The king stiffened, and I realized with surprise I had hit a nerve. “Who needs a silly queen’s love when you can have a whole kingdom?”
He came nearer. Taryn shrank behind me. I wanted to back away, too, but didn’t want to show any fear.
Hendon stopped just in front of me. He was so close I could have spit in his face. Or wrapped my slim hands around his neck. I subtly shifted, readying myself to take action.
“Don’t even think about it.” Hendon toyed with the dark red jewel at his throat. It glowed unnaturally, too bright for the small amount of light in our cell. Its crimson beam fell across Taryn’s eyes.
Suddenly, her fearful fingers on my arm changed to a heavy clamp, effectively holding me in place. Surprised, I tried to pull free, which only made her hold me harder. “Taryn? What are you doing?”
She didn’t answer me.
“Taryn? Taryn!”
But her eyes had the same blank expression as the guard who was blocking the open door.
I eyed Hendon’s ruby pendant. A soulstone. He caught my glance and, with a smug smile, displayed it proudly. “You know what this is, then? Such a handy thing. I don’t know how I ever ruled this cursed kingdom without it.”
“Where did you get that?” I gasped.
“I made it, of course. Using my original soulstone, a lovely little piece of moonstone, to provide the magic to infuse in this one. I had nearly finished transferring all of its dragon magic into my beautiful ruby charm when it was unfortunately stolen from me.”
“Your soulstone? The one you stole from the dragon, you mean.”
He waved his hand, brushing away my accusation. “Mere semantics. The dumb beast didn’t deserve to have power like this at his fingertips.”
Seeing Hendon with a soulstone of his own made me sick. And curious. “So you were able to create one. But why? I thought you hated magic. And you’re not a shapeshifter. Are you?”
“Alas, no, I am not,” Hendon said. “If I was, it might have made things much easier. And magic is abhorrent... too many people have it, but refuse to actually use it to its fullest potential. There are so many things you could do if you had all that knowledge and power. But instead, we teach our children about magic and then place restrictions on its use. Better for them not to have it all.”
“So what do you propose?” I asked somewhat sarcastically. “That no one has any magic at all?”
“I doubt it will even be missed.”
“Magical ability is innate. You can’t just strip people of their inborn abilities. They’ll lose their minds — at best. If you don’t outright kill them.”
“I’ll admit that my first experiments had... less than favorable results. But I was able to get what I needed out of it.” He stroked his ruby soulstone possessively. “From there, I was able to find more, ah, volunteers to help me. Some unfortunately didn’t make it out of the tests with their wits intact. If they made it out at all.”
With a gasp, I realized what he meant by experiments. “The people that kept turning up in the town alley... Sava and her brother.”
“The magic of twins.” Hendon licked his lips as if he was tasting an especially delectable dessert. “Especially potent.”
“All these other people in the cells...?” My vision swam as I turned away, trying not to be sick.
King Hendon shrugged, unconcerned. “The pursuit of knowledge is rarely easy or neat. But failure is an unfortunate necessity.”
“Experimenting with people’s lives is not a necessity.”
“Don’t worry, Princess.” My honorific sounded like a curse word coming from his mouth. “I’ve had plenty of time to perfect the process.” Hendon’s manic smile was chilling to behold. “Would you like to see?”
“Not really, no.” I tried for defiant, but the nervous crack in my voice gave me away.
“You don’t really have a choice, my dear.”
Hendon reached out and tipped my chin toward him so I was forced to meet his gaze. I struggled against Taryn’s hold. Hendon waved in her direction, and her grip grew even tighter around my arms.
“Just think, tomorrow is your wedding day. Aren’t you excited? I understand every young woman dreams of what her wedding day will be like.”
“I doubt Prince Anders wants to get married inside a jail cell,” I said.
“Of course you won’t get married in here.” Hendon absentmindedly palmed his necklace with his free hand. “I’ll release you, just in time for your wedding, if you promise to be on your best behavior. And I’ll make sure you keep your promise.”
