Cloak of Darkness (The Destroyer-Blessed Saga Book 1)

by Sara E. Tonissen

Dranac Gnorw watched as that single drop fell through the air, landing on the beautiful carpet below. He tried to wipe the splatter of crimson away with the tip of his boot, but it only spread with every rushed swipe of his foot.

  Arthur gave another smile, his eyes practically glowing even though his back was turned away from the raging fireplace. He leaned forward in his chair, drawing Dranac’s dazed attention back to him. He gestured toward the dagger. “I have no doubt that you will succeed in this mission,” Arthur Welin assured.

  He pulled another vial from his desk drawer, Dranac Gnorw’s name scratched into the glass. “I would hate to see what would become of you if I were to learn that you are also a traitor.”

  Dranac was not fazed by the threat. His attention was much more preoccupied with worrying about the stream of blood dripping down his mentor’s cheek. There was no visible cut, but the ruby river was undeniably flowing down Arthur Welin’s pale face.

  Drip… Drip… Drip…

  Dranac Gnorw could hear the blood as it leaked from the invisible wound on his mentor’s cheek. The sound echoed in his ears, masking all other noises. Even the beating of his own heart was imperceptible.

  “Now go,” Arthur commanded. He turned back to the blazing fire. “You have work to do.”

  Dranac quickly stood from his chair with a final bow. “As you wish.”

  Drip… Drip… Drip…

  Dranac could barely hear himself speak as he unsteadily rose from his chair. He walked to the door as quickly as he could, his steps shaky as blood jumped from the carpets and splattered across the leather of his boots.

