The Charmed Locket, page 11
part #1 of Treasure Hunter's Heart Series
“Gina. Why?” he whispered. “Why didn’t you just go home like I asked? You opened the locket, didn’t you? Where’s the message?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered. He blocked the door. Did he really want me dead like his father had asked?
“Don’t act like you’re stupid. You’re anything but,” he whispered.
I felt stupid. I had been so easy to deceive.
“Did you know I had the locket the whole time?” I asked.
He pulled his hand through his hair and let out a breath. “Yes, Gina. I did.”
“You used me . . .. Why didn’t you just break into my cabin and take the stupid locket? Why did you have to . . ..” I looked away. “You hurt me.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have. But you kissed me, and I couldn’t resist. Gina, I said to you, I told you that you shouldn’t put—”
I twirled around, tossing my hands in the air. “Oh, yes. Mighty Nick advised me not to kiss him and then he kissed me. Therefore, it must be my fault.”
“There are bigger things happening here,” he hissed. “You don’t understand. The only thing that matters is the message.” He closed his eyes momentarily and when he opened them, they were a bit softer. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
I didn’t let the tears of pain and disappointment come out. “How could you do this to me?” I whispered.
“Please, tell me the message, then I don’t have to take you to my father. He could . . .. He can do what he pleases with you. I’m glad I found you before . . .. He sent Elliot Dongra after you. He is not a nice man.”
I rubbed my face tiredly. My head still hur,t and I was having a conversation with a man who wanted to slay me. But I had to know. “Elliot . . . Elliot Dongra. Yes, I know him.”
“I know you do. He is one of us,” Nick said. “He works for me.”
His words were like a stab wound to my heart. I understood. “So, he was in on it, too. How did you know I had the locket?”
“Elliot’s housekeeper identified you and the other thief. Then when the thief was found dead without the locket, and the pathetic crime lord Peter didn’t have it, it was clear that you must have gotten it.”
“Was it you or Elliot?” I asked, trying to subdue the pain of the memory and keep my tears away. “Or was it Peter?”
“What?”
“My father . . .. Did you kill him?”
“It was Elliot. He never should have used charms there or kill any members of your family. He was not allowed to do that.”
I pushed his chest, tears of anger filling my eyes. “My father died for some necklace!”
He clasped my shoulders and examined my eyes. “It’s not just a jewel, Gina. It’s so much more. You should understand it by now. Tell me what the note said. Please!”
“I will not. The Guild—”
Rage covered Nick’s face. “No. The Guild? Gina don’t. Don’t believe their stories. Tell it to me.”
“Never, you stealing piece of shit!”
I took a breath and screamed as loud as I could. He grasped my wrist but before anything else happened, Philip burst into the room. He pulled halt when he saw us.
“Let her go,” he growled.
Nick wrapped his hand around my neck. “I will kill her if you come any closer.”
Philip crossed his hands on his broad chest and lifted his jaw. He had a slight smile on his lips but his eyes were cold. “You won’t kill her. She has the information you want.”
I noticed we were next to Uncle Mat’s desk. Nick focused on Philip, and he didn’t see my other hand search for something on the desk. I found a paper knife. Slowly, I wrapped my fingers around it.
“I will,” Nick said. “I will find out some other way . . .. Ah!”
I stabbed him with the knife. The minor stab in his ribs didn’t cause true damage, but he got distracted. I lunged toward Philip, who wrapped his arms around me protectively. Nick rushed to the open window, delivered one pained gaze at me, and escaped.
CHAPTER 13
IT WAS CLEAR that the Divided were a threat to my life. After Nicolas found me in Mat’s home, I had no other choice but to stay with Philip and others on their Guild house. They advised me to stay out of sight—actually, they informed me not to leave the building. How had this happened? I had my own life back in Karis. I had a merchant house to run and a mansion to take care of. I had no time for sneaking around with some secret note I had absolutely nothing to do with.
