by Bronwyn Eley
‘You have to leave here,’ I said firmly, hoping she would meet my blazing eyes. But she simply stared out the window. ‘I just overheard Thorn saying Bellamy was spotted near Notth River. I came to warn you.’
She scoffed, just as something inside me twisted painfully. I bent forward, spitting out a breath. Her gentle hand rubbed my shoulder.
‘You need to leave, Jesper,’ I managed.
‘He won’t allow it.’
‘Stay, and you risk getting yourself killed when Bellamy comes calling for your husband.’
‘If,’ she corrected, pulling a blanket from the back of her chair. She wrapped it around herself and pulled it up to her chin, shaking her head. ‘He won’t breach this city, let alone this castle.’
‘Maybe you underestimate him.’
‘Maybe you overestimate him,’ Jesper countered, shifting in her seat. She fixed me with a piercing stare that made me want to look away. ‘Do you want this?’
I must have paused for too long. She closed her eyes and her face contorted as if holding back tears.
‘Jesper –’
‘The longer this continues, the longer people suffer.’ She threw off her blanket. ‘Do you think Rennard deserves this?’
I stayed silent.
‘Maybe he does deserve it, I’m not sure.’ She breathed heavily, chest heaving. ‘Please leave.’
‘It’s going to happen, Jesper. He has help inside this castle.’ She shot an accusing look up at me. ‘Not me.’
Liar.
‘How would you know something like that, then?’
‘Get out while you can,’ I stressed.
‘And go where?’
‘Home to your family.’ I knelt down and took her hands in mine. ‘One of us should.’
She pulled one hand away and lay it gently on my shoulder. ‘I don’t want to leave, Kaylan.’
‘How –’
‘Please,’ she sighed, eyes closed. It was enough to silence me. When she finally opened her eyes, she gazed over the top of my head, to the gardens outside. ‘I want to be here.’
I waited. When she didn’t say more, I spoke, my throat tight. ‘I don’t understand.’
She smiled down at me. ‘I’m glad.’
She released her hand, her attention once again lost to her gardens.
I left quietly and made my way to Rennard’s chambers. Would Bellamy be able to find a way into Edriast, into the castle? I could only hope he did before the Relic finally claimed me.
No one had ever survived the magic after being exposed for so long. Even if I did get away, there was no way of knowing if I would ever truly recover.
But no matter what, if Bellamy did what he came to do, then maybe I could go home.
After what seemed like hours of work, the doors slammed open and Rennard strode heavily into the room. I stood and faced him, but he walked straight past me and to the window. Throwing it open, he drew in a deep breath. With shaking hands, I returned to work, pretending that nothing was awry.
A few moments later, Thorn hurried into the room. He placed a hand to his chest to steady his breathing. His cheeks bulged for a moment, his face contorting with pain, before he swallowed and let out a shuddering breath. I took in the sickly sight of him. Though it was harder to tell on a man his size, I realised that he, too, had lost weight. Lirr had said he was spending more time than usual around Rennard. It seemed it was taking a toll. Warmth tickled my chest for a moment to know that he was in pain, that I wasn’t the only one.
Rennard started shouting.
‘Again!’ He spun around to face his captain. I kept my hands busy. ‘How does one man just vanish? Tell me, Thorn!’
While Rennard kept his eyes trained on Thorn, the captain certainly noticed my presence. I could feel his eyes on me as I worked.
‘Lord Rennard, I assure you, he is not getting inside this city, let alone this castle.’ Thorn was grasping. ‘My men will not let –’
‘Your men?’ Rennard seethed. ‘You mean the same men who let him slip by all the other well-guarded defences that were meant to protect the Ediann bloodline? Those guards, Thorn?’
Rennard’s arm lashed out and slammed the window shut. The force shattered a small pane of glass. I kept my head low but my eyes on the scene. Thorn took a step back. He shot a look at me, his eyes desperate.
Rennard’s advancing footsteps halted. ‘Kaylan?’
My head snapped up. He was staring as if he had just noticed me.
‘What are you doing in here?’
