by J. B. Jenn
“No,” he yelled. “Sometimes people have to be sacrificed to save more. Once you arrive in Dawn Stone, probably before then, you’ll realize I speak the truth. You’ll have to trust me, Mercea.”
“I don’t and won’t trust a wytch, especially one who can’t be honest with me.”
“I am being honest. Rosha isn’t the person she says she is. I don’t know who she is for certain. She could be Queen De’Nae. What I do know is Kenokel is destroyed, lying in ruins, and there are demons in Dawn Stone. It’s why we need to turn our focus on King Barend and not on Rosha. You have to see what he’s done. Only then will you understand any of this. Only then will you see how far out of control this is.”
She turned her back to him. Shaking her head, she turned to address him again, but he was nowhere in sight. She scanned the trees a few times, narrowing her eyes. She didn’t like having the wytch out there, out of sight, but she didn’t have time to search for him. It would have to be enough she could feel him nearby.
Arem
Arem watched Mercea pass him, wondering if he had misjudged her. At least, she was heading in the direction of Dawn Stone now. If she arrived, she’d see the impending disaster waiting for Hartland. He had succeeded in that, even if his actions had alienated him from her. Arem sighed, wishing he could have gotten through to her. She needed him, even if she didn’t think so.
Carthoda used to be his kingdom. His home. It was where his family had lived. He had fled, leaving behind his dead sister. He had tried saving her and had failed. There was no way to reverse what King Barend had done to her. With as much power he had coursing through his veins, he was still useless. At least killing her had saved her from killing others. His sister was a gentle soul. If any part of her was left in that monster, he knew she would have wanted to die.
There were more affected than just him by this horror. More families suffered. More individuals had turned into those monsters. It had to end.
He remained behind the Servant, praying she wouldn’t discover him. He wasn’t certain what would happen if she did. Sighing, he wished this could have turned out differently. He wished she could have trusted him. More than once, he had wondered what had happened to make her distrust all wytches. What did she know about them that they didn’t?
The wind shooting down from the top of the mountain passed through his cloak, making him shiver. Another storm was on the way. They had to make it off the mountain before they were forced to find shelter from another blizzard. They had already delayed longer than they should have.
He looked toward Mercea again. Things could have been so different.
Maik
Since he had met with Janessa, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her. Sighing, he wondered what she’d do with her father dying. He wished he could comfort her, but they barely knew one another. Besides, he didn’t think Janessa would allow him to. Not yet.
Maik turned toward Isol who was sitting in his study, staring at him. He could send the man away. He knew that. For some reason, he put up with the man. Maybe it was because they were cousins, practically brothers, having grown up together.
“Is King Delane well enough to visit yet?”
“No. He fell into a deep sleep after he spoke with his daughter. He hasn’t woken since. Engrim believes his passing will be any day now. Janessa hasn’t left his side. She eats in his room and bathes in wash basins servants bring her.”
“I need to know what happened.” Maik had wanted to hear it from a man he trusted. He knew he shouldn’t have let Delane see Janessa until after he had spoken with him. But he knew he couldn’t be heartless to a dying man. “Send for Lord Osrin. He can speak for his king.”
“Of course.”
He watched Isol leave, wondering if he appeared as irritated as he felt. This was all too much. King Delane was dying and no one could tell him anything. His last hope of discovering what had happened was through Lord Osrin. The only problem he saw was the man’s loyalty to his king.
Maik ran a hand through his black hair. It seemed he had waited for hours before a light tap sounded at his door, telling him Lord Osrin had arrived. Maik turned to greet the man as he walked through the doorway. A deep scar ran the length of his right cheek and the tip of his left ear was missing. The man’s dark gray eyes were heavy with sorrow.
“Please, have a seat.” Maik waved his hand to the divan. “We’ve much to discuss.”
“I cannot say anything without my king’s consent or the consent of his daughter. Neither have given me leave to speak.” Osrin remained where he was. “I don’t think either will any time soon, not with what’s happening.”
“Lord Osrin, it’d be beneficial for the people helping you, if we knew what had happened. It would help us prepare for a possible attack here.” Still the old man said nothing. Instead, his jaw was now set in a firm, disapproving frown. “All I want to know is what happened. I can’t send any aid to Cascade without knowing for a certainty what my soldiers will face. You have served beside King Delane for years and know what I’m saying is the truth. Please, I need your help. The people of both the Desert and Cascade need your help. King Delane would expect this of you.”
Osrin sighed and rubbed his hands together. “You’re right. He wouldn’t want me to keep my silence.”
His look grew distant. Haunted. He said nothing for several moments. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely more than a whisper.
“The monster came out of the forest so suddenly. No one had the proper time to respond. It was this black monstrosity. It stood at least ten feet tall. None of our weapons could harm it. Arrows bounced off of it. Our swordsmen couldn’t get close before the monster would spin and sweep them aside. The few who did manage to get close, couldn’t hurt it either. The monster’s attacks seemed effortless.”
