21

In Which the Group Finds New Lodgings and Strange Butterflies

They encountered no other ice wolves in the day and a half it took to reach Ikpe, to everyone’s relief. They took turns standing guard the next night, rising at first light so they could travel as many miles as they possibly could.

The firebird dozed frequently in its saddlebag, tired from its nightly duties of providing them warmth when their campfire wasn’t enough. Occasionally Alex would lift and transfer it onto his lap whenever it showed signs of discomfort; always gentle, always supportive. The firebird would coo its sleepy thanks before snuggling drowsily against the boy’s stomach.

Its snores, while not loud enough to attract unwanted attention, raised eyebrows among the rest of the group. Once or twice Tala even caught the normally expressionless Cole sneaking incredulous glances at the sleeping bird, like he couldn’t believe any animal was capable of producing that kind of noise. Only Alex didn’t seem to think it was anything out of the ordinary, and Tala wondered if he’d lost his hearing.

“That might be the scariest sound I have ever heard of in my life,” Ken said quietly, after the firebird unleashed one particularly loud thunderclap that might have actually snapped a twig off a tree as they passed.

His horse made a curious, neighing sound.

“I know. You wouldn’t think it, looking the way it does, huh?”

It whinnied.

“I’ll tether you some ways from it next time. I didn’t know the snoring bothered you.”

“Does he have to keep doing that?” Zoe asked Loki, somewhat irritably.

Loki shrugged. “You should know by now that there’s not a lot of ways to shut Ken up.”

“Better than trying to talk to a nightwalker,” West said, with a shudder.

“You understand them, West?”

“You pick it up, after a while. They only ever really say ‘Hungry’ or ‘Kill.’ They don’t have a very large vo…vock…they don’t use a lot of words.”

Tala kept her eyes on the back of Alex’s head as they rode. Since that encounter with the ice wolves, he had taken deliberate care not to talk to her privately again. He was always the first to retreat back to the tents whenever dinner was over and made it clear that he wasn’t in the mood for any kind of conversation. She still wasn’t ready to talk about her father, and she knew it was being hypocritical, but she missed her closeness with her best friend. She hated the idea that he was pulling away from her, even while being on this same journey with him. The incident with the adobo had seemed promising, but he’d withdrawn completely after that, much to her frustration.

They passed through what should have been large expanses of farmland, but the snow had claimed everything here too. Every now and then a lone hut or cabin came into view; despite their deteriorating conditions, Ken would ride out to investigate with hope shining in his face despite the odds—only to return, visibly disappointed. His optimism faded slowly with every explored residence, but he persevered.

“You all right?” Zoe asked quietly, after the eighth time Ken returned. The girl was a better realist than he was, but Tala knew she didn’t have the heart to reproach him.

“Of course. This is nothing. We always gotta check, just in case, right?” But Ken’s shoulders slumped a little when he turned away.

To help distract from their gloomy surroundings, Loki told them a little about Ikpe. “Most Ikpeans came here from Nigeria after Avalon offered them sanctuary at the height of the transatlantic trade of enslaved persons. With a steady supply of Avalon glyphs on their side, they formed an alliance with freed Africans from other tribes also given sanctuary here. They returned to fight the Americans, freeing more of their kinsmen and making the trade so unprofitable it ended weeks later.”

“In history class, we were taught that the Royal government ended it after Avalon offered spells that were more productive,” Tala said.

Zoe snorted. “Avalon gave the Americans spells because they didn’t want a war on two fronts, when they still had to oppose Beiran involvement in the Crimean War. Part of the agreement was abolishing slavery and indenture. The South rose up in arms because of it, but that didn’t last long either.”

“Not like their treatment of Black people in the years after improved much either,” Alex murmured.

Tala nodded, remembering Miss Hutchins and her angry assertion that the lies always began in school textbooks.

“Avalon had always been a hotpot of culture,” West said proudly. “There are Ikpeans all over the kingdom, but Ikpe itself protects one of Avalon’s largest glyph mines.”

“The term is melting pot of culture,” Zoe told him.

“That too.”

It was early evening before they finally caught a glimpse of the small cluster of rooftops in the distance, an inhabited village, evidenced by the trails of smoke steaming up the air. “That’s definitely Ikpe,” Ken said, perking up again. “And there are people in there! Living, breathing people!”

