Deny (The Blades of Acktar Book 2)

by Tricia Mingerink

  “Exactly.” Leith straightened and gripped Blizzard’s reins again. “Let’s go.”

  He nudged Blizzard into a lope down the hill, up the cobbled road, and through Nalgar Castle’s gates. His stomach churned at the sight of the courtyard. Blood trickled along the cracks in the cobblestones. The block remained, the ax leaning against it. Blizzard’s hooves clopped and splashed as they crossed the courtyard to the stables.

  By the time they reached the stables, Blizzard’s hooves stained red. Red droplets speckled his legs. Swinging down from their horses, Leith and Jamie handed the reins to the stable boys and headed for the wooden bridge that connected the Blades’ Tower with the rest of the castle.

  Jamie slipped away to the trainee quarters in the stone wall surrounding the Tower along the moat. Leith didn’t look or wave goodbye. A Blade didn’t bond with a trainee.

  The cool air of the Tower closed around him as he stepped through the door. He drew in a deep breath. This was the last time he’d step into this tower as a Blade. When he left Nalgar Castle, Respen would know the truth. Leith would be a hunted man, hunted even more than Vane had been.

  It was past time. Only a few more hours. Then he’d be free.

  He climbed the long, winding stairs to the fourth floor. This late at night, he could neglect to report to King Respen without rousing suspicion. Respen would hear his report in the Meeting of the Blades the next morning. Not that Leith planned to be here by morning.

  After cleaning up from his travels in his room, Leith waited for full darkness to fall around Nalgar Castle. When the arrow slit in the stairway showed winking stars, Leith slipped from his room and headed for the stairs.

  “Where are you going?”

  Leith froze at Martyn’s voice. He turned to find the Blade he’d once considered his best friend leaning in the doorjamb of his room, a room that up until a few months ago had been Leith’s.

  Martyn didn’t wait for Leith to answer. He stepped forward and spoke in a lowered tone. “What’re you up to, Leith? What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.” Even in his own ears, his tone sounded too hurried.

  Martyn pulled a knife from his boot and held it out to Leith. Even in the semi-darkness, Leith spotted the initials LT on the hilt. “Please tell me this is a mistake. Tell me that Vane got a hold of your knife that night you fought him in Walden. I’ll believe you and never mention this again.”

  Leith didn’t have an answer for him. Even lying to save a life had consequences. And right here, right now, this was the price Leith would pay. Not his life. Not just his integrity. But the slow fracturing of a friendship.

  Martyn raked a hand through his blond curls. When he spoke, his voice held a biting pain. “So you did sneak those girls out of Walden.”

  Leith drew the knife he’d stashed in his belt, the one with MH on the hilt, and handed it to Martyn. “What did the girls tell Respen?” He reached for the knife Martyn held.

  “Only that the First Blade rescued them.” Martyn didn’t let go. “The king assumed they were talking about Vane. But they meant you, didn’t they?”

  Leith couldn’t deny it. “Are you going to tell Respen?”

  Martyn swore under his breath and let go of the knife. “Come on, Leith! This isn’t like you. What did those girls do to you? I understand that you don’t want to hurt them. I don’t either. But an order’s an order.”

  “Are they alive?” Leith pressed a hand to the wall. What if they were already dead? Buried in another grave?

  “Yes. The king plans to have them killed during the Meeting of the Blades tomorrow morning.” Martyn’s dark brown eyes searched Leith’s face. “What could they possibly have done to get you to turn on King Respen? Don’t you remember everything he’s given us? The food. The clothes. The family. Surely you haven’t forgotten all that?”

  Leith hadn’t forgotten. For years, he’d followed Respen willingly because he’d given him more than his own father ever had. He, like Martyn, hadn’t realized the poison that came with the gifts. “Goodness isn’t found in gifts. It’s in the thought behind it. Respen doesn’t give us food and shelter because he cares about us.”

  Martyn gaped at him. “They got to you with all their God talk.”

  A chill swirled in Leith’s stomach. If he was arrested now, he wouldn’t be able to save the girls. But he couldn’t lie to Martyn. Not when the conversation had come this far. “Yes.”