  It took all of Dranac Gnorw’s might to keep his hand firm against the slick door handle as he pushed his way out of the office. By the time he turned to close the door, he barely had enough strength left to keep himself from looking back at the bleeding room behind him.

  ~~~

  Red slammed the door to her room shut. She leaned her back against the wood, her hand still wrapped around the door handle as she blindly fumbled for the key. She barely gave herself time to breathe, to process what had happened, before she sprang into action.

  Red made her way across the room with ease. She collected items as she went, as if she were trading partners in an intricate ballroom waltz.

  Red leapt over trunks and stacks of weapons, only choosing the finest from each overflowing pile. She spun around her bookcases, brushing her fingers solemnly across the titles she would never see again. And she slid before her wardrobe, picking out the most durable outfits as if they were the finest gowns she had ever seen.

  By the time she rounded her bed, the room was in a flurry of scattered books, discarded weapons, and piles of clothes, some pieces of fabric still drifting to the floor. Red shuffled across the floor, her dance ending just before her dresser.

  Reaching down, Red pulled out the bottom drawer, overturning its folded contents as she freed it from where it normally sat. Her fingers expertly felt for the latch that held the secret panel in place.

  Dozens of notes and unsent letters flew about as Red dumped the contents of the drawer onto her bed. Estra Ayrith’s two letters were the last to take their place at the top of the scattered pile.

  The cream envelopes were bent at the corners. And nothing could have stopped the wrinkles that had taken over the parchment during her journey back from Airaldan. But the emerald green seals still held their bright color, the simple potion master's insignia stamped in the center of the envelope.

  Red left the two letters to sit on her bed, ignoring the urge to rip them open.

  She continued her dance around the small room once more. Red packed and repacked her bag, ensuring that nothing had been forgotten. She sharpened Alpha and every last dagger she could fit on her belt to deadly perfection. But even her procrastination could not make her eyes stray from where the letters rested.

  When she deemed that everything was in its final place, Red finally turned her full attention toward the bed. She moved to sit on the firm, old mattress, slowly curling her legs under her so not to disturb the pile of papers she had accumulated in her drawer over the years.

  Red hesitantly reached for the envelope marked with her name. But the moment she felt the crinkle of the parchment against her outstretched hand, she ripped straight through the seal and tugged the letter out.

  Red,

  I do not know what state the Kingdom Rogues are in, but whatever you do, you must stay as far away as you can manage. A new war is brewing throughout the lands, and I can only hope that you will pick the side fighting for good.

  The magic you possess is a great weapon that can bring death and destruction upon anyone who crosses you. You must learn to control it before you bring destruction upon yourself and those around you.

  Your magic feeds on your feelings. It craves anger and rage, but it will not shy away from using your happiness or peace to get what it wants.

  Tread carefully, my dear.

  The darkness within you will steal your soul from you, if you allow it. Be selfish in protecting yourself.

  Travel to Mount Orazorwik in Britton. You should know of the Druids of Abra who live inside the mountain. They are a group of talented magic wielders. They will know how to help you.

  I was once young and foolish, like you.

  I tried to harness a power similar to yours with nothing but my will to control it. It nearly stripped away my life magic. I was not strong enough to control it, but you are.

  I was not born with the powers that I sought to control. You are lucky to have been born with such an amazing gift. It can be used to destroy, as I am sure you already know. But you can shape it to do so much more.

  Red, you have the ability to bring peace to Cathal.

  I prayed to the Maker to bless me with the power to help end this war. But I learned long ago that I was only meant to help shape the person to do the job that I so desperately wanted.

  You do not want that job. I know you don’t. And I cannot force you to accept what I am proposing. But when the time comes, I know that you will do the right thing.

  I have worked for decades trying to right my wrongs. I hoped that I could save others from my fate, but if you were the only person I could save, I will die knowing that I saved someone with the potential to do great things.

  You and I both know that you have the chance to play a large role in shaping Cathal’s future. You were born to help others, to lead others. You will not be able to deny that part of yourself forever, Red.

  I have no idea if you actually took the time to read this letter. You might have burnt it to a crisp for all I know. But if you are reading this, I beg you to believe the words I have written here.

  I beg you to trust me, Red, or you will be sealing away your doomed fate before the Destroyer even has the chance to claim you.

  May the Maker bless you,

  Estra Ayrith

  Red flipped the paper over, checking and double checking that there was nothing more to Estra’s letter. She even lit her bedside lamp and held the crumpled parchment over the flame. But the ink remained stationary, the invisible ink nothing more than a figment of her hopeful imagination.

  “That’s it?” Red marveled at the wrinkled letter. “That’s all you give me? Estra, you demanded that I leave the Kingdom Rogues. Well, you better be happy that you succeeded on that part.

  “You tell me to learn how to control my magic? Wow, Estra, I never thought to do that before! It’s not like I haven’t been trying to do that oh, I don’t know, my entire life!

  “And then you tell me that I am part of the solution to ending this Destroyer-Forsaken war. I am wanted in every kingdom! How am I supposed to end a war?”

  Red sprang from the bed tugging her hands through her hair in frustration. “Gee, Estra, I don’t really think you thought your plan through! Do you honestly think that any of this will help me while I run from the Kingdom Rogues for the rest of my life?”

  She cursed at the ceiling as if Estra was
just above, listening down on her conversation.

  Red closed her eyes and plopped back down on the bed with a heavy sigh. The bounce of Arthur’s letter amongst the heap of scattered parchment turned her annoyance toward a new victim. One that was also not alive.

  Red slapped her hand over the letter. She clutched the envelope in her hands, ready to rip it to shreds. But her eyes once again caught on the green insignia.

  The wax was thicker than the seal on her own letter, as if it had half a dozen layers melted together. The insignia also looked as if it had been partially melted away. The letter most likely was replaced or taken out many times.

  Red slipped her hand under the open edge of the envelope. With a simple flick of her wrist, the seal cracked apart easily. The letter still held Estra’s delicate handwriting, but the ink was old and faded. Water droplets and old stains coated a better part of the flimsy parchment. Rips and tears took over small portions along the corners. One such corner was burnt away entirely.

  Estra Ayrith had clearly meant for no one to see that letter when she had first written it.

  Red wanted to place the private letter back in its rightful envelope. But she had already skimmed parts of the letter, the most interesting details tempting her like a good book on a rainy day.

  “I’m already here,” she pointed out. The reluctance left her voice the longer she looked at the letter. “It would be pointless to stop now.”

  My Dearest Arthur,

  It breaks my heart every time I try to write this letter, but you need to know why I am leaving.

  I once imagined and dreamed that we could do such great things to save this world from the horrors that fill it. I have always wanted to make a difference in this world, but I know that I can no longer do that with you.

  I want to understand why you took what we had together and tore it apart. I wanted to believe that it was for the good of the Kingdom Rogues, the good of our cause. But you let your greed and hatred get in the way.

  Your greed has caused you to stray from our dream. Your hatred has pushed me away from your new desires entirely.

  I can no longer follow down this path of death and destruction that you have created.

  We never would have been able to completely destroy the horrors that are held within our world. I know that now. But we could have still made a difference in this messed up world.

  I thank you for the hope that you gave me, but I now understand that our dream was nothing more than that. A dream.

  Corruption will always have its hold within the hearts of some rulers. Poverty will always run through our beloved streets. Fear will always have a place in our minds.

  But it is hope that will keep those horrors from taking over our souls. It is love that will guide us through the hardships.

  Some day the color red will not signify war and hate, but love and hope. That hope has been shown to me in my new dreams. And it will save us all.

  War is coming. And there is nothing that can stop it from reaching even you.

  With Love Always,

  Estra

  Red did not know which letter she found to be more shocking. One was from a lover, long ago scorned. The other from a wise old woman, hardened by her experiences.

  Red knew that Estra Ayrith was a smart woman. She was not going to blindly accept her fool's errand to become the hero Estra was hoping to create. But Red did not believe that Estra would have written either of those letters just to get revenge on her ex-lover and the girl he had sent to murder her.

  Estra’s warnings meant something. Ignoring them would make Red a fool. A dead fool if she just continued to sit around and wait for those warnings to come true.

