The Forbidden Library (13 page)

Iniru crossed her arms and huffed. “Well, if just talking got you this far, I’m sure we’ll be planning a wedding soon.”

“Niru, please …”

“You’re an idiot. I don’t want to talk to you right now. You led her on.”

“No, I didn’t. At least, I didn’t mean to. If I did, I don’t know how.”

“Well you did it somehow,” Iniru snapped. 

He started to apologize again, but what was the point? The only thing he could do to make it up to Iniru was to find some way to get out of the engagement. 

Iniru narrowed her eyes at him then perked up and smiled at someone over his shoulder. Turesobei followed her gaze and frowned. Kemsu was walking toward them, grinning.

“You’re up and around,” Kemsu said, glancing at Turesobei and then looking back to Iniru.

“Only just,” he replied.

“Kurine will be delighted,” Kemsu said, with a tone of … irritation? … resentment? “Iniru, are you ready for that sparring practice yet?”

“Not yet,” she said. “I’m still battered. I was sick and injured a long time. I really need the rest.”

“No problem. We’ll get to it eventually.” He flashed a smile at her again. “Wish I could stay and chat but Narbenu is going hunting today.”

Kemsu strutted away and Turesobei decided that he didn’t actually like Kemsu much. He also didn’t like the way Iniru had … Well, she hadn’t actually flirted with him. But she hadn’t discouraged him either.

“Iniru,” he said.

“Yes?”

Turesobei realized he was straying into dangerous territory with her, especially given his new betrothal. “Nothing.”

She raised an eyebrow at him but let it go, thankfully.

A goronku man he didn’t know brought him a plate of food. As he ate, everyone fell into a depressed silence.

“Well, we’re a happy lot,” he said. “Should I be the one to bring it up?”

“You mean,” said Enashoma, “the fact that we’re never going to get out of here?”

“We decided not to discuss it while you were recovering,” Zaiporo said.

“What have you been talking about then?” Turesobei asked. “I figured you would be talking about that all the time.”

“We haven’t really spent a lot of time together,” Enashoma said. “We eat together every day and that’s about it, except when we’re visiting you. You’re not the only one who needed rest. That’s most of what we’ve all done. Sleep, eat, try to recover. We’re all exhausted. We’ve been through a lot.”

“Even Motekeru is resting,” said Zaiporo. “Or meditating. Hibernating? I don’t know. He and the hounds have a room and they’re resting there away from everyone. He prefers that, but I think the hounds should roam around and enjoy themselves more.”

“I’ll get them out later.”

“Mostly we didn’t talk about escaping the Ancient Cold and Deep,” said Iniru, “because what hope do we have? And if you hadn’t recovered, we’d all be stuck for certain. So we waited.”

“You do have some idea about how we can get back, don’t you?” Enashoma asked.

He shook his head. “I’m … I’m really sorry. I’ve got nothing.”

“We’re trapped here permanently?” Enashoma asked with tears welling in her eyes. “It’s so cold and so … so far from home.”

“I thought you’d have some ideas at least,” Iniru said.

“The Winter Child was the only way I know of.”

“There has to be a way, though,” Zaiporo said.

“The Shogakami used this land as a prison,” Turesobei replied. “Which stinks for the people who live here, by the way. If there was a way to get out of here, the yomon would’ve used it.”

“Could it maybe be something you could do that the yomon couldn’t?” Zaiporo suggested. “Something wizardly?”

Turesobei shrugged. “There is a chance to find a way that we could take but the yomon couldn’t. Narbenu mentioned a place called the Forbidden Library. There might be knowledge there that I could use. But I wouldn’t get my hopes up since it’s forbidden and the goronku don’t know much about it. The odds seem poor at best.”

“We can’t give up hope,” Zaiporo said.

“I agree,” Turesobei replied. “But for now, we need rest. And we won’t be able to reach the Forbidden Library if we don’t learn how to survive in this environment first.”

“Turesobei! You’re up!” Kurine called out, having emerged from the door on the far side of the common area.

Iniru stood. “I’m taking a nap now.”

“I’ll join you,” Enashoma said. 

“I’m going to check on Motekeru and the hounds,” Zaiporo chimed in.

Chapter 17

While Turesobei’s companions escaped, Kurine wrapped him into a giant … bear … hug and lifted him. “You’re better!” she squealed. “At last!” 

She set him down. Her expression was radiant. He was so screwed. He squirmed free. 

“I still need a lot more rest.”

“But you’re up walking.”

“I am.”

“And we haven’t talked in ages.”

“I know, and we really need to.”

“About your birthday? Because I’ve made all the plans. I know it’s in three days …”

“It is.”

“But you’re going to need more rest before partying.”

“Definitely,” he replied. He took her hand and led her to sit down beside him. “But it’s not about my birthday, Kurine. It’s about us. You and me.”

Her lips puckered into a frown. “That sounds serious.”

“Well, it is. I just found out we’re … supposedly … engaged.”

“Not supposedly. We
are
engaged.”

“But I didn’t agree to it, Kurine.”

She pinched him on the cheek. “Oh yes you did, silly. You accepted my kiss.”

“But I didn’t know that’s what it meant.” He wanted to say he just did it to be nice, but he couldn’t bring himself to. “I kissed you because …”

“Because you like me. Obviously.”

“But that’s not what accepting a kiss means in my world.”

“I know.”

“You do?!”

She sighed. “I didn’t know you didn’t know then, but I do know now. The little demon told me. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you. I promise I didn’t know. I was so excited when you returned. You were a hero and I really like you. And it’s not like there are any decent men my age around here. I really didn’t think you’d accept, especially not so soon. I was being rash, but you
did
accept. You’re were as much into me as I was into you. It was one of the best days of my life.”

