Shadow of The Marked: Divine Series

by J. G. Maltos

  Chapter 18

  My teeth clench together, suppressing the scream that threatens to break past my lips. In seconds, Koura and Aries are at my side, wide-eyed and pale-faced as they take in the scene that is unfolding before him.

  My back thrashes against the floor with each wave of fire that blazes through my veins. I beg my body to let go of the crystal, to just open my palm and let it slip away from my hand. My body acts on its own accord and instead holds the crystal tighter.

  "Her arm." Koura's voice trembles with suppressed fear.

  I follow his panic-stricken stare and disgust churns in my stomach. My veins are like thick, black wire trailing beneath my skin.

  Aries moves in closer to me, hovering his hands above my body before barking orders at Koura. "Get something to wrap the crystal. We have to get it away from her!"

  The frost soldier glares at Aries with a mixture of worry and distrust. "What do you plan on doing exactly?"

  "I’m going to hold her down.” Aries looks down at my pain-filled face. Something changes in his voice. It’s softer. Had the pain not demanded all my attention, I might have been able to pick it out better. "It's going to hurt, but it's the only option we have. The crystal is trying to cleanse her, but the impurities of the serum must be too much. The crystal is supercharging and at this rate, she’ll die before the crystal can do anything else." He raises his sharp gaze to Koura. "So just trust me and do as I say. We must disrupt the connection the crystal has on her. Now."

  Koura hesitance lingers on Aries' hovering hands before tearing off a piece of his shirt.

  "The crystal is quite literally trying to burn away the poison that remained in her body," Aries continues. “By encasing it in ice, the crystal will diminish its energy believing it’s succeeding in restoring balance in her body."

  A mask of determination casts itself over Koura's face. He positions himself closer to my side, focused on my hand. "I'm ready."

  Aries takes this as his queue and wastes no time. His hands forcibly hold my shoulders down and a black cast shadows itself over his eyes, blocking out golden specks. I feel his knees secure at the sides of my head.

  I feel his grip tighten on me and suddenly, he traps my arms against the marble ground beside me. I look down and see shadows wrapping around my arms. They are holding me firm to the floor. Shocked, I look back at Aries, but he is too concentrated to notice my surprise.

  Koura shares in my disbelief as he too stills at the sight of Aries' shadows. His fist clutches the ripped cloth, eyeing their every movement.

  Aries' strained voice cuts through our shock. "I can't hold her for long, snow boy. You best hurry!"

  Koura looms down at me with clear determination, "I'll try and make it quick, Princess."

  Without any other warning, another bolt of pain shoots up my arms and neck. Fire. That's the only way to describe what this feeling is. I take shallow breaths as Koura struggles with his grip on my hand. Aries' face pinches in concentration as he pushes his shadows against my convulsing limbs that are desperate to escape his hold and this pain.

  A coldness wraps around my grip, bleeding through my fingers Koura frost, but my happiness doesn’t last long as my other hand darkens. I try to look at the ceiling, waiting for the pain to stop but it feels like I've been there for an eternity. Koura jumps away from me, quickly wrapping the crystal on the torn cloth.

  Aries brings his heavy arms back to his side. Another gasp escapes me as a sharp stinging replaces the burning feeling. I hold my hand to my chest, surprised to notice a large gash where the crystal was. It is bubbling and oozing. I grunt through the pain.

  "Let me take a look." Koura comes closer, zipping a pocket at the side of his pants where he put the crustal away. Hesitantly, I extend my hand out to him.

  His face pulls together as he turns my palm over. "These burns look bad." He brings my hand closer to his face. "It has reached the epidermis and part of the dermis layer. The skin had already begun to blister." Koura raises a brow at my questionable stare and sends a cooling mist over my palm.

  "What? You have to pick up medical training if you want to survive my line of work. This should help with the pain for a minute. We need to find the infirmary to bandage you up. It could get easily infected if we leave it like that for the trip back."

  "Where's the infirmary?" Aries' voice comes up behind Koura.

