold a grudge.
The three of us slide into a booth at Olde Crawman's. Geb and I sit together on one side, while Kaii sits opposite us. Geb raises his eyebrows at my glare in Kaii's direction. Kaii is trying to maintain a jovial atmosphere, but it's obvious by the strain in his jaw the incident with the staff affected him. We eat in silence. I can't eat and talk at the same time and I don't want to. When I’m full, I lean back into Geb's shoulder, feeling calmer and content.
"So how was your first day as the bone master’s apprentice?" Geb asks.
I frown, signing, "First and last day."
"Oh, no." Geb's gaze flicks from me to Kaii. "What happened?"
Kaii shrugs, letting me tell Geb.
"I touched the Bone Master's staff," I sign.
Geb's eyebrows shoot up. He laughs, then frowns. "Not his—"
I punch him before he finishes that sentence.
"No. His magic staff."
"You touched his magic staff?" Geb asks and both he and Kaii dissolve into giggles. I'm dealing with toddlers here. I fling up my hands in frustration and wait for the boys to settle. Only Geb has the decency to look contrite.
"I'm not in the mood for jokes," I sign, but the sight of Geb swallowing his smirk makes me smile despite my foul mood. Grabbing his hand, I squeeze hard in my excitement. "I touched the staff by accident and it connected with my power. I saw everything, Geb. How to restore my magic, how to keep it. I just need more time with the staff. But Opu Haku threw me out."
Geb wraps both arms around me and hugs me tight.
"Don't worry. We'll figure it out."
"I need to go back there," I sign. "Can you translate for Kaii?"
Geb huffs, signing, "I don't like him."
I wrap my hand around his. "I need that staff and Kaii's help—I can't do this without him. He can get me in to talk to his father. "
Geb doesn't look happy, but he translates for me.
"I'm going back tomorrow to talk to your father. Don’t expect me to just walk away from the staff's power. I need to use it and practice with it."
"Mila, no.” Kaii's voice is uncharacteristically forceful, enough to drag me out of my rant. "You can't. My father will never let you practice with his staff. It amplifies his power. Without it, he's strong, but with it, he's unstoppable. He may teach you the runes and how to tell a Boggoliz bone from a Proddip bone, but he will never grant you access to his greatest asset."
I slam my fist down onto the table, making the dishes shake and a half-full cup tip over. Without thinking about it, I slide my fingers over my tattoo and mouth RETURN. The water runs back into the cup. The cup jumps upright again.
"Look what you can do without it. You already have magic," Kaii insists.
"With the staff I could reverse the Everfall," I sign furiously.
"It's a bad idea," Kaii maintains, but despite his warning, I have to touch that staff again, and take the time to study it. It's the key to everything.
By the time I get back to Gerwyn's home, she's gone to bed. I tiptoe into the room, trying not to make a sound. At least I can put off the unpleasant conversation until tomorrow.
"Did you think you could avoid telling me?" Gerwyn's voice is soft in the darkened room. I can't sign in the dark. Gerwyn sighs and sits up, her blankets rustling in the dark. "I'm a seer, child. I felt you touch the scepter. And Opu Haku sent a messenger to let me know our agreement was void."
My shoulders slump. I assumed Gerwyn would find out, but I'd hoped we could at least delay the discussion about it till the morning.
"Light a candle," Gerwyn says. A candle flickers to life on the counter.
Placing the candle on the table close to Gerwyn, I sit on the floor before her, drawing my knees up to my chest.
"Why didn't you tell me what the Bone Master's staff can do?" I sign.
Gerwyn huffs. "Tell you about something you have no access to? What would be the point?"
"But you could ask him to let me," I sign.
"You don't get it, girl. Opu Haku won't share his staff, or his power. Not with you, not even with his son. It surprised me he agreed to teach you. I goaded him, and he caved, to nurse his wounded pride. But a blow to his arrogance is nothing compared to the terror of losing his power. He'd rather leave Achten Tan defenseless after his death than lose control during his lifetime. Opu Haku wields powerful magic, as he must, to rule this harsh town, but his fear rules him."
I raise my hands to argue, but Gerwyn snaps, "No. Tomorrow, you will resume your training under my tutelage. I have a few new ideas for unlocking your magic. We will try them first and we will do without the Bone Master and his magic. I was a fool for suggesting it. I'm sorry for giving you false hope. Forget about the staff and keep well away from Opu Haku and his son. We will not talk of this again."
Gerwyn snaps her fingers and the candle blows out.
I drag myself over to my bed, too tired and dejected to undress. I spend the night tracking Vitaloom across the sky. The reddish moon is bright and high, a sign Reebfest—the autumn equinox—is near. The same moon shines brightly over my home tonight, glinting on the water of the Everfall. I thought I'd be there to celebrate Reebfest with my family. Instead, I face another season in Achten Tan, with no hope in sight.
