The Surpen King - Part 2 - Rise of the Elves

by Charity Kelly

  “Are you sure they’re getting back together? Ceceta and Rhen seem to bicker a lot when they’re around each other,” Narseth said.

  Aul scoffed. Narseth was a fool. It was obvious that Ceceta and Rhen’s playful bickering was their way of flirting.

  What they needed was a plan. “Let’s talk to the EFT. I think we should band together to take Ceceta out before it’s too late.” Aul pushed off from the tree.

  “Loreth can help us,” Narseth told him.

  Aul ground his teeth. Sometimes he wondered why he included Narseth. “Can’t you remember anything? Loreth’s busy with his own plans.” Aul turned and marched off towards the University.

  Narseth grunted as he rose to his feet. That’s right. He’d forgotten. Loreth was trying to keep the Genisters occupied by causing a civil war in Solar System 12 so that he and Aul could take care of Ceceta.

  Chapter 23

  City of Warton – Planet of Thestran

  Ceceta and her friends screamed as a ghoul jumped out at them on the screen. They were watching the latest scary movie in Warton’s main theater. Rhen leaned forward from behind Ceceta and Erfce’s seats and said, “Holy Zorthan, that was scary.”

  Ceceta and Erfce jumped. They hadn’t realized he was there.

  “What are you doing here?” Ceceta hissed as Erfce chuckled.

  “Not so loud, woman,” Rhen whispered, leaning back in his seat.

  Ceceta debated saying something else, but turned back to watch the movie. She liked having Rhen behind her. Reaching up, she smoothed her hair. She’d have to remember to put on some lip gloss before the movie ended.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Erfce noticed Ceceta preening. It was only a matter of time before she and Rhen got back together. He couldn’t wait. Ceceta talked about Rhen all the time. Erfce wondered if Rhen knew that she missed him as much as he obviously missed her.

  When the movie ended, Rhen picked up a conversation with Tgfhi. They let the others go out to the lobby as they stayed behind to talk.

  Tgfhi had missed Rhen’s friendship. He liked Erfce a lot, but he and Erfce never quite saw eye to eye the way he did with Rhen.

  Crystam went to the bathroom then found her friends waiting in the lobby. “Where’s Tgfhi?”

  “He’s probably still in the theater with Rhen,” Ceceta said, pulling down on the left side of her robes to get them to hang just right so they’d show off her figure.

  “I’ll get him,” Erfce offered, trying to hide his smile. As he walked back into the theater, he doubted whether Rhen would even notice what Ceceta was wearing.

  Latsoh pulled on Ceceta’s arm. “Let’s go next door and check out the latest Surpen fashions. I want you to show me which ones are closest to the real thing.”

  Ceceta hesitated. She’d rather stay in the lobby and wait for Rhen, but maybe it’d be better for her to go with Latsoh. That way Rhen wouldn’t think she was desperate. “Sure. Crystam, do you want to join us?”

  “No.” Crystam opened her purse to pull out her lipstick. “You go. I’ll join you when the others catch up.”

  Ceceta and Latsoh left the theater through the side exit. They stepped out into the empty alleyway but hesitated when they heard steps rapidly approaching. “Do you see any…” A sharp pain pierced Ceceta’s neck. She reached up towards her throat to find it wet. Eyes wide, she watched in horror as Latsoh’s neck opened beside her. Someone had cut their throats. Ceceta reached out towards Latsoh, but her friend had already fallen to the ground.

  Inside the theater, Rhen was laughing at something Tgfhi had said, when Erfce approached. Suddenly, the smile fell from his face and he disappeared. “Was it me?” Erfce asked. Tgfhi shrugged.

  The two of them met up with Crystam in the lobby. As they walked out the door into the alley, they entered a horror scene. Ceceta and Latsoh were lying on the floor covered in blood. Crystam gagged at the sight and turned away while Erfce ran to Latsoh’s side.

  “Do you know who’s trying to kill my wife?” Rhen asked as he cradled Ceceta in his arms. He’d used his powers to heal them, but both women were still shaking, the shock of the attack working its way through their systems.

  Tgfhi was stunned. “Someone’s trying to kill Ceceta?” He couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt Themrock’s wife.

