The Black Shard (15 page)

Then, as the pieces lay on the floor; they began to turn dark, even black before Ugan's very eyes. He had no idea why they did so, but not wanting to take any chances that the change in color might be a curse of some sort, he put gloves on, swept them all up, and took them far, far away, to the ends of the Nilzort Sea, east of Bernovem, and disposed of them there in the cold waters. Well ... actually, I should say, he disposed of all of them, except for one shard that he saved."

"How big was the shard that he saved?" Werrien asked.

"About two to three inches in diameter," King Warren said.

With a serious expression on his face, Werrien looked at Kristina, wondering what she was thinking.

"After the curse was lifted off Bernovem—thanks to you," King Warren said, smiling at Kristina, "Ugan gave the suitcase containing the Black Shard to me. I put it behind the cabinet in the upper meeting room, figuring that one day, when I had some spare time, I would study the shard, and then decide what to do with it."

"When do you ever have any spare time?" Werrien said, his eyes staring vacantly at the table.

"You're right, son. I haven't had any spare time—ruling two lands seems to consume almost every minute of it. Anyhow, I realize now that I should have hidden the suitcase better." King Warren sighed discontentedly again. "I know that this is a long shot, but do you have any idea who may have taken the Black Shard?"

Werrien thought for a moment. "No," he said. "I don't." He shot Kristina a fleeting glance, wondering if she was going to tell the king that he had shown her what he now knew to be the Black Shard, without his father's consent.

Avoiding eye contact with the king, Kristina looked toward the table, vividly remembering Werrien's words in the dark, upper room of the palace the night before. "This is
our
secret," he had said, and though she would have loved to help the king, there was no way that she was going to give away the one and only thing that was exclusively theirs alone—even if it was only a secret.

B
ack on the main deck, the rain had tapered off, and the wind had turned back into a light, warm breeze again. Werrien didn't speak—his mood was serious as he walked briskly with Kristina at his side, walking her fasted to keep up with him. He took her back to the opening in the deck that led to her cabin. As they descended the ladder, they caught sight of Davina standing at the next lower deck, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and a very disgruntled look on her face.

"Hester is on the main deck looking for you," Werrien said to her.

That's funny! How come I didn't see Hester?
Kristina instantly thought.

"It's about time she came looking for me. All that girl wants to do is spend time with that weird Heerzek character," Davina said haughtily. Then on her way to the ladder, she purposely bumped into Kristina as she passed by her.

Werrien sighed. "It's getting late, and I'm quite tired, so if you don't mind, I'd like to turn in early tonight," he said to Kristina.

Kristina had so many questions to ask Werrien about the Black Shard, but she sensed he wasn't up for it. "I guess that I could use a good night sleep as well," she said.

Werrien smiled warmly at her. "I'll see you in the morning then. Sleep well," he said, giving her a gentle pat on her shoulder. Then he turned and began to leave.

As he was climbing back up the ladder, Kristina asked, "Did you really see Hester on the main deck?"

"Yes, just before we collided with Heerzek, I saw her entering the galley."

After Werrien was gone, Kristina entered her cabin and sighed heavily. Even though it was a place where she would usually love to spend hours, perhaps reading a good book, or drawing, or even just daydreaming, she would have traded it in an instant to spend more time with Werrien.

She shut the door and leaned her back against it, trying to soak in all her newfound feelings.
I'm fifteen—definitely old enough to be feeling this way, even if my parents, especially my dad, wouldn't think so. He's so overly protective of me.

She went to the bed and threw herself face-down on it and dug her face into her silk pillow. Her feelings for Werrien were starting to consume her mind.
I must think of other things as well.
She turned over onto her back to stare up at the ceiling. Then she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.
I wonder who it was that took the Black Shard. Maybe it was Queen Lafinia,
she thought.
She could have taken it when she took the golden goblet, or, now that I come to think of it, it could have been Elzwur. He could have been the one that opened the door when we were in the meeting room last night. Then after he took me to my sleeping quarters, he may have gone back to the room and taken it.

A knock came at her door. Kristina quickly sat up. "Who is it?" she called out.

"Just open the darn door, would ya?" an annoyed voice hollered.

Kristina was all too familiar with the voice. She got out of bed and went to the door and just as she cracked it open, a horrible smell, like the inside of a fish-processing plant, came at full force toward her nostrils.What she saw next reminded her of a scary scene straight out of a horror movie. Standing in the hall, sopping wet, her long, black hair hanging down like a spaghetti mop in front of her glasses, was Davina.

"What happened to you?" Kristina asked.

"If you'd be so kind as to let me in, I could explain," Davina said in a calm yet ill-tempered manner.

Kristina stepped aside and Davina tromped into her cabin and plopped her wet bottom down on the bed. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and then threw her wet back down on to the bedspread.

Wow Davina! Really?
Kristina thought.

"So what's going on?" Kristina asked. "Why are you so upset and
wet?"

"Well, I finally found Hester," Davina said, making an effort to stay calm.

"That's good—I'm glad Werrien was able to help you out with that."

Davina flung herself back up. "It was no help from him!" she said bitterly. "After searching the main deck in the rain, then slipping and falling
and
scraping my knee ..." she rubbed her sore knee, "I just happened to walk by a certain door out on the main deck, and from the other side of it, I heard Hester's obnoxious giggle. I reached for the latch to open the door, but someone on the inside beat me to it. They opened the door and threw a bucket of fishy-smelling water in my face."

Kristina's eyes grew wide. It was hard for her not to burst out laughing, but she somehow managed to contain herself by clearing her throat instead. "Who did it?" she asked calmly.

"Heerzek!" Davina snapped, her bottom lip quivering as she tried not to cry.

"You don't think he did it deliberately, do you?"

