Oh dear, were they expecting a speech or something? She hadn’t thought of that. What could she say?
“Um… I just want to thank all of you for being here. I know I’m not Seph, and you’re choosing to follow me based only on what he’s said. But you’re doing the right thing. Seph, Gabriel, the Water Fae, these are good people, and they don’t deserve the false accusations that the Priest has levied against them. Perhaps, someday, others will come around to your way of thinking, but for now, you will lead the charge in their liberation!”
She felt her voice growing stronger as she spoke. A quick glance at Naem, who was standing next to Karlona, told her they were both approving of her words.
“I know many of you are worried. You’re worried that you might not make it through the night. And it's possible that some of us may not. But I will do everything I can to see you all through this. I don’t know if I’m this Oren that Seph speaks of and is mentioned in your Book of Illadar. I don’t know that. But I do know this: if no one else will do what is necessary to save innocent lives, then I will. And each of you is a force for good in your own right. I’m proud to fight beside you.”
Jak felt a rush of exultation as she finally said out loud what she had been thinking for the past few days. Maybe she wasn’t their hero, but she could be a hero. Everyone else seemed to feel the same motivating feelings she had, for they cheered and began to clap. Even some of the Shadow Fae seemed impressed.
Jak grabbed her spear from where it lay nearby and held it high in the air. That seemed the appropriate thing to do.
“Let’s go!” she yelled and began her march away from the camp and down the hill.
Everyone followed close behind.
They paused when they were closer to the city wall. Everyone would wait while Jak and Naem went on ahead to sabotage the Watcher camp. Then the smoke from that fire would act as the signal for Seph’s followers to enter the city from the west gate. The Shadow Fae, with their ability to blend in, would enter the city first and get into position. That way they could cause chaos among the soldiers while Elva and the others came in to take Seph and the other prisoners away.
Jak went with Naem, and the two of them followed a merchant wagon inside, doing their best not to be seen. Surely the guards knew about Jak by now and would be looking for her. Thankfully, they managed to slip away as the guards were busy inspecting the wagon. Jak paused just long enough to see what they were inspecting. It was a bunch of armor, and she wondered if that wagon had come from the southeast mountains like her mother had mentioned.
From there, the trip to the Watcher camp remained uneventful. They passed a few soldiers, but none of them looked twice at Jak when they saw her accompanying a Watcher. Though she did pull her hood up over her head to be sure.
Naem was unusually silent as they walked. He seemed lost in thought. Could it have been the kiss they had shared the night before? Neither had talked about that since, and it must be weighing on his mind as much as it was hers. But they couldn’t let that compromise the mission right now. Afterward, they could talk. Jak found herself looking forward to it.
Up ahead, she could see two Watchers guarding the gate. Here was the first tricky part. These men would certainly not let her in without verifying her identity.
“Hey there, Lial, Jerum.” Naem strode forward and waved one arm at the two. He took one peek inside the camp. “Not many around today.”
“There’s some kind of high-profile execution today.” One of them said, Lial. “The General wanted as many of us in the main square as a backup.”
Jak winced. They had expected that, of course. Naem seemed to think that they’d all come running the moment they saw smoke. Hopefully, that was true. Though on the bright side, fewer Watchers inside the camp would make it easier to sneak around.
“Who is your friend?” Lial asked, noticing Jak for the first time. “Hey, isn’t she…”
He had no time to finish his sentence. In the blink of an eye, Naem lashed out at both of them, catching each of them hard on the head with one end of his spear. They both fell before either had a chance to react. Even Jak had not had time to blink. She wished she was that fast. Grace had to be one of the most underrated brands. It easily stood at the top of the most powerful brands, right up there with Telekinesis and Flamedancing.
“Come on,” Naem waved at her.
Caught in her thoughts, she shook them away and helped Naem carry the limp bodies of the two Watchers just inside the gate. Someone would eventually notice no one was guarding the gates. But that was less suspicious than seeing two bodies lying there.
