The Roots of Wrath

by B. T. Narro

  Her face unclenched.

  I watched her for a while. She looked so cute and peaceful. I couldn’t possibly wake her. I started toward her door.

  “Jon?” She sat up.

  “I’m sorry to wake you.”

  “I left the door unlocked hoping you would.” She pushed open the covers in invitation, blessing me with quite a sight of her beauty. The fire in her hearth provided just enough light for me to make out the soft edges of her body, from her supple shoulders down to her bare knees. She wore a nightgown of silk, the rounded curve of her bosom peeking out with a deep line of cleavage. She pulled back her lush dark hair that had fallen in front of one eye, smiling at me tiredly.

  I had lost my exhaustion. I didn’t know where it had gone. It was like I had misplaced it somewhere and I wasn’t going to bother looking for it. I took off my robe, leaving me in just my undershorts, and started to maneuver into her bed to lie facing her, but she whispered, “Turn the other way.”

  I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to see her or explore her body with my lips. “How come?” I asked as I obliged, showing her my back.

  “Because otherwise you’re going to make me want to do things that I’m not ready to do. Come closer. You must be cold. Let me warm you.”

  She slipped her small but warm hand over my cold torso as I nestled in. Pulling herself to me, she closed the last little gaps between us. There she held me in a way I hadn’t been held by anyone before. I was so comfortable that a quiver ran through my body.

  “Thank you waking me from my nightmare,” she whispered, then pecked the side of my neck.

  “Are you still having a lot of them?”

  “Yes, unfortunately.”

  “Was it the same one I witnessed?” I asked.

  “No, this was about you. I’d rather not remember it.”

  She pulled the covers past my shoulder and up to my chin, then kissed me softly on my cheek. As warmth spread through my body, I accidentally found my exhaustion again. My eyes fluttered shut as she ran her hand through my hair. I let a moan of pleasure slip. I hadn’t known how much I liked to be touched this way.

  “Eden told us everything that happened,” she said. “So Nijja invited you to be her pet?”

  I sighed. “Eden said she wasn’t going to mention that.”

  “Apparently she lied to you.”

  Before Nijja had gone back through the rift to Fyrren, she had asked me if I wanted to go with her. I hadn’t understood her request, at first, but she soon made it clear that she wanted me to be her lover. I’d asked Eden not to mention it to anyone, but apparently that was too much to ask of her.

  “If things were different, would you have gone with her?” Hadley asked me. “If there was no war and you had never met me?”

  “No,” I told her.

  “It’s all right, you can be honest.”

  “I am being honest. I’m guessing Eden didn’t mention what Failina told me after I denied Nijja’s request.”

  “No, what did she say?”

  “That I should not be flattered because the doorman at the town’s oldest brothel has seen fewer men come and go than Nijja has.”

  Hadley laughed.

  “I did wish we had more time with Nijja, though. We could’ve gathered the necessary ingredients for her to enchant my weapon and armor to make them even more durable. She was eager to leave our realm, though.”

  “Yes, I heard that from Eden.”

  “What did Leon say about everything that happened?” I asked. “I was hoping to hear his take.”

  “Let’s see if I can remember exactly.” She paused for a moment. “Oh, right.” In a deep voice of imitation, she said, “If the demigods want to kill each other, let the bastards do it. Meanwhile I’m not making any plans that involve their trust.”

  “I think that sums up my thoughts,” I said. “You do Leon pretty well.”

  “Thank you. Personally, I would love to speak to Airinold about curses. Perhaps he remembers powerful ones he made that I have not discovered.”

  “So that means you trust him?”

  “No, I’m with you and Leon. I’d rather avoid having to decide whether to trust him, and I believe the king feels the same way after hearing how Souriff murdered a human woman out of jealousy. You actually saw her cry?”

  “A few tears.”

  “I can’t picture it.”

  “It was like watching Leon cry.”

  “Yes,” Hadley said. “That would be hard to imagine as well.”

