— Halgrim Mott, “A Culinary Guide to the Forbidden Table,” page 3
It was hard to relax with every part of her body aching, but Emily still tried. It would have been easier to do if Karaline’s kitchen wasn’t overstuffed with dolls. Marionettes were hanging from the ceiling. Wooden dolls were stacked atop shelves and cupboards. A few woolen dolls were even perched on the windowsill. No matter where Emily looked, there was a doll, and it felt like they were all staring at her. In the time she had taken to get from the front door to the kitchen table, where she was sitting right now, she could have sworn a few of them had turned their heads to follow her.
Emily turned her attention back to the card game in front of her. Mina, who sat across from her, looked up and narrowed her eyes at her.
Violet was sitting beside her, painting the finishing touches on one of her newest wooden dolls. Emily wanted to help, but she was too exhausted to even lift a finger. In the two days since they vanquished the Sangrevoro hoard, she had slept for the majority of the time. The fissures in her skin had healed, and now all she was waiting for was the soreness in her back to ease before she could start training again.
“Vi,” Karaline said from the kitchen stove. “Put that away, dinner’s ready.”
“I don’t know, it looks like she still has a few dolls to finish painting,” Emily commented with an awkward chuckle. She reached over to draw another card from the deck.
“Aye, she’s been makin’ too many of ‘em. Ran out o’ places to put ‘em, so the kitchen’s their home now. Don’t let ‘em creep ye out, lass. They’re harmless.” She grinned, returning to the steaks she had spent the better part of an hour preparing. “Oi, Mina, ye want to help dish out the food?”
Mina raised an eyebrow, putting her cards down. “I didn’t think you’d want me near the food.”
“Aye, ‘cause I knew if ye’d touch it, my whole fuckin’ kitchen would burn down.” Karaline laughed. “But ye ain’t cookin’ it now, are ya?”
Mina rolled her eyes and stood to help. Emily and Violet put away their activities as Mina and Karaline served steaks, mashed potatoes, and roasted greens.
“Right,” Karaline said, raising a glass of wine just as she sat down. “Bloody well done, you two. Savin’ Cresthill from those beasts.”
Emily blushed, awkwardly holding up her glass of water. Violet and Mina raised theirs, and they toasted.
“I mean, I mostly just… didn’t die,” Emily said awkwardly. The food tasted amazing. By far, it was the best thing she had eaten at Cresthill. In a way, she wished Mina could cook like this every night.
“Modesty doesn’t suit you,” Mina said. “You closed the rift. That’s more than most could’ve done.”
“Aye, but don’t let it go to yer head, lass,” Karaline added, taking a sip of her drink. “Though, I hear Dainford’s still got his knickers in a twist over it.”
Mina sighed. “I spoke with him yesterday about it. He doesn’t see it as saving anything. He’s still pissed I let the Sangrevoro attack in the first place. As if I could’ve predicted a rift opening in his backyard.”
Emily frowned, her steak half-chewed. “He’s just being an asshole. You did everything you could! We both did.”
Karaline snorted. “Damn right. Dainford’s a right cunt if he can’t see the effort ye’re puttin’ in, Mina. Protectin’ not just Cresthill, but all o’ Agera? He should be kissin’ yer boots, not whinin’.”
“He’s just scared,” Mina explained. “I’ve seen it time and again. People like him lash out when they don’t understand something. Doesn’t make it less annoying.”
Violet looked up from her plate, and after finishing chewing, she signed something to Karaline.
“Why, thank you, lass. Ye’re right. It does taste better than charcoal.” She gave Mina a teasing glance.
“That’s not what she said,” Mina narrowed her eyes.
Emily looked between them. “What did she say?”
Violet’s notebook flew out from under her cloak and opened to a fresh page. Then, her pen zipped out from under her sleeve and began writing. ‘All I signed was that the food was delicious. Karaline is just teasing Mina because of her poor performance in the kitchen.’ The pen underlined the last five words, and Mina turned her heated glare toward her.
“Don’t you start too.”
Emily opened her mouth to join in on the teasing; she had the right to, after all, especially after all the ruined food she had been served. But before she could utter a single word, Mina pointed a finger at her, not even breaking her line of sight from Violet.
“And if you add anything, you’re doing sprints along the mountainside every morning for the next week.”
Emily promptly closed her mouth, and Karaline laughed.
“Don’t be so hard on the lass. She deserves a break after what she did. It ain’t her fault that ye’r the only woman in the world to find a way to burn water.” Karaline burst out laughing, and not even Mina’s penetrating gaze was enough to silence her. After a bit, though, Karaline calmed down and shook her head. “Nah, nah, I’m only pullin’ ye’r leg, lass. In all seriousness, ye did great out there. Don’t let ol’ Dainford talk ya down.”
Mina took a calming breath and shook her head. “Dainford, I can handle. It’s everything else that I’m unsure of.”
Emily looked up from her plate. “You mean the vampires?”
Again, Mina nodded. “It’s all connected somehow. I just… don’t understand it. What you told me, Emily, about what you saw when you touched the rift. The woman with a ruby face. It was Queen Lockhart. I just don’t understand why you would see her when you touched it. Not yet.”