  "I can guide us." I try to stand but as soon I get up to my feet, the world tilts and the floor looks closer than it did a second ago.

  "Whoa, there." Koura holds me upright, placing a hand at the curve of my back. "You okay?"

  "I'm fine," I assure through fluttering eyes. "Right as rain."

  Koura's voice sounds far away. "She is in no condition to run! She can't even stand!" He shoots me a worried glance. "Whatever that crystal is, we have to keep it away from her.

  Aries gives a groggy nod, and I am hazily aware of the fact that he, too, is tilting.

  "Are you alright?"

  Aries runs a heavy hand through his tousled hair. "I am all right. My powers are a little drained is all."

  A large wave of dizziness clutters my head. "Guys, I think—" The sounds of the large crystal doors swinging open stop me mid-sentence. Koura's arm tightens around my back, securing me in place.

  The sound of footsteps echoes within the large room.

  "Who the hell are you?" Rowan spits as he lifts his word towards Aries.

  Koura relaxes his grip as he realizes who has entered the room. "He is a friend of Althea," he explains in a sour tone. I throw Koura a glance but his glare is still on Aries. Rowan notices Koura's stiff demeanor and slowly lowers his sword.

  Rowan notices me leaning against Koura and his face glazes over in anger, "What happened? I gave a specific time frame! And what was with all that noise! The plan was not to get detected, but how did you think I was able to find you so quickly?"

  Koura muscles tighten under my palms. “I will not tell you again, Rowan.”

  I place a hand on his chest, silencing him. He looks at me with a locked jaw but remains silent. I turn to Rowan in annoyance. "The crystal practically burned me alive, sorry I couldn't do well to hold in my agonizing pain!" As proof, I extend my injured palm out to him.

  "We need to get her to the infirmary and have it dressed before we leave," Aries urges, his golden eyes landing on my injured arm.

  "And who are you again?" Rowan stone-cold eyes flare at Aries.

  Aries nose flares, but only slightly. "I am here to help. That is all you need to know."

  Rowan takes a step forward. "You know what—"

  "Will the both of you just stop?" I move from Koura's grasp but rather unsuccessfully as my legs wobble in protest.

  Koura, who managed to catch me again, looks seriously between the two men. "She's right. Now is not the time."

  Aries looks at me again, controlling his breathing before turning back to Rowan. "I won't harm her. I would have done so already if that was ever my intention. The supplies here are better to help with her wound than anything you guys are sure to have brought."

  Rowan does not waver his stare. "I can carry her.” Rowan picks me up easily given his slender physique.

  “I don’t think—” Koura objects but Rowan rolls his eyes.

  “I don’t have abilities, and you do. You will be a better fighter right now than me. I won’t do anything to harm your precious princess.”

  A shadow of annoyance crosses Aries eyes as he takes stares at Rowan's arms around my waist. Koura stares long and hard at Rowan before turning around in defeat. “Let's get out of here. Quickly."

  Koura picks up his weapon, turning it into a frost sword. He latches it onto his hip, not caring if anyone notices anymore. Aries creates a double-ended dagger and shield. His golden eyes shine brightly beneath his hood.

  Rowan looks at them. His face shadows with a hint of envy at their powers. It quickly fades as he notices my stare. "You look awful for a Princess."

  "
Again.” I give a tight sigh as my head weakly lands on his shoulder. "Almost burned from the inside out, remember? Sorry, my hair got a little messy while you were keeping watch." Rowan ignores my jab and runs when Aries opens the doors.

  My head thumps against his arms with each step and I have to tie my arms around his neck to keep from making myself even dizzier than I already am.

  We run out of the Throne Room, and I find it hard to decipher the blurry images that pass my vision. Aries eyes turn black as his shadow slithers under the doors. I can feel Rowan's muscles tighten from under me as he watches Aries cautiously.

  Aries' eyes turn golden once more. "All clear."

  "Great. I'm going to hurl.” My hand presses against my mouth, waiting for the feeling of nausea to subside. I sigh in relief. "Oh, false alarm."

