Speechless in Achten Tan: Book 1 of The Sands of Achten Tan, page 8
“So.” Kaii slaps his hand across the armrest. "What exactly are you two?"
Geb's forehead creases. "We're cavern gnomes."
"Obviously you are both cavern gnomes, with the glowy skin and the eyes…" Kaii gestures in the air at both of us. "I was asking, what are you to each other?"
We look at each other, blushing. We haven’t had that talk yet. Or rather we have, many times, but things feel different now. I hesitate and Geb waits for me to answer the question. With him sitting so close, his eyes on me… it's suddenly hard to breathe. I can't hold Geb's gaze and I look down.
"Friends," Geb says, freeing me of the obligation to answer. "We’re good friends."
"Best friends," I sign. I take his hand, threading my fingers through his. Without looking at Kaii, Geb puts his arm around my shoulders and tugs me closer. I lean my head on his shoulder, sighing as Geb's warmth envelopes me.
"I see," Kaii says. Without looking back at us, he walks over to a large floor-to-ceiling window and opens it to reveal a narrow balcony. He leans on the balustrade, looking out over the city and giving us some privacy.
Geb places a knuckle under my chin and tilts my face up to look him in the eyes. "How are you, really?" he signs. He rarely signs, so his signs are slow and hesitant, but he's making an effort so we can talk privately.
"Better, now that you're here," I sign, and a soft smile lights up his face. His lips drop closer to mine, but then his gaze flicks to Kaii and he stops.
"What happened to you, Geb?" I ask. "Can you tell me?"
His face falls, and something dark haunts his gaze. He sighs. I feel it with my whole body. "It's too hard to sign," he signs.
"Then say it. Kaii is a friend," I sign. Geb's eyes narrow at that. "Not like you," I sign, grabbing his hand and pulling it over my heart. "You are the only one here."
Geb's breath catches and his eyes widen. Shivers ignite where his fingers touch my skin. I'm suddenly very aware of the significance of where his hand rests. Our eyes lock. I forget to breathe.
We both startle at the sound of a throat clearing.
"Maybe you two should wait until I'm actually out of the room." I hastily drop Geb's hand. Geb chokes on air and my cheeks burst into flames. "Unless I mistook your intention and you two are up for a three-way…"
Geb makes another choking sound and I pound him on the back. Kaii strolls back into the room as though everything is normal.
"I'm actually interested in hearing more about what happened in the council chamber," Kaii adds. "Could you translate Mila's hand signals for me?"
Geb and I exchange looks. I nod. Something in that room unlocked my magic and I need to understand more about it myself. Maybe Kaii can enlighten us about his father's magical objects.
I sign as Geb translates for Kaii.
"On the way to Achten Tan, in the desert, I spent the night in a skull. While I was there, the unborn, the shadow wraiths… They surrounded me. Taunting me. They got in my head and made me see things I wanted… They made me see you, Geb. I'd thought you were gone for good… that I'd lost you."
I stare straight at Geb, tears rolling down my cheeks. He's no longer repeating what I'm saying. Instead, he pulls me into his arms, pulling me tight against his chest. His heart beats fast and hard against my ear.
Kaii gives us another moment. "So, in the desert, the wraiths made you see Geb. What did you see in the council room?"
Facing Kaii, I sit with my back pressed against Geb's front, taking comfort in his arms around me and his warm breath ghosting on my cheek. "The wraiths were in the mirror, first surrounding me, then surrounding Geb." I sign and Geb translates. "I moved between him and the mirror to block them and they reached out to me… Reached through me, to get to him. That's when I said STOP."
"That's when the mirror exploded," Kaii states. I nod.
"What did you see?" I ask, looking at Kaii, then back at Geb.
"Nothing," Kaii says. "You were sitting and then you stood up and moved around the table and screamed."
Geb hugs me tighter. "I saw nothing… But I've seen the wraiths.” He shudders. I squeeze his arm. Kaii bites his lip, nodding thoughtfully.
Geb takes a deep breath, his hands trembling on my arms, then he begins, his voice low and shaky.