  ~~~

  Red raced through the Rogue Manor’s halls. She stopped at every open door and room that was worth looking through in search of Dranac Gnorw. She was on the brink of sending trainees to look for him when she entered the large mess hall, empty except for Dranac sitting in the middle of the room.

  “You know,” she stated in a mocking tone, making Dranac jump on the bench he was sitting on, “everyone is going to think something is wrong with you if you continue to eat alone at this hour.”

  Dranac gave a small laugh. He shrugged his shoulders as if nothing could be done and continued to shovel food into this mouth. “I can’t help it,” he said around a mouthful of mashed potatoes. “My stomach wants what it wants when it wants it.”

  Red’s smirk drew into a grin as she plopped down on the bench next to Dranac Gnorw. She sat with her legs on either side of the bench, not bothering to sit properly when she knew she would be leaving at any moment.

  She traced her fingers along the many grooves marked in what she imagined had once been smooth wood. But years of being stabbed and scrapped by countless weapons had stripped the bench into a splintering seat.

  “I wanted to let you know,” she stated softly, eyes still trained on the coarse bench, “that I’m planning on leaving the Kingdom Rogues.”

  Red glanced up from her tedious study of the bench, glad that she had made it through her statement without pause. If Dranac had been shocked, he did not show it, so Red pushed on. “Things haven’t been the same since I left. And deep down I always knew that I couldn’t stay here forever.”

  “You’re leaving,” Dranac stated blandly. His eyes were emotionless even as his hands began to fiddle nervously with one of his many assorted daggers.

  “You could come with me!” Red blurted without thinking. She cringed at the desperation in her tone, but no matter how hard she wished, she could not take back her proposition.

  Dranac Gnorw’s fingers stilled, the knife teetering on the edge of his pointer finger. He gave Red a sidelong glance, loose strands of golden hair falling into his eyes. “You want me to leave the Kingdom Rogues and join you where, exactly?” he asked defensively.

