by J. B. Jenn
As they left behind the mountains traveling toward Dawn Stone, Trester was never far from her. She didn’t mind. He was less annoying than the others. Besides, she wasn’t entirely certain about him. He seemed familiar. So familiar, it concerned her. His future wasn’t clear to her, but somehow it was connected to hers.
“Make certain the way is clear!” Thac yelled. “I don’t want unnecessary complications. She might escape during it.”
Rosha snorted. If she had wanted to escape, she would have already. At the moment she was interested in what fate had in store for her. If there was one thing lacking in all her power, it was the ability to see the future with clarity. She only received glimpses of it. With what she had seen and what the Seeress had seen, it was enough for her husband to think they’d win this war. She wasn’t as certain, but it hardly mattered. She had already gotten what she wanted.
“Keep moving,” Trester said behind her, pulling her from her thoughts. She turned and looked into the man’s brilliant blue eyes, wishing she knew how his future was to play into this. Every time she looked at him, she received a vague sense he was important. “All they need is a small reason to harm you. As long as you arrive at King Barend’s feet alive, they’ll be rewarded.”
Rosha turned her gaze on the snowy plains. She kept her distance from the soldiers ahead and took her place beside Trester.
“Why are you here?” Rosha whispered. Trester wouldn’t look at her. Deep sorrow filled his eyes, only making her more curious.
“This is the place I’m needed.” Before she could ask him any more questions, he shoved her forward. Laughter filled the area around her. She hadn’t realized others were watching them. “I’d suggest you stop talking to me. I’m not your friend. I’m here to do my job.”
“Yes, and what job is that, I wonder.” She continued to stare at the man, hoping answers would come to her. She wasn’t a patient woman. For this, she had to be. In time, the answers she needed would come to her. She’d know why he was important.
He shoved her forward again.
Barend
Dawn Stone was a dark palace. The bottom two floors were made from thousands of black stone. The top two floors were made from a darker, smooth blue stone. The palace itself sat on a hill with stone stairs leading up to the wall positioned around it. Towers sat at each corner, ensuring it was well protected. Below it and to its right was a lake where water flowed into it from above.
During the summer, beautiful vined flowers climbed up the moist walls of the alcove. A gentle river flowed from the lake. De’Nae had always found the area serene. He had never cared for it. He wasn’t one for nature.
Barend sat in his suite of rooms located in the middle of the palace. He glanced over at the globe in the corner of his room. The globe was glowing an angry orange. Normally, it only held a slight orange glow with darker ribbons of orange swirling around.
The demon inside of it wanted to speak with him. He knew it, but he delayed. His wife hadn’t contacted him in a month. She had ventured down into Yul with a plan she hadn’t revealed to him. All she had told him was it was necessary. He waited every day for her to contact him. He wondered if her plan had gotten her killed. Part of him even wondered if her plan was to act against him, thinking they would fail. It was why he had sent men of his own.
“Come on, De’Nae, contact me.” He slammed his fist down on the armrest. “So selfish,” he muttered, shaking his head.
Barend rose and approached the orb, knowing he could delay no longer. He had already delayed for three days. As both his hands touched the sides of the glass ball, he could feel the presence inside of it. It pulled his mind into the orb and he lost control.
Well?
I don’t know. There isn’t a clear report yet.
What does that mean?
Barend shuddered from the growing anger. He wanted to pull away but the demon held him there. I don’t know. King Delane Stone is probably dead. So many others died. The tower he was in collapsed. You know as much as I do. We know his two sons are dead. The only thing we must do is find and kill the third son.
Find me answers, not speculation. None of them can be alive. We don’t know which one of them has the power to stop everything.
You mean besides the Servant?
Verite’s anger grew. The orb turned a dark red. Your wife assured me Mercea wouldn’t be a problem. She assured me you would capture her. She promised me the Servant, and I expect deliverance.
Verite cut their connection. Barend removed his shaking hands from the orb. He sat down in his chair and rubbed his temples. Talking to the demon had given him a severe headache. It always did.
“De’Nae, what are you doing? I need you back here with me.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Please.”
Zavad
As the man from Ogden’s scouting party left, Zavad started pacing. His hands were laced behind his back. King Barend’s men were in his kingdom? Zavad shook his head. He didn’t know what any of this meant. Ogden’s assignment was routine. They weren’t supposed to find a mess like this.
He stopped at the window, staring out across the dusting of snow along the red rooftops of the city. He felt foolish. Once King Barend had started to act so oddly, he should have sent men to the border to protect the people of Yul. He should have never turned a blind eye to the man, but Yul was a kingdom who didn’t know war. How was he supposed to send men who weren’t trained to kill others? Zavad knew he needed help, especially after what happened to Kenokel. He just didn’t know where to turn. Because of it, all he could see was death.
Whatever King Barend was planning, he needed to know more. He was certain Ogden would send him another report once he discovered more. Waiting for it was excruciating though. He had to know what was happening in his kingdom.
