All the King's Traitors

by Keylin Rivers

  “You will forget about this,” he said, and she could feel his wield trying to compel her to believe him. “The last day you have endured in here will be gone from you forever and you will remember nothing but this: you will obey me, and if you do not, there will be pain. You are but an extension of my own will.”

  Kari pulled her legs into her chest with her good arm and bit into her kneecap, trying to stop her screams. “You are but an extension of a God.”

  Chapter 47

  Spearield, 1st Day of the Month of Fire, 1114 A.F.F.

  Kuba was still frozen. He watched his brother fall into Aurelia’s arms, a massive gash beside his neck.

  Suddenly, he was frozen no longer. The constricting feeling around his lungs was replaced by the boiling blood coursing through his veins. His nostrils flared, and he pounded a fist into the rock. It drew blood.

  “That’s my brother!” he roared, jumping out from behind the rock.

  Everyone within earshot turned to look his way.

  Hectar brought his sword up over Ion again, holding it with two hands behind his head. Kuba clutched his Godstone, power flooding through him, blending with his rage.

  “YOU BASTARD!” Kuba focused all his seething anger on the area directly above Hectar, and the sky began to crackle. “Ahh!” He roared, gathering all his energy. He brought his fist out in front of him and pulled it down.

  A massive bolt of lightning conjured out of thin air. It came down, cutting through the sky, straight at Hectar.

  Kuba watched as Hectar looked up at the bolt and smirked. He brought his sword over his head, but instead of bringing it down on Ion and Aurelia, he tossed it straight up into the air.

  Kuba’s heart sank as he realized what was happening. His lightning bolt suddenly veered off course and collided with the flying sword. Clashes echoed across the beach as the bolt and the sword made contact. The lightning ricocheted off it, and smaller bolts scattered in all directions. The fighting stopped as people ducked away from the rogue shockwaves.

  The electrified sword fell to the ground.

  “So you are the Lightning-Wielder they are all looking for,” Hectar said, walking towards Kuba.

  Kuba panted, suddenly exhausted. He needed to catch his breath.

  “Kuba, Run! RUN!” Aurelia shouted as she dragged Ion’s limp body away from Hectar. Kuba’s stomach dropped at the sight of his brother’s lifeless form.

  “You out of tricks, little guy?” Hectar teased.

  Kuba hunched over, drained. He was fighting to stay connected to his Godstone. He fell to one knee and leaned on his balled fist.

  “You’d better do what the girly said.”

  “No,” said Kuba defiantly, pulling himself up straight.

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “I said, no!”

  “You’re brave. I’ll give you that, kid.”

  Kuba looked directly at Hectar. His face was cut and melted, but it was the look in his eye—the murderous look—that truly made him seem like a monster.

  A low rumbling noise vibrated through the air. It grew louder. Then there were screams. Everyone behind Hectar was looking out at the ocean. Kuba kept his eyes locked on his brother’s assailant, but then even Hectar turned to look at the ocean.

  Only then did Kuba felt it safe to look. Off in the distance, the water surrounding the ship in the centre of the brigade churned, and then the ship rose up on a flood of waves.

  Screams filled the air as the ship crashed down and hit the ocean floor. The sounds of the wooden vessel breaking echoed across the water. And then the water collapsed overtop of it.

  The noise continued as another ship, this time a rowboat, was sucked into the ocean.

  Kuba’s eyes widened.

  It was Vincent.

  Chapter 48

  Spearield, 1st Day of the Month of Fire, 1114 A.F.F.

  Vallich rode atop Arion at the bottommost depths of the ocean. As the ships had sailed on the waves above, he had followed the Línea Inconnu from below instead, having pushed the water away, creating a pocket of air around himself. The journey had been dark except for his torch and while he sometimes had trouble seeing the Línea from below, there had been a clear delineation of temperature between the colder northern waters and the warmer Southern Sea.