“Keep your hood up and act natural,” Naem said as they walked further in. “Just pretend you belong with me, and everything will be fine.”
Jak nodded, falling into step behind Naem, keeping her hood up but holding herself with confidence, like she had every right to be there as the other Watchers.
As they had guessed earlier, there weren’t too many Watchers in the camp. Most were on guard duty or preparing to leave. The training grounds were empty.
Crossing the training grounds, they passed the command building and eventually arrived at the barracks. This would be their first target, and then hopefully they’d have time to set the Command building on fire on their way out.
“Okay,” Jak whispered as they approached the first barracks. “You stand watch while I brand the wooden supports.”
“Oh, I’m afraid he won’t be able to do that,” a voice from inside the barracks said.
Suddenly, dozens of Watchers exited the barracks, forming a circle around them. What was going on? She whirled around, trying to find an opening. Somewhere to escape and regroup. How did they…?
The Royal Priest exited the barracks last, accompanied by General Wilva. Somehow, they had known about their arrival.
“Jak,” the Royal Priest said with a sad smile on his lips. “I really did hope for more from you.”
Jak said nothing, only pressed her lips together in defiance. “We will not be intimidated.”
“Child, we intimidated that one month ago.” He pointed a finger at Naem. “And as far as you are concerned, well we have other plans.”
“What do you…” A cold realization hit her. They had intimidated Naem months ago? Almost afraid of what she might see, she turned to look at Naem. “Naem, what is he talking about.”
He didn’t meet her gaze. “I’m sorry Jak. They knew about my brands, they said they would turn me into a demon and let me loose in the city starting at the college.”
“You, you knew about this!” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You told them we were coming.”
It all began to fall into place, his “scouting” from the night before, his unusual silence on the way here. The fact that he had been moody and demanding for months now. It was because the Royal Priest had him on a string.
He looked at her now, his gaze intense. “All those things I said at the camp, I meant every word. I thought leading you into a trap would ultimately backfire on them, because... well you have abilities I haven’t seen, and a destiny far beyond these events today and now.”
Jak’s mouth hung open. She had kissed him, actually kissed him! “I trusted you.”
“Seize them,” Wilva said from beside the Royal Priest.
Wilva’s face was unreadable, a complete mask of duty. Watchers grabbed her from behind, and she saw them doing the same to Naem. Her spear fell to the ground.
“You can save us!” Naem yelled as they bound his hands.
“And get that one out of here. We’ll deal with him eventually,” said the Royal Priest.
“Jak! I believe in you. You can get out of this, just believe in yourself!” Naem’s voice grew fainter as four Watchers dragged him away.
General Wilva and the Royal Priest turned to regard her.
“Now, to deal with you.” The Priest’s face split into a toothy grin.
Anger suddenly boiled up inside Jak. Anger like she had ne
ver felt before. This man had taken her friends and now had manipulated Naem too. He was going to pay. He deserved to die.
Without thinking, she branded a piece of plate armor that rested on the arm of the Watcher that held her. The faulty Flamedancer brand instantly caused the metal to melt. The Watcher cried out in pain as the hot metal burned his flesh.
But Jak had already turned her attention elsewhere. Ignoring Wilva, ignoring all the Watchers, she dove for the Royal Priest. Taking a step back, he reached out one hand in defense of himself. The hand caught her own as it came flying down, ready to brand him and set him aflame! Feeling a fire in her own eyes, she summoned her magic!
And nothing came.
She gasped, feeling something go out of her. She felt, suddenly very cold and…empty. Only then did she finally see the Royal Priest’s brand, the one that he kept hidden, but now plainly showed on the hand that held her.
It was a Void brand. The brand to negate other forms of magic. That must be what had stopped her from using her magic.
“Your friend was a fool.” The Royal Priest whispered in her ear. His grip was like a vice. “You know it took almost no effort at all to convince him to work for us. I suppose he held onto some notion that you could handle yourself even without his help. But he was wrong, of course. You’re nothing special.”