“It was?” Turesobei blurted out.

“My life’s not so exciting as yours. I make clothes. I do chores. I’ve only traveled more than a day away from the village once.” She stroked his cheek. “I didn’t know you had just lost your betrothed. I didn’t know everything you’d been through. You, poor, poor boy. If I’d known, I promise I would have waited before asking you.”

“Well, maybe since we had different ideas about what the kiss meant we can back up and —”

She recoiled as if he’d struck her. “You don’t want me?”

“No, no. It’s not that. It’s just …” What in Torment was he supposed to say? He didn’t want to marry her, no matter how pretty and perky she was? That he thought she would make a terrific friend? She wouldn’t want to hear that. As he hesitated tears welled up in her eyes. He had to give her some hope. “I want to get to know you. To get married … we’d need to spend time together first.”

“We have chemistry. That’s all you need.”

“It — It is?”

She cheered up. “Un-huh. We’re really going to get to know each other well once we’re married. And we’ll have the rest of our lives to grow close.”

“Don’t you think it’s best that we get to know each other before we decide to get married? What if after a few days together we don’t like each other?”

“I can’t imagine that. I know you’re attracted to me. I know you like me enough to marry me.”

“You do?” It was news to him. “How?”

“I just know. Just like I know you’ll get over your infatuation with the assassin girl.”

“You know about me and Iniru?”

“The little demon told me all about your history together.”

“Then you must know how much Iniru means to me.”

“It was a boyhood crush. You’ll outgrow it.”

“I risked my life, my sister, my clan … everything for Iniru.”

“For love. You risked everything for love. There’s a difference.”

“There is?” He shook his head. “Never mind. The point I’m trying to make is, if we’re to get married —”

“But Turesobei,” she said with frustration, “we
are
getting married.”

“I didn’t know what I was agreeing to.”

“To accept the kiss is to enter a sacred and binding contract. It is a promise between the two of us and the gods. You honor it or risk damnation and shame. Only death can break it.”

“Maybe we can appeal to … your clergy, the gods, the Council of Aikora … to make an exception since I’m a foreigner and didn’t know the ways of your people or what I was agreeing to.”

Kurine stared at him in silent horror then broke down sobbing. He put his arms around her and tried to hide her tears from the other goronku in the commons.

“Kurine, I’m not trying to … I really do like you but …”

“No, you don’t have to make up a lie. Just tell the truth. You don’t want me. I offered and now that you know what your acceptance means you’re backing out. Because you don’t want me. It’s okay. I’ll free you from your promise.”

“You will? But how? You just said we couldn’t break the agreement.”

“There’s a convent at a Crimson Sun enclave fifty leagues away. I can become a priestess. Devoting myself to the gods will spare me my shame. I’ll live out my years there. It won’t free you from your part of the promise … but that doesn’t matter to you. You can continue on with your … girlfriend and …” She threw her head into her hands and broke down completely.

A convent? He couldn’t do that to her. “Kurine, maybe …” He was so completely screwed. “Maybe we could get married.”

She looked up at him, her eyes red. “You’re just saying that because I’m upset.”

“Honestly, I think you’re beautiful. And you’re lively and smart and … a challenge.” He thought of Awasa and Iniru. “I like challenges … apparently. That’s a lot to work with.”

“You need more?” she sobbed.

“I need to know you first. I mean, I hated Iniru for weeks when I met her.”

“You did?”

“Oh yeah. She got on my nerves.”

“I bet she still does.”

“Well … yeah,” he said, then adding quickly, “but in a good way.”

“You will marry me after we get to know one another … or you’ll decide you don’t like me, so I’ll go to the convent and …”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Then why should we wait? There are no other options.”

“Two reasons,” he replied, thinking quickly. “First, I might not still be here. If I find a way to return to my world, I might as well be dead as far as it would concern you. Then you’d be free to choose another.”

“I … I guess so.” She wiped away her tears. “Does that mean you’ve figured out a way back?”

“Not hardly, but I’m not giving up hope. The other reason is that in my world, in my culture, it is wrong to marry before the age of eighteen. I’m too young. But two years, that’s plenty of time for us to get to know one another and a lot could happen in two years. This is a dangerous world and I’m going to be searching for a way back. And if there is one, I’m going to take it. I must wait to marry or I will dishonor my ancestors and the traditions of my people.”

It was ironic that he fell upon this excuse. He spent so much of his time angry at the way his society treated him like he was a child, despite all the responsibilities they heaped on him, despite all the sacrifices he’d made and the dangers he’d faced.  

“But if you stay here,” she said, “you will be one of us. Then you should follow our customs.”

“Despite what I grew up with?”

Kurine furrowed her brow. “How about a compromise between our two cultures? If you stay here and become one of us, you will marry me on your seventeenth birthday.”

One year. A lot could happen in a year. He could die of cold exposure, be slain by a reitsu, return home, become the Storm Dragon, actually fall in love with Kurine. The chance of him living a year seemed slim.

“Okay,” he answered in defeat. “It’s a deal. One year.” 

It was not going to be fun explaining this to Iniru. Even if … an incredibly large if … Iniru understood his reasoning, she wasn’t going to accept it. Would she break up with him? Were they something that could be broken up? Why did girls complicate his life? Were prophecies and dragons and enemy clans and ancient demonic enemies not enough?

Smiling again now, she kissed him. “You won’t regret it. And once you get to know me, you’ll fall in love with me. You won’t be able to wait until you’re seventeen.”