The Arrivals

Chapter 36

For the remainder of the day, Chloe felt like she was fighting an endless panic attack. Ajani shared the evening meal with her, during which he asked her a lot of questions about magic and about the world she knew at home. He alternately studied her and ignored her.

After dinner, Ajani excused himself, and she was sent to her room to rest. A short while later, Daniel came to escort her back to Ajani’s library. On the way to the room, he said quietly, “If you fail the test, remind him that you are skilled with guns, and that Jack is fond of you. Perhaps, if nothing else, he will think he can barter for you.”

Chloe went still at the latter part of the statement. “I never said—”

“Even if Ajani hadn’t seen how possessively Jack watched you when you met the boss, Jack’s reaction when he heard you’d gone to Ajani’s house would’ve made his feelings clear enough. Several of the doxies and a few bystanders sent messages that he was devastated.” Daniel squeezed her shoulder gently. “Use that to your advantage. It gives you a value none of us have. I’m trying to help you, but there are only so many rules I can break.” He lifted the edge of his shirt to reveal an ugly burn. “I’m no good to Kitty or anyone else if I’m dead.”

Chloe was speechless as Daniel opened the door to the library and motioned for her to enter. He bowed to Ajani and left. She heard the turn of the key as he locked her in the room with Ajani. What sorts of tests require being trapped? The warnings Jack and Kitty had shared rushed back to her.

“You appear to be refreshed, Chloe. I trust that you’ve settled in?”

“I am refreshed, and everyone has been very kind,” she demurred.

“Sit.” He motioned.

She came to sit across from her host, who was already in a matching chair. The furniture looked like it could’ve been in any number of old-fashioned libraries at home. It was oversize and a bit ostentatious—and fit the overdressed man in front of her. He had a gold-handled cane she’d not seen previously resting against the table beside him, but other than that, he appeared as he had earlier.

He held out a piece of paper. “Read it.”

As he stared at her, Chloe held the paper in her hand and read:

I am lord of eternity in the crossing of the sky.

I am not afraid in my limbs,

I shall open the light-land, I shall enter and dwell in it . . .

Make way for me . . . I am he who passes by the guards . . .

I am equipped and effective in opening his portal!

With the speaking of this spell, I am like Re in the eastern sky,

like Osiris in the netherworld. I will go through the circle of

darkness, without the breath stilling within me ever!

When she finished, he asked, “Do you feel anything?”

“Such as?” She wasn’t sure what he was seeking. She glanced at the paper as if there might be a clue there. “Did you write it?”

The expression on Ajani’s face was veiled. “No. Read it again, and pay attention to any sensations you have as you read.”

Chloe read the paper again, trying to do as he asked.

“What do you feel?” Ajani prompted, leaning forward in his chair.

“Honestly? Afraid. Confused.”

Ajani had her set the paper aside. “You’re not a connoisseur of history or the arts, are you?” When she shook her head, he continued: “No matter. You don’t need to know the finer arts to feel. It’s a singular feeling, Chloe, when it works. The universe unfolds, reveals itself to you, and the man who can wield such power is a god.”

He reached out and went so far as to stroke her wrist, as if to calm her, but his touch and his words did little to ease her discomfort.

“I can try again,” she offered.

Then he smiled at her. “Good, Chloe. All you need to do is read the poem like you believe the words, and then let me know how you feel upon doing so.”

She tried once more, but again, she had nothing to tell him. They went on this way for the next hour: she read, inflecting different words, trying different speeds, while Ajani alternated between his discomfitting attempts at being supportive and chastising her. Chloe had begun to think that this strange reading and questioning would continue all night when they were interrupted by one of Ajani’s obsequious servants opening the door.

“Sir?”

Ajani turned his gaze on the young man with a predatory look. “You are fortunate that she wasn’t successful.”

“I am, sir.”

The words were barely out of the man’s mouth before Ajani was across the room with his cane. He slammed it into the man’s throat, and when the servant fell, Ajani spun the cane around and pressed the head of it to his chest as if holding him in place. “You are happy with her failure?”

“Of course not!” the servant swore.