"I was on my way to C'naga's tower in the bog on a quest to collect plants with special properties," Geb adds for Kaii's benefit. "A mist built up around me, so thick it was like red algae soup. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. There was no sound, as if I was alone in the world. My breath froze, then I heard... him. I heard a voice calling me in the mist. Mila," his voice shudders in my ear, "I heard Turosh calling me, begging me to save him. Asking me why I let him fall." Geb is shaking and I turn to face him, wrapping my arms around him. After a few moments, he continues. "For hours I tried to find him, walking through the mist even though I couldn't see a thing. I fell in the mud, in the bog, but I kept walking, following the voice. It was always just out of reach. When I finally gave up and sat down, the wraiths came. Swirling around me, telling me I was a murderer. Saying you would always hate me for letting your brother die. They told me I was a failure who would never be good enough for you. It would be best if I took out my knife and ended it."
I grasp his face, staring into his eyes in horror. His hands tremble as he pulls his shirt aside to show me a small, jagged scar above his heart. "I almost listened to them, Mila. I made a cut, about to push the knife in, but I stopped because my heart didn't belong to me. It belongs to you, and I could never damage it before I told you that…”—he took a deep breath—“I love you."
My hands are full of Geb's cheeks, my eyes are full of tears, and my heart is full of love for him. I draw his face down to mine and kiss him. He gasps against my lips, tasting of salt and mint and Geb.
"Mila," he murmurs against my lips. His hands tighten around my waist as he sighs and deepens the kiss. I run my hands into his soft hair, my fingers scraping his scalp until he shivers deliciously against me.
"I'm still here.” Kaii's voice is very close. "And still up for that three-way…" I reach out without turning and feel a hard chest. I shove him back, and he chuckles. "Do you want to hear what I think?" he continues as we keep kissing. Geb must have made a rude gesture because Kaii chuckles again. "Not about this very arousing display," he laughs, "but about the connection between the mirror and the wraiths."
Reluctantly I break off the kiss, signing, "To be continued." Geb's eyes sparkle and his hair is mussed. I want to kiss him some more, but eventually, the elders will come looking for us.
WHAT? I tap at Kaii.
"They made the mirror you detonated out of dozens of shards that were found in C'naga's bog, collected over decades and fused together piece by piece. We think it used to be a communication device. We're just not sure between whom. My father tried to use it for years, but there were only ever faint shadows in the depths. It never worked for him. But I think, for a few moments… it worked for you."
Chapter 10
Bone Magic
I gape at Kaii, reeling from the suggestion that a mirror created by the terrifying wizard C'naga triggered my magic.
"But the mirror is gone now," Geb says, "unless your father can put the slivers embedded in the walls back together?"
"I doubt he will. But maybe his new apprentice…" Kaii trails off, looking at me. I can't read his expression.
Before I can respond, the door bangs open. Gerwyn and Opu Haku return, trailed by Otara and her two assistants. The three of us spring apart as though they caught us plotting a murder. Gerwyn's eyes scan me, then Geb and Kaii, sizing us up. She nods, as though reaching a private decision.
Otara circles the others to reach my side, bending down to touch my face. "How do you feel? You're flushed." Her cool palm skims my aching neck.
Yeah, that's probably the kissing… but I'm not going to tell her that.
Geb gazes at the floor. The tops of his ears are the color of red algae. Kaii smirks.
BETTER, I tap, frowning at Kaii over the healer's shoulder.
"Good. You should rest. And no talking. Not even a whisper," she says with a kind smile.
As soon as Otara moves away, Opu Haku steps forward.
"I will train you," he snaps, looking down at the three of us on the divan. "Both of you."
Geb looks confused. Kaii's face is the quiet before the storm. This must have been a bone of contention between them in the past. His father is opening old wounds.
"Father, you heard Gerwyn," he starts, standing up. "I have no magic. I have no aptitude, and no desire to—"
"SILENCE!" Opu Haku, thunders. "I'm not asking. For too long, you have enjoyed my generosity and the benefits that come with my name. If you want to continue living under MY roof, in MY TOWN, you will learn the bone magic as I teach it. I will not have this magic pass beyond my reach to a cavern gnome, while my son whiles away his days with drink and women…"
"Sometimes men… and that one time…" Kaii quips underneath his breath as if he's unable to stop taunting his father. Opu Haku reaches out his hand toward Kaii, palm open, and heaves upwards, lifting Kaii off his feet and slamming him against the ceiling, his head cracking hard on the carved rib.
