Chapter 14. Walking the Garden

  Jeremiah was used to the meeting rooms of a palace being less ornate than the highly visible halls, but he did not expect the room in which they were to meet Empress of Elminia to be an empty grey cube. The walls were bereft of adornments, and the cold stone leached the heat from their bodies. It nearly matched the interior of the Giant’s Bag, save for a series of shallow steps that spanned the width of the far wall and led to a slightly raised platform.

  Upon that platform, the sun rose on the radiant splendor that was the Empress Aubrianna, and set on the dark figure beside her. As he sank to a knee, Jeremiah tried not to stare. The empress was a sculptor's masterpiece, perfectly still as she observed Jeremiah and his friends. She wore a brilliant white gown of office, high collared and flared on the hem. Atop her head was a wicked-looking crown, spears of gold reaching toward the ceiling like stalactites and adorned with immense gemstones. While beautiful, the entire regalia threatened violence.

  Another elven woman stood beside Empress Aubrianna. This one made no suggestions of violence—she promised it. Her bright red hair contrasted black leather armor studded with silver rivets. Jeremiah realized the rivets were actually the pommels of dozens of slender knives, and when Jeremiah met her gaze entirely by accident, he knew he was looking into the eyes of a predator.

  “Woah,” Bruno croaked. Jeremiah glanced over and saw Bruno was making no illusions about his opinion on the red haired woman’s appearance.

  “You may rise,” said the empress. Her voice was clear as a bell. “I have brought you before me to request your aid. I have heard the tale of your endeavor in Dramir. Our mutual friend inspires my confidence that you will accept my request, and succeed in its completion.” Her voice hurt Jeremiah’s ears. She was way too loud, like she was accustomed to a larger room.

  Delilah immediately filled the silence. “We are humbled to be trusted by you. Pray though, Empress Aubrianna, we do not know the purpose for which we are summoned.” Jeremiah noticed with pride that Delilah had smothered even the slightest hint of nerves.

  “I have brought you here, Lady Fortune, in order to…what?” The other woman had nudged her. No words were spoken between the women, but when the empress continued, her voice was a normal speaking volume. “I have brought you here, Lady Fortune, because I have been made aware you are victims of a conspiracy in Dramir. I wish to offer an opportunity for you to leverage your talents in exchange for the dissolution of this conspiracy.”

  “With all due respect, Empress, may we have the pleasure of an introduction to your attendant?” asked Bruno. He sounded strained, but he had admirably recruited his “make fun of the nobility” voice into an “address the nobility” voice.

  Another shared look between Empress and attendant. “I am Ka, royal spymaster of Empress Aubrianna,” said the woman. She had addressed Bruno directly, and the two of them were now staring unabashedly at each other. It took no small amount of willpower for Jeremiah not to roll his eyes.

  “Oh no…” Allison sighed.

  Delilah stiffened, but didn’t falter. “A pleasure and privilege to meet you, Spymaster Ka.”

  “Likewise,” said Ka. She didn’t look away from Bruno, and Bruno didn’t look away from her.

  Empress Aubrianna closed her eyes. “Spymaster Ka, would you please…you know what, never mind. Let us just speak freely, you already made it weird.”

  “I did not,” said Ka quietly.

  A silence followed the empress’s declaration. Delilah seemed at a loss to continue the conversation without formal decorum as a guide.

  Then Allison broke the silence. “This is a black-op, isn’t it, Empress?”

  Ka broke her staring contest with Bruno to reexamine Allison. “You have experience with this term, Captain Allday?”

  “I do,” said Allison.

  “What’s a black-op?” Delilah asked.

  “It means a job we do for the empress, that the empress will deny she requested,” said Allison. Her posture had stiffened to military attention.

  “Like a secret mission?” asked Jeremiah.

  Allison shook her head. “Worse. They’ll pretend it never happened. It means they want us to do something horrific.” Allison’s voice carried the slightest hint of disdain.

  Delilah laughed nervously. “What Captain Allday means is that we’d like more information about your request. And, maybe, you can tell us exactly how you’d help with our predicament?”

  Empress Aubrianna held her gaze on Allison a moment longer before answering Delilah. “Lady Fortune. Our city has seen a series of murders. These murders have been increasing in frequency, and are notable in their brutality and method of execution.”

  “A serial killer?” asked Bruno.

  “A cult,” said Ka. “The killings, and their aftermath, are about spectacle.”