But I had to admit that something inside me wanted to know more. What did the message mean? Were there more charms? Did Philip have charms?
I had been given a lovely room in the Guild house. Or like they had informed me, a school. What kind of school took part in violent fights and held secrets about charmed mechanics? But the room was pleasant. It wasn’t enormous, but it had a bed, a drawer, a table with three chairs around it, and a mirror with a screen for changing clothes. On the other wall was a fireplace to keep visitors warm during the winter months. Even if the summer was long here in Los Lenyvos, and even if the winter months remained many weeks away, someone had placed wood next to it.
The school building itself was a grand white-washed stone building, with a few castle-like towers rising toward the sky. Students of many ages strolled through the courtyard and in the hallways. The building seemed very old, but it was tastefully renovated. It had many beautiful details in the window frames and the arches that decorated the hallways.
Even if the building was gorgeous, I couldn’t help but wonder how long I would be forced to stay here. My stupid curiosity had got me into this situation. Were these the right people to learn the words from the note? My judgment clearly wasn’t the best since I had trusted Nicholas and he had betrayed me. How did I know these people were any better? I didn’t know these people at all. I would have to find out more about them before I revealed the words from the note. After all, it had already claimed two lives.
I had slept the whole night and remained in my room the whole day. It had helped and I was feeling better. A headache was gone, but my arm and leg still hurt. Earlier today, I had received an invite to dinner with Alcinous and the others, written on fine paper with winding letters. I dressed in one of my gowns from home—navy blue, decorative but decent, and a set of strings held the bodice. I had pinned my hair up and forced my feet into festive shoes, even if my left ankle suffered a pinching pain when I stood. My ankle had probably sprained, and the bruising looked awful. I had a nasty looking cut on my arm, but it didn’t bleed much. I had rinsed it with water, but it may need some doctor’s aid. I had to remember to ask for a doctor later in the evening.
A knock on the door woke me up from my thoughts. A maid came to escort me to the dining hall. I followed her, trying not to whine when every step caused a pinch in my ankle.
The dinner was served in a private hall. When I stepped in, I saw a beautiful, oval-shaped table set for six people. Candles were lit, and the room was cozy and inviting. Delicious scents reached my nose, and I realized I was ravishing. Everyone I had already encountered was in the room—Alcinous, Sera, Ramon, and Philip. There was a new person in the room, too. A lovely golden-haired woman was talking with Alcinous.
When she marked my arrival, she smiled. “Nice to meet you, Miss Mansfred.”
She offered her hand and I took it. She paused for a second, as if she was surprised, but then continued, “My name is Calantha, and I am the headmistress of this school.”
Slight wrinkles decorated her corners of eyes, but her skin was flawless, her gaze strong, and her handshake firm. This was a woman of power.
“You must be astonished and befuddled by all this,” she said. “I am sorry for the misfortune you have encountered. I hope you will find all your questions explained tonight. Let’s eat, shall we?”
The red soup smelled amazing and tasted even better. The bread was soft and filled with delicious flavors. I felt so much better already. Food. I had forgotten how much I liked it. After Father’s death, everything had tasted terrible. I devoured my meal and listened to the others talk.
“Have you heard the news from Tigras already?” Calantha said. “The old king is nearly dead, and his stepson has declared his right to the throne. It should be the king’s daughter, Maigret, who inherits the throne, but the church will never allow a woman on that throne.”
Sera snorted and smacked her spoon on the plate with a clang. “That’s not a surprise. Tigras is even more tied to the church than Dastaria. I just don’t get it. How do the people allow this?”
Ramon glanced at Sera. “The folk really don’t have much to say in that matter. You know that. The symbiosis between Tigras and church is fragile, and the people don’t understand that. All the folk in Tigras know is that the church, which is run by men, will place men in charge. They see men as more capable for such positions.”
“More capable!” Sera exclaimed.