  We enter the medical wing. The large pillar entrance used to be so intimidating when I was younger. I would beg my mom not to take me there for my checkups when growing up. Now they don't hold the same fear, only an ache of emptiness.

  We pass through the large pillars and head into the infirmary. Rows of beds fill the medical wing, covered in dust from the evident lack of use.

  "Toward the back, there should be a room where they keep all the medicine and bandages," I say, as Rowan drops me on the bed rather harshly. A huff escapes my lips as I connect with the bed, causing all the dust to swirl around my head.

  "Ah, yes." I hold my hand protectively over my chest as I glare up at Rowan. "The age-old medicine. Dust straight into the wound."

  Rowan takes a step back from the bed, his long dark locks sticking to his face with sweat. "Sorry, it was a long run."

  Aries and Koura rush toward the medical room as Rowan walks toward the closest window at the far end of the room. The stars and moon illuminate the night enough that I can see worry tugging at Rowan's face.

  "Penny for your thoughts?" I ask. Rowan is someone that I cannot read. He hates the way our hierarchy is built. It is clear as day but I am part of the hierarchy and I am not sure how I feel about Aesir being part of those who do not support the way we rule.

  Rowan’s shoulders relax slightly and he glances over his shoulder. "Just a penny?"

  "I'll throw in the family cow for good measure."

  He turns back toward the window. The moonlight kisses his jaw, defining his features. His shoulder tightens as his palms grip the window border. His rigid demeanor takes me by surprise.

  "This castle does not bring me good memories either—" he starts. I tense at his words and bite back the questions that come rushing through my mind, "—I had lost my father here a few years ago. He worked with Aesir before me. I had been with him, it should have been me. He was protecting me from my stupid mistake," he finishes, his voice tightening at the mention of his father.

  I move to better see him and curse under my breath as the bed makes an unsettling creak. "Well, I know a thing or two about losing family."

  This causes Rowan to turn and lean against the window, crossing his arms. "You don't say." He squares his shoulders, giving me his full attention.

  "Some may say I have become an expert, actually," I say in a forced, light tone.

  "That's not something I would want to be an expert on. But, yes you have lost more than me."

  "No," I say. "Loss is not a measurable pain. I mention it because I know what it's like to want to make him proud. You don't want everything that happened to be in vain.

  Rowan's shoulders lighten. He swipes a hand across his face, moving his brown locks away. "I am determined to carry on what my father had worked so hard for. He loved the Earth Kingdom and admired the High King and Queen. He had faith that somehow you would be able to fix everything. I just hope he’s right."

  "I may have missed a lot of my royal training, but my tongue is a weapon and it's locked and loaded for my people." I lift my chin, meeting his strong gaze. "These people tried to ruin me in every way they could imagine." I look down at my burned hands, the scars of the syringe. "But they created something out of their worst nightmares. They created someone who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain."

  "The determination Aesir spoke fondly about," he states. “Maybe you are worth something to us after all.”

  “You’re not going soft on me now are you,” I joke.

  Rowan looks away. “Hardly.”

  I ignore his last comment, "Why do you think the other kingdoms haven't stepped in?" I ask, trying to change the conversation.

  He runs a hand through the back of his neck. "From the information, Aesir and I were able to collect. It was said some of the Elites are afraid of Elite Amir."

  "Afraid?"

  Rowan shrugs. "I have moved within the kingdoms and I have seen interactions from Elite Amir with the rest and to me it doesn't seem that he is evil." He notices my hard glare and quickly finishes, "— not saying he isn't capable."

  "Interesting. I guess this means I have to uncover the reason they are all so scared of him," I declare. "I need to know what he has over them that is so great that they can leave my kingdom to shrivel into nothing.”

  We stay silent for a few moments when Aries and Koura rush into the infirmary with hands filled with medical aid. "We have gauze, strong wrap, and this thing." Koura waives off, letting it all drop into the bed. Aries stays behind and stands in the shadow of the entryway holding something in his hands. He places it in his jacket, out of sight.

