Deny (The Blades of Acktar Book 2)

by Tricia Mingerink

  Renna took a deep breath. “The First Blade knew you were going to try to kill us. He got us out of Walden so you couldn't hurt us.”

  He slapped his hands flat against the armrests. “Harrison Vane thought he could outsmart me again, did he? He didn't succeed this time.”

  Renna trembled. King Respen could do whatever he wanted to them. No one even knew they’d been captured. Leith probably believed they were safe in the Resistance hideout by now.

  What would happen when Leith returned to Nalgar Castle at the end of his mission? He wouldn't know what they’d told King Respen. He might not even know that King Respen had them at his castle. Leith would walk into a trap, and he wouldn't even know it. She dug her nails into her palms. She didn't have any way to warn him.

  King Respen leaned forward, his eyes fixed on her. “I can read your fear. You are right to fear me. I hold your life in my hands.”

  She should deny his words. She ought to tell him that her life rested in God's hands, not his. But Renna's mouth glued shut.

  He was right. He did hold their lives in his hands.

  King Respen slouched into his chair, a smirk twisting his slim beard. “Take her back to the dungeon.”

  Martyn picked her up and slung her over his shoulder once again. She didn't struggle. She was too empty to resist. She hung limply as the Blade headed back down the stairs, across the courtyard, and into the dungeon tower once again. He deposited her in the cell next to Brandi and left without another word.

  Brandi's eyes searched Renna's face. “Did he hurt you?”

  Renna shook her head and studied Brandi. She opened her mouth to ask the same question but stopped. A red splotch marked Brandi’s cheek. “What did he do to you?”

  Brandi touched her cheek. She grinned, but it didn't sparkle in her eyes. “I told him that he only had the power that God gave him. He didn't like that very much.”

  Renna wrapped her arms around Brandi and hugged her tightly. Of course Brandi wouldn’t remain as silent as Renna had.

  If only Brandi had a little less courage. One of these days, her bravery would get her killed.

  35

  Leith crouched in a tree in front of the flat area to the north of the manor. Walden’s soldiers stood at attention, every eye following Shad as he paced in front of them, directly below the tree where Leith hid.

  He held himself still, resisting the urge to swipe his hands on his black trousers. Even with Shad preparing them, the men assembled below him wouldn’t react well to having a Blade step into their midst. They might decide to kill him and ask for answers from Shad later.

  Shad’s voice rose in a steady, commanding tone, silencing the men’s hushed whispers. “Less than two months ago an assassination plot against my father was stopped.”

  From his spot in the tree, Leith could see a few of the men shift in the ranks.

  “As some of you know, that assassination attempt was carried out by a Blade. We were able to stop him because another Blade warned us and helped us that night.”

  Those words caused a louder stir. Shad had to hold up his hands for silence and shout to be heard when the men were too shocked to fall silent. “As another Blade’s incursion into Walden less than a week ago shows, you aren’t ready to face the Blades. In light of this, our Blade has agreed to come out of hiding to help train you.”

  The murmuring rose to a roar of babbling voices.

  Leith inched his hand upward and checked that the hood and cowl Shad had found for him were in place. The hood covered his head and hung down over his eyes while the cowl covered his mouth and nose. Even when he spoke, no one would match his muffled commands with the soft-spoken peasant Daniel.

  Too bad the hood and cowl were so hot and scratchy. Leith’s breath pooled, hot and wet, inside the cowl. He hadn’t even begun the training, and sweat already beaded along his forehead and neck.

  Shad shouted for silence. He had to wait several minutes, arms crossed, eyes glaring, for the soldiers to quiet. When they did, he swept the ranks with a hard stare. “My father and I trust this Blade. He’s proven he’s on our side. Listen to him. What he has to say may not only save your life, but it could also save the lives of your families. You’re not to try to kill him. The attempt will be punished by my father, if you survive it.”

  The men were stone silent now. Leith drew in a deep breath. The cloth pressed against his mouth and nose. He jumped from the thick limb and landed lightly on his feet beside Shad.

