A Monster

“Absolutely not,” Aniah protested, looking as though someone had suggested she walk on hot coals barefooted.

Joree put his hands up, palms forward. “I was just making a suggestion.”

“Well, don’t.”

She had been complaining about the dangers of anyone recognizing her, so Joree had suggested disguises. Her long black hair was very distinctive. Just cutting it would make a marked difference. Aniah, though, wasn’t having any of it.

“I am not cutting my hair, and that’s final,” she snapped.

“I already said okay,” Joree repeated, for the third time.

She ground her teeth, fists clenched at her sides. Then she huffed. “Fine. You win. Make it quick.”

She turned her back to him, muscles tensed as if braced for impact.

Joree stared at her back with bemusement for a moment. What in Arkadia’s Halls just happened?

Finally, he shrugged and pulled out his knife. It should be sharp enough to do the job, though it wouldn’t look pretty.

He worked quickly, grabbing chunks of hair and slicing through them with deft movements. Aniah grunted with each stroke as if in pain. Within minutes, a large clump of silky black hair lay on the ground. Aniah let out a strangled cry, turning away from it.

They couldn’t just leave it here. They could bury it, but they didn’t really have proper tools. Burn it, maybe? That would risk making smoke. Finally, he settled on digging a shallow hole with his hands and then covering the hair in dirt and loose twigs and branches. Aniah watched him with the solemnity of someone watching their child being buried.

“We should get moving,” Joree said. “We’ve rested long enough.”

Aniah nodded once, eyes flicking towards the still unconscious girl laying a short distance away. Two days had passed since they had rescued her, and Joree was starting to get worried. He had heard about people hitting their heads hard enough that, though they weren’t dead, they never woke up.

Aniah’s eyes went wide, and Joree turned to follow her gaze. The girl was sitting up, watching them with bright turquoise eyes. She sat uncannily still, her only movement her eyes flicking between the two of them.

“Oh, gods above,” Aniah whispered. “We’re dead.”

Joree gave her a baleful look before moving slowly closer to the other girl. She immediately grew tense, back straightening and muscles coiling as if ready to spring. Joree held out his hands in a soothing gesture.

“It’s alright,” he said softly. “You’re not in danger. We are far away from those people who were chasing you.”

She just continued to stare. Flames, could she even understand him? Probably not. He hadn’t been able to understand her pursuers, and she likely spoke the same language as them.

“What’s your name?” he asked anyway. No response. Not even a look of confusion.

“I’m Joree,” he said. He pointed to his chest and repeated, “Joree.” Then he pointed to her. “You are?”

Slowly, she scooted away from him and then rose, unsteadily, to her feet. She started to sway, stumbling forward. Joree, instinctively, lunged forward to catch her.

She actually hissed at him, baring her teeth. Behind him, Aniah whimpered. He quickly stepped away from the girl, moving his hands out to his sides.

“Okay, okay,” he said quickly. “No touching. I get it.”

She took another step back, seeming more balanced, never taking her eyes off of him.

He glanced back at Aniah, feeling helpless. What did they do now? They couldn’t communicate with this girl, and she clearly didn’t trust them. Should they just leave her? He wasn’t sure what else they could do. He didn’t think trying to force her to come with them would work.

Aniah’s face was pale. Well, she was always pale. But now it looked like the blood had been drained from her. She seemed terrified, but there was a wildness in her eyes, a sinister curl to her lips, that indicated something else. Was that…hatred?

“Aniah?” Joree asked cautiously. She didn’t seem to hear him.

“Monster,” Aniah whispered, staring at the other girl. “What have you come here for? What kind of dark powers are you working?”

“Aniah, what are you talking about?” Joree demanded. Aniah just shook her head, blue eyes seeming to be in shadow.

“Aniah,” Joree said, more sharply. “What are you talking about?”

She finally met his eyes, blinking several times. “Don’t you remember what I told you? About the monsters we fight?”

Joree did, vaguely. “You mentioned we are at war with some mysterious enemy. You were, as always, about as direct as the Arkadian Scrolls. Why is this relevant?”

Her eyes were cold, hard. For a brief instant, Joree could see the resemblance between Aniah and the Highness.

“It is relevant because of her,” Aniah said, nodding towards the girl. “She is one of them. A Delani. The enemy.”

***

The man the Kritons called ‘Vris’ had not come to Narissa in three days. She hoped that meant he was done with her, that he had grown disinterested in tormenting her.

Of course, she didn’t think he particularly enjoyed harming others. It simply didn’t bother him, and he would do whatever it took to get what he wanted.