  Martyn shoved a hand through his hair and swore again. Leith crossed his arms and waited. Martyn paced in front of his door. He turned back to Leith. “Do you remember my first day at Blathe Manor?”

  Leith nodded. “You’d nearly starved on the streets.”

  “Vane would’ve beaten me to a bloody mess if you hadn’t stepped in.” Martyn met Leith’s gaze. “We promised we’d watch each other’s backs.”

  “I’m your friend.” Another lie. Leith had broken that promise several times over. He could’ve gotten Martyn killed when he’d foiled that assassination attempt. He hadn’t shared the hope of Scripture with him. What kind of friend did that?

  “And for that, I didn’t tell the king about finding your knife.” Martyn’s eyes hardened. He leaned closer. “But know this, if you try anything, I will stop you. I don’t know what’s come over you, but this has to stop. You’re a Blade. You don’t go soft-hearted. Not for anyone. I don’t want you turning traitor like Vane.”

  Martyn didn’t know the full truth yet. Leith pressed his hand harder against the wall to stop his body from sagging. Martyn believed Leith had been taken in like Vane had. He didn’t realize the treachery was all Leith’s. Would he keep his promise when he learned Leith had already broken his?

  “I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Leith turned and strode to his room. His back prickled with the sensation of Martyn’s eyes following him until his door shut between them.

  He leaned against the door. He wouldn’t be able to sneak out tonight. Martyn would watch him too closely. Somehow, he’d have to prevent Respen from killing Renna and Brandi during the Meeting of the Blades.

  Most likely, they’d all die in the attempt.

  44

  Renna rocked Brandi gently. Brandi’s shoulders still quaked with sobs, but they were quieting. Renna held her own tears back, waiting to pour them out later. Perhaps she’d never have a chance. Her time was short.

  They were going to die tomorrow morning. A shiver racked her body. Her chest squeezed until she couldn’t breathe. She shook her head. Best not to think about it.

  She drew in a deep breath to steady herself and coughed at the stench. A dark pool formed beneath their window as blood from the courtyard ran through the opening and down the wall. Gagging, she tore her eyes away. As a healer, she should be used to blood. But she’d never seen blood like this, so separated from the body it was supposed to fill.

  Brandi stirred and tipped her face towards Renna. Tears streaked her face and pooled in her blue eyes. “Does dying hurt?”

  Renna’s throat seized. What could she tell her sister? If only she could protect her, but Brandi should be prepared. As much as anyone could be prepared for their execution. “It might hurt for a moment, but we’ll be in Heaven after that.”

  Brandi nodded, but she still shivered. Renna understood. Death was closer than Heaven. It leered over her, tearing at her soul while she waited for it to pounce. With that monster clawing at them, the idea of Heaven wisped through her fingers. Renna needed a solid picture for them to cling to during their last hours on this earth.

  “Nothing will hurt anymore. Aunt Mara and Uncle Abel will be there. Uncle Leon and Aunt Deirdre. Our cousins Aengus, Keevan, Rorin, and Duncan. You probably don’t remember them very well.”

  Brandi cocked her head. “I remember Duncan. We used to visit the horses together when they came to Stetterly.”

  “And we’ll see Mother and Father again.” Tears gathered behind Renna’s eyes. She blinked them away. She mustn’t dwell on the sorrow now. They needed hop
e tonight.

  “What did Mother look like?”

  Five years was a long time to spend with nothing but an old portrait to refresh Renna’s memories. Now even that portrait was gone, burned along with Stetterly Manor. At least she still had her memories. Brandi had far fewer of those.

  Renna leaned her head against the wall. “Mother used to smile like you do when she got an idea. Sometimes she’d drag us out to the Spires Canyon for a picnic or decide she wanted to take us jumping in mud puddles. Father would roll his eyes at her crazy ideas, but he’d always go along with them.”

  “I like jumping in mud puddles.”

  Renna touched Brandi’s hair. “She had long, wavy hair like yours. She wore it down all the time because Father liked it that way.”

  Brandi tugged on the end of Renna’s braid. “But her hair was light blond like yours. I remember that.”