After what had happened to Kenokel, he feared for his own peoples’ safety. There were odd reports pouring in. They spoke of a black monster which had destroyed the city and had killed most of its inhabitants. The thing bothering him the most was Cascade was a kingdom always prepared for war. It didn’t make sense there was such devastation.
“Zavad,” a sweet voice said from behind. Slender arms wrapped around his waist. He smiled, feeling his muscles relax. “Come. Take a walk with me. You need to clear your head. Only then will you be able to make a decision.”
Zavad nodded. His wife was right. His thoughts weren’t clear. His mind kept focusing on all the possibilities. There were just too many to consider. He reminded himself he didn’t know all the facts yet. Short of knowing the future, he doubted he could make an informed decision. He knew he’d have to make one before too long. King Barend would force him to. That much he knew. The man didn’t know his boundaries. No. The man didn’t care. Whatever gave him power was all that mattered.
“What’s your opinion of all this?” He kissed her hand.
Balla was silent for several moments. “War is coming. It’s best we start gathering soldiers and training them. We need to find someone who can train them. I know Yul has stood neutral in the past, but I don’t think we’re going to have the option this time. Whatever this is has already taken Cascade down. I would rather have us fight than die without defending what we believe in.”
Zavad turned to face her and smiled down at her. His father had never approved of his choice of wife. He had considered her a common girl. Zavad had never saw her as such. She had stolen his heart the moment he had seen her. Every day after that, whenever he could sneak off to see her, she had proven herself to him. Balla was a woman who could see things he often couldn’t. She was his other half. She was what made him whole.
“I love you.” She kissed him with a light tenderness.
“I love you too.” He rested his forehead on hers. “I don’t know what I would do without you. Don’t ever leave me.”
Querra
She could feel Eiden’s angry stare. For two days now they fought about what the Relentless should do to protect Hartland. He thought it best to have th
eir men stationed around Kenokel to keep demons from spreading. Querra told him the demons had already spread, but he wouldn’t listen.
When she looked into Eiden’s brown eyes, she snorted. She led this group. He didn’t. She valued his opinion, but that was all it was. An opinion.
“We’ll do what I want,” Querra said. “We have to protect the small towns around Cascade. We can’t just focus on the main city. There are more people in danger elsewhere. We won’t abandon the city, but we’ve already lost Kenokel. Let’s not lose other cities because we can’t accept the fact the capital is lost.”
Eiden shook his head. “There are still people inside the city trapped by those monsters. Are you telling me we should just sacrifice them? Forget about their lives?”
Querra sighed. “That isn’t at all what I’m saying, you dense fool.” She thumped his chest. “We’ll have men stationed around Kenokel, but not all of them. I’ve told you this before. We need soldiers stationed around Cascade. They can catch the monsters who escape the ruins. Those monsters are out there, Eiden. We fought them. This is what one of those damned things did to me.” She showed him the wound in her hand where the monster’s blood had eaten a hole through it. “They’ve done a lot worse to others.”
Eiden stared at her for a long while. “I’m uncertain why we’re arguing,” he said, at last. “It seems we both want the same thing.”
“I’m not the one who started the argument. I’m not the one who disagreed with what I was saying right away without listening. That was you.” She studied him, shaking her head. “For the first time, I’m regretting you being my second in command.”
“I’ll do better.”
“I hope so.”
Querra watched him leave before turning away. There were plans to be made. She had to choose people who were capable of leading small parties to fight these monsters. They needed to protect the Cascadian people. Furthermore, they needed to train the survivors how to fight. They were going to need every abled body out there.
Delane
The North Gardens Palace was aptly named, despite belonging to the Desert. There were gardens going up toward the palace as it was built on top of a hill. The gardens tiered down the hill on either side of the sandstone steps leading to the palace. Small water streams cascaded down between garden beds serving as a form of irrigation.
Delane stared at the sandstone palace with wandering thoughts. All he wanted to do was sleep. He closed his eyes as they passed through the gates. The sounds of soldiers coming toward them pulled him away from the black.
“My daughter?” Delane whispered. “Is she here?” The soldiers didn’t answer. “Please, I have to know.”
“Don’t worry, your Majesty,” Osrin said at his side. “I’ll find out.”
It seemed he lay there for several minutes before another group exited the palace. They, too, hurried toward him. Delane reached for one of them, but the man was too far.
“Is Janessa here?” Hope rang in his frail voice. “Please tell me she’s here. I need to see her.”
“She’s here, but King Maik wants you to see the Mender right away,” the man responded. “I’ll send for her to meet you there.”
Delane nodded. The men lifted his carrier and took him inside. The temperature difference was a stark contrast. Whereas there was a chill to the air outside, the palace was warm. Several small fireplaces kept it comfortable throughout.
As they carried him through the hallways, Delane drifted back to the blackness. He had to fight it. He had to see Janessa. He had to hear his daughter’s voice one last time.
Janessa
Janessa sat in the middle of her bed, knees under her chin, thinking about Maik and Cascade. Two days had passed since she had seen the Desert King. Her father still hadn’t arrived. She was beginning to think he wouldn’t. She had prayed Maik would contact her, telling her he was here.