The village was composed of a hundred or so houses, clumped together halfway up a small hill; barely a tenth of the size of Lyonesse, according to Zoe. Twin wooden posts and a small gate at the base marked the village’s boundaries from the rest of the world. A large slab of stone, vaguely human-shaped, lay propped against the massive closed doors, and Tala had to lean back from the strength of the spells that emanated from it.

A tall, stout spire stood farther up the hill. Officious-looking men, armed with guns and swords, patrolled the immediate vicinity on horseback, looking for all the world like they meant business.

“What is that monstrosity?” Alex asked, staring up at the spire with horror.

“A tower?” West suggested helpfully.

The prince sighed.

“An outpost, maybe?” Zoe frowned. “It’s flat plains for miles around. You can see anyone coming for at least a league even without it. What I’m more concerned about is that strange stone over there that’s packed full of magic.”

“It’s a barrier,” Tala said, concentrating. “To protect the village, I think. Want me to feel it out?”

“Don’t,” Alex said immediately. “It’s one of their sacred stones. You’ll antagonize the whole clan.”

“Are you familiar with the people from Ikpe?” Zoe asked.

Alex met her gaze, looked away. “I’m familiar enough with the people I’m supposed to be leading.”

Three of the guards had spotted them; they approached on their horses, guns leveled at them, but their demeanor was cautious rather than outright hostile.

“Really not liking this Avalonian hospitality at all,” Ken murmured.

One of the men called out in a language Tala didn’t understand. Alex spurred his horse forward.

“Your Highness!” Zoe protested.

“I’ll take care of this.” Alex turned to the men, responding in the same odd language. He’d barely finished before the soldiers jumped off their mounts, bowing low before him.

“That’s odd,” the prince said, surprised. “They said they were expecting us.”

“We have been,” said one of the men, speaking English this time with the faint Avalonian accent. “Six months ago. You are very late. Please stay and enjoy our festival. We apologize for our earlier aggression. It has been some time since anyone outside the village has come through our gates.”

“It is of no consequence, Mfoniso, and thank you.”

“You are the prince. It is our duty, and also our fervent hope that your presence here means spring is still in Avalon’s future. I shall inform our priestess immediately. In the meantime, we offer you our humble inn to stay.” The man turned and barked out more commands to his soldiers. The gates opened.

“A priestess?” Tala asked.

“Obeah is their form of magic, and the practice runs deep in the village,” Loki told her. “My fathers and I’ve stayed with them in the past.”

“A festival?” Ken asked. “They’re surrounded by frost and nightwalkers, and they’re having a festival?”

“It’s not just a festival,” Alex said. “It’s a ritual and a celebration, from what I remember of my history. People are allowed to celebrate even when times are hard, Ken.”

Ken scowled. “I know, and I’m not saying they can’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m over the moon that we’ve finally found people here, but how did they survive? And how do they know that you’re the prince? It’s not like they’ve got a current picture of you to compare to.”

“Mfoniso said their priestess predicted our arrival.”

“Yeah. Six months ago, exactly like the Dame thought. Not a coincidence, if the inaccuracy’s consistent.” Ken sighed. “Another seeress?”

“Any place that has their own oracle would have had higher chances of survival,” Zoe said, “just like the Dame with the Count of Tintagel.” She nudged her horse into a canter, her voice crisp. “Still, be prepared to ride out immediately at any sign of trouble. If Mr. Mfoniso is willing, the priestess sounds like she’s willing to listen to us, but keep all your segen hidden, anyway, and especially keep the firebird out of sight, Your Highness. Until we know what she intends, the more questions we can avoid answering, the better.”

“Have we gotten around to electing a leader yet?” Loki asked impishly. “Because I’m voting for her.”

Despite the threat of the frost and the distinct chill in the air, there were flowers strewn everywhere; small paths were made, literally, from pale pink petals and rosebuds, still dewy and wet. Where they’d gathered enough of the bouquets from, Tala had no idea. Heat blazed out from every lamppost that dotted the well-paved streets.

Ken and West perked up visibly at the sight of the women, slate-eyed and black-haired with dark skin. They danced in bright red dresses, with gold sashes tied around their waist. Some wore garlands carefully combed into their thick, curly hair. Others wore elegant weaves in different styles, with roses tucked behind their ears.