  “And Father’s was darker like yours.” As Renna ran her fingers through Brandi’s hair, she drew in the sense of warmth the memories brought. Parts of her parents remained in Brandi’s smile, Renna’s hair, the colors of their eyes. Soon they’d be reunited in Heavenly glory.

  Renna pulled her silver cross necklace from under her blouse. Don’t be afraid, only believe. “God will give us strength tomorrow.”

  Brandi gripped her cross necklace and rested her head on Renna’s shoulder again. “Can we sing?”

  Renna nodded. She suggested a song, and together she and Brandi sang that one and as many songs as they could remember. Sometime late that night, Brandi fell asleep. Renna hugged her tightly, thankful that Brandi could have one last night of peaceful sleep.

  Renna couldn’t sleep. Not with their deaths so close. Would they kill her or Brandi first? Would it hurt? Tingles curled in her stomach.

  Would Leith be there? Her heart throbbed. Would he try to rescue them? What good would it even do? He’d end up dead along with them if he tried.

  She leaned her cheek against Brandi’s head. A tear slid down her cheek and splashed into Brandi’s hair. She couldn’t pray for safety. Right now, it looked like it was God’s will that she watch her sister die tomorrow. But perhaps He could make it hurt less? Or less scary? Surely He’d at least make Brandi’s death gentle as He carried her home.

  A stillness settled into Renna’s chest. Did she dare call it peace? Was this how Uncle Abel and Aunt Mara felt as they stood in that line waiting to die?

  Her fears didn’t matter anymore. God cradled her and Brandi in His arms, and He’d continue to hold them through whatever death Respen had planned for them.

  45

  Leith woke well before dawn. Lighting his candle, he sat cross-legged on his cot. How was he going to prevent Respen from killing Renna and Brandi during the Meeting of the Blades in a few hours? Would Martyn speak up if he noticed Leith was trying to spare them?

  Tension squeezed him until his bones might crack one by one. What if he failed? What if he had to watch Renna and Brandi die?

  Renna and Brandi’s lives depended on him. He couldn’t fail them now. He picked up his weapons and strapped them on one by one. He glanced toward the bed. Should he take the knife he’d hidden against the bedpost?

  No, better to leave it there. Respen usually locked failed Blades in their rooms in the Tower. If something went wrong or if he were ever captured and brought back to Nalgar Castle, hopefully that knife would survive a search of the room.

  A few minutes before eight, he climbed the stairs towards the large meeting room on the fifth floor of the Blades’ Tower. Several of the Blades glided up the stairs in front of him, the lower Blades breathing hard from the sets of stairs they’d had to climb from their rooms.

  Leith slipped into the dark meeting room. Shadows danced along the walls and pressed low along the ceiling. He hung his weapons on the peg next to the door and strode toward his seat.

  As he pulled his chair out, a noise from the doorway drew his gaze. He caught his breath. Martyn carried Renna over his shoulder, one of her legs wrapped in a splint. Twelfth Blade Altin dragged Brandi into the room. Both of the girls had black hoods shoved over their heads.

  Martyn dropped Renna at the far end of the room, but his grip on her bound hands prevented her from tumbling to the floor. Leith gripped the back of his chair. He couldn’t intervene now. His only hope—and the girls’ only chance—was for him to remain hard as his knives.

  Altin shoved Brandi against the wall next to Renna. He clamped one of two manacles that dangled from a ring in the stone around her wrist. Martyn snapped the other manacle around one of Renna’s wrists. He and Altin yanked the hoods off but left the girls’ hands tied.

  Renna’s eyes swept around the room, latched on Leith, and widened.

  He turned away and plopped into his seat. Hopefully Martyn hadn’t noticed Renna’s reaction.

  Jamie slipped into the thirteenth seat at the table, hunched low as if hoping the Blades wouldn’t notice him. His eyes flicked toward Renna and Brandi. His mouth pressed into a thin line for only a moment before his expression relaxed. Good. He was doing his part to appear the uncaring soon-to-be Blade.

  At eight, Respen swept into the room. Leith surged to his feet with the rest of the Blades and pounded his fist over his heart. The words of the Blade salute burned his mouth.