  The men panicked. Some stumbled backwards and half-turned as if to run. Others grabbed for their swords and started forward. The rest froze, too scared to move. Leith ignored all of them, even the ones drawing their swords. They, at least, had the right reflexes.

  He stepped closer, pretending he didn’t see the row of swords pointing at his chest. “Thanks to your lack of observance, your lord’s heir is now dead.”

  The soldiers halted, glancing between him and Shad. Leith didn’t need to turn around to know that Shad leaned against the tree, arms crossed, a smirk playing across his face.

  “If I hadn’t sneaked the ladies Rennelda and Brandiline out of Walden, they would be dead.” Leith let all the cold steel he’d developed during his years as a Blade flood into his voice. “You need to be observant. In the past months, I’ve slipped in and out of Walden Manor many, many times. I’ve never been stopped. Had I wanted to kill your lord, he would’ve been dead long ago. That’s why I am here. Because not all of the Blades have the conscience I have.”

  He could see by their stunned expressions that his words had hit home. Even the bravest of the soldiers, the ones who’d drawn their swords, shrank back from him.

  He stepped forward, coming within feet of the first ranks. “You fear the Blades. You think we aren’t human or that we can’t be killed. I’m telling you right now. I am human. The other Blades are human. So far this year, common soldiers like yourselves have killed several Blades. Lady Lorraine killed the Second Blade by herself. If they have the courage to stand against a Blade, then you do too.”

  The ranks of soldiers blinked at him. Leith suppressed a sigh. It had been so much easier when he was training only Shad. He pointed at a soldier. “Step forward.”

  With a glance at the soldiers around him, the man slid his feet forward. His sword remained loosely gripped in his hand. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

  “Attack me.” Leith stood on the balls of his feet, his hands resting at his sides.

  The soldier glanced between Leith and Shad, eyes wide with fright. Leith could almost hear the man’s brain sizzling as he tried to decide if he should disobey an order given by his commanding officer or if he should disobey a Blade.

  After letting the man dither for several minutes, Shad barked a new order. “Don’t attempt to attack the Blade unless he orders you to.”

  By the time the soldier turned his attention back to him, Leith had pulled two knives from his belt and pressed one knife under the man’s chin and the other to the man’s ribs. “You’re now dead. Why?”

  The man shook. “I…I didn’t pay attention.”

  “Correct. You took your attention off me.” Leith kept his knives pressed against the man’s stomach and throat. He had to get his point across. The next time a Blade got his knife to the man’s throat, he’d die. “You also hesitated. You cannot hesitate with a Blade.”

  When the man nodded, Leith stepped back and sheathed his knives. The soldier stumbled to his place in line, rubbing his neck and trembling like he’d seen death itself. Leith squashed any sympathy he might have for him. By the time he was done with these men, they’d be able to stare death in the face and keep on fighting. They’d have to, or they’d die.

  By the time the afternoon ended, Leith had worked with all of the small groups of soldiers he’d had them form. Sweat plastered his black clothes to his skin. His muscles ached after the unaccustomed amount of fighting. Stifling a groan, he managed to slip into the manor while Shad distracted the soldiers by calling them
to attention.

  When no one was looking, Leith ducked into the room in the servant’s wing that he’d been given as Daniel the peasant. He peeled his shirt from his skin, grimacing. The black clothing the Blades wore had been designed for assassinations in the dead of night. Not the middle of an Acktarian summer day.

  Changing into his homespun shirt and trousers, Leith placed his weapons and black clothes in a hiding place in the ceiling of his room.

  As he turned to leave, Jamie slipped into the room, his mouth pressed into a solemn line. “I know why you dared to stand up to King Respen. You’re really good.” He ducked his head. “I snuck over and watched.”

  Leith crossed his arms, not sure what to say. “Yes, I’m good at fighting. But skills with weapons don’t give me my courage. You can have all the skills in the world and still be afraid to do what’s right.”

  “But you’re the First Blade. You aren’t scared of anything.”

  “I’m still shaking in my boots every time I report to Respen.” Leith swallowed at the bitter taste in his mouth. He met Jamie’s gaze. “True courage comes from knowing that you belong to God both body and soul so completely that the evil men in this world don’t own you.”

