by M A Price
Still, the worst thing was Samiah.
The tall radiant blonde woman he had once contemplated risking to love, had become the reason he so desperately wanted to escape; even more than The Unforgiven.
The Unforgiven that she wanted to be part of. Wanted to offer herself to.
Her words in their heated argument hadn’t left him, day or night. Jala told him to talk to her, but what was he supposed to say? He couldn’t trust her with the truth and there was no lie that could satisfy them both or not be discovered.
He shook his head and continued heading for duty. His team would be waiting, Jala and Samiah included. It was a rare morning where he wasn’t running too late and irrelevant thoughts would be no excuse to let them down again.
Still he remembered her feverish expression; the look of complete happiness with her idea. She would give herself willingly to them, and want no thanks.
He walked towards both women who were surrounded by the rest of his team. Tyr appeared grumpier than usual. They had already been guarding the entrance for some time on the earlier patrol. Jaxon wondered if they could look at the heads surrounding the palace gates with any less disgust than he could. Did it turn their stomachs, or did they find it normal?
Saying no to Jefferson had become a crime.
The latest purge had happened three moons past. A unit brought in, the group made of Users and those who supported them. They were marched to the throne room, called traitors to their blood and given a choice. Give themselves to The Unforgiven and take the serum or have their head freshly adjourn the gates.
“The last ones are awfully old now and we do like to keep the place fresh,” Xave had cackled, and the King and his infested daughter had laughed along with him.
Jax had simply plastered the look he so often wore on to his face; the one that pretended he didn’t care. The one he had used when he watched Becca die right next to him.
The heads were ripe, creatures that somehow managed to survive in the busy streets of Tonkara had already taken their fill of whatever they found useful and left them to fester. Only twenty had made it up there. The other half had been Forced to take the serum.
Their screams had filled the palace that night, making sleep even harder than normal.
Half the reason his unit had been moved to the entrance again was to detract anyone sympathetic from daring to come near the iron gates.
Yesterday had consisted of catching two Tonkarans who had begun to be aware of what was happening here, Users in their family.
Jaxon had no choice but to order his unit after them. The young woman he found himself. He showed her somewhere to hide until the chase would be over. Ordered her to be more careful. She had seemed more terrified of his kindness than being hunted. The other, a middle-aged man with a nose more crooked than a windy tree, had not been so lucky.
He had rubbed Jala’s back as she vomited profusely after watching him die.
Samiah came towards him as he met the team.
“How has it been so far?” he asked.
“Quiet, it’s cold today, I imagine it’ll put the cowards off.” He grunted at her, refusing to either agree or disagree with her ridiculous statement.
“I ask for leave at dark Sir. I have my medical examination for the process.” He took a step back. Tyr moved just fast enough to stop Jaxon’s foot from landing on his own.
His morning had been spent thinking of things he could say to her; anything that might change her mind and stop her from giving herself over. None had come, only the memory of her smile as she watched Becca die.
“If that’s what you wish soldier,” he replied stoically. There was nothing else.
The day passed with little to do but think, orders arrived only after Samiah had triumphantly departed. It was Xave who brought them, the moon shining off his dark head.
“Your team is to keep watch through the night.”
“We haven’t slept, we need rest.”
“There is to be no rest, have you not heard?” Xave’s simper deepened, lighting every hollow of his face. He knew Jaxon hadn’t, that Jala and his men’s faces matched the blank expression he wore. “The King is sending out a battalion from here, to the Torlung Facility. Things are going to be happening there, big things soldier, and you get to watch them start.”
Over five hundred soldiers assembled in the courtyard mere hours later, all ready to ride with Xave at their head. Xave’s perilous stare made sure to bore into him before he unleashed the final order to ride. A string of handcuffed Users rode in carts between them.
“Oh no,” Jala breathed next to him, her arm breaking protocol to point to the wagon which was slowly rolling out from Jefferson’s private residence. Jax moved to look at it. His palms suddenly grew sweaty and he pulled his dishevelled hair from his eyes.
All in the vain hope he was seeing things wrong.
That perhaps he had finally snapped.
Anything that meant there wasn’t a wagon full to the brim with injections of serum going with Xave and five hundred loyal soldiers to Torlung. To a place where thousands of Users were imprisoned. The Users that The Unforgiven so desperately wanted.
“Jax…this is, this is awful,” Jala continued next to him.
Jaxon wanted to reply but there was no breath in his body to do so.
His stomach felt like he had swallowed poison and his knees were weak.
This was worse than bad.
This could be the end.
Everything they had worked for gone.