  “Targets are random?” asked Delilah.

  Ka nodded. “Seemingly. My people haven’t had any luck infiltrating to learn more. Likely they’re all known elements. Our generous reward offers have had no legitimate takers, so those involved are extremely committed.” She spoke to Bruno now. Exclusively to Bruno.

  “True believers,” Bruno said.

  “So you want us to…?” Delilah said, letting the question hang.

  “Fix it,” Allison said. “By any means necessary, they just want us to fix it.” She was trying, but the disdain was still there.

  “Captain Allday is correct, if curt,” said Empress Aubrianna. “Captain Allday, you will not presume to answer questions asked of me, is that understood?” The edge of stern authority flared in her words.

  “What’s the method of murder?” Jeremiah asked. The conversation was happening around him, and he felt the need to be involved somehow.

  “Appears to be ritual stabbing, roughly,” Ka answered.

  “A rough stabbing? Or like, mostly a stabbing?” Jeremiah asked.

  Ka’s face twisted in a facsimile of a smile. Her eyes flicked over Jeremiah, top to bottom. “I mean each murder was committed with a particular kind of knife. But given the variety of perpetrators, results are varied. Sometimes embellished.”

  Jeremiah could sense her answer was off. Ka and the empress were hiding something, but he wasn’t sure how to probe deeper.

  “Resources?” asked Bruno.

  “Can’t give you much,” said Ka. “Some gold, a decent safehouse, and the promise of an incompetent prosecutor if things go south.”

  “Wait, prosecutor?” said Delilah.

  “They won’t acknowledge we’re acting on their behalf.” Allison’s answer was stoic. “They won’t grant us any favors. If we’re caught doing something illegal, we’re liable. Just like anyone else.”

  “Not that you need to do anything illegal,” Empress Aubrianna said, “but Captain Allday is correct. Any preferential treatment would implicate us.”

  “ Somehow that sounds worse ,” thought Jeremiah. The idea of an Empress privately condoning immoral actions churned his stomach.

  “In exchange, the conspiracy against you and your party will be resolved,” said Empress Aubrianna.

  “‘Resolved’, Empress?” asked Delilah.

  “Ended,” Empress Aubrianna said.

  Delilah looked at Jeremiah, concern written all over her face. What was she trying to tell him? “It sounds like you’re going to have a bunch of people killed,” he guessed.

  Empress Aubrianna and Ka exchanged a glance. Ka nodded. “Yes,” the empress said.

  “It’s just…we would probably rather you not do that,” Jeremiah said.

  “Spymaster Ka, can Lady Fortune’s troubles be resolved in a more diplomatic manner?” Aubrianna asked.

  “Less straightforward, but yes.”

  “I hope that satisfies you, Mister…” Empress Aubrianna paused, observing at Jeremiah with an inquisitive tilt of her head, as much as the crown would allow. “You are Jeremiah Thorn, the necromancer, yes?”

  “I was, Empress, yes.”

  “Was?”

  “I have since given up Necromancy, after the happenings in Dramir.” Jeremiah knew which question coming next.

  “So what I’ve heard is true. But what I’ve not heard yet, is why?” Aubrianna squinted in study of him.

  “Too much responsibility for someone like me, Empress. My mistakes cost people their lives. It’s power I do not want. The stakes are too high, the consequences too costly, and my actions weigh too heavily on my heart.” It had taken Jeremiah a long time to be able to articulate why he had given up the craft, and longer still to become comfortable saying so.

  “I see,” said Aubrianna. Another silent conversation between her and Ka, this one longer than ever.

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  When it was finished, Ka spoke. “The terms are set. Destroy or reveal this cult and its leaders, and your conspirators will be dealt with. In a non-lethal manner. You will receive a password with which to contact us— speak it to a palace guard only when you have information we can act on, or the cult is destroyed. Questions?”

  “The gold?” asked Bruno.

  “Already at the safehouse, an apartment across from The Rambling Inn. Pick the door lock to gain entry, a set of keys are inside. If you accept and are successful in this task, we will meet again upon your extraction. If you refuse or fail, we will never speak again. Good day.”

  “The guard’s will bring you back to the tunnel from which you entered,” said Empress Aubrianna. Then, to Jeremiah’s shock, she added, “Mr. Thorn, I wonder if you might join me for a brief foray into the gardens after your colleagues depart?”

  “Um?” said Jeremiah. He heard a combination of snickers and gasps from his friends and didn’t dare turn to see the look Delilah was giving him.

