The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume III: Volume III

Vareena said, staring at the slanted writing desk, tall stool, stone visitor’s bench, and rank of empty bookshelves along one wall. The desktop and the shelves held only dust.
    They explored a bed niche behind a half-wall at the back of the room. In the corner, steps spiraled up into the tower. Indentations in the shallow risers showed the wear of many feet climbing those stairs over the course of centuries of use.
    Robb stared at the stairs without mounting them. “Maybe the bathing chamber is up there. Haven’t seen any signs of a bath. How did they keep clean?” he muttered.
    “At least they have convenient privies in every corner and every level. They’re dry. No one has used them for centuries. Maybe we can crawl down one and out of the monastery.” Marcus began looking for the private closet that should be behind the stairs.
    “What if they drain directly into the river, or into a pit beneath the ground with no exit? Besides the holes are too small for either of us to squeeze through,” Robb reminded him.
    “We’ve found nothing. Nothing at all in this place.” Marcus slammed one fist into the other. He’d learned not to try putting it through the wall. He had several bruises and raw knuckles to remind him.
    “I have a vague recollection of Mam saying that when the numbers of priests and monks declined to only three men, they packed up everything, including the temple stones, and moved elsewhere,” Vareena continued. “But that was long, long ago. Before the first ghost came three hundred years ago.”
    “We need information,” Marcus interjected. He wanted to slam his fist into something in his frustration, again. Fear replaced his certainty that all would come out right.
    And he could not touch Vareena, the one person he longed to take comfort from.
    “Can you bring your mother here for us to talk to?” Robb looked up, hope shining in his eyes rather than his usual pessimism. “Always best to get information as close to the source as possible.”
    “No.” She stared off into the distance, refusing to look at them, all her friendliness and helpfulness faded.
    For once, Robb respected her silence and did not press her to comply with his request. Instead, he reached out one of his hands as if to caress her hair in comfort. But he dropped it before he even came close.
    Marcus let out a long, uneasy breath. Unwanted jealousy flared hot. He and Robb had never competed for a woman before—they’d both had a number of liaisons—but always with the other’s blessing. They took care to seek out women who did not interest the other. But where Marcus fell in and out of love quite easily, Robb had always kept his heart slightly aloof.
    For the past two years Marcus had loved Margit, Jaylor’s spy in Palace Reveta Tristile. He thought perhaps this attachment would last forever since it had lasted so long.
    Then they’d come here.
    He should remain faithful to Margit’s memory. He shouldn’t begrudge Robb’s attraction to Vareena.
    But Vareena was so very beautiful, resilient, wise, and mature. And their only hope.
    Marcus’ heart twisted in silent agony.
    “Guess it’s natural we’d both want the only woman who can see either of us,” he muttered under his breath. He tried to reassert his natural good humor, without much luck.
    The endless empty rooms of the monastery depressed him. He and Robb had searched the place, of course, looking for another exit. But he’d hoped Vareena could show them something they’d overlooked. She seemed more ignorant of the layout than they.
    “My mam died twenty years ago. She tried to come up here to sit with her last ghost during a wild thunderstorm. Like the one that brought you here. Lightning hit a tree as she was making her way here. It fell on top of her and killed her. I inherited the duty to tend the ghosts that night.”
    “How old were you, Vareena?” Marcus asked gently.
    She held up her hand displaying all five fingers plus two from the other hand while she swallowed repeatedly, working to avoid the strong emotions that gripped her.
    “Stargods!” He slammed his right fist into his left palm. Unsatisfied with the explosive gesture, he looked for something else to hit. Robb would do. He caught his breath and closed his eyes in shock. “This place is truly cursed. And all three of us along with it. We’ve got to get out of here!”
    “That is what I have been trying to tell you for two days, Marcus,” Robb said quietly. Too quietly.