Page 49 of Ghosts and Ginger Tea

While her words warmed me, they also concerned me.

“I’m glad we could all be here too,” I said, then gave her another kiss. Before I left, I looked back at her. Her pale face and frail body.

“Come on,” Kiki said, and led me out.

My time is running out, I thought. If I wanted to live and help care for mother, I needed to solve the riddle. No matter what it took.

But Alohi, and all the other guards and counselors, wouldn’t allow me to leave the palace. It was the “king’s orders.” So I concluded that I would not be a prisoner here, and I would see my husband on my own terms. If he was the one confining me to this place, I would have a talk with him myself.

The moon sparkled on the ocean, and my hair stood on end. I probably shouldn’t have chosen the night of a full moon to go out, but… I would go crazy if I had to sit in the bedroom for one more night, sipping ginger tea all by myself.

I opened my door a crack, but Alohi’s back blocked the view. He stood guard, loyally, and I appreciated him.

But I have to get out.

I went to the balcony, knowing it was risky to attempt the climb down, but I had no other choice. Malu hooted, and I gave him a look.

“You’re not stopping me,” I said. He tipped his head to one side and flapped his wings, hooting again, as if he were cheering me on. I rather liked the owl.

“Thanks Malu.” I petted his head then got to work. I tied a bunch of bed sheets together and then tied one end to the marble railing.

Don’t look down. I had jumped and climbed great heights to get into the ocean and spearfish, but that was comforting because I knew I’d hit the water below. If I fell here, I’d fall into the forest below. I gulped and ignored the fear gnawing at my stomach.

I have to see Keanu. How many days did I have left? Were they days now? Or did I still have a few weeks? That made my stomach even more sick to think about.

I tested the strength of my knots, then braced myself as I inched down the makeshift rope. Piercing pain shot through my shoulder like lightning, a reminder of the wound I received when I saved Keanu from the murderer.

I gritted my teeth together to keep from wincing. I could endure this pain. Besides, the wound had been healing nicely, thanks to Keanu gently bandaging it. I pushed myself to keep going despite the pain.

By the time I reached the bottom, I was sweating profusely. My knees were shaking, and my arms felt like jelly. I was just grateful I still had upper body strength from all my days at sea. I turned towards the horizon, where the red strip continued to light up the night sky. The last I heard, Kalani kept sweeping in by surprise and setting fire to whatever fields he could find.

I shuddered, thinking that I had once danced with the man.

And he offered me to join his side… I shook my head, knowing I didn’t have much time to get to Keanu and the war camp before Alohi or someone discovered I was missing. I clutched the bag hanging from my side and marched forward.

Be careful Oli, I could hear my sister’s voice in my head, as if it was the night I first encountered the night marchers. I laughed to myself to dispel the nerves.

If I knew any better, I’m a night marcher myself tonight.

I don’t know how long I walked, but my feet ached and mud covered my boots and skirts, slowing down my travel. Malu had hovered above me for a while, but then he disappeared.

The red light was getting brighter and growing closer.

And so is the noise. At first I hadn’t heard anything, but then it sounded as if men were shouting.

And then there was the drumbeat. It sounded so much like the night marchers, I feared I might actually encounter them again if I wasn’t careful.

But then the night grew silent, followed only by steady moans. What had happened? Who was moaning?

And why am I following that noise? I was probably walking to my own death. But something kept pulling me in the direction, and I had a feeling Keanu and I would reunite soon.

I broke into a clearing and ducked, noticing the way that my boots sunk into a foot of water. My skirts were immediately soaked and dragging behind me as I walked.

The taro field. Large heart-shaped leaves rustled in the chilly night breeze, and the water that the taro sat in glistened in the moonlight. I had finally reached the place where the moaning came from.

I gasped to myself.

There were about twenty men scattered throughout the field, many of them hunched over. They were either holding wounds or, possibly, dead. I recognized the black coat that they wore, meaning they belonged to Keanu’s army.