  Vallich rode up below the ships, fish swimming all around him. He could see the rowboats already in the water. He pulled on Arion’s reins, drawing her to a halt. The energy he was expending was wearing him down. He clutched at his water Godstone; it was simple enough to hold the water back, but there was a lot of pressure, and he had been at it all night.

  A flash of bright light flooded the sky above the ocean, its brightness even piercing through the water. Lightning. The kid finally did it.

  Vallich turned towards the nearest ship, the one right in the centre of the brigade. The Jewel. He felt the rush of his Godstone flow through him as he began another wield. He reached out and imagined pulling the water out from under the ship.

  The water followed his motions; the entire ocean quivered in response. The ship, with nothing left to float on, crashed down to the ocean floor. Vallich smirked, one down. He released his hand and the water he had raised above the ship came crashing down on top of it.

  His attention turned to a nearby rowboat. With the same motion, he sank it, too. Then he did it again to a larger vessel a little further off.

  Sinking the larger vessel knocked the wind out of him. The water around him started to pulse inward. He caught it, but his space had become much smaller. Demanding so much from an unfamiliar Godstone was draining.

  The air around him was stale. He knew he needed to break this water wield soon.

  He clicked his heels against Arion, and they began riding towards the shore. He had one last thing to do to ensure his plan worked. He had to kill Hectar.

  Arion whisked them up the slope of sand, the sounds of water flowing beside them, calming Vallich. This would be the start of his era.

  They burst through the surface of the water, not far from the beach. Vallich felt rejuvenated, breaking his ties with the water Godstone. He smiled at the sight of the beach; the shores were a bloodbath. He put his water Godstone in his pocket with one hand and jostled the reins with the other.

  Arion sprinted forward through the chest-deep waters. As they approached, more and more people stopped to stare.

  Some started firing arrows and wields at him, but Arion was agile and easily dodged the uncoordinated attacks.

  Vallich scanned the beach for his prey.

  There he was, on the south end of the massive rock. His face was disfigured and he looked haggard, but the armour was unmistakable.

  “HECTAR!” Vallich screamed.

  “You!” Hectar yelled across the beach. “TRAITOR!”

  Hectar turned to face Vallich, and Arion galloped straight at him.

  Vallich drew his elbow back, taking aim. He flung his arm out in front of him, sending a diamond spear right through Hectar’s eye socket.

  Aurelia held on to Ion’s motionless body as she watched the spear fly through the air and into Hectar’s head. The entire battlefield seemed to stop in that moment. It happened so quickly, she barely saw it, but something was eerily familiar.

  “It’s Vincent!” Aurelia heard Kuba shout as he ran towards her.

  Aurelia looked from Vincent to Hectar. She got off her knees, gently laying Ion’s head down in the sand. She walked over to Hectar’s body. A glimmering spear jutted out of his eye.

  “Get away from him, Kuba!” yelled Aurelia, conjuring fire between her palms.

  Kuba was between Aurelia and Vincent, and he stopped in his tracks.

  “What’s wrong?” he said.

  “Aurelia, let me—”

  Aurelia didn’t let Vincent finish before lobbing a fireball at his head. A diamond shield formed in front of him and the fire bounced off it.

  “Kuba! Get behind me now!”

  “What's going on?” Kuba as
ked as he scurried behind her. “It’s Vince!”

  Aurelia kept her one hand cradling a fireball up in the air, never taking her eyes off Vallich. She used her other hand to push Kuba behind her.

  “He lied. That is Vallich. He is the one who killed my father.”

  “What?”

  “Go help your brother. This is my battle.”

  Vallich stepped forward. “Aurelia, I’ve come to help. I saw them coming and I followed—”

  “Liar!” She shot a fireball at him. He deflected it with a flick of his sword. “You killed my father!” she shouted. “You’re the reason we lost the war.”

  “And I will be the reason you win the next one,” he said. She watched as his hand twitched twice and two spears went whirling past her head. She glanced back. Two approaching soldiers lay dead on the beach, impaled by the diamond weapons.