Jak heard a grating sound behind her and turned her head to see two Watchers pulling a small cage perched on top of a board with wheels. Like something you might see a small, but dangerous, animal in. One of the Watchers opened the door, and that was when Jak noticed the brand on the metal of the cage. It was another Void brand. It was a cage for people with powers.
“You, you can’t do this. Don’t you realize that the people you’re going to kill today are good people? They won’t hurt anyone.”
“Throw too much weight on the boat, and eventually it will sink. We humans, have our best hope of survival if we stick together. Your Fae, as you call them, they’re too much baggage. They spark controversy, they divide the people in a way that will be our downfall.”
“You provoke them!” Jak struggled against his grip, but two Watchers came up on either side to restrain her. And the Priest’s hand would not budge. Slowly, the Watchers began removing her armor and picked up her fallen spear on the ground.
He smiled at her response. “Well, it seems we’ve both made our beds. But as you can see, more people agree with me.” He waved his free hand around him to indicate Wilva and the Watchers and likely implying the queen herself.
“Only because you brainwash them with that Relic of yours.”
“Yes, I admit that one was a treasured find. But here’s the thing, though. You see, I don’t need that Relic except to reinforce beliefs that were already there. It’s troublemakers like you and that foreign boy that make the Relic necessary. And that is why you will be made an example of.”
She couldn’t let this happen. She couldn’t let them ruin the plan and likely kill everyone involved. “Please don’t kill my friends.” Jak’s eyes were stinging out of desperation. “Take me if you have to, but not them. They haven’t done anything.”
“Nobility. Not unexpected. We will, of course, make an example of you. But you’re fooling yourself if you think you are the only problem. I hope this will be a lesson to everyone that heresy and false magic will not be tolerated.”
“You underestimate the goodness of ordinary people.” Jak hissed. “And you underestimate me.”
The Royal Priest shoved her backward, keeping his vice-like grip on her arm. “Not at all, child. In fact, it’s the very fact that I don’t underestimate you that prompts me to do this.”
In one smooth motion, he grabbed a knife from his belt and plunged it into her side, just below the rib cage. Jak gasped, seemingly unable to draw breath for a moment as the searing pain stabbed into her. Looking down, she saw a dark stain begin to spread from where the knife’s hilt lay embedded in her side. The world began to spin.
The Royal Priest leaned in close. “I will ensure you die tonight. I’d prefer it to be public, but I’m not taking chances on some fool trying to rescue you. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve slipped from my grasp. So, I’m taking precautions to ensure you die, even if you escape.”
With that, he threw her into the cage and locked the entrance. Released from his grip, she tried, desperately to use her magic. But nothing came.
“You four, bring her along with us,” said Wilva, pointing to four of the Watchers. “The rest of you come with me to round up the rest of the dissidents outside the city.”
Jak groaned as she lay curled up in the cage, holding her side. Naem had told them about Seph’s followers, and now they too were about to be ambushed and taken away, possibly killed.
As the four Watchers began rolling the cage forward, causing a jolt of pain in her side with every bump, Jak held onto one thing. Her one last desperate hope.
No one had mentioned the Shadow Fae yet.
22
“My my, you have found yourself in a pickle haven’t you, Jak.”
She raised her head. Everything swam in her vision as blood continued to seep out of her side. For a moment, she didn’t see anything, but then a face appeared. It belonged to a man, who almost seemed to be in the same cage with her. But that was impossible, it wasn’t large enough. “To think, a little girl like you could cause such trouble.”
She blinked. Didn’t she know this man? He had golden-blonde hair and solid muscles, the kind most middle-aged women would fawn over. He had on a loose-fitting tunic that exposed his chest hair. And he had a sick grin on his face.
