Page 17 of Ghosts and Ginger Tea

My thoughts swarmed ‌with ideas, but I hesitated to tell Keanu any of this. My acquaintance with him was limited, and though he treated me like a princess, smiled at me, and had already given affectionate names to me, I wasn’t a fool.

If I broke his curse, was he really committed to staying married to me? Why would he, when, as Alohi stated, there were throngs of women vying for his attention? And surely he would want to marry someone much more striking than me, as well as a woman of noble birth.

Feigning a smile, I said, “I’m not sure, husband. I’ll have to think about it.”

His jaw clenched a little, and I wondered if he detected my lie, but I took another sip and looked away, knowing that if I kept eye contact, he would know. I was a terrible liar.

“Very well. You are brighter than any woman I’ve met, so I’m sure you’ll crack the riddle in no time.” Why was he so confident about that? And what an inflated compliment! Was he really trying to woo me with flattery?

I’m not that shallow. He put his empty teacup on the tray, waited for me to place my empty teacup down, then took it to the table.

“We must rest,” he said as he pulled the covers off the bed. The bed was so soft and luxurious, something I was not used to. “Tomorrow my cousin, Malakai, will give you a tour of the palace and the gardens. Then he’ll escort you to Wahiawa.”

“Where will you be?” I asked.

“Attending to politics, preparing my men for battle–”

“Battle?”

Keanu cast an impatient look my way. “All of this is a discussion for another night. You must rest.”

“Why Malakai?”

“Because I trust him like a brother. We grew up together, climbing coconut trees and swimming to the distant islands together.”

It was strange to imagine an even younger Keanu, casting the realization that he had an existence before meeting me. A life, a childhood, and a past behind him too.

“What’s at Wahiawa?” I asked, tiredness weighing on my eyes. I’d never heard of the place.

“A ball. All the chiefs from the island accepted the invitation, and it’s most important we go to this one. He moved to my side of the bed and pulled the covers back.

“I’ll tell you more tomorrow night.”

My fatigue wore on me like a storm cloud pressing low on the horizon and, for once, I was grateful he didn’t overwhelm me with everything tonight.

I pulled the covers up to my chin, my head still in a daze over the reality of this situation.

I’m married. I have twenty-three days left to figure out this riddle and break the curse, or I’m dead…

An owl hooted, and I sat up to see the little brown bird on the windowsill above the study. “Is that thing following us?” I asked.

“It’s my pueo,” Keanu said and went to the window to stroke its feathers. “His name is Malu. My parents gave him to me as a gift before they passed away.”

“Malu…” My words grew slurred. “That means peace.”

“Ae.” Keanu’s eyes shone as he looked at me from across the room. “My parents wished for me to have peace when they died.”

“Why?”

“That is a story for another day.” He opened the glass door to the balcony, and the owl flew out. I wasn’t even sure how the owl got inside.

“Rest, bride of mine,” Keanu said as he slumped onto the bed next to me. He didn’t bother to get into the covers, but he propped up on his elbow to tuck a piece of hair away from my face.

I looked at him, curious and still not trusting his kindness. In the dim light, his eyes seemed almost… sad. But why?

“Good night,” I whispered, and turned to my side so my back faced him.

“Good night, haven of my shore,” he replied, then blew out the light, leaving us in darkness. Within minutes, his steady breaths joined the symphony of the breeze wafting through the room. I did my best to stay awake, but my eyelids grew heavier with each passing minute. Though I had my doubts about Keanu and especially whether I was safe around him, tiredness took over.