Fallen Paladin (The Paladin's Curse Book 2)

by Kristell Carnie

  “Thank you, Karadese, for everything you have done for me. I haven’t been completely honest with you, and I’m sorry for that. What I need from you now is to not be afraid.” I glance up at her, needing her to see the extent of my seriousness.

  “I will not hurt you, trust me.”

  Before she has time to answer I close my eyes, bringing forth Blay’s image, reimagining the whole scene as I did before, but this time instead of only letting my connection to Blay guide me, I open up my mind to the void inside myself, using the fear to propel me as it morphs into desires of anger and hostility.

  There it is, the link which has joined us since I cut his finger from his hand and placed his ring onto my wrist. The bond never once shattered, left to simmer, dormant inside my veins until the moment I could not escape.

  I can feel him, Garvien, sense his energy as if he is standing right next to me. His vibration is shallower than I remember it, his essence seeping away, being replaced by one far stronger than him.

  Veridom’s energy springs forth, his soul begging to call me to him. It takes all of my strength to push aside his hungry desire and suddenly I’m aware of why Garvien no longer has the strongest pull. He is less than me, no more than a grunt worker in the pack of beings that bind us.

  It’s so easy to sink into the Hive mentality. I feel my body begin to transform, the ease of which the talons slip free and my teeth sharpening to weapons, no longer takes me by surprise like it clearly does Karadese. I hear her gasp and part of me wants to pull back, to hide away from this monster I’m becoming. But at the back of my mind, I know I’m doing this not only for her, but Blay too.

  Garvien’s energy grows weaker and I have to fight to hang on to it. He’s becoming nothing, once a leader, a Beta, someone important to his kind. Now, without the ring, he is no one and that fact drives him insane.

  Every muscle in my body is contracted, poised to fight, filled with so much adrenaline I can literally feel my veins bulging through my skin.

  Blocking out Veridom is taking its toll. I can’t sustain this level of intrusion without letting go completely, and I can’t do that, not yet, I can’t break under this pressure until I have Karadese and Blay back to safety.

  I have to use every ounce of my willpower to pull my connection to Garvien to the surface. It’s there, twirling around inside me, a special bond which links us, only us. A peculiar link the others can’t feel, simply because we are the only two who have endured the bracelet’s curse.

  We are the only ones who have had this band embedded into our flesh, our blood crossing paths and connecting us beyond anything physical, to a place where our souls join, a place I’d usually run from, but now embrace like it’s my last hope.

  I use Garvien’s connection to fill in the missing details of Blay’s location, the image as clear in my mind as if I was standing in the dungeon right now.

  My eyes fly open to see a clear, stable blackened hole cut out in front of us. I glance towards Karadese, ignoring the hurt in my heart when she flinches back from the new me.

  I’m still mostly me, distorted into something not human, yet my mind still takes possession of the mangled body which leads the way through the portal, not stopping to ensure Karadese follows me, I know she will, no matter how terrified she is, she’d follow me to hell if it meant she could save her son, and Zantron can’t be that much different to hell.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The smell hits me first, not the sulphuric scent which seeps from the ground and works its way into your pores to linger for days, no matter how many times you scrub rose scented cleanser across your skin. No this is different, a scent which symbolises a horror which waited just beyond the reach of the Eidolon Eye’s vision. One which wafts up, embedding into your nostrils, and churns your stomach, threatening to empty its contents all over your shoes.

  I glance around me, my hardening heart barely reacting to the piles of bones littering the ground, all in varies stages of decay, too many bearing the gnawing marks of triangular teeth.

  “Someone’s been a bad boy,” I remark.

  “Pardon?” Karadese’s eyes are wild, her fingers deathly white as she grips onto her sword like her life depends on it, which I suppose it does.

  It takes me a moment to realise why she’s so terrified. This is her first time back on Zantron since her own abduction, a place she vowed to never return to. I know first-hand that it’s not easy, and having me - distorted into something similar to a creature she loathes - by her side, will be making this so much harder.

