Coal: A Novel

Chapter 7a

Coal looked from Elizabeth to Mireya. “Is that true,” he asked.

“She had a hard time sleeping last night, so Chalcedony and I had a sleeping potion made her for. Of course, it didn’t work.  It just made her sick.”

This time it was Mireya who pulled on his arm. “Will you take her for me?”

“But . . .”Coal stuttered, trying to think of a polite way to say no.

“Please.  I need a break, just for a few hours.”

“Sure. I'll take her for a little while.”

“Thank you. Thank you.”Mireya turned away, leaving wet footprints in her wake.

Elizabeth stuck her tongue out towards Mireya and blew. Mireya returned the loud gesture before she continued out of sight.

“What did you do to her?”Coal asked.

“Nothing. She's just a mean, mean lady.”Elizabeth frowned.

“Do you know when Chaley's coming back?” Coal asked.  Maybe he could get rid of her sooner than later.

“No.”Elizabeth pouted. “All she's been doing is working and everyone else here is soooo mean to me. I don't have any friends and I want to go home.”

He remembered how some of the staff treated him when he'd arrived and he instantly understood the child’s grief. “Fine. Come with me. I'll bring you back to Chaley later.”

He was beginning to wish he'd gone directly to the barracks. If Mireya couldn't control Elizabeth, how was he supposed to?

Coal walked her out of Legacy through the back entrance. It was late morning and recruits barely older than him were performing drills. They appeared nervous and excited as Avonnah, Chalcedony's other shadow, screamed orders at them.

The smell of sweat and exhilaration was strong as Coal and Elizabeth walked past the new recruits and towards a group of wrestling fey.

“Why are those ladies fighting?”Elizabeth gripped his hand. He had to concentrate to not step on her.

“They're practicing to become better soldiers,”Coal replied absently. He'd spotted Djamel in the cheering crowd surrounding the wrestlers.

“Hey, Djamel,”Coal shouted a few feet from the crowd. The shadow frowned, obviously not wanting to leave the fight. Once he saw Coal with his sword, his sour expression disappeared, and he tore himself away from the rowdy crowd. 

“I've been getting my ass kicked without my lady by my side. The replacement you gave me is crap,”Djamel said as he approached and took his sword.

“If the replacement was too good you wouldn’t want your original back.”

Djamel shrugged and turned his attention to Elizabeth. “Hello, Elizabeth.”The shadow bent to one knee. “You look very elegant when you are not crying. But I can understand all of the fuss. The tiara looks good on you.”

Elizabeth blushed and touched her tiara, never moving away from Coal's leg.

“Your charms are wasted on children, you know?”Coal said.

“Yes, but it never hurts to practice.”Djamel winked at Elizabeth and stood. “I heard you are going to apprentice full time with the half-breed.”

“Yes.”He was painfully used to Djamel and most of the soldiers calling the sword master a half-breed. However, they never called him that to his face.