  “No,” Erfce said, “I’ve had a feeling that she might be in danger, but nothing specific. Sorry, I wish I could be more helpful.” Rhen nodded and rose to go. Ceceta had stopped shaking, so he figured he should leave.

  Tgfhi reached out to him. “Please, stay.”

  Rhen shook his head. “The last time I stayed, she blamed me for arranging the attack. I don’t want to be accused again. I’ll see you later.”

  Rhen phased into Bosternd’s office and said, “Someone’s trying to kill Ceceta.”

  Bosternd stood up from his chair, his skin paling as the papers in his hands fell to the floor. “What?”

  “Someone is trying to kill Ceceta. I want you to find out who it is. Several weeks ago, they tried drowning her, pulling her under the University’s lake and tonight an assassin was waiting for her at the theater exit.”

  Bosternd looked befuddled. “Who would want to harm Ceceta?”

  “I don’t know,” Rhen said, sounding defeated. “They’re being masked by someone with powers. I can’t sense them. I can’t get anything.” His hands fisted with frustration. “I think I’m the reason why they’re targeting her. Maybe, if I stay away from her, they’ll leave her alone or, if we’re lucky, my absence will make them careless and we can catch one of them.”

  Bosternd wanted to post a battalion of soldiers at the school. He was furious that someone would try to hurt Ceceta. “I’ll send soldiers to protect her.”

  “No. Don’t do that.” Rhen didn’t want to alienate Ceceta by having her surrounded by soldiers. “I know you have spies on Thestran. Position them near Ceceta so they can keep an eye on her.” Bosternd’s spies would keep her safe while they worked on a plan to catch the ones responsible.

  ***

  Ceceta sighed as she pulled off her shoes and changed into her night shirt. She hadn’t seen Rhen all day. Normally, he’d stop by once or twice during the day to check in on her. She wanted to thank him for saving her life at the theater yesterday. She considered contacting him, but decided against it. He was probably busy with Surpen stuff. She’d thank him tomorrow.

  Since they were nearing the quarter, Ceceta was busier than usual at school. When Rhen didn’t show up the following day, she made a note to contact him. Unfortunately, she so busy over the next few days that she completely forgot.

  A few days after she finished her quarter finals, Ceceta sat down in her usual seat for breakfast and found her friends were all reading cards that were printed on expensive cream-colored stationery. “Is there a Thestran event coming up?”

  Latsoh cleared her throat. “No. Ceceta, ah… we… um…” She hid her invitation and turned towards Erfce.

  Ceceta’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the matter?”

  Crystam slid her invitation across the table. Ceceta picked it up and read: You are cordially invited to attend the engagement party of Emperor Rhen of Surpen to Dame Pathna of Zorthan.

  Ceceta felt the blood drain from her face. Rhen was getting engaged? “Where,” she croaked. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Where did you get this?”

  “Everyone at school got one. They were in our newsboxes.” Crystam paused. She couldn’t believe Rhen was getting engaged to someone else. “Did you check your box?”

  Ceceta reached for her bag. She’d thrown her mail into it without looking at it. Flipping through the letters she’d received, her fingers paused on the expensive red envelope that had been tied shut with a white ribbon. She pulled it out and undid the knot. It was the same invitation that Crystam had shown her. “That’s… ” The invitation swam before her eyes and she darted from the room with Latsoh and Crystam following along behind her.

  “What the hell i
s the matter with Rhen?” Erfce barked after they’d left. “Why is he doing this?”

  “Doing what?” Tgfhi asked, while taking a bite out of his muffin.

  “Why is he hosting this party? What does he gain from it?”

  Tgfhi shrugged. “He wants to have fun?”

  Erfce laughed. “Rhen? Come on. We all know this wasn’t his idea. He doesn’t even like to go to large parties.”

  Tgfhi’s chewing slowed. Erfce was right. This entire thing felt wrong.

  First of all, Rhen had been chasing after Ceceta. Why had he been doing that if he was getting engaged to someone else? And secondly, he hated big parties. Why would he invite the entire school to his palace for an engagement party? Could his fiancée have wanted it? If so, then he was getting married to the wrong woman.