  A moment passed. As tired as I was, I found myself wanting to know everything I possibly could about Hadley.

  “Have you heard anything about your family back in Rohaer?”

  “I haven’t, but I’ve imagined many times that my father probably spearheaded a group to go looking for me. Anything to please King Frederick.”

  “That’s terrible. And your mother?” I asked.

  “Anything to please Father,” she mumbled.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “The only reason I got involved with the king was because I wanted to make them proud of me, for once. I should’ve given up on that notion long ago. I only regret not taking more of their coin before leaving, but I didn’t want to be caught. Do you recall me telling you that they are very rich?”

  “I remember.”

  “Does that mean you remember the other thing you promised me…regarding my parents and the king?”

  “I do, but I’m not sure if I can keep that promise anymore.” She had asked me to kill her if it was the only way to keep her from getting captured.

  She didn’t respond. Her hand stopped moving through my hair.

  I turned around in her arms to face her. Worry was evident in her eyes. I put my hand on her cheek.

  “I’m not going to let anyone take you away from me.”

  She smiled. “Somehow, I believe you.” She kissed my lips, then stroked my hair as she looked into my eyes again. “Why do I feel like I’ve known you for years?”

  “I feel the same way.”

  I kissed her this time.

  As our passion built, and a yearning set my body on fire, she pulled away.

  “I could kiss you all night, but I think you should return to your room. I don’t know what the king has in store for you tomorrow, but I’m sure you’ll need rest for it.”

  “You’re right.” I was so very tired.

  I was glad she was being responsible, because I was powerless to do so. I kissed her one last time, then got up and put on my robe.

  She blew me a kiss before I left.

  I returned to my room, completely and hopelessly obsessed with her.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  I was becoming increasingly aware that I didn’t need as much sleep as everyone else. It probably had to do with my affinity toward uF, the life-giving note of mana that happened to be my natural frequency. I felt pretty tired when I made my way to the dining hall for a late breakfast, but with only a few hours of sleep in me, I should have felt worse. My peers seemed to be just finishing up as I arrived, but the king stopped those who were leaving.

  “Gather here. Sit and face me,” he said as he stood in front of one side of our table. Everyone moved to sit on the other, many still with their breakfast bowl in front of them, but all had stopped eating. Just behind him stood a middle-aged man with graying hair who I had not seen before.

  “You may finish your breakfast as you listen,” he said. “You will all be leaving the castle shortly.”

  I could feel nervous energy in the air in the silence that followed.

  The king gave a breath, then continued, “You are to meet Byron Lawson at our wooden fortress. It’s located near the road to Rohaer that runs between the eastern mountains and the western forest. Leon and Jennava will lead most of you there. I have no doubt that Rohaer’s scouts have seen our fortress and reported its existence to King Frederick Garlin, but it will still serve its purpose, which I will get to in a moment.”

/>   I looked around the dining hall and saw that the princess and the queen were not here. I wondered if Callie had been sent off to meet Trevor yesterday, but Kataleya was still around. Clearly, she not gone with the princess to keep her safe, or perhaps Callie was elsewhere.

  Although the king had permitted us to eat, I seemed to be the only one who was still working on my bowl of oats. Knowing we were leaving had taken away my hunger, but I always found that I could still eat.

  “Rohaer has five thousand fighting men, observed by Souriff,” King Nykal continued. “They used to have more, but Garlin must not have enough coin to pay for them all. That means only the best of them are left. Most if not all of these five thousand troops probably have some capability with sorcery. Many more are marching with them to ensure they reach Lycast safe and healthy. It might not feel this way, but all of the people who do not plan to fight against us but are merely there in support of the others are as much our enemies as the soldiers who will try to end your lives on the battlefield. In the near future, some of you may have to do things that you will not be proud of, but it is to ensure that Lycast is not taken over. This is not a time for mercy. Do all of you understand?”

  We nodded.