  “We can go anywhere,” Red shot back.

  “But this is our home. Your whole life is here,” Dranac countered, his hands once again fiddling with the small dagger. “You can’t just expect me to leave everything behind.”

  “We had lives before we came here,” Red responded softly. She could barely remember her old life. She hardly wanted to remember it. “Who knows what we could find once we leave.”

  “Once you leave, you mean.”

  Red let out a sigh. She cursed herself for even thinking that Dranac would have wanted to join in on her crazy goose chase. “Yeah… Once I leave.”

  The two sat in silence for quite some time. Dranac Gnorw fiddled restlessly with his dagger. Red just watched, no words coming to her mind that would make the situation less awkward.

  “I thought you were leaving,” Dranac inquired after the pair had been sitting there, listening to the chirp of crickets coming from outside.

  “I didn’t exactly expect the warmest goodbye from anyone, but I thought you’d at least have something else to say to me.” Red shot her hand out, stilling the twirl of the knife in Dranac’s fidgeting hands. She let out an annoyed huff, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face. “I just wanted to at least say goodbye before I left.”

  Dranac let out another sigh of his own, swinging his left leg over the bench until they were knee-to-knee. He gently set the dagger to rest on his thigh. His hands reached out to clasp Red’s, dwarfing them altogether. His hands were deadly cold against Red’s skin. “I’m just shocked. You seemed so happy to be back. Why this sudden change?”

  Red shook her head sadly. “It just isn’t the same anymore. I need to move on.”

  Dranac nodded slowly, but it was clear that he did not understand why Red was so against the changes that had taken place. He gently squeezed her hands. “Well, I’m glad to have known you, Red. I wished our adventures didn’t have to end here, but you must go. And I must stay.”

  “Don’t miss me too much,” Red teased with a crook of her eyebrow.

  Dranac Gnorw pulled her in for a bone crushing hug. His thick arms easily swarmed around her small
body and pack, encasing her completely. Red could feel the tension in his shoulders as he held her in place, but she leaned into the awkward hug as a last chance to comfort her friend.

  As she tried to pull back, Dranac Gnorw tightened his hold, trapping Red in his embrace. There was nowhere to go as she felt the tickle of Dranac’s breath on her ear. As she heard him whisper, “I’m so sorry, Red.”

  Chapter 14

  Red let out a coarse shriek as Dranac Gnorw plunged his dagger into her left side. The sting of the blade shot out in every direction as she slammed her whole body against Dranac. His hand pulled the blade back in surprise, and Red took the chance to slam his head straight into the table.

  Dranac let out a grunt of pain, his hand immediately pulling back as the other rose to try to staunch the blood that dribbled down the side of his temple.

  Red cursed out in pain as she tumbled to the floor, her side barking in pain as she reached out a hand to catch the bench, barely managing to halt her fall. Stars danced in Red’s vision, blackness creeping in and out of her sight.

  Red lunged at Dranac, her left hand pressed into her newest wound, the only thing keeping most of the blood at bay. With one hand, she managed to grab hold of his chest and push him with enough force to slam his body against the bench. Red moved to straddle the bench, pinning Dranac’s arms to his chest as she practically sat atop him.

  “And I thought we were friends,” she ground out with a sarcastic gasp. Red reached toward her boot, sliding her own dagger free.

  “You are nothing to me, traitor,” Dranac Gnorw spat. He tried to wiggle past her hold, but Red held firm against his struggles.

  Red took the insult without batting an eye. “You are a spineless, mindless ass if you don’t realize that you’re just another pawn in Arthur’s little game.” She set the point of her knife atop his shoulder, spinning the blade until it pierced the cloth of his tunic.

  “And you’re a deserter.”

  “Better a deserter than a useless moron,” Red bit out in a honey drenched tone, pushing the dagger until she drew blood.