Ajani stayed still, the cane pushed against the servant, and Ajani himself breathing heavily as if he had been exerting himself. Chloe wasn’t particularly comforted by his flash of rage, and she wondered what would happen when she didn’t eventually give him the answer he apparently sought. She stayed perfectly still, like she had so long ago when she’d been in a relationship that had turned ugly. Don’t draw his attention. Jason had been quick with his fists when she spoke too loudly—or too softly. He’d thrown things when she wasn’t dressed nicely enough or sometimes when she was dressed too nicely. If she had been interested in sex, he accused her of being a slut; if she wasn’t interested, he thought she was unfaithful. She’d tried to be what he wanted, but years later, she realized that what he wanted was simply someone to hurt. All of those feeling came back to her as Ajani kept his servant pinned with his cane.

That could be me.

Chloe wished that she had her gun back. Killing wasn’t easy, but knowing that you could pull the trigger made it easier to escape.

Apparently, Ajani had been speaking to her while she sat frozen in fear. “Chloe?” he asked.

She swallowed and looked up at him. “Yes?”

He smiled, aiming for the considerate facade he’d had at dinner. “There was a cave-in at one of my mines earlier this week. I need to speak with someone about it.”

Ajani released the servant, who stayed motionless even as Ajani stepped away from him. “Fetch Daniel.”

The man hastened away, and Ajani smoothed out his sleeves as if the burst of activity had left him rumpled.

In only a moment, the servant returned with Daniel behind him.

“Take her with you. Perhaps she’ll find it inspiring. Her performance so far has been lackluster, despite my encouragement,” Ajani said, and then turned his back and left them.

“Come with me,” Daniel said.

In the courtyard outside the house were two uniformed men. Between them was a man who looked as terrified as Chloe felt.

The two watched her expectantly as Daniel said, “If you can do this, he’ll trust you more.”

For a moment, Chloe stared at him. “Do what?”

He held out a gun.

“You want me to kill him?” she prompted.

“Ajani has decided that an example must be made. The foreman’s death will motivate others to work harder.” Daniel’s expression wasn’t judging, but he wasn’t flinching away like Chloe wanted to. He motioned to one of the uniformed men, who promptly forced the prisoner to his knees, and then he told Chloe, “Ajani himself doesn’t kill. He doesn’t watch a killing either if at all possible.”

She couldn’t speak.

“Take the gun, Chloe,” he said quietly. The look he gave her was pleading, as if he needed her to understand that what was about to happen here wasn’t awful. The problem was that murder over a failed mining tunnel was awful.

Chloe tried to think of circumstances where this murder wouldn’t be heinous. Maybe if Ajani was punishing a man for shoddy work that had cost lives or polluted a water supply. Maybe if the foreman was callously responsible for collapsing the tunnel on purpose. Neither of those was the case, however. Ajani had ordered the foreman’s death because the man had cost Ajani time and money. It was simply business to him—and a lesson to “inspire” her.

“I can’t.” Chloe turned her back on the prisoner for a moment. “Daniel, you don’t have to do this either. Just let him go. We can both walk out and—”

Daniel stepped around her, aimed, and fired. The prisoner slumped to the ground, a bullet hole in his forehead.

“Tell the boss it’s done,” Daniel said.

Once the two men went inside, Daniel turned to face her. “Wait here.” He glanced toward the door where the men had gone and lowered his voice. “You need to toughen up, Chloe.”

Then Daniel turned away and left her alone in the courtyard.

Waiting with a corpse wasn’t high on her list of acceptable plans, so a moment later she followed Daniel into the house, but Ajani was coming out as she went in. He held the paper she’d read several times already, and then he took her arm in his and led her back to the courtyard and the still-bleeding body.

“Read it again,” Ajani ordered as he handed her the paper.

As he stared at her with an oddly excited look, Chloe took the paper and read it aloud again.

I am lord of eternity in the crossing of the sky.

I am not afraid in my limbs,

I shall open the light-land, I shall enter and dwell in it . . .

Make way for me . . . I am he who passes by the guards . . .

I am equipped and effective in opening his portal!

With the speaking of this spell, I am like Re in the eastern sky,

like Osiris in the netherworld. I will go through the circle of

darkness, without the breath stilling within me ever!

When she was finished, Ajani shook his head. His excitement had vanished.

“You’re just like the others,” he said. “Another failure.”