Butterflies of varying sizes dotted the trees around them, and the strangest thing was that they were glowing, flickering in and out of view. Some encircled the group, bold and unafraid; flickering as brightly as candles and shining down on their path, leaving tiny threads of light in their wake.

“Butterflies don’t shine like that.” Tala was astounded.

“Someone in this village,” Zoe said, “is extremely talented at magic. They do possess one of Avalon’s bigger glyph mines, so it shouldn’t be a surprise, I guess.”

Tala cupped her hands as one alighted on her palm, its lights dimming and fading as it came into contact with her skin. It didn’t seem to mind, but its glow took on a strange new reddish aura before taking flight again. The firebird snuck its head out of Alex’s pack and cooed, and for a few brief seconds its feathers flared too, as if mimicking the butterflies’ glow.

“Your Highness,” Ken complained. “Tell your firebird to stop its glowy thing. Weren’t we supposed to be keeping it hidden?”

“I don’t think it matters,” the prince said, gazing around. “If the priestess here’s as good as the Dame, then she’ll know about it, anyway.”

Tala looked up one last time as they approached the inn, saw the butterfly she had touched circle another, the latter soon acquiring that same rouge tinge.

The lodge was so small, it was barely that, but after their journey it looked warm and inviting from the outside. Ken wheeled his horse into the stables, and the rest followed closely after. A man stepped forward to meet them, ready to take the reins. He bowed low. “Your Highness. Welcome to our humble home.”

“News flies quickly here,” Alex noted.

“Words soar on swift wings in Ikpe. Sometimes that can be a matter of life and death,” said the innkeeper, as they were shown inside the inn. The accommodations were simple, constructed mostly from dark aged wood and bamboo, but felt luxurious to Tala given their last few days of travel. A large flat-screen television set was mounted on the wall. The innkeeper gazed at it with some melancholy. “My misfortune to have bought it two days before the frost arrived,” he said, with a sigh. “I had been looking forward to the FIFA Cup too. Our magic can only do so much. Tomorrow marks the last day of our priestess’s granddaughter’s fattening room, however, and our celebrations to commemorate its end begin tonight.”

“A what?” Tala spluttered. “Fattening like, to be eaten?”

The man roared in laughter “I understand it’s a misleading term. In the older days, when a woman is to be given in marriage, she spends at least six months in what we call our ‘fattening room,’ to be pampered and fed her favorite dishes. A healthy woman is the most beautiful woman. We no longer force our women if they do not want it, and so the six months are instead spent on the pampering more than the feeding, but the name for the practice still endures.”

“And it’s the priestess’s granddaughter that’s getting married?” Ken asked.

“Yes. She shall be very beautiful, decked out in our seamstress’s finest dress. Her mother insisted that she also wear a wedding veil in the customary Avalon tradition, and many of the girls have spent weeks weaving one from the finest silks.”

“I’m glad that the frost has not touched your village,” Zoe said. “But none of you seem surprised to find us here.”

“Our priestess knew. The date was wrong, but perhaps the frost can hinder even her magic. There is no need to hide your firebird, Your Highness. She foretold its coming too.”

The firebird hopped out of Alex’s bag, looking irate. You kept me hidden all this time for that? it seemed to complain, and kept up a steady stream of heated squawking that lasted until it started stuffing its face with some of the cooked greens on the table.

“I didn’t even know I was going to Invierno until last week.” Ken sighed.

“We are blessed to be led by a powerful priestess, one that even Avalon kings come to seek counsel with. Feel free to make use of these rooms for as long as you wish, milords, miladies, and…” The innkeeper paused, looking quizzically at Loki.

“Mi’enbys,” the young ranger supplied.

“Mi’enbys it is.” The man indicated a long hallway, where three doors stood side by side. “You are welcome to join our festivities. In the midst of death, we must celebrate life. We don’t have many visitors even in the best of times, but you folks must join the dancing, at least.”

“Dancing? We’re not going to miss it for the—ow!” Zoe had very calmly stepped on Ken’s toe.

“The girls have been practicing for weeks,” the man continued. “Almost as long as they’ve been making their bridal wreaths.”