  “Recruitment has finished, on our side,” the king said. I took that to mean that, like the king of Rohaer, our king had already employed all the men that he could afford. “We have three thousand soldiers, many of whom are amateurs to combat like all of you once were. However, we also have some veterans, like men who fought to overthrow Oquin Calloum. We have three hundred sorcerers, but only a few are as powerful as most of you. The rest specialize in one spell and have made a living from casting it, without taking much time to empower said spell. I tell you this because you need to know what kind of people your allies are. There are a wide range of them, and some are more valuable than others but not because of their skill. Let me explain.”

  Seeing as how it didn’t seem like he was going to introduce the man standing behind him, I whispered to Michael sitting next to me, “Who is that?”

  “A fire mage who will protect the king in our absence.”

  He must be the man Nykal mentioned earlier. I expected someone younger. I took it as a sign that most of the people we would meet in our army were older than us.

  “Thanks to nobles I trust, we have five hundred archers,” the king said. “Most of them are not novices to the bow. They are to be protected by all of you because they are paramount to stopping Rohaer before the pillagers and rapists reach my kingdom.”

  I audibly heard Michael swallow, though he had stopped eating a while ago.

  “Rohaer must be stopped before they pass the defile south of here,” Nykal continued.

  “What’s a defile?” I asked Michael quietly.

  “No idea.”

  “The defile…” the king said, possibly hearing my whisper, “is an area of road near our fortress. It cuts between the mountains on one side and forested hills on the other. It is narrow, forcing soldiers to march in tight rows. Right now, Harold Chespar is leading the majority of our foot soldiers south. They will arrive at the defile before Rohaer does. My trusted archers will stand behind them as they face our enemies there, head on. If Rohaer tries to go through the forest to get around the defile, they will march into view of the fortress I mentioned earlier. They could take a wider route in hopes of avoiding the fortress, but that would put them deep into Curdith Forest where there are no paths. They would have to make their own through the dense forest while dealing with aggressive beasts. Their only other option is to stop before they reach the defile and hold out there, and we welcome that. We can hold the defile and the fortress and attack their supply chain until they can no longer support their army.”

  “Oh, that’s smart,” Charlie said.

  The king didn’t appear ready for this interruption, his stern expression softening a bit. “Yes, thank you, Charlie. The fate of this war will most likely depend not on one single battle but on the overall health of each army through hygiene, and the abundance of food and clean water. It is crucial that we establish our own supply chain and that it is kept safe from ambush. For that reason, Kataleya will be staying with the Chespar-led battalion. She will provide them with clean water and also act as my eyes and ears.”

  Kataleya did not appear surprised but nodded dutifully. She must’ve already agreed to this earlier.

  “Jon,” the king said, “with your ability to travel quickly, you will go ahead of everyone and arrive at the fort a day or two early. You will inform Byron Lawson of everyone’s whereabouts and intentions. If possible, you will bring Charlie on your back because he’s going to have a lot of work to do there.”

  “I’m going to fly there with Jon?” Charlie asked worriedly.

  “After we are done here, Jon will perform a test flight with you in the new harness I had constructed with Jennava’s help. If Jon feels that he cannot make the seventy-mile trip safely, then you can ride to the fort on horseback with the others, Charlie.”

  It seemed like all of this had been thought out. I trusted that the king knew what he was doing. I just wasn’t sure Charlie did.

  The metal mage looked at me with gaping eyes, as if we were about to take off right now. “You won’t let me fall, will you Jon?”

  That’s what we need to find out with a test flight. But I thought better about saying those words aloud.

  “I promise,” I told him instead, and it was true. I wouldn’t let him fall no matter what. If there was a chance of it happening, I wouldn’t take him.

  Charlie asked the king, “What metal will I be working on?”

  “Most likely a missile weapon, but there could be other work for you there. Byron will oversee it.”

  With enthusiasm, Michael asked, “What kind of missile weapon? A ballista?”