It wouldn't matter if Reyn and Katanya bought the Guild to attack the palace. The serum and those who made it had already left.
The Unforgiven would be returning in force.
Their own powers merged with their new hosts.
"The war has begun Jax." Jala held his hand and prayed.
It was all they could do.
Seventy-Five - Mara
Ivloch gave the order for everyone to return to camp and ready themselves to leave.
Yenna and Fendir began to move people, they had bags to grab and horses to ready. Mara returned the bow to Jengen as he passed.
Only herself, Ivloch, Katanya, Camrin, Reyn, and Dexter remained on the riverbank.
It was sooner than she would have liked, but time would not stop for any of them.
Katanya had put the fire out, her own well still stronger than Mara’s, who was flagging but didn’t want to admit it.
Katanya knew and she acted on it; a better friend than she would ever realise.
“We must move also,” Ivloch said and they all turned to each other.
Katanya flew at her before she had a chance to move, pulling her into a tight embrace. A hug with so much love behind it. Mara hated to lose her again so soon when she wanted her so desperately, but knew it had to happen.
“You stay alive Lars,” her best friend ordered, finally releasing her. “You convinced me to like you. Don’t you give up on me now.”
It was typical Katanya, full of attitude but also hidden truth.
“I couldn’t if I tried, and you do the same?”
It was Reyn who answered her. “I’ll keep her out of trouble and get her back to you.”
Mara wanted to tell him not to make promises he couldn’t keep whilst Katanya clearly wanted to kick him but neither of them did either thing. They just looked at each other. Took in everything and willed anyone that would listen to keep the other safe in what was coming next.
Katanya turned and hugged Camrin, a look Mara couldn’t understand exchanged between them.
“You’re stubborn so you’ll do what everyone else can’t, I know that, don’t change it. Alright? Come back,” Mara didn't understand why she believed Camrin would be going anywhere. His place was here. It was Katanya that was leaving for the palace…
“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction of not having me to compete with.” Mara still didn’t comprehend but Katanya seemed satisfied with his answer.
Katanya moved on to Dexter. She pulled him clos
e, whispering something in his ear that none of them could hear. Mara was mainly impressed he was even standing, bandages still wrapped
around his head and chest.
She saw Reyn take an involuntary step back at Katanya’s closeness with Dexter. She filed that under things to discuss with her friend if she ever got to see her again.
Dexter didn’t have words for her, but he rubbed her cheek affectionately and Katanya blushed before finally going to Ivloch.
“I’ll be the best damn soldier sir.”
“I know it.”
Mara imagined there were other words she wanted to say to him; but none came. She showed him the Mark on her left wrist that she’d received in her vow ceremony and Ivloch patted his Guardian Mark as a response. Whatever the meaning, it was a code only they understood.
Katanya didn’t look at any of them as she pushed Reyn and started walking towards the tree line. Mara knew she didn’t want to look back; didn’t want any of them to see her being what she thought of as weak.
“You need to go to Camrin, but the other way,” Ivloch sighed, a line of worry crossing his abnormally large forehead.
“I’m about to…” Camrin then, to her surprise, turned to her and pulled a letter from his breeches. He looked embarrassed. “I should have given this to you a long time ago, but I couldn’t bring myself to and I’m sorry.” He passed the parchment towards her. Her name was on the front, Mara on a spiralling script she couldn’t recall ever seeing. “I found it when Elex died. I think she left it for me to find thinking I would do the right thing. I don’t know what it says but I hope it gives you what you need Mara and…and thank you for making Idyn happy. I haven’t been the best friend recently, but I did love him.”
Mara couldn’t look away from the letter in her hand. Part of her wanted to rage at him for keeping it from her; Ivloch’s red face said he was having a similar sensation.
The other part could strangely understand. Some things needed time.
This peace between them would not last forever; she doubted they could ever be true friends. Too much had happened to create a bond, but that didn’t mean either of them had to waste time hating the other.
There were other, bigger battles to fight.
“I have something for you too,” she said, getting her own bag from her back. She took out the horn and the dagger, and passed them towards Camrin’s outstretched hand. He looked horrified. “He would want you to have them Camrin”
“Tell her, she will know soon enough,” Ivloch interrupted.
“I would love them Mara, but I can’t take them now. I’m going across the sea, we both are.” He indicated Dexter. “Can you look after them for me? I’ll be back for them, I promise.”
Mara tried to hide her surprise but failed. There was a strong chance Camrin wouldn’t be coming back to them either. Nobody had returned from across Death’s sea. He was stubborn, but could even he manage such a task?
She didn’t once let herself entertain the idea there would be nothing to come back to.