“You know that no one in this room is saying that men are better than women.” Ramon bowed to Sera. “On the contrary. I will set myself under your intelligence and wisdom with pleasure.”
Sera crossed her hands over her chest. “Don’t irritate me, Ramon.”
Thanks to my studies, I knew about the complex system with the church. Before the era of Magic Riots, it was presumed that there were several gods. Many temples and churches had their place in Alun. Then the Riots brought them all under the same roof, where all the churches obtained the same goal—destroy the charms.
As a parent organization, the Church of Higher Good held all the strings. Under its authority were the temple of Nessa, Trident Church, and Mishillah-God of the Nuka people. How the Higher Good was able to arrange these different belief systems under its wings was a mystery. I had dodged all religious issues the first time I had seen a priest of Higher Good beat an adolescent boy when I was a child. Mother and Father had never forced me to join, even if it made me look strange to everyone else in Karis.
Alcinous leaned closer. “Miss Mansfred, thank you for joining my dinner tonight, and thank you for accepting our invitation to stay here for the rest of your . . . vacation.”
“Invitation?” I lifted my brows to him. “That is a slightly undermined word. But thank you. This is a gorgeous building. What kind of school is this?”
“This is the academic school of Arganda,” Calantha said with pride in her voice. “We teach the World Knowledge to young ones; they will learn the locations and qualifications of all the known lands in Aalun. The young ones also study mathematics, trading, arts, history, and languages.”
“Are all students local kids?” I asked.
“Most of them come from these islands,” Alchinous said. “Some are from the city or nearby, and they don’t live at the school. We maintain students from many influential families, but there are also regular kids. We give some underprivileged kids with free passes to the school.”
I still didn’t comprehend how charmed mechanics had anything to do with a school. I sensed secrets. All these people looked pleasant and kind, but each also gave curious glances toward me like they were expecting something.
I sipped water and wiped my mouth with my handkerchief. “So . . .. How does the locket and the murdered man connect to this excellent school?”
Everyone went silent.
I could see the unspoken words in the looks they gave at each other.
“That locket,” Calantha finally said, “as you have probably already guessed, was indeed charmed mechanics that was speared in the Riots. A secret group of people in this school collect and study charmed mechanics. The group is called the Guild of Arganda and it involves some of our teachers and some other people around the world.”
She was serious. I had seen the locket open with my own eyes but still . . .. To hear her say that everything I had ever read was true, and that there were still some charms left in the world . . .. There were underground groups who had this ongoing battle that no ordinary people knew about. I wanted to see more. My heart beat loudly and I had to sip water to get my composure together when my world was turned upsidedown. Everyone waited for my reaction. I was certain they wanted to know what I thought about it. What if the world could experience magic again? I could see more charms. All the people could use charms.
“Do you own a lot of charms? I always thought none existed, or that they were nothing but a fairy tale told to children, an exaggerated threat by the church.”
Philip hadn’t said much of anything during dinner, but now he fastened his steely eyes to mine. “We have some, yes. I can show them to you later. And about the fairy tales . . . the church hasn’t lied. People started to assume that the tales weren’t true. Why do you think the church keeps such power over everyone? They are afraid that someone might find out that the church possesses the tools to bring charmed mechanics back. They will never do it. The churches have charms, too. “
“Was Pedro a good friend of yours?” I asked.
His eyes grew melancholy. “Yes. We practically grew up together here in this school. We joined the Guild together years ago. We were a team. Three months ago, we were separated over a mission, and I couldn’t contact him any longer.”
Sera placed her hand on Philip’s arm, sharing the grief. A tear fell down her cheek.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I whispered. “I want you to know that he didn’t have to leave this world alone. I was with him the whole time. I held his hand when he passed.”
Philip’s expression hardened. “Then you must understand that we desperately want to know the message. Pedro was our friend and now he is dead. He lost his life over this. We need to know.”