Otara cries out. Geb gasps. Gerwyn raises a protective hand but doesn't intervene.
Opu slides his hand sideways, dragging Kaii across the ceiling, towards the open window.
“Lesson one, cavern gnome,” Opu Haku growls. “Bone magic is good for more than dead relics. We are full of bones. Bone magic can control the human body."
I can't breathe as Kaii slides closer and closer to the open window, his face twisted in pain. His father demands obedience. Would he kill his only son?
Despite Otara's warning to save my voice, I mouth STOP, sliding my hand over my tattoo, but it has no sound and no effect. Gerwyn locks eyes with me and shakes her head.
"Do something," I sign at her.
Kaii is almost at the window. His foot slides out of the frame, dangling against the open sky. He cries out. Otara looks horrified. She moves forward, grabbing Opu Haku's attention.
"Is this necessary, Chief?" she asks.
"Lesson two," Opu Haku grits between his teeth. "The human body has many bones, not all of them essential for daily function, but all may cause pain." He flips his palm over and slams his hand down.
Kaii plummets from the ceiling to the floor, his arm striking the balustrade with a sickening crack. He cries out in pain, clutching his arm to his chest. Geb and I rush to his side.
Otara steps in front of Opu Haku, raising her palms.
"Enough. You’ve made your point." For a moment they stare at each other, the tension swirling between them like a desert storm. Opu Haku grinds his jaw, but Otara doesn't flinch. Finally, he drops his palm. The tension in Kaii's body relaxes, like a puppet whose strings have been cut. He groans, looking up at his father, the man who should protect him from harm.
"For twenty-one years, you have lived under my roof and done as you pleased. If you want to live to see twenty-two, you will learn to show respect," Opu growls.
"Yes, Father," Kaii grunts, cradling his arm. His veneer of cocky confidence has fractured. The boy visible through the cracks looks infinitely younger and more vulnerable. I don't know what to do. I don't want to pull out my healing elixir in front of Gerwyn and Opu Haku, but Kaii is in so much pain. The arm will heal, but the emotional scarring is so much worse.
"Tend to him," Opu snaps at Otara as he strides out of the room, then turns to my new Nora. "Gerwyn, their training begins Wenlar at Eren-rise."
Gerwyn nods. My mouth drops open in horror. Is she really willing to give over my training to this man? Luckily, Opu Haku doesn't spare another glance at me or his injured son.
Otara joins Geb and me at Kaii's side. He's pale and trembling.
"It's broken," Geb whispers.
"Get him up." Otara gestures to her other two assistants. Between the three of them, they help Kaii stand. "We'll take him to the healing house."
"I'll go with," I sign. Hopefully, I'll find a moment to give Kaii some elixir when we are alone. But Gerwyn moves to stand between us.
"No, you won't. You've caused enough trouble for one day." I gape at the injustice. "Otara knows how to set a broken bone. You aren't needed." Her expression is thunderous. I'm drained by everything that's happened and scared to argue. The healers escort Kaii out of Opu Haku's chambers, and Gerwyn and I follow. Otara's assistants summon the chairs of death.
It takes several turns of the chairs to lower everyone down to ground level. I stay close to the wall and as far as possible from the drop while we wait. Gerwyn moves to sit on the other side of the large space. Geb and I use the time to say goodbye. Knowing Gerwyn can read my signs from across the room, I turn my back to her, facing Geb as he whispers to me, face bent close. His fingers ghost over my wrist.
"I wish I could stay with you. Now we've found each other again, but I have to go," Geb says, looking mournful. "I have duties as a healer in training." He looks up quickly. "Not that I don't appreciate what you’ve done for me. I do. Thanks to you, I have lodging and employment."
"Thank Kamal," I sign. "He made it all happen. I'm just happy you're safe."