  Leith crossed his arms as each Blade knelt in front of Respen and gave their report.

  Seventh Blade Daas presented Respen with Vane’s weapons. “I never saw the body, my king, but the First Blade assured us that Vane is dead.”

  Daas was clever. If he’d been the Second Blade, Leith might’ve worried about getting a knife in the ribs on a dark night. But Daas had to go through a few Blades before he ever got a chance to take Leith’s spot as First Blade. Not that Leith cared about the job. Daas would be more than welcome to it.

  When Martyn knelt to make his report, Leith held his breath. Martyn knew some of Leith’s secrets. One word from him and Respen would have him arrested. Surrounded by eleven Blades, Leith wouldn’t be able to escape.

  Martyn described how he’d found the girls’ tracks and followed them to their campsite. He fought and killed their guide. The girls ran and jumped over the small cliff to get away from him.

  Leith resisted the urge to glance at Renna and Brandi. If only he could’ve protected them from what must have been a terrifying night. How bad was Renna’s broken leg? Should he change his plans with Jamie? But if he did that, they’d be slowed down when they reached the stables and had to saddle their horses.

  “I tracked them down, captured them in the morning, and brought them back here.” Martyn’s gaze didn’t waver from King Respen.

  No mention of Leith’s knife. Leith exhaled.

  As Martyn walked back to his seat, he gave Leith a piercing stare. He’d be watching Leith’s every move. How were Leith and Jamie going to sneak out past him?

  When the Second Blade finished, Leith stood to make his report. He knelt at Respen’s feet, clasped his fist over his heart, and forced his mouth to say “My king” yet again. His report was as straightforward as he could make it. No need to make up any more details than he had to.

  Respen scowled at Leith. “I expected more out of you, my First Blade.”

  Leith flinched. He deserved that. When Vane had been the First Blade, he’d been able to capture traitors and kill his victims all in the same mission without failure. Renna and Brandi were his only failures.

  “Your orders were to kill the ladies Rennelda and Brandiline. You failed. Another Blade brought in your quarries for you after you killed the wrong girls.” Respen’s voice reverberated off the walls even though he never raised it above a measured tone. “Barring that, you were to kill the traitor. You may have succeeded in cornering him, but only on the last day with the help of two other Blades. Even then, it was not you but the Seventh Blade that killed him. You failed.”

  Leith bowed his head. He had many failures to regret, but not the ones Respen listed. He rolled up his left sleeve and
turned his shoulder towards the king. Respen picked up one of Vane’s knives and sliced across the top of Leith’s arm below the white scar he’d received only a few months ago. Blood slithered down his arm and pounded in his shoulder.

  Respen leaned closer. “Do not fail me again, my First Blade.”

  Leith met his gaze. “I won’t.”

  As Leith returned to his seat, Respen turned to Jamie. “Blade Trainee Jamie Cavendish.”

  Jamie stood and strode toward the end of the table. He knelt and pounded a shaking fist across his chest.

  Leith clenched his own fists beneath the tabletop where Respen couldn’t see them. Somehow, Jamie becoming a Blade hurt like another failure, even if Jamie’s kill was another lie.

  “Blade Trainee Cavendish, I have been informed that you performed your first kill while on your mission with the First Blade. Well done.”

  Jamie swallowed and rolled his right sleeve to his shoulder.

  Respen leaned forward and slashed the first mark. Jamie bit his lip but didn’t flinch.

  “Return to your seat, my new Thirteenth Blade.”

  Jamie scrambled to his feet and all but bolted back to his chair.

  Before he’d even sat down, Respen turned back to Leith. “My First Blade, you have failed me twice. Do not fail me in this.” He held the knife out to Leith point-first and nodded toward Renna and Brandi. “Kill them.”

  Leith took the knife. It warmed in his hand as if eager to taste flesh once again. The edge still dripped with Jamie’s blood. He stalked along the length of the table. All eyes in the room focused on him.

  He latched his eyes on Renna. Her face scrunched, her eyes wide. If only he could reassure her that he wasn’t going to hurt her. Instead he kept his Blade mask in place.