  “Give me your hand,” Koura instructs and I comply.

  His large hands swallow my own, but he holds them delicately. "I'm about to take away the cooling layer I placed," Koura warns.

  I nod and brace myself.

  The blue light from his hands hovers over my palms, dissolving the cool layer. The burning sensation tingles beneath my skin, spreading it to my arm. I bite down on my lip from the burn.

  Koura starts his work. "This is going to hurt much worse now but trust me it will stop soon."

  Without another word, he spills a clear liquid on my open wound. My eyes shoot wide open as the sting catches me off guard. I try to pull away, but my Koura traps my wrist in his death grip.

  "I know, but bear with me. It will be over soon," Koura avoids looking at me, but I can tell by his overly focused expression that this pained him almost as much as it pained me. Almost. The clear liquid dries and the pads a white cream with his fingers, but the circular movements cause the stinging to increase. But, true to his word, he works quickly. He spreads another cream, which helps to cool my burning hand. He places gauze on top and wraps it.

  Aries remains silent. His eyes stare at nothing, deep in thought.

  “Aries,” I call to him. His eyes snap to me and walk over to me with his hands in his pocket. Koura and Rowan look at him in confusion but remain silent.

  He holds them there for a second. A hesitant air surrounds him. "I found something."

  I force my voice to sound casual. "What was it?"

  He pulls out a clear flask from his pocket and hands it to me. I reach for it with my good hand and examine the flask. My name is on the worn-out label that wraps around the flask:

  Althea Medical Trial Part 3

  Consumed or Inject every 8 hours. Medication needs to be supervised.

  Side effect: Nausea, Fever, Headache, Memory Loss.

  I stare at the bottle. I don't ever remember taking medication, especially anything that needs to be supervised. "Where did you find this?" I ask Aries behind me. I feel his heartbeat against my chest, I use it as an anchor to control my emotions.

  "It was with a few other bottles in a secure cabinet. I opened it to check if there was any pain medicine," he explains and runs a comforting hand along my arm.

  I get up from the bed, surprised at the emptiness that grew at having stepped away from Aries' warmth. I waive off the thought and try to find deep in my memories when I ever took medication. I lock eyes with Aries, I notice his somber look as he sits on the bed. Rowan pushes himself off the wall and nears me. He takes the bo
ttle from my grasp and inspects it.

  I pace in the room. "I don't remember taking medication."

  Have there been moments from my past that I don't remember? It does say memory loss. But, why would my parents approve medication that can cause such side effects?

  "There were empty bottles with your name on them," Aries continues, “But the information on the labels are too worn out.”

  "How could there be empty bottles with my name and I have no recollection of ever taking medication, especially experimental ones like these?" I look at Koura. “This doesn't make sense."

  Aries stands. "Let's take a few bottles. We can see if we find anyone who would be able to let us know what the bottles contain." I nod. Why was I taking medication? Why did they give them to me and not tell me what they were for? My parents wouldn’t just give me anything. Questions rush through my head as I try to piece any information to the bottles. There has to be a reason why they didn't tell me what I was taking. What were they hiding from me?

  I keep pacing when I hear a commotion from the outside of the walls. I freeze in place. Koura and Rowan’s backs straighten at the noise. Aries returns with more bottles on hand.

  “Let’s go,” Koura instructs and steps next to me. I can feel the crystal-like beacon while I am near Koura. “Are you good enough to walk?”

  “I can walk,” I say, not wanting to be the reason for holding them back. I take a large breath and head towards the door.

  Chapter 19

  The large pillars blur past us as we race back toward the service entrance. It isn't until we reach the far end of the wide-open castle that we have no choice but to slow down. Lightning guards huddle around the patrolling area like roaches, a great contrast to how it had been earlier in the night.

  Rowan signals us with a finger to remain low and quiet as we sneak past the guards. When we reach the service entrance, we relax a little at having made it this far. God knows how many guards stand on the other side.