The red jewel at his throat pulsed and gleamed; the unnatural light was reflected in his eyes, tinging his eyes crimson. Mesmerized, I couldn’t look away from the light, although every part of my being was screaming that I should.
Hendon murmured a spell under his breath. I could feel the magic forming around me, heavy and expectant. I didn’t know a counterspell, but I knew with all my being I did not want Hendon’s spell to reach me.
At my throat, safely hidden under the bodice of my dress, my amber soulstone started to warm.
Hendon finished his spell. Whatever the spell was, its tendrils were trying to sink into my mind and body, but finding no purchase.
I didn’t know what to do. Should I pretend his spell worked? But without knowing what he was trying to do, I didn’t think I would be very convincing.
I hesitated too long. And, unfortunately, Hendon was smarter than that. He could tell immediately that, whatever his spell was supposed to accomplish, it hadn’t worked.
He snarled at me. “How are you resisting? This spell has never failed.”
His ruby grew brighter, looking like a bright stain of blood at the king’s throat. It pulsed faster, as if in response to his anger. He gripped the necklace so hard his knuckles turned white.
My amber pendant grew hot, as if in response to Hendon’s soulstone. Surprisingly, the heat from my necklace didn’t burn me. I was afraid its reaction might cause Hendon to notice it despite its concealment, but he was concentrating too hard on his spell for anything else to catch his attention.
He repeated his spell over and over. His voice, already loud, continued to rise in volume. But still his spell didn’t affect me.
The more Hendon chanted, the hotter my necklace burned. Somehow, it was protecting me from Hendon’s magic.
Hendon broke off mid-incantation, his hand jerking away from my face so fast I involuntary flinched, afraid he’d strike me. But he didn’t. Instead, he studied me with those calculating eyes. His face was mottled and he was practically panting, like he’d just been running or fighting.
“No matter,” he said. “There’s always an alternate path to achieving one’s goals. I will get what I want, in the end. This is just a little detour.”
He snapped his fingers, and Taryn released me and walked out the door, still in her spell trance. I started after her, but the guard blocked me.
Hendon left the cell. The guard followed, pulling the door shut with a decisive thud. I ran to the door and peered out through the bars, watching helplessly as the king placed a possessive hand on Taryn’s unresisting arm.
The king turned to me. “I don’t know how you resisted me, but don’t think it will last for long, Princess. It will be quite a pleasure to figure out how you did it, and dismantle your defenses. I do so enjoy learning new things.” He patted Taryn’s arm and gestured down the hallway. “After you, my dear.”
They walked away from my cell and out of my line of sight. Hendon’s sickly sweet laughter echoed down the hallway, taunting me as it faded away.
Chapter Forty
MORE TIME PASSED IN an excruciatingly slow daze. Boredom and anxiety warred for supremacy in my mind. Eventually I dozed, exhaustion setting in after the adrenaline had worn off. When I woke up, the light from above had seeped away. The only illumination in my cell came from the flickering torches in the hallway.
Thanks to my afternoon nap, I was now wide awake during a
time when most of the palace had gone to sleep. The torchlight didn’t penetrate very far into my cell, and I jumped at every little shadow. Was that a rat? I gathered my skirts around me and pulled my legs tight to my chest, trying to take up as little space as possible.
I heard more soft skittering, but it seemed to be coming from outside my cell rather than from inside. I shrank down even further. Was Hendon coming back?
In the hallway, I heard a soft, low voice. “Princess Jennica?”
“Beyan!” I flew to the door, sticking my hand out the bars into the hallway. I waved my hand around, hoping it would catch his attention. “In here!”
Beyan’s face appeared on the other side of the grille. “Jennica! Are you unharmed?”
“Yes!“
“Good. Don’t worry, I’ll get you out right away.”
I stepped back from the door, expecting Beyan to break it down, or maybe pick the lock or something. Instead, I heard a key turn in the lock and Beyan opened the door, squinting into the gloom. He held a key ring with several keys clanking together on it.