"Kamal is a good guy. I can see why you like him." Geb's cheeks pinken and his skin glows brighter in the dim room. Is he embarrassed? Had he been jealous of Kamal? I took his hand to reassure him of my feelings, my fingers rubbing gently over the back of his palm. Geb smiles sheepishly. "Thank you for involving him. He introduced me to his mother and vouched for me even though we'd just met. She asked me some questions about my training and offered me room and board at the healing house. When you can, come visit me there. I'll show you around."
I nod and we lapse into silence, stealing small glances at each other. Geb can read me so well words aren’t always necessary between us.
"What is it?" he asks.
"I'm scared," I sign.
"Of Opu Haku?" Geb whispers. I nod.
"You should be. A man who'd hurt his own son." He shudders, glancing at Kaii, who is being lowered into the basket seat, accompanied by one of Otara's assistants.
"Poor guy," I sign.
Geb frowns at my apparent sympathy. "Poor guy? Lucky guy. You're going to be spending a lot of time together."
"I'll be spending time with him wishing he was you," I sign. Geb’s face softens. "I love you," I mouth. I wish I could say it out loud, like Geb did. Geb reacts to the sorrow in my eyes, placing a knuckle under my chin.
"You're going to get your voice back... Any day now. And then, watch out, Achten Tan."
I run my arms around his waist and hug him tightly. I don't care who's watching.
"Somebody isn't pleased," Geb murmurs in my ear. When I look around, Gerwyn's expression is a simmering potion about to boil over.
For the rest of the day, Gerwyn keeps me busy practicing magic around the house. I'd thought she'd given up on my training completely, but my power emerging temporarily has rekindled her interest. She sits in her bone chair, staring at me with crackling intensity as I struggle to vocalize a spell.
"What made the difference in the council chamber?" she mutters, half to herself and half to me. "Your boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend," I sign in frustration, used to denying we have feelings for each other. Oh, wait. I guess he is now.
Gerwyn snorts. "Please. I don't need the sight to see what is right before my eyes."
No. Neither did anyone else, apparently—it just took me longer to accept it. I decide to be more honest with Gerwyn; not about my personal life, but about my magical abilities. Maybe she can actually help me now.
"I saw the unborn in the council chamber. It wasn't the first time I've seen them."
Gerwyn sits up straighter. "When?"
"The first time I saw the unborn was in the bone desert on the way to Achten Tan. They were attacking Geb… only it wasn't Geb."
"But you didn't speak then." Gerwyn pins me with a shrewd expression.
"No. I…" I try to explain it to myself. "I think I didn't fully believe it was Geb. He'd been missing. I hoped it was him, but…" I shrug. "Something wasn't completely right. The wraiths were trying to trick me."
"But somehow you knew it wasn't him…" Gerwyn muses. "The heart knows the truth." I nod. "But yesterday you had no doubt. You knew it was him and you saw—"
"I saw wraiths emerging from the mirror," I sign.
“But nobody else saw it.” She narrows her eyes. “Not even me. "
"So, what does that mean?" I sign.
"Either you were hallucinating… or they were talking directly into your mind," Gerwyn says in a tone that implies both options are equally reasonable. "How hard did Queek drop you on your head the other day?"
"He didn't drop me on my head," I sign, rubbing my bruises.
“Then something in the mirror—or something in Opu Haku's council room—was talking to you.”
My heart drops at the implication of her words. Despite my fear of the bone master’s rage, I will have to return to Opu Haku’s sky-high abode.
Chapter 11
What is Broken
Nervous energy tugs my blankets into knots all night. As Siglar dwindles into Wenlar, I toss and turn, knowing I must rise before the sun to face the Bone Master and Kaii. I get dressed as Jelthune slides towards the horizon, no longer pretending to chase sleep.
Gerwyn grumbles as I steal out the door, but doesn't get up to see me off. I must face this trial alone. My stomach twists in anxious anticipation. I'm glad Kaii will be there with me, but I feel guilty. Without my intervention, he wouldn't have faced his father's wrath. Kaii must have known the dangers of taunting the Bone Master, but it doesn't make me feel any better about my part in it.