A heartbeat later and clarity sunk in. She did know this man. He was the blacksmith that she had seen in Foothold. The one who temporarily mentored Marek. What had been his name? Doran? Yes, that was it. What on Earth was he doing here?
“How are you here?” She managed to croke out. “Am I…?”
“Oh, you’re not dead, well not yet.”
The man grinned again, and Jak felt a sort of pressure come at her from all sides. A pressure and darkness.
“My servants serve me without question, and all goes to plan.” Now, when Jak looked at Doran, it was as if she saw him near, but also a great distance away. Darkness radiated from him.
“Who are you? Why are you here?” In her current circumstances, Jak could think of nothing else to ask.
“Oh, I’m not actually here, or I would kill you myself. I have other concerns to the south. And you don’t need to know who I am. You’ll be dead soon enough anyway. Think of this as a token of my respect. You’ve already been a thorn in my side, and you’re barely coming to realize who you are. Thankfully, you won’t live to recognize your potential. My servants will see to that.”
So, I am important. The thought came unbidden to her mind and surprised her so much she said it aloud.
“Oh, of course not a girl. If you were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Jak curled into a fetal position. She wasn’t sure if she was having some sort of hallucination from her blood loss, or if this man, whoever he was, was actually real. But the darkness only pressed in harder around her. She recognized it. It was the same feeling she’d had on the morning before her branding, the morning before her father died. A voice had spoken to her out of that darkness as well.
“Are you him?” Jak asked, the thought swimming through the haze in her mind.
The blonde blacksmith seemed surprised by the question. “Am I who?”
“My father, before he died. He said that someone fears me. Is that you?”
“Does it look like I fear you? Your father is dead. People say strange things before they die. Just as you are about to find out.”
The darkness almost seemed to lift for a moment, and Jak felt that one shred of hope once more. No one had mentioned the Shadow Fae, not even this man. Perhaps no one knew they were here. Perhaps they could still help.
“There there, it won’t hurt for long before
the nothingness takes you. Though how would I know. I’ve never died.” The blacksmith’s face broke into a maniacal grin once more. “I’m just glad I could be the last thing you saw before utter despair. Enjoy your final moments.”
And in what felt like rising out of a dark lake, he was gone. Jak gasped for air. Her head still spun, and the pain in her side continued to drain her, literally. But the pressing darkness no longer stifled her. It was only then that Jak realized the air was still dark around her. But it wasn’t the pressure of...whoever that blacksmith really was. It was more comforting. Like being at home sleeping under the comfort of her warm blankets. Was it night already, or was she truly losing her sense of sight?
A few stifled yells and Jak’s stomach lurched as the wheels under her cage came to a halt. Something was happening, but she still couldn’t see a thing.
A creak of metal as the door to her cage opened, and warm fingers caressed her face.
“Jak, oh my dear, sweet Jak.” It was her mother’s voice. Soft, warm, loving.
Jak felt a smile come to her lips. “I knew they wouldn’t find you.”
“Shh. Don’t talk. We need to get you to a healer. Surely someone here has the brand.
A healer? Suddenly, Jak’s eyes widened as a thought came to her mind. Clarity bathed her brain as for the first time since being captured, she knew what she needed to do. Perhaps this had been what she was destined for all along.
“No, mother. I don’t need a healer.”
“But your body is already dangerously low on blood. We can’t...Jak, what are you doing?!”
She propped herself on one elbow and felt her head swim. She must really be low on blood if that was all it took to make her dizzy. Yet she had to stay awake. Forcing herself to mental clarity with a quivering scream, she grasped at her wound with one hand, skin touching skin. She would not die today!
The brand on her left hand flared to life! An image, as clear as day formed in her mind. The image of a Healing brand. Using the skills she had practiced over and over on the weapons used by Seph’s followers, and on her own spear, she willed the Healing brand to become part of her. A shock of what felt like cold water covered her from head to foot. She gasped.
Growing Ripples: An Epic YA Fantasy Adventure (Roots of Creation Book 2) Page 19