Confused, I answered, ‘My chores?’
Every guilty thought came crashing into my head. I’ve passed them information, my lord. I’m considering telling them more. It’s all to protect my brother. Remember him? If you hurt him, I’ll ki—
But Rennard turned back to Thorn, who was noticeably trembling.
‘Remember this, Thorn,’ he growled. ‘You may have served my family for a long time, and I may consider you a friend. But if I go down, I will take you with me.’
The captain said nothing as Rennard brushed past him and out of the room.
Alone again with Thorn. I watched him closely, waiting for his next threat – a mocking insult about the bruise on my jaw, or a comment on how much he enjoyed hurting my little brother. Somehow, his silence shook me worse than anything.
Finally, he drew his head back and straightened his posture, still taking no notice of me. Then he turned and left without a word.
Things were getting worse. Jesper had become a shell of her former self; Thorn had lost all interest in tormenting me, and Rennard’s mood could be felt everywhere he went. Blazing heat rolled off him. The pain pierced my skin whenever I was close, each time more powerful than the last. That told me he was afraid, using the Relic like a shield, actively weakening those around him. But would it stop Bellamy?
My spinning head swayed me from side to side as I headed to the dining hall. I reached the doors and rested against them, taking a moment before going in.
‘You’re not doing enough,’ I heard Rennard snarl from inside. ‘Find him and put a stop to this.’
‘Lord Rennard –’ It was Garet.
‘Or I will impart the same courtesy on your family as he has on mine.’
I held my breath.
‘I have requested more men for the search,’ Garet said desperately. I pictured his new little boy, unaware of the threat against his innocent life. ‘But you know Bellamy. We won’t find him, not if he wants to stay hidden.’
‘Tell me, how old was Lord Dreu’s niece?’ Rennard’s every word was coated in fearful hatred.
The silence seemed to drag.
‘Six years old.’
Rennard scoffed. ‘An honourable man, your brother. Murdering children.’
‘My lord –’
‘Bellamy always did have a streak of your mother’s madness in him,’ Rennard continued loudly. ‘Reckless or spirited, the word doesn’t matter. We know who he takes after, and considering what happened to her, that doesn’t instil me with a lot of hope.’
‘If I may, my lord,’ Garet began hotly. ‘You have sent word to your remaining family members for their safety. If you would tell us their new locations, my men can get to them before Bellamy does.’
‘And risk more betrayal?’ Rennard hissed. ‘I told you to find your traitorous brother, not put my family in even more danger. They are in hiding. And it’s going to stay that way until your brother is dealt with.’ I flinched at the anger in his voice. My body trembled.
This had to end, one way or another – either with Bellamy’s death or Rennard’s.
Markus’ strong hand enveloped mine. I could feel it, but I didn’t acknowledge his comfort. My eyes stayed focused on the stone in front of me. Surrounded by others marked with messages to loved ones who had passed, the one before me remained blank.
A cold grave waiting for a name.
Markus reached into his pocket and pressed a small knife into my hand. ‘Go on.’
‘Write his name,’ Markus explained, gesturing to the gravestone. It mocked my approach. My legs gave way and my knees crashed to the ground in front of it. I raised my shaking hand and touched metal to stone.
‘Write it,’ he urged.
My hand moved. When it stopped, I released the knife and looked at what I had written. A name.
Elias Rove.
Pulled suddenly from sleep, I felt my every muscle aching. The familiar discomfort of my bed against my back. I rolled my shoulders and the muscles tightened further.
A hand touched mine. I dragged my eyes open, seeing only black, and parted my lips.
‘Don’t speak,’ Jesper urged, placing a hand on my shoulder. ‘You’ve not been well. You’ve been asleep for more than a day. You need rest.’
‘You need rest, too.’ A whisper was all I could manage.
Her tired eyes found mine. ‘I’m just fine, Kaylan. I’ve been taking care of Ren,’ she explained. ‘I enjoy the distraction.’
I shook my head but soon stopped, groaning as pain overtook my senses. Jesper placed a hand on my forehead.