Osrin fell silent, closing his eyes for a moment. “Even our wytches were ineffective. We were defeated the moment it appeared. We just didn’t know it.” He took in a deep breath, shaking his head. Once again, he met Maik’s eyes. “I wish I could be of more help, but my main focus was getting the king out alive. I failed. The only one left of the Stones is Janessa. She will rule.”
“What about the third son? Where is he?”
Lord Osrin’s eyes narrowed. “As far as King Delane is concerned there is no third son.” Maik watched the old man study him. He gave him a friendly smile. “Do you mean to put him on the throne so you can have Janessa?”
“No. I only want to give her an option. She might not be ready to rule a kingdom. She’s young and emotional. She was never made ready to run a kingdom.”
Lord Osrin snorted. “We’re all emotional. Besides, she’ll learn. She has people to help her. First, we have to deal with… whatever it is. We have to find a way to stop it.” He started for the door but paused. “This creature was black, evil, dark. Even its eyes were black. If it had eyes. I stared at it as the tower steps crumbled beneath us.
“Its head was smooth. No hair. No ears. No nose. It was as if this thing was just a blank slate. There were massive horns on top his head and horns spiraling down from his chin. His entire body had bulging muscles and its black skin glistened. It is the worst thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how else to describe it. Just thinking back to that day is horrible enough. I’m sorry I can’t be of any more help.”
Maik met the old man’s eyes. “You’ve been more help than you realize. Thank you.”
“If you say so.” The old man closed the door behind him.
Rosha
They were drawing nearer and nearer toward Dawn Stone. They were within Carthoda now. With each step, Rosha knew she was getting closer and closer to exposing who she was. She couldn’t let it happen. There was still too much to do. She needed the guise of Rosha a little longer.
“Keep moving.” One of the king’s men nudged her forward with the tip of his sword. Sudden warmth ran down her back. Rosha clenched her fists at her side but continued forward. It’d heal soon enough. Besides
, the man wasn’t worth the risk. He leaned over her shoulder. His hand rested on her left buttocks. “The next poke won’t be as nice.”
“Leave her be,” Trester said, coming to her. The man who was harassing her started to say something. Trester shoved him away. “I said leave her be. King Barend won’t be happy to have the Seeress arrive in such condition. It’ll be worse when he finds out she cooperated, for the most part.”
“He’s right,” Thac said. Rosha held in a laugh. “Anyone else who touches her will have to go through me. Is that understood?”
Several mumbles were given. Rosha attempted to catch Trester’s eyes, but he refused to look at her. She wondered if it was because he was afraid others would notice. Maybe she had misjudged him and he didn’t care what happened to her. All she knew was there was something different about this man. He seemed powerful. As of yet, he hadn’t shown her his abilities and she didn’t think he would, not with these men around.
As Rosha stared at him, she speculated if he was the one she’d been searching for. If he was, she thought it ironic of how he’d fallen right into her lap. They had hunted for him for four years now and had grown desperate.
Trester met her eyes, raising one of his thick, black brows. Rosha focused her eyes ahead. She knew she’d been staring at him too much of late.
A few hours had passed before she decided to test his loyalty to the men around her. She started away from them, but Trester caught her eyes in the low light. Something in them seemed to beg her not to leave. She listened, studying him for a moment. From the look he’d given her, she had a feeling he had plan to get her out of this mess. Maybe then, he’d show her the power she thought him capable of.
She gave him a single nod and came to lay next to the fire again.
Ogden
For the last three days as Ogden waited for Casman to report in, Sanctuary sat in silence. The people in the small town were hospitable but afraid.
Even Ogden was wary, wondering if there were more of King Barend’s men out there. It was why he had men scouting the area. Soon enough, they’d know the truth. They’d know if they and the people of this town were safe.
He had a feeling that whoever or whatever had led the men here had also left. Yul had become involved in something complicated. They could only discover pieces of information, which seemed to lead to nothing.
Despite the warm fire he sat next to, Ogden shuddered. What had the world come to? One day he had believed, he and his wife could escape to somewhere less windy. Then, the next day, he was involved in this. Something was happening and this was just the tip of it, too. He wondered if they’d discover what was happening before it was too late.
“Dinner will be at sundown, young man.” The elderly woman’s voice drew him from his thoughts.
When she had first invited Ogden into her home, he was surprised to see she cared for a child of only eight years. When he had asked what had happened to the boy’s parents, the woman had given him a sad look. Many moments passed before she told him the boy’s parents had fallen ill and died. She had raised the boy since he was an infant.
Although he knew these things happened, it was never easy seeing it. At least the boy had his grandmother. There were too many children in Hartland who didn’t have parents or anyone to look after them.
He and Hethera only had one child and had tried to have another without luck. Hethera always thought it was a blessing to have the one child and never took him for granted. He smiled at the thought of his loving wife and his son, Acen.
He played with his ring wondering when he’d return to them. The selfish part of him wanted to abandon this and return home. The practical side of him needed to know what had happened here, even if he didn’t obtain the full story. They had to know everything they could. It was time for Yul not to bury its head as the entire world dealt with a crisis.
