Read Online Ghost Aria by Jonathan Moeller - Free Book Online

Ghost Aria (World of the Ghosts short story)

    The men and women of the Grand Imperial Opera called her Marina, but that was not her real name.
    Caina Amalas was sixteen years old, and she worked as a maid for Theodosia, the leading lady of the Grand Imperial Opera. She assisted Theodosia with her makeup and costumes and errands, and helped the other maids and footmen wait on the nobles and wealthy merchants who attended the performances. 
    But she was no more a maid than her name was Marina. 
    Five years ago her mother had murdered her father, and the Ghosts, the spies of the Emperor of Nighmar, had taken her in. They had trained her in stealth, in disguise, in fighting with knives and with her bare hands. The nobles and the merchants paid no attention to servants, which made it so easy for Caina to listen to their secrets as she poured their wine and brought them food. 
    And then she reported their secrets to Theodosia, who was the Ghost circlemaster of the Imperial capital.
    Like Caina, she was more than she appeared. 
    At the moment, chaos reigned in the cavernous workshop below the Grand Imperial Opera’s main stage. Carpenters and painters swarmed over the massive wooden sets, double-checking the pulleys that would raise the scenery to the stage. The chorus singers waited by the sets, the women dressed as wood nymphs, the men wearing costumes approximating antique Nighmarian armor. Tonight’s opera told the story of an ancient Emperor’s romance with the daughter of a barbarian king, a romance that brought the barbarian tribe into the Empire as the Emperor’s loyal subjects.
    Or so the story went. Caina suspected the actual history was rather bloodier. 
    “Marina!” Theodosia’s rich voice rang out like a thunderclap. “Marina, I need you at once!” 
    Caina sighed. Theodosia put up the front of a temperamental, demanding opera singer to deflect suspicion, since no one would believe that a selfish opera singer possessed high rank in the Emperor’s Ghosts. Theodosia was actually one of the more level-headed people Caina knew.
    “Marina!” 
    Nevertheless, she was very good at putting up that front.
    Caina hurried into Theodosia’s room. A huge mirror covered one wall, overlooking a table laden with hundreds of vials and bottles of cosmetics and stands holding a dozen different wigs. Theodosia herself perched on a stool before the mirror, wearing the fur clothing and bronze armor of a barbarian princess. She was in her forties with long blond hair, slightly plump but tall enough to carry the weight. 
    “Marina!” said Theodosia, tugging at her cloak. “This is deer fur! A barbarian princess would not attire herself in deerskin! I demand wolf fur!”
    “Mistress,” said Caina, “I spoke with Lucinda, and she says we only have deer fur.”
    “Rubbish!” said Theodosia. “Speak with her at once, or I shall not grace the stage this evening!” She lowered her voice, and leaned closer to Caina. “Have you seen who is in the audience?”
    “Lady Audea is there,” said Caina. “No sign of Lord Haeron or any of his allies.”
    “None of his friends among the merchant collegia?” murmured Theodosia, adjusting her hair. “Damn this wig.”
    “No,” said Caina. “Just Master Gallus Tomerius, demanding that the Seneschal fire his daughter. Again.” 
    “Oh, for the gods’ sake,” said Theodosia. She opened her eyes wide, blinked several times, turned her head from one side to another. “She’s been married to Tollard for a year, and she’s going to pop that baby out any day. In fact, if I don’t force the Seneschal to make her take a few days off, she’ll have that baby on the floor of the costume room.”
    “I hope not,” said Caina.
    “Of course not,” said Theodosia. “You’d have to clean up the mess.” 
    Caina shrugged. “It’s just blood.”
    She had seen blood before. More than she cared to remember.
    Theodosia raised an eyebrow. “My dear, you have more ice in your