A Breeding Darkness (Complete)

(21)

At the gate, a guard cast a nervous look over Lucy as he let them through. He kept his hand on the thin sword at his side, and his eyes stayed locked on her until she was past the gate and into the courtyard. Apparently, the unease about Dreamwalkers was spreading.

Lucy and Saul walked to the side door in the palace, where the same lady from before bowed and admitted them to the same hall. They walked to Koshmar's room in the back, and as if it was déjà vu, Lucy saw the same Dreamwalkers clustered around Koshmar at his desk. They all looked tired and some were still dressed in their night clothes. As Lucy walked in, she earned a few glares from Bijal and Morrigan. She supposed they had probably been holed up in the palace for the five hours she had failed to respond to the summons. She'd be getting a good yelling at from everyone once they were alone.

Lucy approached Koshmar's desk and bowed deeply, out of breath and trying to not grimace at the pain in her foot.

"I apologize," she said, stepping back into place with the other Dreamwalkers, and submissively folding her hands in front of her stomach. "I fell ill after leaving the palace yesterday and was sleeping when the summons arrived."

Koshmar didn't react at all to her words, as if she hadn't spoken at all. He continued to write something on a scroll that sat on his desk, and when he was done, he folded the scroll and tucked it away without looking up.

"Now that we are all together," he said, still not meeting eyes with Lucy, "I can explain in more depth why you were all called here."

"It has come to my attention that keeping the Dreamwalkers within the palace is the best course of action, under these circumstances." He tapped his desk with one finger, staring up at the Dreamwalkers. "Acquiring Sleep Briar is far too easy out on the streets. Within the palace, no temptations will present themselves."

Lucy exhaled in a half-laugh and looked at the others, expecting them to jump to protest this ridiculous new rule. But instead of Morrigan's cheeks turning the same flame color as her hair, or Gregor puckering his mouth in righteous indignation, all the Dreamwalkers were nodding along to what Koshmar said. Even Saul had an expression of calm that made it seem as if he was listening to someone prescribe a recipe for noodles instead of hearing Koshmar shrink their new cage even further.

"This is ridiculous," Lucy said, turning back to Koshmar. She still expected someone to jump in, but they didn't.

Koshmar's gaze swung to her, mournful and weary. She suddenly felt like a naughty child, screaming for sweets. It made her squirm, but she was determined not to let it drop. Joon was trapped in the darkness and surrounded by the Samg. She had to get back as soon as possible.

"Miss Shubin, I understand that you are concerned," Koshmar said. "But the safety of the country is at risk. There are many in Krov Korol, and beyond, whose lives may be harmed if a Dreamwalker attempts to enter Zerkalo again.

"We're not children," Lucy said, glancing at her compatriots who still wore their placid expressions. "Being shipped off to the palace disrupts our entire lives. Morrigan." She turned to look at the curly-haired Dreamwalker, who blinked calmly in response. "You have a baby at home! You can't come live here and leave him alone!"

Morrigan shook her head. "I've asked my neighbor to take him for a few days. We should do all we can to protect Strana and obey the laws."

Lucy stared in disbelief. Morrigan, fiery and tempestuous Morrigan, was rolling over to the new laws like a content kitten. She should have been cursing and demanding to be let out of the room to get back to her new baby, yet here she was smiling blandly at Lucy as if she couldn't understand why Lucy would ever find something to protest against.

"No!" Lucy said, her gaze sweeping over the Dreamwalkers but finding not a single sympathetic returning look. "This isn't what we want. You have no idea if the Dreamwalkers are causing this darkness or not! Don't you want us to look further into it? Don't you want us to learn how we can fight?"

She turned her attention back to Koshmar and saw that he was studying her closely. A small crease formed between his eyebrows as he took her in, as minutely as a scholar going over some puzzling text in an ancient scroll.

"I appreciate your concern," he said, pulling a scroll close and slowly unrolling it. He turned his attention to the writing, but his fingers drummed against the parchment. "But please consider what position the country is in. We can't risk that you are wrong, Miss Shubin. Already, our trading partners have increased the prices of oil and coal to exorbitant amounts. The entire treasury will be depleted within a few weeks even just trying to keep Krov Korol lit."

"Our trading partners wouldn't do that," Lucy said. "They're allies."

"Not when An-Qi and Shinhama are offering a percentage of the spoils should they overtake our mines. The darkness will barely be an inconvenience, when they can import resources from their own land to keep their armies strong."

Lucy clenched her teeth. Koshmar's logic was sound, but his conclusions were shaky. Banning the Dreamwalkers from Zerkalo only made the darkness more inevitable. They needed to be in the dream world if they wanted to find out where the darkness had come from. And, almost as important, Lucy had to be in the dream world in order to find Joon.

"Sir, the threat of invasion won't go as badly if we have a strong throne," Lucy said. Her mind raced as she tried to decide whether it was a good idea to reveal she knew that Joon was trapped in Zerkalo. She ran the risk of being imprisoned for breaking the law, but she also had the chance of Koshmar lifting the ban in order for them to rescue Joon. Perhaps the benefits outweighed the risks.

"Prince Joon is still missing. He has no heir and proclaiming one in his absence will only make the matter worse," Koshmar said.

"But you want to find him, right?" She tried to read Koshmar's face, but it was stony in response. Rumors of Prince Joon being spotted had been rampant in the days immediately after his disappearance, but they'd all been false. Koshmar no doubt had plenty of experience in keeping his expectations in check.

"Prince Joon's appearance would only push back the threat of invasion for a time," he said, his tone measured. "We all pray for his return, but I do not fool myself into thinking that his presence will fix our doom."

"But-" Lucy started, but suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Bijal, her face calm but her eyes sharp as she pulled Lucy back into the ranks of the Dreamwalkers.

"Perhaps we should stop arguing for tonight," Bijal said, casting a smile at Koshmar. "Lucy's sickness is perhaps causing her to be overexcited. She needs some rest."

Lucy balled her fingers into fists at her side, but didn't say anything more. Bijal's hand on her arm, tight and firm, let her know that she was done talking for the meeting.

Koshmar's gaze slowly turned away and it was as if the room suddenly filled with air again. Lucy sighed in relief, though she hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath.

"We've set aside a house for the Dreamwalkers to stay in while we try and figure out how to dispense of this darkness. I would prefer if the managers stayed as well. I trust that you are all of upright character, but I'd rather not chance anything being accidentally brought into the castle during visits."

"Of course, sir," Saul said, dipping his head in reverence. "We're only too happy to help."

Koshmar reached across his desk to a dainty silver bell, which he gently swayed forward to let out a crisp note. A moment later, the doors opened and a group of guards entered. Lucy looked at their hands resting on their thin swords and the tense set of their shoulders, but the others only bowed to Koshmar.

"Please follow my men to your new lodgings," Koshmar said. "You are dismissed."