“Beyan, how did you — ”
“Come on, let’s get going. I can tell you as we go.”
“Wait.” I held out my arm, showing Beyan the magic-blocking band around my wrist. “Can you get this thing off me?”
Beyan squinted at the key ring in his hand. He quickly tried two keys in the band’s lock before finding the right one. It fell to the ground.
“What is that thing?” Beyan asked.
“A band the guards put on prisoners to keep them from using magic.” I kicked it as hard as I could, sending the hateful thing into the farthest recesses of the cell. With that accomplished, I hurried out of the cell. Beyan carefully closed and locked the door behind me, then led the way down the hallway.
I wanted to free the other prisoners, but it would have been hard to help them quickly in the state they were in. I silently promised myself that after this was all over, they would have their freedom — and justice.
“Farrah put a sleep spell on the guard to get the keys,” Beyan said. “It doesn’t last long; we need to get back there and make sure to return the keys to him before he wakes up.”
I nodded and we quickened our pace. But, I was still curious. “You came back for me.”
“Did you think we wouldn’t?”
“I... wasn’t sure... you would. I thought —”
“That I sold you out?” Beyan spared a moment to shoot a remorseful look at me. “I’ll be honest with you. I nearly did. When I was unable to meet with the queen, I thought to offer information to King Hendon. I tried to get an audience with him, which is where I was when you came to our campsite the other night. Farrah and Rhyss didn’t know, they thought I was trying to see the queen again. If I had told them, I know they would have tried to talk me out of it, and they would have been right. But I was so upset, I couldn’t think straight. And then you showed up.... and I realized I had made a terrible mistake. I went back to the castle this morning hoping to undo the damage, but it was too late. Hendon sent his soldiers after me, hoping I would lead them to you. Which, like an idiot, I did, even though I thought I had led them astray. I’m so sorry, Jennica.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Seeing you again... hearing your side of the story. Meeting your father. I’ve jumped to a lot of conclusions on a lot of things. It was just... easier that way. Easier to find something to fight against instead of something to fight for.” He reached back and grabbed my hand.
“Well, to be fair, I did thwart your life mission of killing the dragon.”
“You did. But I got you captured by the evil king. So I think we’re even.” We smiled at each other.
After navigating a series of hallways and a set of stairs, we reached Farrah and Rhyss, who were standing vigil by the guard Farrah had cast a spell on. Rhyss was keeping watch on the hallway while Farrah focused on the guard, ready to throw another spell at him if he woke up.
When Farrah saw us, her face broke into a relieved smile. She hurried forward and grabbed the keys from Beyan’s outstretched hand. Behind her, the guard stirred and moaned softly. Farrah’s smile quickly turned into a frown as she looked back.
“Drat! I really thought that would last longer. I must be exhausted.”
Farrah raised her hands, getting ready to recast her sleep spell. The guard’s eyes fluttered open. Eyes widening, he opened his mouth to sound the alarm —
— And slumped over again, unconscious from Rhyss’s blow to his cheek.
“I nearly had it.” Farrah frowned at Rhyss.
“This was faster.” Rhyss shrugged. “Plus, you just said you were exhausted.”
“Don’t baby me, I hate it when you do that. You know I’m more than capable of — ”
Beyan coughed pointedly. “You two can argue about the merits of using brute force instead of subtle spell casting later.”
Sticking her tongue out at Rhyss, Farrah planted the keys back in the guard’s pocket. Rhyss opened a hidden door in the wall — another one? how had I never noticed any of these before? — and motioned for us to enter.
Beyan turned to me. “Can you create a light? I don’t think Farrah is any condition to do so right now.” Farrah stuck her tongue out at Beyan.
I nodded to hide my smirk and conjured a light. The bright little ball bobbed in front of me.
“Perfect.” Beyan put a finger to his lips. “From here on out, we all have to stay absolutely silent.”