  “This is unrelated to the mission, Mr. Thorn. My interest is entirely personal.” The smile she gave him curled his toes and stood his hairs on end.

  “Oh shit,” Jeremiah nearly said, but managed to choke it into just a thought.

  “I would be okay with that,” he said, glancing at the floor. He could feel his friends stares boring into the back of his head.

  “Mr. Thorn will be returned to you once we’ve had some time to talk,” said the empress.

  That smile again. “ This is what fish feel like when they see worms on hooks. ”

  “When you’re ready, Mr. Thorn,” said Ka. She and Empress Aubrianna took their leave, the side door left ajar as an invitation to follow.

  Suddenly Jeremiah was surrounded by Bruno, Allison, and Delilah, all competing for his ear.

  “You need to tell me everything .”

  “Don’t agree to anything she asks!”

  “Offer your arm, but don’t take her arm,”

  “No! Don’t even touch her!”

  “Put in a good word for me?”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “Just smile and nod, no matter what she says.”

  “Don’t you dare kiss her!”

  “What?”

  “What?”

  The three voices came in such a torrent that Jeremiah couldn’t tell who was saying what. “Hey, back off now! She probably just wants to ask me to raise some dead guy, that’s usually what people want to talk about.”

  Delilah crossed her arms, scowling. “Except you already told her you don’t do that anymore.”

  “Oh yeah,” said Jeremiah. He rubbed the back of his neck to relieve the growing heat of embarrassment.

  “Just keep it professional,” said Allison.

  “No! No, absolutely not!” said Bruno, stepping between Jeremiah and the others. “Jay, don’t you listen to these she-devils. You haven’t had the time to so much as glance at a woman since we met you. Go have yourself some fun.” He slapped Jeremiah on the back and shoved him towards the door. “Now, I better see some swagger in your step!”

  The sting of the slap gave Jeremiah a boost of confidence. “Can’t let Allison have all the fun, right?” he said, and did his best to swagger out of the room.

  ?

  The space beyond the door was black as pitch. As soon as he passed the threshold, it slammed shut behind him.

  "Arms out. Good. Spread your legs. Open your mouth. Good.” Ka's hands took liberties in their search that made him jump. Then the hands retracted. It was deathly quiet. "You get the frog back when you leave.”

  "That's my familiar!" Jeremiah protested. His hands went to Gus's empty pocket. He hadn’t even felt Ka take him.

  "He's a blue spine, and I'll not have him in proximity to the Empress. Swallow."

  Jeremiah swallowed, and something tiny that he hadn’t known was his mouth went down his throat.

  "You've just been poisoned. You get the antidote if the meeting ends without incident. Walk forward till you reach a door, then push.”

  Jeremiah decided to simply do as he was told. After a few hesitant steps, his palms pressed against wood. He pushed, and a beam of light appeared around the edge of the door.

  The scent of fertile soil and flower blossoms hit Jeremiah like a heady perfume as he stepped into a rainforest. Trees reached towards the gabled ceiling high above, the floor was rich with bursts of color, and flowering vines scrawled across everything like illuminated script. It was an awe-inspiring feat of gardening.

  Waiting quite intentionally amidst the greenery was the Empress. Like marble, she stood in stark contrast against the panoply of natural colors. She smiled at Jeremiah, but made no motion otherwise.

  "Alright, time to be charming and confident," thought Jeremiah as he gingerly stepped through the foliage, "because that's what charming and confident people do, remind themselves to be charming and confident.”

  There was no obvious path through the greenery, but Aubrianna waited with patient bemusement for Jeremiah to tiptoe and hop around the delicate plants as he made his way over. He assumed it was some kind of power play to make him prance around just to reach her.

  In the final few steps Jeremiah chose to close beyond typical speaking distance. Close, but not too close. He took some satisfaction as her eyes widened just a little at his proximity. "Thank you for the invitation, Empress,” he said. “It's quite lovely here.” He ensured his eyes held hers as he said it.

  Empress Aubrianna was only slightly taller than him, sans crown, but as she recovered from Jeremiah's unexpected flirtation, that authority returned, and Jeremiah found himself unsure of what to say next. “ Well, it was fun while it lasted. ”

  "Shall I give you a tour?" the empress asked.

  "Sure," said Jeremiah gratefully.