‘Stop moving.’
‘What’s the point of me if I can’t work?’ I croaked. ‘What happens when I’m too sick to work? Do I get replaced?’
‘If you get too sick to work, yes, he finds someone new.’
‘So this will start all over again.’
‘That’s how it is,’ Jesper said. She tried to smooth out my hair, but her fingers caught in a tangle. She gently removed them, brushing my face instead. ‘It wasn’t always like this. Things have changed now that Bellamy ...’ she sighed. ‘Before there was a kind of harmony here. Ren and his Shadows. I’ve never seen him treat one the way he treats you.’
‘What about Keithan’s brother?’ I spat.
A pause. ‘That was different.’
The room was dark. Jesper hadn’t lit a candle, and I was grateful. My eyes stung with every movement. I reached up and took her hand. ‘How many bed-ridden invalids will you comfort before things finally change?’
‘Don’t say these things, Kaylan.’ Jesper’s voice was heavy with sadness. ‘Don’t dwell on things we can’t change.’
‘Maybe we can’t,’ I agreed. ‘But maybe there’s someone who can.’
Jesper’s hand slipped from mine and she stood. Her shadowed figure moved toward the open door and I finally saw her expression clearly. Gaunt eyes, a disapproving stare. ‘You have no idea what would happen if he succeeded.’
I tried to push myself up from the bed, but my head had other plans. I fell back and sighed. ‘Bellamy’s not too far from here,’ I explained, recalling the conversation between Rennard and Garet. ‘Lord Dreu’s niece was murdered.’
‘And this is good news for you?’ Jesper snapped, crossing her arms.
‘Of course not.’
‘That man has caused so much pain. He’s not the saviour you’re looking for.’
I swallowed and shifted to see my friend better. ‘I’m not looking to be saved. I just can’t bear the idea that, after I’m gone, those I care about will continue to suffer. That others will suffer like this.’
‘And you think the death of my husband is the best thing for this city? You don’t know what you’re saying. Yes, you will be gone, but those of us left behind will continue to survive.’ Jesper moved to the door, turned to face me. ‘The way we have always done.’
The door opened and she stormed from my sight.
I let my body sink and pulled the sheet to my chin, trying to forget the piercing stab of Jesper’s disapproving stare, but in the dark and silence of the room, it was all I could see.
With difficulty, I crawled from my bed, pulled on my shoes and headed into the grounds.
I fell a few times, grazing both hands against the stone walls as I stumbled into them, bruising my side when I knocked into a tree. My weakness followed me everywhere I went. How could Jesper not care what he had done to me?
Not to mention what he was doing to her.
That was what I couldn’t fathom. It wasn’t just my death. It wasn’t the pain my family would go through. It was that this would go on.
I headed straight for the gentle eyes of Q and the others. The outline of a small house and fences came into view, dark blurs moving this way and that. There were no clouds; the dogs’ wide eyes lit up with moonlight. I clambered over the fence, stumbling as I went, and sank to the ground.
Unable to tell which one was Q, I settled for patting any dog that came close enough to lick me. I chuckled when one got me right on the mouth, wiping the slobber away with my sleeve.
‘Hello?’ Markus called. His dark outline appeared in the doorway of the house.
‘It’s Kaylan.’ I stood and carefully moved around the dogs toward him. I could see a single candle behind him on the table. ‘What are you doing here so late?’
‘Lume gave birth the other week,’ he explained. ‘I like to spend as much time with them as I can, including the occasional sleepover.’
‘I didn’t realise you bred them, too.’
‘Have to.’ He ushered me inside. ‘But only some of them. These here are my breeders.’
That explained why he kept some of the dogs separate. The candle did little to help, but I could just make out what must have been Lume curled up in the corner with a small mass of puppies.
‘You didn’t tell me,’ I whispered, afraid to scare them. ‘How old are they?’
‘Nearly four weeks.’ He took my hand. ‘Come, I’ll introduce you.’
We shuffled closer and knelt beside them. My eyes were working better now, and I could see their dark forms even in the low light. One tumbled straight into my outstretched hands, its little body too soft and small to comprehend.