  “These people have been consumed,” I try to put it nicely, while trying not to pierce my lip on my newly sharpened teeth. “From my time kept here I learned that only those sacrificed on the ‘Death Rock’ are permitted to be eaten, and only in the presence of the group. For there to be remains hidden away from the others, then someone has gone against those rules. And I’m willing to bet who that would be.”

  “Garvien,” she whispers, her voice flat.

  “The one and only.”

  Turning in a full circle I can see we are in a cavern, the opening large enough to fit several people, dead or alive. There is no indication of Blay or Garvien which doesn’t make any sense. I had connected to both of them, their energy had allowed me to create the portal, why then are we in the middle of nowhere?

  Our only hope lays in one of the two tunnels leading out from the cavern, neither of which give any indication of what way to go.

  I find myself staring off into the distance, looking at nothing but blackened, rocky walls as my mind wanders, reaching out with tendrils of awareness, assessing our surroundings as if I’m unravelling a maze, and like the ping of a rubber band, it all becomes clear.

  “Quickly!” I turn grabbing Karadese by the arm and nearly scratching her with my talons. Stupid, the last thing I need is a comatose queen to drag around too.

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Look, it’s too hard to explain right now,” I growl over my shoulder as I start trying to drag her along. When she refuses to budge I have no choice but to spill out the details as quickly as possible.

  “Basically, to create the portal I had to connect to both Blay and Garvien. For some reason, instead of emerging in front of either of them, it’s plonked us directly in the middle of them. Which is both good and bad. It means they are both in this cave system, and they are not currently together.”

  “You can feel them?” Karadese’s voice is full of doubt.

  “Yes, I can feel them both. And if I can sense them, then that means Garvien can feel me too, and I don’t have to explain how bad that is.”

  With the fear of Garvien close by, Karadese doesn’t object any longer and we start running towards the tunnel to the left, hoping that my senses are correct and I’m not just leading us headfirst into a whole lot of trouble.

  The only light to guide our way seeps down through the thin cracks in the rocks above us, making our path more treacherous, and yet strangely working to heighten my senses.

  My vision changes automatically, the darkness no longer limiting my sight. Somehow I adapt to the blackness engulfing us, it’s as if I’m wearing night vision goggles. Things aren’t crystal clear, but I have no difficulty seeing my way.

  Karadese stumbles behind me, and even though I want to race on ahead, I can’t expect her to be able to keep up with my new ability.

  “Hold my arm, I’ll lead the way.”

  Her grip is vice-like, even against my armour, and I can feel a small tremor racing through her muscles. I have to push down the thought that she’s reacting to me and not just the fear of Garvien closing in on us.

  With each step I take, the sense of something else takes hold inside my chest. The Hive mentality has sprung to life, reaching out to me as if welcoming me home.

  It’s all consuming and I have to fight to push it down, to block out the one being who calls to me above all others.

  Veridom knows I’m here. He feels my presen
ce inside his blood as clearly as I feel his. Karadese’s blood ancestor is on his way, which is only going to make things so much worse.

  I can’t escape the energies trying to invade my mind, all vying for attention. It’s as if every Zantronian being is speaking to me, urging me to complete an unknown process, to finish what I’ve unwittingly started. I get a sense of each of them, their well-being, their feelings, their desires. It’s incredibly confronting and ultimately becomes too much.

  I lose my footing and stumble to the ground, my hands wrapping around my head as if that will somehow block out the energies drumming inside my mind. The bracelet sears against my skin, the poisonous burn spreading up my arm, desperate to engulf my entire body. The longer I stay connected to the Hive, the more it takes control, dredging me down deeper into a metamorphosis I can’t escape.

  “Get up!” Karadese yells, although I can barely hear her over the commotion inside my mind.

  All I can do is groan as the pain increases, the cool icy magic of the Nevithan racing across my skin does nothing to soothe the excruciating torture. The deeper I’m drawn into the collective energy, the more my body converts into something else.