“Bridal wreaths?” Ken sounded less sure of himself.

“The girls dance round the fires tonight to scout for husbands. It’s how the wife found me back then. Prettiest girl at the dance…” The innkeeper chuckled. “Didn’t stand a chance. If you’ll excuse me, milords and miladies. And mi’enbys.”

“Before anything, I’d like some food and a good bath,” Ken decided. “Remind me to ask the innkeeper for something for the horses.”

Ikpe was far more modernized than Tintagel Castle. The inn had both communal and private baths, and an adjoining restaurant. Posters of Uyai Archibong Ukeme, Miss Avalon 2003 and also Miss Universe of that same year, lined one of the walls. Some computers had been set up inside one room, though Tala doubted the internet worked. Alex doubled with Ken, West with Cole, and Zoe, Tala, and Loki took the largest room. “Can’t the firebird stay with the horses tonight?” Ken asked. “Not really sure I can sleep with all the snoring that’s sure to go on.” The firebird responded with an affronted hiss.

The tavern was large enough to accommodate a few dozen people, though there were only three other patrons at the moment. The group occupied one long table at the corner of the inn, chosen because it hid them from immediate view. The innkeeper’s wife was named Ayanti, a handsome woman with her hair bound in a yellow wrap. She served them mouthwatering dishes: minced meat cooked with eggs and milk, yellow rice, a soft powder-like bread, and another thick stew made of vegetables, crayfish, and some kind of snail.

“The meals come with rejuvenating potions,” Ayanti explained. “I am required by Avalon law to tell you of this. If you do not wish for spells in your cuisine, I have also made some without magic.”

“No complaints here,” Ken said. “That’s my favorite seasoning. I love a good home-cooked spelltech.”

“It might not work on me,” Tala confessed. “I’m a Makiling.”

“I hope it nourishes you all the same. Guests are rare these days, but with tonight’s festival, I wanted to celebrate. Good food is good healing,” the woman admitted with a laugh. “It takes many hours to create the perfect ekwang.”

“This is delicious, ma’am,” Alex said sincerely, helping himself to seconds of the ekwang. “Thank you.”

Ayanti beamed. “It’s good to hear praise from one not of Ikpe after so long. People used to come far and wide for my cooking.” Sadly, she eyed the empty tables. “But we are very lucky. The priestess protected us from the frost, almost single-handedly.”

“Is your tower part of the defense?” Zoe asked her, glancing out the window, where it lay outlined against the growing dusk, still visible despite the constant flurry of snow.

“Been standing hundreds of years, milady. Maybe even long before this village came about. At least three hundred years old. It may not look like much, but we’re quite proud of our strange little tower. Our strongest defense it is, steeped deeply in charms dating back centuries. It’s that and our stones that’ve helped keep the nightwalkers out.”

Ken and Zoe glanced quickly at each other. “Would it be possible,” Ken began glibly, “to take a closer look ourselves? I’m a history scholar, and a tower like this one isn’t something I get the chance to study often.”

Zoe coughed.

“The tower’s closed to outsiders, milord,” Ayanti said regretfully. “Favorite grounds for some of our wayward boys, sometimes. Always painting the walls and stirring up trouble. We try to discourage that sort of idleness. Isolated in the frost, sometimes they get restless.”

“That’s a shame,” Ken said mildly. “And what about the stone by the entrance to your village?”

“It contains the earth and the power of our ancestors, preventing malicious spells from being cast.”

“Like the ones the ICE agents used,” West remembered. “The one inside that van.”

“ICE agents?” The woman looked horrified. “There are ICE agents here?”

“No,” Zoe said hastily, shooting West a warning look. “They were searching for the prince, and we wound up fighting them back in America.”

“Our priestess tells us that we have been closed to the rest of the world for many years now. It breaks my heart to hear that such terrible policies have not changed.”

“They don’t so much as turn a hair when it’s nightwalkers outside their village, but ICE agents make them nervous,” Ken murmured. Aloud, he said, “Please send both the bride and groom our congratulations.”

“Ah, but we won’t be knowing the groom’s name just yet. The lucky man’s to be selected tomorrow.”

“You mean the bride doesn’t even know who she’s marrying?”