  The right words to say but so hard to live by.

  Jamie chewed on his bottom lip and nodded.

  Leith patted Jamie’s shoulders. “Come on. We need to rejoin the work on the fortifications.”

  Exiting the room, they strode down the hallway towards the kitchen. As soon as they stepped into the kitchen, the cook pounced on them. “Did you see the Blade training the lord’s soldiers?”

  Leith nodded. The less he said the better. Double identities had been bad enough. Triple identities were downright confusing. He was going to start running into himself.

  One of the kitchen maids gave a loud sigh. “I wonder what he looks like under that hood and cowl. I bet he’s handsome.”

  Leith resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Not that he wasn’t flattered, but the girl wasn’t giving him a second glance at the moment. What was it about a change of clothes, a mysterious hood, and weapons that made a girl look twice?

  Jamie gave him a side-long glance, and Leith shrugged. He couldn’t explain girls. He was too confused himself.

  Leith trudged around a boulder and entered a hollow created by a cliff face, the boulder, and a stand of pine trees. As he approached, Eleventh Blade Harding shot to his feet. “Did you see him?”

  “Couldn’t see much under that hood and cowl he was wearing, but it’s Vane.” Leith rubbed at the peasant’s shirt he still wore. It had taken him a few hours to find an opportunity to slip away without being seen and hike into the Hills to find Harding. “Are the others spread out north of here?”

  Harding waved back toward the Hills. “The Seventh Blade is north of us. I still haven’t seen the Third Blade. Seems Vane slipped past us.”

  “Yes, but we mustn’t let it happen again.” Leith crossed his arms and eyed Harding with all the steel he could muster. “Contact the Seventh Blade and the Third Blade if you see him, then ride to Nalgar Castle to report to the king. Turns out the girls Jamie and I killed were only servant girls Lord Alistair had placed as decoys. Vane sneaked the real ladies Rennelda and Brandiline out of Walden before I arrived. So far, I’ve managed to stay out of Vane’s way. I’ll try to learn where he’s hiding inside the manor so we can flush him out.”

  “Where do you want the rest of us?”

  “Stick to this section of Hills for now. Be ready to cut Vane off if he tries to flee into the Hills again. I don’t want any of you trying to sneak into Walden, understand?” Leith sliced Harding with a look until he nodded.

  After they saluted each other, Leith hiked back the way he’d come. After he was well out of sight and sound of Harding, he leaned against a boulder and rested his head in his hands.

  So many lies. When was it going to end? Each plot spiraled more and more out of control. Every lie needed another to keep up the pretense.

  If only he could stop it all. But if he did, Renna and Brandi would have no hope of rescue. Lord Alistair would face Respen’s Blades without knowledge of their plans.

  Leith pushed up his right sleeve. Thirty-seven scars marred his skin from his shoulder down to his elbow. He’d gained thirty-five of those while following Respen’s orders to the letter. All that bloodshed. All those lives taken.

  No, he couldn’t run from this. No matter how many lies it took, he couldn’t be responsible for more bloodshed and more lives lost.

  36

  Renna clung to Brandi as Martyn dragged them across the cobblestone courtyard, through the now familiar passageway, and up the winding stairs to King Respen’s chambers.

  When they were called to enter, Renna and Brandi tottered onto the rugs. Instead of lounging in the chair next to his desk, King Respen stood next to the wide window overlooking the courtyard below, his hands clasped behind his back. Renna shuddered at the power that rolled from his shoulders.

  “Bring them here.” King Respen didn’t bother to turn around.

  At Martyn’s shove against her back, Renna hopped forward. Brandi kept pace with her. They stopped near the far side of the window. Renna leaned against the wall, her stomach twisting. She didn’t like being this close to King Respen. He stood a good eight inches taller than her. The sun outside cast a shadow across his hatchet-sharp face.

  “I received word from my Blades in the Hills. For all his claims to moral righteousness, it turns out Lord Alistair is not opposed to sacrificing a few servant girls when it serves his purposes.”

  Renna twisted the ragged end of her blouse in her fingers. “What do you mean?”