  I can feel my muscles thicken, expanding with a newfound strength and I lurch forward, my fingers digging into the rocky earth easily, ripping apart the ground as if it’s purely sand.

  Karadese kneels down, grabbing my face in her hands, forcing my head up so she can look me dead in my distorted eyes.

  Even in this dim light, she can see the changes which are transforming me into something she doesn’t recognise, but to her credit she doesn’t back away. Forever surprising me with her inner strength, she pulls me closer, and I struggle to see past the blinding pain crushing my will, to take in her unwavering strength mixed with a love like no other I’ve ever experienced.

  Her lips move and I fight to hear her words, to feel the pure goodness which seeps out of her, not wanting to be trapped in this darkness which threatens to pull me down.

  Gently her call reaches me through the countless voices screaming inside my head. The love which sings in her voice dulls everything else out, and finally I’m able to focus, to see beyond the all-consuming Hive. I cling on to her, to the words she demands I hear, to the truth she so completely believes with her entire soul.

  “Rayna, you are stronger than this. Your heart is pure and good. There is no evil in you, I promise you this. You must fight against the powers which ravish you right now. You must never let them take control, not now, not ever. Fight, Rayna. Fight for me, fight for Blay and fight for you. Don’t let them take anything else away from you. Your soul is stronger than them, now it’s time to prove it.”

  I swallow forcefully, my head hanging forward as I let her words encase me, like an impenetrable shield. Her faith in me provides the added strength I need to push back at the energies attacking my mind, and bit by bit, I beat them back, separating their voices from my own and giving me enough space to take back the control I so closely came to losing completely.

  “We don’t have much time.” I grab hold of her arm and she lifts me to my feet, the lights from my skin illuminating her face enough for me to clearly see the love she has for me has chased away any fear she tried to keep hidden.

  We start to run again and with each step, I work to separate myself from the connection to the Zantronian Hive. I no longer need to sense Blay or Garvien to get what I want, we are nearly there now and I’m scared that if I hold onto that bond I might lose myself forever.

  My lungs scream out to slow down, to rest, as my body changes back into my own form. The added strength and vitality, which are the only real benefits of changing into a different species, quickly evaporates, leaving me weaker and more of a liability.

  I struggle to keep up with Karadese who now takes the lead, the yo-yoing transformation zapping my energy to the point where I feel ready to lie down and give up.

  When we round a corner and see light pouring into the darkened tunnel my heart leaps. We are there, I feel it in my bones. Blay is just up ahead.

  Karadese can sense it too, the hope giving her the extra strength to sprint on ahead; so when she comes to a sudden standstill I’m not expecting it and I plough right into her back.

  “What the hell?” I gasp, drawing back so I won’t accidentally spear myself with one of her weapons.

  She reaches out, stopping me as I go to step around her and suddenly all that I can picture is Blay. That must be the reason she has stopped her pursuit, becoming a statue and holding me back, all in the hopes I don’t see what she sees, which must surely be Blay’s dead body.

  The images ricocheting against my skull are too much to bear. I have to know. I have to see for myself that we are too late, that it’s all been for nothing.

  With a giant shove of her arm, I push passed her, my eyes sweeping the scene in front of us, terrified of what I might see.

  Polar opposite emotions collide within me and it takes all my strength to remain standing there and not run head first into the cavern without planning my next move.

  Tremendous relief comes first, causing me to audibly sigh. My shoulders relax as my heart surges with happiness when I see Blay, his arms still shackled above his head, each ridge of his bones protruding beneath skin and muscle in a body which has been starved and beaten. He is alive and that’s all that matters, no matter what his eyes, filled with horror, try to plead to me.

  Slowly I drag my gaze away from him, wanting nothing more than to run to his side, free him of his chains and take him home, but I can’t, not yet at least.