“It’s not our usual wedding custom, to be sure. But it’s the priestess’s granddaughter getting married, so different rules apply. She has a doom, you see.”

“A doom?”

“They say she is to wed a walking corpse, who shall wield a terrible mercy.” The woman shrugged. “It is probably a metaphor for something simpler, something not so grim.”

“I would be terrified if it wasn’t,” Ken muttered.

“We’ll have to be a lot more careful than I expected,” Zoe added quietly, once the woman had left. She looked over at the boys. “Let me know when you find anything out of the ordinary. And I’d appreciate it if you could make an effort to look around first before taking part in the dancing.” That last part was directed deliberately at Kensington, who put his hands up in a mock display of innocence.

“Me?”

“Yes, you,” Zoe said. “I know you. I’d prefer not to be chased out of town by angry fathers and girls seeking vengeance.”

Despite Zoe’s warnings, though, Ken and West shot out of their seats after supper, grinning with the air of boys about to get themselves into trouble despite having promised otherwise. Cole had already disappeared, though Tala didn’t remember seeing him leave.

“We’ll be off, then,” Ken said, sidling toward the door. “To find information.”

“And clues,” West added unnecessarily.

“We’ll be back in an hour.”

“Or two.”

“Or till the dance ends.”

“Or they run out of girls.”

“See you later!”

The boys took off. Loki followed closely after them, a resigned grin on their face.

“I tried.” Zoe sighed, shaking her head. She glanced over at Alex. “What about you, Your Highness?”

“I’m going to head up to my room and take advantage of the bed,” Alex said abruptly, pushing back his chair. He turned to the firebird, who was chirping along to some music no one else seemed to hear. “Don’t wake me unless it’s important.”

The instant he was out the door, Zoe rounded on Tala, looking worried. “Did I do something?”

“What?”

“His Highness. Alexei. Did I do something to antagonize him in any way? He’s been polite, but I also know he’s being passive-aggressive toward me, and he’s not saying why.”

“Being in Avalon has been stressing him out, and you’re the one putting a cap on some of his more impulsive behaviors. Maybe it’s a combination of those?”

“Have I been doing a horrible job?” Zoe looked stricken.

“No!” Tala exclaimed. “No, you’re doing great! You’ve brought us this far without getting any of us killed or worse, and I’m speaking as the most inexperienced person here.”

“Thank you,” Zoe said, though still looking a little distraught. “It’s just, I just wish I could talk it out with him, but at this point I sense that’s the last thing he wants to do.”

“He doesn’t want to talk to me either, and I’m supposed to be his best friend,” Tala agreed, glaring at the hallway he’d gone out. That was partly her fault too, but she didn’t want to overcomplicate things by explaining that to Zoe. “I’m putting it down to anxiety on his part. Hopefully he’ll be better once we get to Maidenkeep.”

“Maidenkeep,” Zoe sighed. “That’s another problem. He lost his parents there. I’m not sure it’s going to put him in a happier frame of mind. I’m just trying to make sure we’re all alive and breathing until we can find some way to alert the Cheshire and the others to our location.”

“How are you holding up, though?” The burden weighing on the girl’s shoulders must be colossal, Tala realized. It wasn’t her fault that Alex was choosing to be ungrateful about it.

Zoe let out a small, forced laugh. “I’m all right. You should go out and enjoy the celebrations too. Have some fun while we’re here, like Ken and West plan on doing. It’s been a trying few days, and we could all use a break.”

“Not you?”

She paused, smiling briefly. “I don’t need it. Anyway, it doesn’t feel right without Tristan here.” The evasiveness in her voice had returned, and privately Tala wondered what it was that she wasn’t saying. “I do love to dance, so maybe I’ll take a spin later. What about you? Have a boyfriend too?”

“I…” She hadn’t thought about Ryker for so long, and now it came crashing back down on her, his treachery. “I thought I did. Or I was going to have one, until I learned the Snow Queen was his guardian.”

“Oh. The boy with the ICE agents?”

“Yeah. I know how to pick ’em, huh?”

“It sounded like you two had history.”

“Not much of one,” Tala said bitterly. “The bonfire was supposed to be our first date. Or maybe it wasn’t. I think he only did it because he knew I was a Makiling and that I was protecting Alex. That’s all he wanted.”