  “You need me,” he continued. “Besides, if I wanted to kill you, I could have done so ages ago.”

  She hesitated. Her body trembled violently and her teeth ground together. She had dreamt about this moment, about finally getting her revenge. But they had been losing until Vallich killed Hectar. She glanced out on the ocean; some of the rowboats were even turning around. Another spear flew past her and she heard the dying breath of another soldier behind her.

  “You want to kill me?” said Vallich, opening his arms out wide. “Go ahead! I won’t stop you. I deserve it.”

  Aurelia widened her fingers, and a fireball grew. She clenched her other fist so tight her nails dug into her palm.

  “This isn’t a trick. Go for—”

  Aurelia launched a small burst of flames through the air, right at Vallich’s chest. The fire hit him square on, knocking him off his feet and searing through his robes. She brought her arm down and stood straight, still clutching her Godstone tightly. He had actually let her do it.

  He rolled around in the sand, trying to put out the flames. She watched him closely, her heart filled with intense hatred.

  “You couldn’t kill me?” he coughed, rolling onto his knees. He had a deep burn on his chest.

  “I chose not to,” Aurelia replied. “We do need your help.”

  “At your service,” he said, still wincing in pain. “Whatever you need.”

  “I need you to take out some boats.”

  Kuba held Ion closely. His brother was breathing, but barely. Every inhale made a terrible gurgling sound. Kuba knew that Ion was fighting for his life. They had managed to stop the bleeding, Aurelia using her fire to heat up her blade to cauterize the wound.

  The fighting was nearly over. Almost all of the large ships had been sunk by Vincent—no, Vallich—who was now on the platform atop the rock with Aurelia, and the rowboats were retreating. Several soldiers were left stranded on the beach. A few were still fighting the Free-Wielders, but most had dropped their weapons and surrendered.

  “Don’t worry, Ion,” said Kuba, his eyes welling with tears. “As soon as this is done, we’ll get you some help. You’ll be okay.”

  He looked down at his brother’s face. Even unconscious, he looked like he was in pain. By the position of his right arm, it looked like Hectar had managed to slice right through Ion’s collarbone. Kuba looked around. Even though the soldiers were leaving, everyone was still fighting.

  The gurgling stopped. Kuba held his own breath.

  “Ion?”

  With another gurgle, Ion’s breathing started again, but it was fainter than before.

  Kuba cried out. Ion couldn’t die—not because he’d picked up a stupid rock.

  A noise from behind caught his attention. A soldier was stumbling towards them, limping on an injured leg. A dead Free-Wielder lay in his path.

  “Go away!” Kuba shouted. “You’ve lost.” He did not want to fight, but the soldier didn’t stop. Kuba stood and turned around, placing himself between Ion and the soldier. “Go home while you can!”

  The soldier smirked, his eyes glossing over white. A Wielder.

  “Oh, skies,” said Kuba as the soldier broke into a limping run.

  “No… no, no, no.” He bent over to pick up his Godstone, fumbling it before getting a good grip and standing back up.

  The soldier was quick despite his limp, and Kuba ran towards the water, trying to draw him away from Ion. The soldier followed. Kuba gripped his Godstone tightly as he sprinted along the shore towards the centre of the long strip. He looked back over his shoulder to see the soldier chasing him and Ion laying undisturbed on the beach behind them. A wave of relief flooded over him; at least the soldier wasn’t going after his brother.

  Kuba clutched his Godstone and tried to concentrate. He felt its power, but it was faint. He was distracted and tired. He whirled around and stood his ground, knowing he would have to at some point. The soldier stopped as well.

  The man’s chest armour started to melt off him. It gathered around his arm to create a long, double-edged sword. From his shoulder to the sand, his arm was encased with metal. The soldier screamed and ran at Kuba.

  Kuba angled himself sideways and took a few deep breaths. He looked at the oncoming soldier and then dropped his head. He clutched his Godstone with his left hand. His right hand shot up, fingers outstretched.