  The king seemed a little surprised. “Yes, actually.”

  “I’ve always wanted to shoot a ballista!” Michael said, looking around as if expecting everyone to agree.

  “You’re not getting anywhere near that thing,” Leon told Michael. “Not if I can help it. We need a calm hand to aim such a weapon, not one like yours.”

  Michael looked at his lap and grumbled, unaware of Eden smirking at him.

  Reuben said, “Sire, will you be safe here with all of us gone?”

  “I will stay where Valinox cannot reach me easily, and I will have plenty of guards as well as this sorcerer by my side.” He gestured at the older man, who gave a nod toward us. “My safety should not be of concern. Now all of you will prepare to leave. You might be gone a long while. It is up to Byron, Jennava, and Leon to instruct you after you leave this castle, though I will be in communication with them. Jon, you may need to act as a messenger at times. I don’t want you flying off anywhere without permission from Byron or Leon. Not even one time. It is too risky.”

  He waited for my reply.

  “Yes, sire,” I said, though I was glad he wasn’t making me promise. I had no idea what we were going to find once we crossed into Rohaer territory. I glanced at Hadley. I probably shouldn’t be concerned about this right now, but I wondered if the previous night was the last time I would be able to share a bed with her for a long time. She met my glance. I could feel from her longing expression that we were on the same page about this.

  The king dismissed us. We headed to the apartments to pack. I wished I could take a bow, but there would be no room for it on my person. I would wear the same armor I had yesterday while facing Gourfist, my new chestpiece of Valaer steel. I would bring my sword made from the same material. Besides a small bag for my necessities, anything else I needed would come later with the supply train.

  I met Charlie in his room and convinced him to bring a large enough bag to fit mine inside. He was still figuring out what to bring when I noticed all the girls grouped and chatting in the hall. I had a number of questions for Kataleya that I didn’t think she would mind, so I left Charlie to join them.

  As I app
roached, I could hear Aliana already expressing the same concerns I had for Kataleya. “Are you sure it will be safe?”

  “It will be. Don’t worry about me.”

  “Mind if I join?” I asked as I noticed them glancing at me.

  “Of course not,” Kataleya said. “How is Charlie?”

  “Deciding which books are worth weighing me down,” I joked, though it was true.

  Hadley asked me, “Do you really think you’ll be able to fly seventy miles with him strapped to your back?”

  “I think so. I’ll know better after the test flight, though don’t tell him I have any doubts. He’s nervous.”

  I noticed Hadley’s look. She was, too.

  “What about the princess?” Aliana asked Kataleya. I was glad someone else had asked about her, so I wouldn’t have to. “I thought she was going to marry Trevor Chespar.”

  Kataleya shook her head. “The Chespars postponed the meeting because now is not a good time. At least that’s what they said as an excuse.”

  “What does the king think?” I asked.

  “He and I both agree that it could very well be a sign they might commit treason.”

  A tense silence passed between everyone.

  “Fuck,” Eden said.

  “What can we do about it?” I asked Kataleya.

  “Do about what?” Michael asked as he and Reuben joined us. Charlie came out of his room as well.

  I was certain I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like the fact that Kataleya would be separating from us.

  “The Chespars refused the king’s invitation for Callie and Trevor to meet,” Kataleya explained. “It might be a sign of a rebellion to come, but there’s nothing we can do about it right now. We need them, and they are not currently a threat to our king.”

  “Unless they join our enemies,” Michael said.

  “They wouldn’t,” Reuben retorted.

  “Why not?” Michael asked.

  “It’s true,” Kataleya said. “They wouldn’t. Before my father was killed, he worked closely with Harold Chespar.” I was surprised to hear her get the words out without any emotion. “As corrupt as my father might’ve been, there’s no way he would ever condone the spread of dteria, and neither would the soldiers loyal to my family or the Chespars. It doesn’t matter how much they are being paid. I’m sure they mean to win the war against Rohaer. Only then might they turn on our king.”