My defenses shot up. “I’m not convinced I want to tell you the message. I have been betrayed once already. People have died because of this locket. I’m not going to tell you anything until I am sure the right people will hear the message.”
Sera let out a frustrated sound. “What can we do to convince you that we’re the good ones?”
I felt they were the kind of people I could trust. They had rescued me from death, after all. But my instinct had been wrong before with Nicolas. I had to be sure.
“I want to know more about the Guild. What do you do exactly? Why? What is the goal of the Guild of Arganda?”
Alcinous stood. “You are wise to be careful. Come with me, please. I will allow you to see our vault and tell you more about us. I hope I can answer all of your questions.”
We all followed Alcinous to the corridors. The corridors were narrow but painted white, they didn’t seem too cramped. Two people could walk side by side. Paintings with golden frames, beautiful tapestries, and even a couple of frescos decorated the hallways. The doors had numbers or words like history, algorithms, or the arts, on the surface.
“This school was founded by a group of scholars over five hundred years ago,” Alchinous said while we walked. “This school is the fourth most significant school in all of Aalun. We teach no religions and no religious ideas are allowed in this school. Usually, students are with us from eleven to seventeen years of age. After graduation, they can try to seek entry into the teaching program and some might join the Guild. We choose the people carefully, of course.”
“When you teach history, do you tell the students the truth?”
“We can’t,” Alchinous said. “We must be cautious. The truth will come out, but it must be done with careful planning. The students don’t know the truth about charms.”
Alcinous led us through massive double doors, and we entered an extensive library. My heart virtually stopped. So many books to read! So many peaceful aisles to wander and search for perfect books. Lovely, private corners to get lost for a whole day.
Calantha let out a laugh. “By the look of your face, I assume you like our library?”
“Yes, it’s magnificent,” I said with a smile. “My father had the most wonderful books in his library, and I read all of them many times. I . . . I sincerely hope I get to read some of your books.”
“I’m sure you can, Miss Mansfred.”
“Please, follow me.” Alcinous walked to the back wall and stopped in front of a tall statue.
It must have been at least eight feet tall. The statue represented a bearded man in a heavy cape, his hand rising toward the roof. His other hand stretched forward as a stop sign. There were rubies in place of his eyes, which shone red in the flickering candlelight. The statue’s hands were empty, but it looked like something was missing. When Alcinous placed a small stone into the stretched hand, the stone started to glow. A concealed door opened beside the statue.
My heart started to race. I would see real charmed mechanics. Magic.
Calantha entered the secret corridor, and Alchinous encouraged me to follow her. There was a staircase in front of me, leading down. Tiny, magically glowing stones decorated the rough stone walls. I touched one of the stones lightly with my finger and the stone flashed in response. I jerked my finger away and looked at it, but there was nothing in it. Alcinous’ gentle touch on my shoulder startled me. He wanted me to move forward. Calantha was already halfway down the staircase. With soft steps, I descended, reaching her at the bottom. She was standing in front of double doors, which were decorated with exquisite golden carvings of swirls and triangles—the same kind of imagery the locket had.
She pushed a thumb on a hole on the wall and the doors opened without a sound. My heart started to beat faster. A vault, filled with glass cubes, shelves, and pedestals emerged behind the doors. Objects of all sizes were scattered everywhere. A surge of humming attacked me and I gasped for breath.
“What is it?” Calantha asked.
“It’s just . . . overwhelming. The noise . . .” I whispered.
“The what?” she asked, frowning and studying me.
“Oh, nothing. Can I?” I glanced at Calantha, requesting permission to look around. She nodded.
Everyone was quiet, enabling me to observe in peace.
I strolled into the room, looking at boxes, rings, lockets, sticks, caskets, swords, books . . .. Almost every one contained a peculiar carving or shiny stones and jewels. The humming slowly eased in my mind, remaining only as an echo somewhere in the background. I stopped in front of a decorative box, which was placed on top of a pedestal. It was made of silver with beautiful blue stones embedded in its lid.