Across the table, Violet signed something to Karaline.
“She’s askin’ if we’re safe now. Says she’s worried about more vampires showin’ up, like last time.”
Mina shook her head. “There was just the one vampire in the area. I made sure of it. I would have sensed them otherwise. Judging by the lack of vampiric activity before the rift, that one likely arrived in Cresthill recently. If Lockhart sent him to observe the rift, it would’ve taken him at least two months to get here from Alnwick Island.”
“Two months?” Emily said. “Is Alnwick Island really that far?”
“It’s across the sea, isolated by design. Vampires don’t travel lightly, especially not Lockhart’s agents.”
Karaline furrowed her brows, leaning forward over her dish. “Hold on. How’d the bitch even know a rift would open here? Does anyone know how these bloody things work?”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“No one’s studied rifts beyond observation,” Mina explained. “They’re too unstable, too unpredictable. Hell, people hardly see them, much less know when and where they’re going to appear. If there are records, they’re lost to time. Or hidden. The only ones who would know anything would be the elves.”
“They won’t tell us, though, will they?” Emily asked.
“No, lass. Elves are a secretive lot, especially when it comes to their history.”
“My master, Stanfield, had tried looking into The Great Rupture a number of times. He wanted to know more beyond what was written, but time and again the elves turned him away. Hell, they don’t even like acknowledging it happened. The elves guard their knowledge like it’s their lifeblood. If they know anything about rifts, they’ll never share it.”
Emily frowned. “So… what do we do? If Lockhart’s connected to the rifts, is she coming here? To Cresthill?”
Mina shook her head. “Lockhart doesn’t leave Alnwick Island. Hardly ever has anyone seen her outside the castle. She prefers to stay put, pulling strings from the shadows. As far as I know, she’s only left the island once in recent times.”
Emily’s eyes widened. “When?”
Mina’s expression closed off, her silver eyes darkening. “I’d rather not discuss it.”
Karaline caught Emily’s gaze and gave a subtle signal to drop it.
Emily bit her lip and did what she was told. It was probably for the best not to pry. At least, not now.
“Alright, enough o’ this gloomy shit. We’re here to celebrate Emily killin’ her first monsters, not mope about some vampire queen half a world away. Let’s eat, aye?”
Emily gave a small smile. “Yeah, I could use a break from destiny talk for, like, five minutes.”
Mina exhaled. “Fair enough. Thanks, Karaline, for the food. It’s… better than I could’ve done.”
“Damn right it is,” Karaline said, grinning. “Now eat up, all o’ ye. No more talk o’ rifts or vampires tonight.”
Dinner fell into a comfortable rhythm, and Emily found it gradually easier to relax. She savored her steak while she listened to Karaline tell stories about how her day was, and the various problems people often came to her with. But her mind kept drifting back to the rift. More specifically, the only things she could see clearly. The six-fingered hands. She had seen Queen Lockhart, sure enough, but it was those hands that stuck with her memory. Everything else was a blur, like fog had washed over her mind and clouded all but one single thought. It was the way they reached out toward her, like they were beckoning her to come closer. To reach out and feel them. In a way, she felt like she had seen them before, but from where, she could not remember.
But they were connected to Queen Lockhart somehow. And if they were connected to Queen Lockhart, then subsequently, they were connected to her as well.
Later that night…
Karaline hummed quietly as she washed the dishes. The plates were stacked neatly on the counter beside her, along with the wine glasses and mugs. The whirring from the small gears and sprockets in her mechanical prothetic sounded faintly, like a low, soothing hum against the otherwise quiet night.
She paused for a moment, gazing out the window toward the nightlife passing by. People were heading for the bar, and she desperately wanted to join in. But not tonight.
Tonight, she had work to do.
“Vi, lass!” Karaline called. “Ye gonna help with these dishes, or am I doin’ all the work myself?”
A moment later, Violet appeared in the doorway. She had already slipped into her purple nightgown, and her long, purple hair draped over her shoulders. A small patch of brown hair sprouted from her roots, and despite being in the comfort of her own home, she still wore a mask over her face. Her purple eyes shimmered as she walked over, signed an apology, then summoned a step stool and grabbed a dish towel to start drying the plates Karaline handed her.
Suddenly, the dolls sitting on the windowsill jerked. Their bodies creaked and cracked with each point they moved, like thin, dry branches cracking underfoot. Then, the dolls stacked on the counter began to move. Then the ones hanging from the ceiling, but unlike the others, they were stuck.
One of the dolls, made from porcelain and dressed in a faded blue gown, carried a cup from the table to the counter. Another, with a cracked cheek and lopsided bonnet, worked with a glassy-eyed marionette to lift one of the plates into the cupboard. Soon, a whole precision of dolls were hard at work, putting away the dried dishes and cleaning up the crumbs from the ground, and all without Violet so much as lifting a finger.
“Showin’ off, are ye?” Karaline teased. “Careful, lass. One o’ these days, they’ll start demandin’ wages.”
Violet gave her a small smile and signed back: ‘They just want to help.’
