Tanza by Amanda Greenslade Page B

easily on her muscular body, it occurred to me how far out of my league she was. I must have seemed like a youth to her.
    ‘You are a youth,’ Tiaro responded.
    ‘I’m nearly twenty.’
    ‘In some cultures you would still be considered a youth.’
    ‘What do you know of other cultures,’ I asked. ‘You are an inanimate object.’
    ‘I am a spirit,’ she countered. ‘I recall some of before, but mostly I just know things about the world—ancient things, modern things, things other people think. I hear them, so I know many things. One day you will hear them too.’
    I touched the warm metal clasp holding her to my ear. Her cryptic words did not help me to feel at ease with my new titles.
    ‘Is it true that the most advanced Anzaii can use the waves to speak to other humans?’ I asked her.
    She seemed delighted I was asking questions. ‘Yes it is true. But having artefacts made from an Ancient Sapphire Tree makes it easier.’
    ‘Like you,’ I replied. ‘You’re partly fashioned from the leaves of one.’
    ‘Nay,’ she said. ‘Not an Ancient Sapphire Tree, but a Great one. The magical properties are greatly diminished in comparison.’
    My stomach turned, in a mixture of uncertainty and anticipation. I shifted to lie on my back and tried not to think about it. But I fell asleep with visions of people coming to me with all their messages for distant relatives, probing me for information, draining me of all thought… and there was Sarlice with her sword out, dancing in and out of my reach. Her arms and neck were bare, revealing, not far from her collar-bone, the stark white scar against the deeply-tanned skin of her shoulder. Lost in my dream, my eyes roved down over the swell of her chest, the lean, tautly-muscled waist and the—
    ‘Please forgive the intrusion.’ A plump lady pushed through the door, struggling with armfuls of linen. ‘By the nine trees, I sure am sorry to barge in on ye’ like this! Should have brought these up before ye’ arrived.’
    ‘It’s no trouble,’ Sarlice said even as I pretended to be still asleep.
    ‘My name’s Hessie,’ the lady told her. ‘I’m Minac’s sister. Now listen, Prince Tyba has sent a messenger here to escort you to the Dome of Gathering. She’s waiting downstairs.’
    ‘Thank you. Will you tell her we’ll be down shortly?’ Sarlice requested politely.
    Hessie nodded and left the room. I groaned and rubbed my eyes. Had three hours passed already? My muscles felt heavy and my eyelids were sticky. Sarlice offered me her hand, which I hesitantly accepted.
    Once we’d re-equipped ourselves with our weapons, we made our way downstairs. Thita and the Rada-kin followed.
    The woman standing outside the tavern’s huge double-doors was tall and blond with piercing brown eyes.
    ‘Good evening Talon, Sarlice, Thita, Rekala and Kestric. My name is Skylien. I’m chief among the scribes for the king and queen. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you so much that I tasked some of my subordinates with scribing for tonight’s gathering.’
    ‘Nice to meet you,’ Sarlice replied. ‘It must be satisfying to have people like that, you can trust to do a good job.’
    ‘They are very dedicated,’ Skylien agreed. ‘Most of them I trained myself.’
    ‘You must really enjoy writing,’ I commented.
    ‘Aye,’ she said. ‘There is something satisfying about making the ink flow neatly from the quill onto the scroll. Scribe work can be dull at times, though, so I write my own material.’
    ‘I can’t remember the last time I wrote anything down,’ I muttered. Then I recalled the letter I had written to Princess Denliyan. It was heart-wrenching still not knowing if I had gotten her with child in the drug-induced stupor she’d subjected me to. Even though it would be a child of violation, it would still be my child.
    ‘I would have thought ambassadors like you would have to keep some written records,’ Skylien said, arching one eyebrow. I glanced at