  Lightning erupted from his palm.

  Chapter 49

  Spearield, 1st Day of the Month of Fire, 1114 A.F.F

  The lightning struck the soldier, blasting him across the beach and knocking him into the sand.

  Kuba took a couple steps towards where the man lay in the sand, to get a better view and to make certain he was actually unconscious. When he was satisfied, he turned back to Ion.

  At least, to where Ion had been.

  “Ion,” Kuba said, looking around the beach frantically. He could feel his heartbeat quicken. He paced across the beach. Perhaps Aurelia had taken him?

  “Aurelia, where are you guys?” Kuba called.

  When he got no response, he plowed into the waters, looking out at the boats leaving the island. “Ion!”

  Kuba dropped to his knees in the ocean. The hot sun beamed down from overhead—dawn had turned into midday. He splashed the waters with his hands. He’d only been gone for a few minutes. “Somebody took him,” he said under his breath, “they must’ve.”

  Ion was gone.

  Kuba yelled out in frustration.

  “Kuba, what’s wrong?” said Gentry from behind him.

  Kuba didn’t turn around. He just kept staring out into the distant ocean. “Ion’s gone.”

  “You mean… dead?”

  “No, I mean gone,” said Kuba, slapping the water again. “Someone took him. See?” He pointed towards the footprints in the sand.

  “Kuba, those could be anyone's.”

  “No, someone took him and it’s all my fault. I should have stayed with him.”

  Kuba heard Gentry wade out into the water. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

  “And there are no boats nearby!” cried Kuba. “He just disappeared into thin air.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  “How can anyone possibly believe in the impossible anymore?” Kuba said. He turned to look back at Gentry. “What should we do?”

  “We need to stick to our plan,” said Gentry. “If the United Azanthean Army took him, we will fight to get him back.”

  Kuba wiped his tears; the salty ocean water on his hands stung his eyes. “I’ll kill them.”

  “Kuba, you don’t mean that.”

  “I do! Just like I killed the guy over there.” Kuba nudged his head in the direction of the Wielder he had electrocuted. “Whoever took my brother is as good as dead.”

  Rohan stumbled out of the trees where he had been hiding and onto the long sandbar. The remaining Free-Wielders were gathered by Elara’s house. He felt dazed. He had picked Azanthea as the winning side, and he had been wrong.

  He looked down at his hands. They were shaking. Rohan felt like he was going to throw up as he made his way across the beach. Each step thro
ugh the sand dragged him down further. The crowd was gathered around Elara’s body.

  Elara. His brilliant bride. The fearless leader of the people he betrayed. All to protect his daughter. A daughter who didn’t even recognize him as her father. A daughter who would now die. Or perhaps not—no one knew of his betrayal, and they never had to.

  But he needed to get back to Libby. The country was now on the brink of war, and he needed to make sure she was on the right side of it.

  Rohan began to push through the small crowd towards the spot where he’d murdered his wife.

  “Rohan,” said Gentry, blocking his way. His own dirty face was streaked with tears.

  “Let me go.”

  “You don’t want to see this.” Gentry pushed on his chest. He was strong.

  “I do.”

  He pushed past Gentry and made his way to the other side of the crowd. There she was.

  “We tried to find her Godstone, but it must have been taken,” said a young woman with long, braided hair. It reminded him of how Elara would sometimes wear hers.

  Rohan fell to his knees beside his wife. He clasped his head in his hands and wept. The crowd fell silent around him. “Someone cover her,” he whispered.

  Nobody moved.

  “Now!”

  The crowd started bustling around him, and then one of her white gowns was draped over her.

  “Rohan, we have much to discuss,” said Gentry.

  Rohan grunted.

  “You are the last of Elara’s advisors. Samantha and Robert are both dead.”

  Rohan looked up at his friend, whose eyes shone with tears. He stood and wrapped his arms around Gentry. “I am so sorry, brother,” said Rohan. He knew that he deserved all his misery, but Gentry didn’t deserve any.