  “My First Blade killed the servant girls posing as you.” King Respen’s gaze swept over them, as if searching for some kind of reaction.

  What reaction was he expecting? What servant girls?

  Brandi stilled, her head cocked to the side. After a moment, her mouth tilted briefly upward before curving into a frown. She doubled over as if in pain. “They’re dead? They volunteered to take our place.” Her voice quavered.

  Renna let herself slump against the wall. Hopefully her relief looked like shock. Leith had figured out they’d been captured. He’d come up with a false story, and thankfully the little they’d said matched it.

  When she raised her head, she spotted Martyn standing by the door. Martyn met her gaze, bent, and touched the hilt of Leith’s knife. They might’ve convinced King Respen, but Martyn knew the hole in their story. He knew something wasn’t right. Would he betray Leith?

  With his back to the Blade, King Respen hadn’t seen the movement. He waved at the courtyard spread below them. “Did you notice the rider waiting by the stables?”

  Renna peered at the courtyard. From here, she could only see the edge of the stable roof set directly below them. Next to it, a teenager dressed all in black held the reins of a mouse-brown horse. Another Blade.

  Brandi poked her head next to Renna. Her eyes widened. “Where’s he going?”

  King Respen’s mouth curved into a thin smile. “The Twelfth Blade will carry a message to a company of soldiers detached from the divisions surrounding Uster. This company is stationed a day north of Stetterly.”

  Brandi snapped her head around so fast she banged the top of her head into Renna’s chin. “No!”

  Renna reared back. She opened her mouth, but she couldn’t force any words out. King Respen was going to attack their home. He’d kill Uncle Abel, Aunt Mara, all the people who attended their hidden church. She blinked at a rush of tears. “Please. Please don’t.”

  He faced them, one hand stroking the windowsill. “Why not? Stetterly has defied my edicts for too long.”

  She swallowed and hugged Brandi tighter. Brandi clenched her fists and glared at the king. “You leave them alone.”

  His eyebrows shot up. He stroked his pointed beard and the windowsill, as if he considered Brandi’s words. “I might spare them. But that all depends
on you.”

  “What do you want us to do?” Renna’s chest crumbled. His demands wouldn’t be good.

  The slick smile returned to his face. “All you have to do is admit that your God is worthless, and that I have the ultimate power over your life. Nothing much, since it is already true.”

  Renna licked her dry lips. Could she say the words, but not really mean them? All Respen wanted was a verbal denial. If it’d save Uncle Abel and Aunt Mara, then surely the lie was all right. She’d be saving lives. She took a deep breath and cracked her mouth open to speak.

  Before she could, Brandi stepped forward. One fist shook at her sides, the other touched the lump of her silver cross necklace under her bodice. Her eyes flared like the coals of a white-blue fire. “Never! We’ll never deny Christ!”

  Renna snapped her mouth shut. Wrapping her arms around Brandi, Renna gripped Brandi tight to prevent her from doing anything rash. Like punching the king.

  “Then their blood will be on your heads.” King Respen waved Martyn forward. “Return them to their cell and tell the Twelfth Blade to depart.”

  As Martyn grabbed her arm, Renna met King Respen’s eyes. He smirked at her, his eyes dancing. A bitter pain flooded into her toes.

  He’d seen the truth written her eyes. He knew what she’d nearly done.

  37

  Leith stepped into the manor after yet another training session. The cool shadows inside washed over him.

  So far so good. The Seventh Blade watching from the Hills hadn’t noticed that Vane’s movements and fighting style resembled Leith’s, and the distance prevented him from realizing Vane stood several inches shorter than he used to. When Harding returned from Nalgar Castle last night, he hadn’t been carrying orders to kill Leith. Instead, he’d brought word that Martyn had captured Renna and Brandi, and Respen wanted Vane caught at all costs.

  Leith reached to unwrap the cowl from his face and froze. A face peeked from one of the rooms along the hallway. Leith reacted even before his brain recognized the face belonged to Seventh Blade Daas. He bolted down the hallway, kicking the door as he passed. The door slammed into Daas’s face, smashing his head between the door and its frame.