Chapter 13
The Wrong Answer
The next morning Gerwyn wakes me early and we trudge out of the rib, through the Skullgate—the giant leviathan skull that serves as Achten Tan's main entrance and only land bridge—and into the desert.
We spend the day amongst the bones. I show Gerwyn my new trick of discerning which animal a bone comes from. She has me crush them into dust, but I'm no closer to speaking. I know what she's trying to do. Tire me out so I'll relinquish my hope of obtaining Opu Haku's staff.
At the end of the day, we trudge back into Achten Tan, dusty and frustrated.
"I'm going to the well," I signal to Gerwyn. "I want to wash up."
Gerwyn snorts. "You'll only get dusty again tomorrow."
I shrug and Gerwyn shuffles away, muttering about cavern gnomes and their bathing habits. As soon as Gerwyn is out of sight, I make a beeline for the Chief's Rib. Valla's face falls when she sees me at her door.
"I'm sorry, Mila," she says, shifting from foot to foot, fingering a bone ornament in her hair. "Opu gave instructions not to let you up to the rib again."
NO. I tap and stamp my foot like a petulant toddler. UP. I point to emphasize my request.
"I'm sorry." She shakes her head, her braids rattling against each other in a definitive din. "I can't cross the chief."
I won't accept this. I crane my neck to gauge the unattainable height of the rib. The stairs end so close to my destination, just a turn or two under the top. The gap is maybe ten lengths, but it might as well be a hundred. It seems impossible, but Kaii bragged about climbing his way to Opu's quarters.
Kaii. Maybe I can enlist his help. He said I could come to him for help. Even though he didn't help me yesterday, maybe he's changed his mind. It’s worth checking. I straighten my shoulders and climb the steps to Kaii's rooms.
For propriety’s sake I should reconsider knocking on a man's door at twilight, but I'm so focused on getting back into Opu Haku's chambers, I don't even think. I tap on the door, softly at first. Then harder when he doesn't come to the door at once. Maybe he isn't home, but then I hear voices inside.
"Who's there?" Kaii calls out. I can't answer. I knock again. He'll figure it out, eventually. "Who is it?" His voice is impatient.
After a minute, the door flies open. Kaii is shirtless, slightly out of breath, and his hair is mussed. A beautiful girl sits on his bed, still clothed but looking equally disheveled and irritated by my interruption.
Oh. My cheeks redden. I didn't realize he might have company.
SORRY, I tap and turn to go.
The annoyance drops off Kaii's face and he grabs my arm. "Wait. Did you need something?"
I bite my lip, glancing past him at the girl in the room. She giggles and lies back on the bed, wriggling her hips. Kaii follows my gaze and scowls.
"This isn't what you think," he says, sounding almost apologetic. I stare at him in confusion. Why is he defensive? I'm the one who's interrupting his evening plans. But his denial makes me raise an eyebrow.
NO? I tap.
"Saphira was just leaving," he mutters, striding over to the girl who seemed to be getting more comfortable on his bed. He grabs her hand, pulling her up. She flops bonelessly into his arms, flinging her arms around his neck. Kaii's cheeks redden as he struggles with her uncooperative form.
I don't know what to do. Saphira is notorious in Achten Tan. She's the girl who discovered the addictive properties of the fruit of the God Tree. Now I know who she is, the telltale signs of Invicta use are apparent. Her pupils are so large, her eyes look almost black. She smiles at me, holding out a soft hand.
"Nice to meet you," she says. I hesitate to take it. It's her fault that substance hurt Geb.
"Ah," she giggles. "I see you've heard of me… I’m infamous now." Her voice rises. I'm glad I can't answer. "Too good to speak to the likes of me, are you?" Swaying on her feet, her loose hair tangles and blows into her face in the desert wind. She doesn't move it out of her eyes.
"Mila can't speak," Kaii growls. "It's forbidden as part of her training."
Saphira glares at me. "Oh. You're a witch. How scary. Please don't bewitch me."
Kaii maneuvers her until she's in the doorway. He cups her cheeks to force her to look at him. "You need to leave."
"Don't you love me anymore, Kaii?" she wails.
Kaii reads my distress, his gaze drifting between me and Saphira.
I turn to go. What I was thinking? I'm in the way. This was a boneheaded venture. I can't talk to him without Geb translating. I should go get Geb.
“Mila." Kaii grabs my shoulders and plants me inside the door, "stay here. Don't go. Please. I'm going to walk Saphira down the stairs so she doesn't fall. She can get herself home from there."
I watch her sway and giggle. I'm not sure she can, but I don't argue.