“I don’t want to speak about things that don’t have anything to do with me,” Zoe said carefully, “or I try not to, anyway. But from the way he reacted, his interest seemed genuine. He wouldn’t have been so upset if it was all just an act. Do you…wanna talk about it? I’m a good listener.”

Tala smiled briefly. “Not really. Do you like talking to other people about your relationship?”

“I usually don’t, but I can talk about it to you now, if you’d like.” At Tala’s curious nod, Zoe continued. “I think I might have initially come off…hesitant to you, like I was second-guessing my relationship with Tristan Locksley, and not just because Ken likes to tease me about it. I suppose I am. Some odd circumstances brought him and me together, but I won’t go into detail about those, because they’re private and he doesn’t want that. They’re a very public family, by virtue of their wealth and influence. They may be Avalonians, but they also hold considerable sway in Europe, which is why they don’t need to hide the way others had to.

“Ken and the others like to tease me about being Tristan’s fiancée—but they’re right, at least by Locksley standards. They’ve got old money and follow some old customs, so arranged marriages for their children aren’t uncommon, especially for Avalonian nobility. A typical courtship lasts about a week—if there’s even one to begin with. I’ve heard stories of abducted princesses—there aren’t any dragons anymore, so it’s usually pirates or roadside robbers or a rival kingdom—or girls placed under some curse, where the only prerequisite for husbands-to-be is to be the first man to rescue her. My relationship with Tristan wasn’t exactly arranged…or approved.”

“But why would they be against you?”

“My father’s a professor in New York. Not exactly royalty, even if my mother has better claims. That, and they don’t think I have the right conduct befitting a Locksley girlfriend, much less a wife.”

“What makes them say that?”

“I started my own fight club.”

Tala choked on a glass of water. Zoe patted her on the back till she was done. “It’s nothing like the movie, if that’s what you’re about to ask.” She laughed. “It’s just a few girls training together because nobody else wanted to teach us. It’s kind of an open secret, but the older people from Avalon don’t like it. Quite a few influential ladies support the club, so we’ve been allowed to continue. Tristan’s parents are against it, though. They’re wrongheadedly conservative.” She winced. “Tristan’s not very keen on it either, to tell you the truth. The fact is, we’re probably going to argue when I get back, because he wasn’t happy about my being on this mission with Loki and the boys.”

She sat up straighter and smiled, a little self-consciously, at Tala. “Sorry. I got a little carried away.”

“No, that’s understandable. I’m sorry to hear that, though.”

“That’s what relationships are about, dealing with the bad days as well as the good ones.” Zoe reached into a pocket and pulled out her cell phone. “Good thing my batteries are enchanted to last two weeks, even if it’s useless for everything else right now. We haven’t been together long,” she confessed, showing Tala a picture. “I guess that’s what’s been making me a little neurotic.”

Tala stared at the dark hair, the green eyes, the bright smile. She’d seen the guy before, but it wasn’t Zoe his arms had been wrapped around. Oh no. Oh no. “Oh,” she managed weakly. “You guys look…you guys look great.”

“Thanks. I just hate it when he—” She broke off, glancing up when Cole reappeared. Ignoring them, he moved toward the exit. “And where do you think you’re going?”

He paused, his tone sardonic. “To hunt for information. Like you wanted.”

“Ken and the others, yes,” Zoe said. “I have different orders for you. Since the prince is resting—and since you’re in such a helpful mood tonight—you’ll be coming with us to visit the priestess.”

“Aren’t we supposed to wait until she called for us?” Tala asked.

“I’m not the world’s most patient person. If she foretold our coming, maybe she’ll predict this too.” Zoe grinned at her. “A priestess in the same village the Dame specifically told us to spend the night at smacks just a little too much of coincidence, don’t you think? Let the others enjoy the dance a little while longer. I don’t want to wait. And last I checked, the time-lapse spell is still going strong. I don’t want my college credits expiring by the time we make it back.”

A faint expression of annoyance crossed Cole’s face. “What does that have to do with me?”

“I don’t particularly trust you, Nottingham,” Zoe told him bluntly. “If you’re here to help like you claim to be, then prove me wrong.”

For a moment, the boy looked like he wanted to argue, but then shrugged. “As you wish.”