He hoped King Zavad would see this, too. If he didn’t, he was certain Queen Balla would help him see it. She was a practical woman, if not a plain one. She was the only queen he knew who refused to paint her face with color. She didn’t want to hide behind a falsity. Most of the citizens loved her for it.
“Thank you,” he said when the old woman kept staring at him. “Forgive me for my rudeness.”
She nodded and sat down in a rocking chair, facing him. For several moments, she said nothing as she took up sewing a pair of socks. Ogden watched her as her delicate, old hands worked. It was quite obvious she’d been sewing for her entire life. Hethera had never enjoyed sewing and only did so out of necessity. As such, her work was never quite so neat.
“There’s nothing you can do to change the outcome of whatever is happening out there. It’s beyond either of us. The best we can do is try our best to save lives and let people do what needs to be done. Sometimes the best thing to do is stay out of the way.”
Ogden stared at the woman in disbelief. There was plenty he could do. Instead of sit there and argue with her, he rose and left the warmth of the house and the thought of warm food. He needed to clear his head and decide what needed to be done. Surely, there was something he could do to help change the outcome of death. He wasn’t helpless.
“Sir!” Ogden looked over. The man’s face was reddened from the cold. He gave the man a nod. “Casman is asking to speak with you at the burnt inn.”
Ogden’s heart lurched. What could the man have to say he couldn’t say in front of the others? He hurried toward the inn.
Casman, a thin man, stood in front of the burnt building. It was an eerie sight with the snow covered trees and ground in the background. Casman caught his eyes. Fear sat in them.
“What have you found?”
“It isn’t good,” Casman started before falling silent. He refused to look at him for several moments. “King Barend’s men took someone.” Ogden frowned at the shame he heard in his voice. “My men and I didn’t try to save her. There were too many. I’m sorry. We should have tried.”
“No. If you had tried, you might have died. You would have never been able to tell me any of this. You did the right thing, even if it was a hard thing to do.”
Casman didn’t look convinced. He ran a hand through his tousled, blonde hair. “I know who the woman was. My wife went to see her a few times.” He lowered his eyes, kicking at debris from the inn. “I should have tried. She’s from Yul. She’s one of us. We’re supposed to protect people from our kingdom.”
“Who was she?”
“Rosha White.”
“Are you serious?” Ogden laughed before shaking his head. “That crazy woman? What would they want with her?”
“She said she could see people’s futures. Everyone thought she was crazy. Maybe she isn’t.” Casman fell silent again, eyes focused on the distant conifers. “What if she can actually do what she says she can? What if King Barend wants her, so he can see his future and try to change it?”
Ogden closed his eyes and shook his head. He remained there for a moment trying to see how this was playing out.
“At this point, all we can do is hope something interferes with his plan. Like I said, you’d have just thrown you and your men at them and died.” A snowflake spiraled down and landed on his nose. “We have to get this information back to the king. There’s nothing further any of us can do here. We leave before we get snowed in.”
“I’ll round up the men.”
Mercea
There wasn’t any sign of the group who had taken Rosha. She should have seen them by now. With every passing moment, the sense of failure increased. How could she have allowed them to take the woman? She was a Servant. She was supposed to protect people.
At least she hadn’t seen Arem either. He was following her. She could feel his magic, but he had remained out of sight. He didn’t give up easily. It was what concerned her. There was no way she could ever trust him, not after what he had done.
She took the last steps off the mountain, pushing through the storm. It was worsening by the moment in the mountain
s. If the storm stayed in the mountains, she’d enter Carthoda within the day. If it didn’t, she’d have to find a place to hunker down and let it pass.
She wondered if King Barend would give her any answers. She’d like to have some, but sometimes there wasn’t any. Sometimes, killing the bad person was the easiest thing to do. Sometimes, the reasoning behind the things they did wasn’t worth knowing.
A noise sounded behind her. She spun. The sword of one of King Barend’s men sat in her hand as she waited. No one seemed to be there. Mercea scanned the area, eyes narrowed.
“Show yourself.”
Nothing.
Her golden eyes scanned the area again. When nothing came forth, she took a few steps forward, feet crunching the snow beneath them. A small rabbit shot out from one of the bushes and darted around her.
Mercea shook her head. Arem must have scared it. She wondered when he’d show himself again.
Arem
When Mercea had turned and demanded for someone to show themselves, he stopped in his tracks. As he stared at her, he wished she had just listened to him. His biggest mistake with her was remaining hidden when King Barend’s men had attacked. If he hadn’t, maybe she would have listened.
Now, as he followed her again, he remained hidden. She had to make it to Dawn Stone and see what she was facing, but she couldn’t do it alone.
The only thing he knew was King Barend and Queen De’Nae had to pay for their crimes. They had to pay for what they had done to his sister and countless others. Arem closed his eyes, fighting back his grief. At least, he had ended the abomination his sister had become. If that was the only thing he had succeeded at, he thought he could rest happy with it.