  ***

  The evening of Rhen’s party, Crystam walked into Ceceta’s apartment carrying blue Ventarian priestess robes. She dropped the heavy, dark blue material down onto Ceceta’s lap, covering the book she was reading. “Come on. We voted and you’re coming with us. You’ll be a Ventarian priestess, so no one will know who you are. It’s the perfect disguise.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t want to go.” Ceceta pushed the robes off her lap onto the sofa. She was no longer crying every minute, and had no intention of doing anything that would jeopardize her progress.

  “You don’t have a choice,” Latsoh said, entering the room. “You’re coming with us to check out Rhen’s new hussy.”

  Ceceta smiled at Latsoh’s choice of words. After a brief pause, she nodded and rose to get dressed. After she had slipped the Ventarian priestess’ veil over her head and looked in the mirror, she realized that Crystam was right; no one would recognize her because they couldn’t see through the veil’s material.

  They arrived on Surpen to find thousands of people milling about the palace and nearby city. As usual, Rhen had used his powers to make everything perfect. There were refreshments and music in every room of the palace and on every street in the city. The Surpens were dressed in their finest clothing and they welcomed the Thestrans, as if they were dear friends.

  Ceceta sat down by one of the city’s fountains. She was tired and had begun to reconsider her decision to come to the party. None of them had been able to find Rhen. Perhaps it’d be better for her to go. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she didn’t want to see Rhen’s fiancée.

  Latsoh sat down beside her, as Erfce picked up some snacks for them from one of the many waiters wandering around the city.

  “I can’t believe this party,” Crystam said, when she joined them. “You know, they even have entertainment in the bathroom.” She nodded towards Latsoh. “Are your wedding plans finished yet? If not, you should ask Rhen to give you a hand.”

  Latsoh smiled sadly. Her wedding was in just a few weeks and with every passing day, her dad was becoming more and more agitated. Rhen had yet to reply to her invitation and Naci was beginning to fear that he might not be coming.

  Tgfhi started to cough on the food he was eating. “Tgfhi? Are you okay?” Ceceta asked.

  He nodded and pointed at the fountain. Turning, Ceceta saw Rhen rising up out of the water behind her. He was completely dry and wearing his best Surpen military outfit. “You came.” Ceceta stood up to face him. Rhen smiled at her attire. “Nice clothes. Did you find God?”

  Ceceta smoothed down her robes, feeling self-conscious. “Thanks,” she mumbled.

  “Ha!” Rhen shouted, his face full of expression and his black eyes twinkling in the light. His shout had drawn the attention of the crowd. When the guests saw Rhen, they started to approach. “You said thanks. It only took you the time it would take for a Surpen Beast of War to fly to Surpen’s third moon and back 145 times.”

  “What?” Ceceta asked.

  “I’ve been waiting for you to thank me for saving your life,” Rhen explained. “You know,” he continued, with a heavy sigh. “You can be very rude sometimes.”

  Ceceta was shocked. This was so unlike Rhen. “What’s the matter with you? You’re acting like a jerk. And where’s this fiancée your supposed to be marrying? We’re all dying to meet her.”

  Rhen frowned at the obvious pain on Ceceta’s face. He hadn’t liked this plan, not since the first time that Bosternd had mentioned it, but none of them had been able to come up with a different one. Bosternd had discovered that a group at the University called EFT had plotted against Ceceta, ridiculing her and attacking her until she had felt she had to break up with Rhen. When Bosternd had told Rhen about the group, he’d been furious. He’d wanted to go to Thestran to kill all of the club’s members. He’d remembered Ceceta talking about the attacks and felt horrible that he hadn’t been more supportive of her at the time. Rhen had become even more incensed when Bosternd had told him that he believed Aul and Narseth were a part of the club. That was when Rhen knew they had to flush out the ones responsible.

  Bosternd developed a plan in which they brought the entire school to Surpen under the guise of a wedding engagement. During the party, they would make Ceceta vulnerable so that Aul and his club members wouldn’t be able to resist going after her. Once they did, Bosternd and his men would pounce, capturing them. It was a good plan but Rhen was dying inside at the fact that once again they were making Ceceta the pawn. The pain he could see in her eyes was killing him.