Regardless, her hopes were shattered when he strode into her small room-her prison-his bright eyes boring into her.

She had been placed into one of the servants’ quarters within the Highness’s palace. They had changed out the locks so that the door could only be unlocked from the outside and then hammered wooden planks over her window. Now, the room was essentially a cell. A very nice cell, with a comfortable bed and even a writing desk, but a cell nonetheless.

“Vris,” she greeted, giving a bow. It was a gesture of mockery, not respect, but he could interpret it how he wanted.

He placed one knuckled fist atop the other and tapped them together twice. A chiding gesture.

“Why that word?”

She gave him no response.

“You are angry.”

Still no response.

“You have Will. A weapon.”

She held back a snort. She knew very well what would happen to her if she attempted to use a mind strike against this man. She would be dead or unconscious before she knew what hit her.

“Why have you come?” she asked, keeping her voice flat.

“I think you lie,” he said. Not angry, just blunt. “It’s time for truth.”

She forced herself to meet his gaze. “I’ve told you all that I know.”

“I care not for the girl. I want truth of the man.”

She plastered a look of confusion on her face. “Man? What man?”

Eerily, unnaturally, one corner of his lips curled up in a smile.

***

“And you didn’t feel this was important to tell me before now?” Joree asked, feeling more annoyed than shocked. “I should think that would be a relevant detail.”

“I told you she was dangerous,” Aniah snapped. “You should have trusted me.”

“Would it have killed you to just be straight with me for once?” He sighed, feeling suddenly exhausted. It figured. Of course this innocuous looking girl would be some sort of murderous creature that was seeking to destroy all of Manicot. Why not?

“Would it have killed you to just listen to me for once?” Aniah shot back.

Joree snorted. “I wish I could stop listening to you. Unfortunately, you make it very difficult.”

She glared at him.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, rubbing his forehead. He wasn’t in the mood for a fight. “We need to decide what to do now.”

“Simple,” Aniah said. “Dispose of the creature, then find the army.”

Joree glanced at her sharply.

“What?” she exclaimed. “Do you deny that she is dangerous?”

“She certainly hasn’t done anything threatening so far,” he pointed out. “And she’s had ample chance while we have been standing here shouting at each other. She hasn’t even tried to run.”

“Exactly,” Aniah said, as if he had just proven her point. “That means she probably wants us to take her. She wants us to lead her straight to the heart of the army.”

“Just what every soldier wants,” Joree said flatly. “To be led into the heart of their enemy’s camp, surrounded by armed foes that want to kill you.”

Aniah pursed her lips. “You don’t know what they can do, citizen. They are more dangerous than you can imagine.”

“If they are so dangerous, then why haven’t they already overrun us?” he challenged.

She hesitated, glancing back at the girl who had stood perfectly still during the entire exchange, watching silently.

“Would you really do it?” Joree asked quietly. “Would you kill her, strike her down in cold blood?”

Aniah’s face twisted into a grimace, and then softened. She sighed. “No. No, I wouldn’t. But Flames, I don’t like the way it looks at me. It’s planning something, make no mistake about it.”

Joree turned towards the silent figure, looking so thin and pale, yet not weak.

“We have to keep moving,” Aniah said. “So we do have to do something with it.”

Joree shrugged. “We could just leave. If she follows, fine. If not, even better.”

Aniah pulled a face. “Citizen, that is a terrible idea. It would just wait for us to walk away, then follow and kill us while we sleep.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Joree asked, folding his arms.

“Tie her up and drag her to my mother. Let a higher authority deal with her.”

“I thought you said she wanted to get into the army camp,” he pointed out.

She shrugged. “Probably not as a captive. If she’s immobilized, she’s much less of a threat.”

The idea made Joree’s insides twist. Unfortunately, Aniah had a point. If this girl was a potential danger, they needed to be careful.

“I’ll have to exert a nearly constant stream of Will to disrupt its thoughts,” Aniah said. “It’s not a sure way to keep it contained, but it will help. I won’t push hard enough to do true harm, but it will still drain me.”

“Why?” Joree asked. “She’s not doing anything, and she’ll be tied up.”

Aniah gave him a rueful smile. “If you think some rope is enough to stop it, you are woefully ignorant.”

“Yes, thank you,” he replied dryly. “For pointing that out again. And also not explaining anything again. I’ve heard repetition is a very effective teaching technique. You must be an expert teacher.”

“Just trust me on this, citizen. And sleep with one eye open for the next couple of nights.”