by Jamie Magee
Then I heard it again. “This way.”
In the darkness, I saw a small silhouette. It was Preston. What the hell was he doing down here?
I started to chase after him, seeing that he was moving farther away.
He disappeared. Frantically, I felt around the wall I knew he was standing by before, and when I did it swung forward. There were so many cobwebs that I doubted he could have passed through there.
But then I heard him say my name once more and saw his shadow moving in the distance.
I broke through the sticky cobwebs and charged forward into the darkness, nearly yelling his name.
Water was rushing by my feet. I hugged the wall, trying to find stones that were not slippery. Something sharp caught my jeans, ripping them across my thighs. I wasn’t that worried about it as my jeans already had holes in them.
I was far too focused on Preston. Following his emotions, I reached a makeshift stairwell made of poorly carved stones. I climbed it and when I reached the top the water was gone, but the air was cooler.
I saw a light in the distance and was sure that was the same opening that Aden was popping around within.
“Preston,” I yelled again. Nothing. Not an emotion, not a familiar energy—nothing. I went to the ledge looking for Aden. He was nowhere in sight. I was almost sure he was back with his body, wondering where the hell I went. I couldn’t see that point from where I was.
I turned and nearly slipped. The stones on the floor were loose, like something had fallen there and dislodged them. I assumed it was from the explosion this morning. What didn’t make sense was that I was almost sure ice was encasing the walls. The fog that was forming from my breath and the chills that were blanketing my skin backed that point up.
I felt like I was right where I needed to be, at least a few feet away—but something was blocking me. I didn’t care to look for any other secret passages alone, so I turned back for Aden, yelling Preston’s name as I slowly made my way back. I would halt here and there, checking to see if I could feel him.
I was sure I was losing my mind. That little boy was not even in this dimension, and he surely would not be down here in this old wing even if he was.
Right as I rounded the corner of the passage I had found, the rank smell of sulfur hit me like a brick. I lowered the torch to the water, knowing that it was painting a bull’s-eye on me. I held still against the wall, listening for anything, searching to feel anything. Nothing.
I moved forward at a staggered pace.
Out of the darkness, that odor charged toward me. I threw my energy at it, wanting to block who was behind it. I heard a body hit the opposite wall and took off in a sprint, splashing through the stream at my feet.
It wasn’t long before I ran right into a wall of man that reeked of sulfur. He had me against the wall before I could think to push him back. When I found that thought, he had such a tight hold on my tank top that the bottom half left with him.
This evil bastard was relentless. He charged me again, but before he reached me Aden appeared out of nowhere—and that dark man ran right into the blade in his hand.
“Holy shit, Aden!”
“Run!” he said to me as more and more reeking men started to emerge.
“Not leaving you,” I said as I sent a wall of energy down the path. I heard men groan and a few bodies hitting the walls, but they were still moving.
Aden turned me and pushed me down the passage. I ran, feeling him on my heels, his hand guiding me to turn when he wanted me to.
We didn’t stop until we were out of breath and the ground was dry again.
“What part of ‘wait right here’ did you not get?” he said as he struggled to find his breath.
“I saw Preston.”
“What?”
“It was him. He guided me down that hall.”
“You saw a ruse.”
I leaned forward and told my body to breathe. “They’re coming.”
“There can’t be that many. I took down three of the ones that were guarding the boat.”
“What boat?”
He looked at me, still panting as he raised his brow. “A glass boat, what’s left of it.” He pointed up. “Six floors up.”
“Guards were there?”
He nodded. “They must have known you were looking for it.” Finding his breath, he pulled my arm and pushed me to run in front of him.
“Stop,” he said a minute later. He pushed his powerful arms against the wall, and it moved. “Go in here.”
“You’re coming, too!” I argued.
He put his finger over his lips. “There is another one ahead. I’ll meet you on the other side.”
That was a lie. He knew we were at a dead end, and he was sending me through so he could stop those men from hurting me.
“Now, Maddie,” he said as his energy pushed me through the passageway. I turned to open it again, but he was holding it shut with his energy on the other side.
Nervously, I turned to see where I had emerged, knowing I was not alone simply because the stench of sulfur was gone and a deep cinnamon laced with vanilla was in the air.
The guest room was empty, but I was sure that the only way out of here would lead me right into the one place I didn’t want to be. I pulled with everything I had on that fireplace hiding my passage, willed the door with my energy, exhausted every possible way to open it.
The window was my only choice now. Right as I went to turn to go there, I found Britain behind me. Rage engulfed me when I realized that the chances of me pushing through a passage in his room were near one in a million. Those men had corralled me here. I knew they had.
“I thought I sensed you,” he said as those steel blue eyes of his rained down on me.
“I’m walking out of this room right now—and you are not going to stop me.”
He looked over me slowly. “Who hurt you?”
“Whomever you sent to chase me into this room.”
“You were chased here?” he said with a disbelieving glance.