  He wished he could tell Ceceta what they were doing, but he’d sensed someone with powers was involved and he couldn’t risk their finding out. Since Aul and Narseth were enmeshed in this whole thing, he was betting that it was Loreth. He couldn’t wait to kill the man.

  “My fiancée can’t make it tonight,” Rhen said, while cringing inside at the tears that had welled up in Ceceta’s eyes.

  Ceceta’s lip trembled, but she was not about to cry in front of Rhen. Reaching out, she jabbed him in the chest. “That’s because you don’t have a girlfriend, do you?”

  Her touch brought forth a wave of emotion so strong that Rhen thought his heart was going to explode. “Huh,” he grunted.

  “You don’t have a girlfriend,” Ceceta stated. “This was all just a plot to get me to return to Surpen.”

  Rhen knew he had to stick with the plan. There could be EFT members watching them right now. “That’s ridiculous. Of course I have a fiancée. You know, I don’t like your attitude. You can go.”

  Ceceta felt weak from his words but her anger and frustration were still ruling her mouth. “I hate–”

  Rhen reached forward and pushed her hard enough that she fell backwards. Ceceta vanished before hitting the ground.

  Latsoh glared at Rhen. “Where is she?” she demanded.

  “She was on her bed in the apartment, but now she’s storming her way back to the portal.” He lifted his chin towards them and smiled. “She’s coming back to Surpen to harass me.” He winked then phased away.

  Ceceta searched Surpen’s palace but she couldn’t find Rhen anywhere. She sat down next to Latsoh and Erfce at a table by the palace’s stables. “Do you have any idea where he went?” she asked. An elfin student, who happened to be passing by, paused and said, “Are you looking for Rhen? I thought I saw him walking down that path over there.” She nodded towards a path that led away from the palace towards a hill in the distance.

  Ceceta’s stomach dropped. The path led to Punishment Island. Although it was now known as Freedom Park, it would always be Punishment Island to her. Rhen had demolished the buildings that had been there and a memorial had been erected in the center of the hill for all of the people who’d died during Andres’ war. Ceceta hadn’t been back to the park since the dedication ceremony. Even then, she’d held tightly to Rhen’s hand, refusing to let go. As far as she knew, Rhen hadn’t gone back either. Why would he walk out there during his party?

  “Want to dance?”

  Ceceta looked up to see Latsoh and Erfce heading out to the dance floor. There wasn’t anyone else around, so she lifted up her blue priestess robes and m
arched off down the path the student had shown her. She was determined to find Rhen.

  Punishment Island had been built on a small hill near the palace. There was only one path that led out to it. On either side of the path the ground dropped off sharply. Ceceta walked with purpose, keeping her gaze on the hill in front of her. She climbed up the steps to the monument and looked back at the city. Lights lit the landscape, turning the sky orange. Everything looked so beautiful from this distance. Behind her she heard a snap, like a twig breaking. Ceceta ducked down, but she couldn’t see anyone. “Rhen?” Slowly, she walked towards where she’d heard the sound, imagining the many scenes she’d recently seen in the horror movie she’d just watched. I’m an idiot, she thought, but still she continued on across the top of the hill towards the south side. She was desperate to talk to Rhen. If he was out here, she would find him. She discovered a small path that led down the side of the hill and wondered where it went. “Rhen?” She heard a door close somewhere beneath her.

  Carefully, she made her way down the path. It was rocky and she had to keep one hand on the edge of the cliff so she wouldn’t fall. She reached an old metal door and pushed it open. This was definitely a bad idea. “Rhen?” The moons were full tonight so there was some light in the room beyond. She could see footprints in the dust on the floor. Someone had recently entered the room. “Rhen?” She forced herself to keep going, tentatively stepping into the room. Maybe Rhen hadn’t heard her? She’d call out to him one more time then return to the party.

  Ceceta screamed, when the door slammed shut behind her and someone shined a flare light into her eyes. She raised her hands to try to block the light to see who it was. “Hi, I’m looking for Rhen? Someone told me he was here.” She heard a deep, animal growl to her left and gasped. She was in danger. A second later, everything went dark when the person holding the light was attacked.

  Someone grabbed her and pulled her backwards out of the room, as she heard several people scream in pain. A few moments later, the lights were turned on.