  I turn my attention to the obstacle standing between Blay and us. The momentary relief subsides, being replaced with fear that seems to follow me around like a black cloud.

  With Zaneth by my side we might have stood a chance, we would at least go down fighting. I can only hope that by now he has found my note, that he will find the portal I deceptively left open in the hopes that he will find us in time. Without him, the odds are definitely against us.

  “Well, this is a surprise!” Veridom’s words are stuttered, as if he hasn’t spoken in this human-appearing form for some time.

  I know it’s him, the traitorous prince, although I have never seen the king transform in front of me before. Even if the cursed band wasn’t clearly visible on his finger, the black gem gleaming as dark as his soul, I would still recognise him from the photos I found hidden within the book that still rests against my back. He hasn’t changed at all from the tall, forbidding, raven-haired man who stood, fully armed, next to the brother whom he would eventually betray.

  “The Queen of Prytora and the future Queen of Zantron, together as if they are one!” He throws his head back in laughter, the sound booming around the large cavern and grating down my spine.

  Karadese doesn’t flinch at his words, her mask of control is well practised and even though she doesn’t understand what he is hinting at, she doesn’t react in any way.

  I try to match her staunch exterior, refusing to let it show just how much he’s getting to me. Feigning bravery, I assess the guards flanking him, six of them in total and each in their Zantronian form. Damn it all.

  “I fear your union won’t last, my lovelies. Two queens on opposite sides of the cause will only tear each other apart. That’s if I don’t beat you to it first.” He smiles widely, making my skin crawl.

  “Although let us be honest here, the spectacle of it all will be entertaining to watch.”

  The guards emit their purr-like vibration of happiness, obviously enjoying their master’s taunts. It seems that their loyalty to the king outweighs any that they have for me. One thing is for sure, the sound has put me off cats forever.

  “Release my son, Veridom,” Karadese’s clear voice booms throughout the cavern. If she is afraid, she certainly doesn’t show it. The woman before me is the queen I know, strong, determined and unwilling to relinquish what is hers.

  “Now why would I do that?” Veridom smirks, this sit
uation becoming nothing but a game for him, yet something darkens in his tawny eyes, agitation almost, as if he’s been taken by surprise.

  Did he not know Blay was Karadese’s son? Or perhaps what is bothering him is that he didn’t even realise Blay was down here in the first place? Has Garvien’s weakening powers also provided a blind spot in their connection? I keep my eyes glued to Veridom, hoping to find some leverage that I might be able to manipulate at some point.

  “Your second in command has acted on his own will. Once upon a time any action taken without your consent was punishable by death. Are you going soft in your old age, Veridom?” Karadese smiles sweetly as Veridom’s face hardens.

  He doesn’t like being questioned about his leadership and I wonder if maybe he too can feel the sense of restlessness and desperation which follows Garvien like a bad smell. Even before my escape and ultimately stealing his band, Garvien was sly. I could see it in his shifty eyes, the way he would tense up whenever he was ordered to do anything. Garvien doesn’t like being second and now, without the bracelet, he is less than even that, and that fact alone makes him far more dangerous than ever before.

  “Garvien is a loyal partner.” Veridom shifts his gaze from us to openly scrutinise Blay.

  Impulsively I step forward, hating the calculating gleam in Veridom’s eyes but Karadese reaches out, her thin hand grasping my arm tightly to keep me in place. Right now, our every movement has to be premeditated. No matter how much I want to race to Blay’s side, I can’t, not until the moment is right.

  “And it seems he has produced us with a marvellous opportunity. As a ruler yourself, Queen Karadese, I assume you allow the occasional indiscretion when the outcome undoubtedly benefits your kind.”

  Karadese can hear the change in his voice as clearly as I do. The fun and games are over. Veridom is bored playing with us, now he wants his prize and with the way he is glaring at both of us, I’m unsure what his objective actually is.

  “I escaped from you once before, Veridom.” Karadese tries to take control of the situation again, not backing down for a moment.