He walked through the door into the darkness beyond with me right on his heels. Farrah released her spell, gulping in air, and quickly followed us. Rhyss came last, closing the door firmly behind him.
My spell gave us just enough light to see several feet ahead. Beyan confidently led the way through the secret tunnels, and soon we found ourselves outside the castle. We started toward the campgrounds but didn’t head back to our original campsite.
Instead, we went to a small clearing within the trees, hidden from view from the main campground. I was surprised no one else was using it, but figured none of the visiting nobles would want to be away from the never-ending party atmosphere leading up to the wedding.
Joichan was at our new campsite, tending the fire. When he saw us, he immediately jumped to his feet and hugged me. “You made it! I was so worried.”
All the tension I had been feeling for the last several hours surfaced in a torrent of tears. My father’s shoulder was soaked in a matter of minutes. “Hendon tried to cast a spell of control on me... He took Taryn... The wedding is still happening... I couldn’t stop him.”
Joichan just held me, silently allowing me to let it all out. Eventually my tears subsided. Through my watery eyes I could see Rhyss and Beyan getting things ready for the night, deliberately avoiding looking our way. Farrah was helping them, but smiled at me sympathetically when she caught me watching.
Joichan led me over to the fire and sat me down. “All right, now that you’ve calmed down a bit, tell us what happened.”
I relayed to the group what had occurred with King Hendon, Taryn, and me. When I was finished, a thought occurred to me. “How did all of you find me, anyway? And how did you know about the secret passageways?”
“I took them to meet your mother,” Joichan said. “She showed them the passageways and told them how to find you, and how to get out.”
“Them?”
I could have sworn Joichan blushed. “Yes, I... it seemed wise to let them go on without me.”
I smirked, but didn’t say anything.
Joichan continued, “Your news is distressing, but not unexpected, considering what Melandria told us earlier.”
“What should we do now?” I asked.
“Now, we get some sleep. We’ll be up early tomorrow. After all, we have a wedding to stop.”
Chapter Forty-One
IN THE CHILLY PREDAWN hours, we silently and quickly ate a cold breakfast as we prepared for the day ahead. I thought we were going to tr
y to sneak back into the castle, to find Taryn and my mother. But instead, my friends produced various bits of finery to wear. They looked like they were ready for, well, a wedding celebration.
Rhyss struggled with the high collar of his shirt, trying to tease it into a comfortable position. “This is incredibly itchy.”
Farrah shook out the wrinkles from her full satin skirt. “I have no sympathy. Try wearing a corset.”
I stood in the middle of all the action, staring at my companions in bewilderment. “I thought... aren’t we going to try to find Taryn?”
“Of course we are,” Farrah said. She shoved something at me, a balled up bunch of pale green fabric. “You’d better hurry up and get changed, so we can get going.”
“Get changed?”
“Even though the wedding isn’t until this evening, there are pre-ceremony events planned for the entire day,” Farrah explained. “Everyone’s going to be headed to the castle grounds this morning. We’ll blend in better if we look like actual wedding guests.”
“But... how — ?”
“We did a little bit of ‘shopping’ in the castle before we came to rescue you.” She indicated the dress in my arms. “Although that is your mother’s. She said it doesn’t fit her anymore, but should suit you perfectly.” Farrah gave me an appraising look. “I suppose you need help dressing?”
I shook my head. “I’ve actually grown pretty adept at dressing myself. Surprising, I know. What kind of princess am I?”
Farrah laughed, but it sounded more determined than full of mirth. “One who’s going to get her kingdom back.”
I disappeared into the trees, making sure no one was around. I shook the dress out, admiring the lacework and embroidery on the bodice and skirt. It was definitely fancier than my current outfit, but the style seemed a bit old-fashioned. Certainly I had never seen my mother wear it.
I stepped into the dress, surprised at how well it fit. I laced the front tighter and ran my hands over the skirt, then gathered up my original dress.
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