“No, Britain. I thought for the hell of it that I would explore back tunnels of an ancient palace just to see where I would end up.”
“And fate brought you here. Again.”
“No. You sent people after me, just like you sent someone after Charlie. I was not born yesterday. You are pulling the strings. I’m over it.”
In an instant, his arms were on each side of me, blocking my way around him. “I’ve told you more than once that your life is at risk. What is it going to take to get that through your head? You and I are leaving right now.”
Before I could protest or push him back, the doors to the chambers flew open. For an instant I thought it was Aden, but the sulfur swimming in the air squashed that hope.
Six men led by none other than Xavier himself entered the room. Just like before, Xavier and Britain were the only ones who had clear faces.
Xavier looked over our stance with disgust. “You, sir, are charged with treason by Prince and Destined King Blakeshire.”
Britain slowly lowered his arms from my side as the look of shock consumed his image.
“Take her, too,” Xavier said to the men. “Our ruler should know who we found with him in his quarters.”
“Cover her,” Britain said to the men as they bound his hands behind his back.
Xavier smiled wickedly. “No. He will know exactly how we found her. And where. Matters not. Your execution has already been ordered.”
My hands were bound fiercely behind my back, then I was forced to walk side by side with Britain outside of that room.
Dare I say I felt the vibration of fear wave across me when I thought of what Drake may say or do when he saw me like this—when they told him who I was with.
Chapter Twenty
~Drake~
Zander was at my side when I left after the speech I had given to my people. I had managed to save the priests in that city and look like a hero to the entire dimension, but I knew this was not over.
I was uneasy. Tormented with jealousy and rage. I could feel the distant strains that Landen, Phoenix, and Draven were going through, and there was nothing I could do to help them.
My brothers were at Landen’s side, therefore, Zander was in control of the palace. I only had time to give him one command before I stood in front of the dimension, and that was to tell him to send Xavier, the resident executioner, to dispatch Britain. Of course, that was a test. I knew he wouldn’t do it, but at the very least Britain would be placed in a cell. But they needed to know that I was aware of the games they were playing. I didn’t force the fact that I knew Britain had been tormenting Madison and her friends across multiple dimensions. My reasons for execution were that he disrupted the dinner last night and that he tried to breach my royal hall. It didn’t take much to be sent to the gallows around here.
I was being escorted back to my office to sort out the mayhem that had happened this morning. Everyone seemed to have his own opinion on who was behind all of this.
Zander and I walked before the others.
“Troubled?” he said quietly to me.
“I’m full of rage and jealousy at the moment. Not to mention my normal lack of trust has been amplified.”
“Sounds to me as if you found a remedy to your cold vein issue.”
I glanced to my side at him, having a hard time hiding my satisfied grin. Madison Marie was in my veins now, and I liked it that way. I was sure Zander’s little flask had triggered a mild episode so that she would be present when it occurred. I should be furious at him, but I could not argue with the result. Whatever he gave me kept the worst of the cold from surfacing. It was nothing more than a bad dream, really; if Madison had seen the full effects of what Donalt had done to me—she would have no doubt run from me.
“I’m uneasy. I need to know if the others are all right.”
“Others?” he questioned.
I flinched my jaw. “My fellow kings.”
“Did we do some bonding last night?”
Last night, I had a very eye-opening meeting with Landen, Draven, and Phoenix. It wasn’t hard to see that all of us had a future that was not Earthly before us. That we had been chosen to be the replacement of evil kings such as Donalt that were currently in place. The only problem was we had to play Earthly games to take that control, and we were all bound by dark spells and forgotten pasts.
“I sense their turmoil.”
“But not their failure. Be at ease, my king. Right now, you need to find calm. Focus on your own war.”
“What war?”
I knew there was more than likely another explosion set to go off at any moment, but I didn’t see that as a war.
We had reached my office at this point, and members of the court were filing in. “Let her jump. Trust her,” Zander said to me under his breath.
I didn’t hear anything else after that point. I was inwardly focused on Madison Marie, doing everything I could to calm myself down—she was safe in our wing, hopefully sleeping soundly.
~ Madison ~
My eyes shifted between the glances that Xavier and Britain were passing to each other. I had a hard time conceiving what was real and what wasn’t. I knew Xavier and Britain were working together, but right now the energy I felt between them would lead me to believe anything but.
I was furious with Drake, too. Whether Britain deserved it or not, Drake had no right to order an execution. I had to question if he even would have told me this was taking place or if he would lead me to believe that Britain was just asked to leave the palace—which led me to wonder if that Horace guy had really left the palace like Drake had said, or if he had fallen victim to this fate that I was now staring at.
That couldn’t have been right, though. The fact that we had a book with that name on it must mean that guy was supernatural, hard to kill at least.
The walk down the palace halls was near mortifying. The front of my jeans were ripped, half my tank top was missing, and my boots were soaked. I was certain that by now I reeked of sulfur.
I was worried about Aden. I didn’t know where he was or if he had even gotten away from those men. The thought of losing him caused a grief that I shouldn’t feel to emerge within me.