‘Support her like this.’ Markus took my hand and placed it under the puppy’s hind. She fidgeted as I pulled her close to my chest, her raw tongue licking the bottom of my chin. I laughed as I pressed my face to hers.
‘I think she prefers you.’
‘That’s a good girl,’ I cooed. ‘Men are so boring, aren’t they? We girls have to stick together.’
‘You can, you know,’ Markus said warmly.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Stick together. She can be yours, if you’d like.’
I chuckled. ‘Rennard would love that. Sorry, my lord, she’s mine now.’
‘He doesn’t have to know,’ Markus said, picking up a pup of his own. ‘Besides, he has enough good things in his life.’
Crossing my legs, I placed the puppy on my lap, hands gently guiding her over my legs as she explored. Markus wouldn’t know what was going on inside the castle. Rennard had no reason to tell him. Perhaps he suspected that something was different; Rennard’s mood was hard to miss. Not to mention the fact that Rennard had been riding less and less. Since I arrived, I hadn’t once seen him go on a hunting trip, something Markus had said he was fond of.
How long had I even been here? Meeting Rennard was never something I would forget, but other parts were a blur. I remembered seeing Jesper for the first time, but what had I said to her? What had I thought of her then? And Markus …
‘Tell me about the day we met. I’m having trouble with the details.’
Markus rubbed my arm gently, a frown burdening his kind features. I knew why he hesitated. I hadn’t been here that long, yet I couldn’t remember the day we met.
‘You were in the stables and I mistook you for Jesper’s maid,’ he chuckled. ‘There was heavy flirting on both sides.’
I laughed, my stomach clenching at the outburst. ‘That I definitely don’t remember.’
‘No?’ Markus tisked. ‘I must work to make my flirting more memorable.’
Even though my chest burned under the effort, and my stomach stabbed sharply with every jolt, I laughed again. The little girl in my hands continued to paw at my stomach, lick my hands and sniff my clothes. Markus had t
hree puppies in his lap by this point, all begging for attention, but he was watching me.
‘Name her.’ He nodded to the puppy in my lap.
‘Really?’
He nodded. ‘I need help naming them all. Besides, she’s yours now.’
I hoped Markus wouldn’t find my choice stupid. It had been a name Elias loved the idea of, back when we had hoped for a dog – something to show it would really be part of our family.
‘Rover?’
Markus smiled. ‘Kaylan Rove and Rover. I like it.’
Chapter 27
The past few days had been easier, somehow. Rennard’s mood hadn’t improved, but thanks to Markus and Rover, I now had a much-needed distraction.
Each night I turned up at the house to see Rover, knowing Markus would be there to greet me. He began teaching me how to train her. It was pointless, considering I would be dead soon, but in those few hours, we were experts at pretending I had a life beyond here.
After three nights of training, we hadn’t got very far, but Rover’s attention was locked on me from the moment I entered the room. It was the perfect way to spend my evenings, considering I wasn’t sleeping much these days.
Markus would often fall asleep in the early hours of the morning. I would continue to play with the pups, to watch them sleep, too, occasionally dozing myself.
Garet had disappeared, likely looking for his brother, and from what I could gather, Thorn spent a lot of time down in the dungeon. More than a few times I spotted shades of blood on his clothes.
The unspoken question on everybody’s minds was: where was Bellamy? Had he managed to get inside the city yet, or were Rennard’s strong walls keeping him at bay? I wasn’t sure which answer I was hoping for but, in the end, whatever Bellamy did or didn’t do likely wouldn’t affect me all too much.
I could feel it with every crushing rise and fall of my chest, every splinter of pain. I could see it in everyone’s eyes. The end wasn’t far off now.
The light had been sucked out of the castle as the setting sun disappeared behind clouds of dark grey. Lamplighters hurried to illuminate the hallways as I slowly made my way back to Rennard’s chambers. My body ached, protesting the cruel stairwell I was forced to climb. Soon I would be with Rover and Markus.