They would have to win the palace without him; one of their very best and strongest soldiers.
“I’ll take care of them Camrin…good luck. Come back.”
“I’ll do my best.” He tilted his head to Ivloch, and Dexter passed him his bag. Dexter gave Mara a brief hug and began walking alongside Camrin in the opposite direction to where Katanya and Reyn headed moments before.
Ivloch caught her attention on the letter.
A letter from Elex. Elex who had put her in this insane situation.
The envelope might contain all the answers to the questions she had upon arriving with The Guild.
All the things she had wondered on the nights since.
Elex, who chose her to bear the thing that she herself could not.
“Are you going to open it?”
“It’s going to tell me why she picked me.” She didn't know how she knew, but she knew.
“Is that a yes?”
“Do you think I should?”
“It’s not for me to say Mara, but I want you to know that it makes no difference to me. As a soldier or hopefully your friend.”
She hadn’t ever felt close to Ivloch before; always on the outside, the unexpected guest he couldn't chuck out. Just for a moment she could see why Katanya, Camrin, and Idyn all loved him quite as much as they did. Or had.
They were words that she needed to hear. Words she had always wanted to hear.
“I’m going to open it, but not today. I think she had her reasons, good or bad and I still want to know why as much as I always have…” Mara wanted to find the right words to make him understand. “I used to think why did she do this to me? As if it was a punishment, maybe it was, but I have my own reasons for doing this now. I need to figure them out before I face hers.”
“What if what is in that letter is important? What if it means something to you? To us?”
“Then maybe tomorrow I’ll open it; but I’ll do it when I’m ready.”
Ivloch chuckled; she hadn’t expected that. She finally tore her eyes from the letter and put it in her pocket.
She looked up to see Ivloch staring at her with pride.
“Whatever her reasons, she made a very good choice Mara Lars.”
She took his arm as they walked back to the camp for the final time.
It was going to be a hard road ahead, but Mara Lars was ready.
Katanya Leshi and Mara Lars will return in:
The Heir to Chaos
Coming July 2019.
You can also discover how Ivloch Youchnore became a Guardian of the Mark and met Becca in:
Ivloch
The Unforgiven Series Novella
Currently available for purchase on all Amazon Marketplaces.
Thank you so much for reading The Caged Kingdom!
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Acknowledgements
I’ve dreamed of writing one of these since I was old enough to understand what having a dream was. This story has been a long time in the making and changed several times over the years. It’s become something beautiful. I love these characters and I hope they manage to worm their way in to your heart.
As much as this has always been something I’ve wanted to do, it’s not been a journey I’ve undertaken alone. I’ve had so much wonderful support and if you’ve got this far then I hope you take a moment to see who helped bring Katanya and Mara’s story to life.
I’d like to first thank my wonderful husband Brad. You have supported me on every step of this journey, listened to me talk about the people of Brodanna for hours and still asked for more. I couldn’t have done this without your absolutely amazing helping hand and I’ll forever be grateful. You have helped me follow my dream and there is nothing more wonderful you can do for a person. I love you and I hope you know how much.
I also owe everything to my best friend, Mark. It’s rare in life that you are lucky enough to have someone who encourages and pushes you all at the right times. You yelled at me to finally write this book and for that I owe you everything. You made this absolutely incredibly cover, helped me edit, created wonderful nicknames for the characters and have been there at every step. I hope you know how much that means and I hope I can repay the favour one day.
One thing I have been truly bles
sed with in life is an incredible group of friends who have become my family. You have all cheered me on, shared the word and screamed encouragement. I won’t list you all because we would make this book longer than it already is, but you know who you are. You make my life ten times brighter and I love you, from the deepest depths of my heart.
To my mum – thank you for letting me write all over your magazines and newspapers as I grew up. I said one day it would all be worth it and hopefully it’s paid off.
Finally, to anyone reading this: I hope you have enjoyed the world of Brodanna. These characters have quite the journey to go on and with any luck you will stick around and see how it pans out. I know they would like you to. I’m eternally grateful you gave your time to read these words, I know how much that means as an avid reader myself. Please let me know what you think, leave a review, connect with me on social media or drop me an email. Nothing would make me happier.
I’ll stop and let you find your next read but I hope to see you in The Heir to Chaos for our next shared adventure.
About The Author
M.A. Price lives in Cambridge, England with her husband and army of slightly podgy cats. She’s a massive sci-fi and fantasy nerd and can usually be found watching Star Trek or reading. She has previously worked in freelance journalism but moved towards finally brining the stories from her head to life in 2018. The Unforgiven Series is her first fantasy instalment, with many more to come.