  She led him through the pathless garden, pointing out particular plants of interest and sharing facts about their properties. It seemed she maintained this garden herself. Jeremiah tried to listen as he avoided crushing the more delicate plants underfoot. Empress Aubrianna had no such compulsion and simply let her feet fall where they may.

  “I apologize, you must find this quite boring,” the empress said, after a time. “Perhaps you would like to tell me of your adventure defeating the elven renegade that threatened Dramir?”

  “Apologies, Empress. I just don’t have much of a mind for plants,” said Jeremiah, ignoring her question. He really didn’t want to talk about that.

  “Yet I watch you step so carefully. Why is that?”

  It was a strange question to Jeremiah. “Because…I don’t want to hurt the plants?”

  She gave him a different sort of smile, more genuine. “Your thoughtfulness is noted. You have my permission to step where you please, I will not be offended.”

  “Thank you,” said Jeremiah, though he still had no intention of stepping on the plants if he could help it.

  “So? Your adventure?” she asked. He was about to request they skip that particular topic, but she had turned to face him directly, and it was hard to refuse. Reluctantly, he recounted some of what had happened, leaving out some of the more personal or painful details. He was starting to feel uncomfortable in her presence.

  “Ah yes, I heard about the treasures of Dramir that were lost with the renegade,” the Empress said. “If you were to tell me the location of the final resting place of the renegade, we could negotiate a much more favorable solution to your dilemma. No need for clandestine quests or cloak and shadow nonsense.” Her smile hardened just a little.

  “I’m sorry, Empress, but I swore that I would never reveal any information about Vivica’s final resting place,” said Jeremiah.

  “There is no consequence I cannot protect you from Mr. Thorn, and more than a few boons that I could bestow onto you as well.”

  “With respect, I don’t know exactly where her final resting place is. Nor am I completely sure that she’s at rest,” said Jeremiah. He would have given anything to get off this topic.

  “She’s…alive?” asked Empress Aubrianna. The horror of the implication fractured her smile.

  “I sincerely do not believe so, but I don’t know for sure. I would not be surprised if she were though,” said Jeremiah.

  “I apologize for my forthrightness, it was ingracious of me.” They began walking again. “So, Mr. Thorn, what do you think of Elminia?”

  Jeremiah breathed an inward sigh of relief. “It stands in sharp contrast to where we are now.”

  She laughed like a crystal chime, and all of Jeremiah’s discomfort fled, “Indeed. I think of Elminia as another sort of garden, one that I’m allowing to grow wild. Please understand, my lifespan is much longer than a human’s, so I see far beyond the now.”

  “What do you see so far beyond my years?” he asked.

  “A long period of turmoil, sadly, as my people struggle under the weight of their choices. I have faith that, with gentle guidance, they will grow to no longer need me, or any master.” Empress Aubrianna gazed serenely up at the canopy. It was difficult not to stare at her.

  “I guess that sounds nice,” said Jeremiah. He wished he could think of something wise or insightful to contribute.

  “It will be, in time. Unfortunately my garden seems to have attracted an invasive pest. One that I hope will be eradicated with the introduction of a predator,” said the Empress.

  “That would be us. Empress, can you tell me anything else about this cult? Even if you’re not sure it’s true?” said Jeremiah. The conviction that she and Ka had been hiding something niggled at him.

  Aubrianna sighed a spring breeze. “No, not about the cult. We know precious little. But…I fear its reach is vaster than we realize.” She reached down and scooped up a handful of soil, letting it discolor her pristine hands. Just beneath the surface of earth was a web of yellowish thin roots. The web entangled the thicker roots of surrounding plants. “Something is wrong in my garden. That’s all I am truly able to say. The scent has changed, so slowly that I had overlooked it, but now I am certain.”

  The metaphors were becoming annoying. “So you’re saying this cult might be more established than you thought?”

  “I’m saying that I believe the cult has power beyond the obvious, but I cannot say what.”

  “ What am I supposed to do with that? ” wondered Jeremiah. He assumed her warning was only so difficult to understand because she was so much more cultured and intelligent than he was.

  They had returned to the entrance. “Thank you for accompanying, Mr. Thorn.” The empress gave him a gentle smile and half-lidded eyes. By all the gods, her beauty was overwhelming. There was an urge to just lean in and see what happened. He decided to choke instead.

  “You’re welcome,” he managed. The door opened, revealing Ka standing in wait. He bowed deeply, at least confident in how to be courteous, and took his leave from the strange encounter.