Davina's eyes turned into slits. "Oh, I wouldn't put it past him, or I should say
them.
The brat, Hester, was standing right beside him when he did it."

Kristina took a tissue off the vanity and handed it to Davina. Davina honked her stuffed-up nose loudly. The wetness from her clothes was penetrating into the silk bedspread about three inches around her bottom.

"Weren't you all going to play cards?" Kristina asked.

"That's what I thought, but when Heerzek came to get Hester and me from the kitchen, the crabby, old woman had me take some garbage out the back door. When I returned, Heerzek and Hester were gone. I searched for them on the deck, but they were nowhere to be found. Then I went to see if Hester might be in our cabin, but she wasn't, and that's when I met up with you guys at the bottom of the ladder near our cabins. Then when Werrien said that he saw Hester looking for me on the main deck, I went searching for her again, and that's when I heard her giggle behind the door, and right after, I got the bucket of water hurled in my face!"

"What did Heerzek say to you after he did it?"

"He apologized up and down and insisted that he was just in the process of removing the excess water from the bilge."

"That does sound like a logical explanation. I have seen seawater spray up onto the deck."

Davina wrinkled her nose, and she half smirked. "I already figured you'd stick up for them." She crossed her arms defensively. "Well, I'll have you know that I totally disagree. I guess it's too much for me to expect you to remember that I just told you that I heard Hester giggling."

Kristina drew in a tense breath, trying her hardest to be patient with Davina. "Yes, but I also remember that you told me that you heard her giggle before the door opened. If that was the case, how was Hester to know that you would be on the other side? Think about it, Davina—she could have been giggling at something entirely different."

Davina couldn't stand the fact that Kristina would analyze things more closely than she would. She really wanted to continue arguing, but she had to admit that Kristina was right. With her damp arms still tightly crossed, and her lips pursed, Davina stared at the wall ahead of her, soaking in what Kristina had just said. Soon after, her eyes, shielded behind her Coke-bottle glasses, shifted to meet Kristina's, and then, like a balloon that had been punctured, she sighed heavily, letting out her angry tension. "Okay, I see your point," she said, uncrossing her arms and throwing her wet body back down on the bed. "But there's something else that's ..." She didn't finish her sentence; instead, she slammed her fists down at her sides. "Oh, never mind—you wouldn't understand."

Kristina rolled her eyes. "Why don't you try me?"

Davina sat up again. "Okay—I suppose you are my only resort."

"I'm all ears," Kristina said flatly.

"It's about Sepel," Davina muttered, not loud enough for Kristina to hear.

"What?" Kristina said. Davina was really starting to get under her skin, and Kristina really wanted her to get off her bed.

"I said—it's about
SEPEL!"
Davina yelled.

"WHAT ABOUT HIM?" Kristina yelled back.

Davina glared at Kristina, thinking she was a complete idiot. "See? This is a prime example of how clueless you are," she said, rolling her eyes. "Don't tell me that you haven't noticed how crazy about me he is?"

CRAZY? Yes, he must be, for liking you,
Kristina thought. Even though it was hard to admit, she had noticed that Sepel seemed to like Davina. "I have noticed that he's been nice to you."

"Yeah, well I think that I might like him as well," Davina said defensively.

"Okay ..." Kristina looked oddly at Davina. "I hope you don't think I have a problem with that."

Davina stood up quickly and went to the porthole to stare out at the sea. "I don't know what to do," she said in a desperate tone.

Now that Davina was off the bed, Kristina brought the vanity chair close to the bed in case Davina wanted to sit down again.

"Why do you have to do anything?" Kristina said. "Just be yourself—that's what he already seems to like about you."

Davina turned around. "You really think he likes me just as I am?" she said, her face beaming.

I had a feeling it would come to this, me having to butter up Davina so she'll feel good about herself.
"That's what I'm assuming," Kristina answered.

Davina went to sit back down on the bed, but Kristina promptly offered her the chair. Davina plopped down on it, stared at Kristina intently, and then went on, "This is going to probably shock you. Are you ready for what I'm about to tell you?"

"Probably as ready as I'll ever be," Kristina said, hardly enthralled.

"I've never had a boy like me before, at least not to my knowledge," Davina said, looking very serious.

Truly a big shocker,
Kristina thought. "Well, there's a first for everything," she said.

Davina became giddy, and she reached out and punched Kristina in her arm. "Isn't it great?" she said.

"What?" Kristina asked, rubbing her arm, which now felt like a bee had stung it.

"All three of us have guys who like us!" Davina said excitedly.

Wow! Davina thinks that Werrien likes me—she'd have been the last person I would have suspected to assume that. I guess I'll take that as a compliment,
Kristina thought. "Yeah—it's okay," she said.

Davina went on and on, telling Kristina all the things she adored about Sepel, from his pointy ears (which she originally said she couldn't stand) to the way he said her name (which she swore he pronounced in a French accent—whatever that would sound like). Kristina became so tired of listening that she just kept agreeing with Davina, hoping to fast-forward their conversation. Then finally, after what seemed to be an hour—or even longer—of spilling her feelings about Sepel, Davina showed signs of slowing down. She yawned heavily, then stood up and stretched her arms in the air. Kristina did the same.

"I'm so glad we could share our feelings with each other," Davina said.

Actually, I haven't shared anything with you.
"Well, it is getting late, and I am quite tired," Kristina said, as she went to look out the porthole. It was very dark out, and the sea was placid, allowing
THE KRISTINA
to sail smoothly over it. Hoping to get a decent sleep so she would feel well enough to spend time with Werrien the next day, Kristina had to think of a way to get Davina out of her cabin. She remembered the card game and turned to face Davina. "Hey, I bet they're still playing cards," she said enthusiastically.