Deep down, she knew there was no reason to believe her father still lived. Maik had said he was in bad condition. She hadn’t had the courage to ask him what condition her father was in.
Tears rolled down her thin cheeks. Wiping them away angrily, she went to stand on the balcony. The sound the ocean made helped ease her fears. It gave her something to focus on.
As she leaned against the railing, listening to the roar of the ocean, she didn’t hear the knocking at her door. Her thoughts were on everything. On the future. On the past. All the death.
If she could ease the suffering of the people, she’d do anything required. They had lost so much. However, she didn’t know if they could even defeat whatever had destroyed the city. From everything she had heard, it seemed none of their weapons could pierce it. Magic wasn’t even useful against it. The monster seemed invincible. Janessa knew it was a possibility they’d spend the rest of their lives running from this creature.
“My lady?” Galtrand’s voice startled her. She turned toward him. “Your father is wishing to see you. There’s a servant outside waiting to take you to him.”
“My father?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Janessa rushed to the door. The servant on the other side met her with a small bow. She motioned him forward. As she followed him down the hall, she wished he’d walk faster. They were on the first floor when they stopped and he turned toward her. His eyes were worried. Janessa felt her heart jump to her throat.
“A word of caution, my lady,” the young boy said. He swallowed hard. “Your father isn’t in good condition. Engrim is with him now doing what he can. He’s fortunate to have made it here. He’s very ill, very weak.”
“What are you saying?” Janessa whispered. Her chest tightened.
“Mender Engrim is concerned he won’t live much longer.”
Janessa couldn’t say anything as she fought back tears. So, instead, she nodded at him and he opened the door. The room was small, consisting of a bed and a few chairs around it. A sickly smell assaulted her nose.
Her father lay there pale, looking so fragile. There were wounds all over his body and deep bruises which hadn’t yet begun to heal. He was so thin, and not the big man she had known all her life. She couldn’t believe this man was her father. She had always thought of him as untouchable.
“Father?” she called softly, afraid to break the healer’s concentration.
Her father smiled. “When they said you were alive, I could scarcely believe it. Not after watching your brothers die. I am so happy to hear your voice.”
Janessa took her father’s outreached hand and sat beside him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to help.”
“I’m not. You would have died with them.”
She squeezed his hand, blinking back tears. “Tell me what happened.” She was desperate to keep him talking. She could see why the Mender was concerned.
“None of us are certain.” Janessa swallowed, listening to his weak voice. “It came out of the forest in the center of town. We had no time. We did the best we could. It… It wasn’t enough. By the time we left, most of Kenokel was in ruins. I should have abandoned the city sooner. All those people lost because of my stubborn pride.”
“You did what you thought best at the time.” She squeezed his hand again. “What happened to you?”
“I…”
Her father convulsed for several moments. He squeezed her hand making her cry out and fall to her knees. When his hand went limp, she stared at him in horror. She looked to the Mender before her eyes moved to her father’s pale body.
“Father?” she whispered. “Father?” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Is he… Is he…”
The healer checked for a pulse. “Not yet. Maybe you should leave. He needs his rest, my lady.”
“Absolutely not. I will remain by his side.”
“As you will.”
Mercea
Mercea kept her eye on Arem. They had traveled through the night in silence. As the sun started to rise, she stopped. Leaning against a tree, she stared at the wytch, wondering if she shoul
d have left him behind. It would have made things simpler.
“I want some answers, Arem.” He glanced at her. “Why didn’t you help Rosha back there?” He shook his head and turned his gaze to the horizon. “I won’t ask again, Arem. You realize because of your cowardice, Rosha is with them, enduring who knows what, don’t you? It doesn’t matter if you didn’t trust her. She was my charge and it was my decision. Not yours.”
The wytch sighed. “Can we not do this? I am more convinced than ever Rosha isn’t the person she says she is. I think…”
“It doesn’t matter what you think, Arem,” she interrupted. “Why couldn’t you act? Why couldn’t you help when it was obvious I needed your help? After what you did at the lake, I find it difficult to believe you’re a coward, but what are the other options?”
“It wasn’t cowardice. I can understand how you think that, but it wasn’t. You are needed in Carthoda. The problem lies in Dawn Stone. You wouldn’t listen to me. Going to Kenokel would have gotten you killed. I did what was necessary.”
Mercea raised a brow. She took a step toward him. Fire flung up around him.
“Don’t,” he growled. “Just don’t. I’m doing the best I can. You aren’t the easiest person to work with. If I wasn’t a wytch, this wouldn’t be an issue. You need to get past your prejudice and find a way to trust me, even a little.”
Mercea stood there, staring at him. If he knew anything about Servants than he would know his fire would do little for him. It wouldn’t save him. She could walk through it to get to him. It would hurt, but she would remain untouched. As she stood there, staring at him, he was silent, studying her, watching her.
“Is that what you’ll tell Rosha? That you didn’t trust her? That’s the reason King Barend’s men were able to take her? She won’t like that anymore than I do.”