“Ah, I’ll never turn down help. So long as they don’t break nothin’.”
Violet’s smile widened. She peered out the window at the passing faces. ‘Are you going to the bar again tonight?’
Karaline raised an eyebrow. “What’s this now? Ye tryin’ to get me out o’ the house?” She grinned. “Been hard lately, lass. Cresthill’s not exactly crawlin’ with decent folk these days. Half the blokes at the bar are either drunkards or passin’ through, but they ain’t lookin’ for compony.”
‘You’re just looking for someone who’s good in bed.’
Karaline laughed. “Oi, that ain’t the only thing I’m lookin’ for.” She flicked Violet on the forehead, giving her a wide grin. “I’m lookin’ for someone to settle down with, ye hear? Someone who can handle me and you and this mad life we’ve got. Bed’s just a bonus, not the main course.”
Violet giggled silently. ‘You sure do like that bonus, then.’
Karaline rolled her eyes. “One day, ye’ll find the right lass, Vi. Someone who makes yer heart sing. And let me tell ye, it won’t matter how they are in bed, long as ye love ‘em. Love’s what holds ye together when it feels like yer fallin’ apart.”
Violet’s smile faded, and her hands stilled. She looked down at the plate in her hands, then, after a moment, she set it aside. ‘Can I ask you something important?’
“‘Course lass,” she said, continuing with the dishes. “What’s on yer mind?”
Violet hesitated, and even the dolls all came to a standstill. ‘Should I tell Emily?’
Karaline froze for a moment, then carefully put the plate she had been washing down. “What d’ye mean, lass?”
Violet just stared back, her expression a mix of hope and fear, visible even with the mask on.
“Ah. That.” Karaline exhaled. “I don’t know, Vi. That’s… not somethin’ ye should be tellin’ anyone. I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’t worried ‘bout lettin’ anyone but Mina know.”
‘But I trust Emily. She’s been kind to me. I’m sure she wouldn’t get mad or scared if I told her.’
Karaline’s heart ached at the earnestness in Violet’s eyes. She wanted to believe Emily was safe, that the only girl who bothered to talk to Violet could be trusted. She was under Mina’s wing, after all, and she knew more than anything that Mina wouldn’t let such a thing leave Emily’s lips. But… “It’s hard to know, lass. People can surprise ye, and not always in a good way. Sure, Emily don’t seem like the kind to get mad ‘bout… that sorta thing. But what if ye tell her and it slips out? Maybe to Lux, or one o’ the other kids? Then we’re in real trouble. Both of us.”
Violet’s brow furrowed. ‘Would Emily really tell them?’
Karaline leaned against the counter. “I’d like to think she’d keep her mouth shut if she found out. She’s a good lass, got a big heart. But secrets like that are a heavy burden. Even the best folk can let ‘em slip without meanin’ to. Better to keep it close for now, aye?”
Violet’s shoulders slumped, but she nodded. ‘She’s my friend, though.’
Karaline knelt beside her. “I know, lass. I know. And I’m glad ye’ve got a friend like her. But if that secret got out, it wouldn’t just be yer life at stake. It’d be mine, too. We’ve gotta be careful, you and me. We’ve come too far to lose it all now.”
Violet’s eyes glistened, but she nodded again. ‘Okay. I’ll keep it secret. For now.’
Karaline pulled her into a quick hug. “That’s my girl,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to Violet’s cheek, just under her mask. “Now, let’s finish these dishes so we can get to bed, yeah?”
Karaline stood in her bedroom, the air cool against her bare skin as she stripped off all her clothes.
A single lantern cast a warm glow over the clutter of books, gears, sprockets, plate metal, hammers, tongs, and spare ingots of mythril and iron. It wasn’t exactly the kind of room someone would expect to sleep in, especially when it often smelled like the ironworks, but Karaline didn’t mind. She liked going to bed with the scent of the day on her body.
The steel of her prosthetic arm clicked as she twisted it, and the mechanism released with a soft hiss. She pulled the prosthetic free and set it aside on the desk beside her bed. Then, she did the same with her leg. The steel sleeve covering her stumps came next. Beneath it, her muscles throbbed with a dull ache, and she started massaging them.
Her fingers traced over the scarred, mottled flesh, rubbing the ridges of sickly black rot that seemed to spread up her arm like ink slithering through water. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. The rot began to recede until it vanished completely, leaving her scarred skin all but clean.
“Fuckin’ ‘ell,” she groaned, relaxing as she sank into the mattress.
What would Emily do if she knew? Would she understand, or would fear drive her to betray them? Karaline’s heart clenched at the thought of anyone discovering the truth, of the consequences that would follow. What was worse, she couldn’t bear the thought of Emily turning away from Violet because of it. She had tried so hard for Violet to make a friend, no matter where they ended up, and now that she finally had one, the thought of losing it was almost too much to bear.
Karaline tried not to let it distract her. She was too tired to worry right now. All she wanted to do was drift off to sleep and wait and see what the next day brought her. She reached over to the bedside lantern and flicked it off, drowning the room and herself in darkness.
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