We were escorted to the main palace with haste. The thundering footsteps had caused everyone we passed in the hallways to stop what they were doing and stare at me like I was an alien from another world. I hoped against all hope that one of them was from Chara, that someone would think to warn Drake or find help for Aden and me.
Britain and I were placed in a room just before two large, arched golden doors. Apparently, they thought it would be best to announce our arrival.
I glared at Britain when the reeking men were feet away from us. “I thought you were hired by Xavier?”
He glanced to his side at me with a stoic stare. “I told you he hired me to kill you. I didn’t. Now we’ll cross to the other side together. So be it.”
“You set this up.”
“Sure, I did,” he said as I could swear I felt trepidation cross his emotions.
Horns sounded, and the men blocking the door stepped in our room and grabbed our arms, forcefully pulling us forward.
There were guards in front of this golden archway, ones that didn’t reek of sulfur and had normal faces. One of them looked squarely at Xavier. “You must wait. No response has come.”
“Move, or my men will move you,” Xavier seethed.
The guards held their position.
Xavier carefully nodded his head forward, and when he did the doors opened with a bang. There was another set of doors behind them, and they slammed open as well.
Behind them, I saw a massive black desk with eccentric carvings shaping a royal throne of sorts. Leaning over it with his long, broad arms flexed was Drake. His head rose slowly, as did those dark eyes. He stood slowly as I felt a wave of rage slam into me.
Boldly, Xavier pushed past Drake’s guards as his guards pulled me and Britain along like we were nothing more than dogs on a chain.
“What is the meaning of this?!” the man next to Drake said. His voice belonged to Alamos, but the face was made of ink again.
“My men and I went to retrieve the accused for execution as you ordered,” Xavier said into the echo of the room, glancing to the other men that were with Drake. I didn’t know any of them. I did know that half of them were evil as hell. Strike that—Zander was here, mere feet from Drake.
“We found the prisoner and your courting princess locked in relations.”
“Did you now?” Drake breathed as his glare landed on me and slowly traveled down my body, taking in the bare skin, the ripped clothes.
“She has committed treason and will be executed,” Xavier stated in a matter-of-fact manner.
“Did I miss something here?” Drake asked as he crossed his arms. “This is my kingdom.”
“Your kingdom has laws,” Xavier said as he moved his stare to who was supposed to be Alamos.
“That, they do,” Alamos said with a heavy sigh.
“Laws that do not pertain to her. Her heritage states that,” Drake said as he threw a nasty glare at Alamos. That glare moved to me.
I should have a natural defense up, one that would block anyone from seeing into my mind or energy. But Drake had to see what I had been through. He had to know that the jealousy and rage he was feeling were uncalled for.
Xavier continued his argument. “Those laws are in place because the souls from that island are said to be immortal. If that is the case, then the execution will do nothing but put to rest the legitimacy of the arrival of Draven and his company.”
“Where is her brother?” Drake demanded.
“Clearly not here. This matter does not involve him.”
“How does it not?” Drake said with a smirk that clearly called Xavier an idiot.
“At dinner last night, he noticeably protested the affair between the pair of them. We each saw the glare he gave Britain,” Xavier shouted.
> “I want to speak to him. Now,” Drake stated evenly.
“We have no time for this. Lock them in the dungeon, and we will deal with it when the chaos of today has ended,” the man playing at being Alamos stated.
“No. My king ordered an immediate execution of this man, and he ordered that I complete such an act with my own hands. The reasons given were found to be pure fact. The woman with him will be executed as well, based on the prior rule.”
“Do not split laws or twist my words,” Drake said all too calmly.
“What is the meaning of this?!” I heard my cousin bellow. Not Aden, but Draven.
I glanced over my shoulder to see him charging through the door, dressed as the royalty he had mocked before. My relief at his timely arrival was so strong that I couldn’t bring myself to see him and figure out how he even knew to be here. Draven was the last person that wore suits around, and when I had looked into his mind before it was clear to me that he hadn’t even been in this dimension.
“How convenient,” Xavier scoffed.
“Unbind her,” Draven said to the man holding me. When he refused, a glance from Draven flung the man back. Another approached, only to get the same punishment.
“Stop!” Drake bellowed. “Honor this king’s wishes.”
Xavier glared as he nodded to his men. My arms were cut free. Draven held my hand as if he thought I would vanish from his sight.
“What is the meaning of this?” Draven said again in a fierce tone, glaring at Drake.
“She was found in his quarters, dressed such as this,” Drake said as his eyes slowly moved down my body. It didn’t matter that he was furious and raging with jealousy. He still managed to bring fire to my soul. I held in a sigh as I felt it burn through every fiber of my being.
“Against her will, no doubt,” Draven declared.
“The audacity you have,” Xavier ridiculed. “Ask any of my men. Ask the servants that saw us enter that room and leave with her.”
“The question is how she arrived there,” Draven said as he glared at Britain.