by J. B. Jenn
The crunching of snow behind him made him stop. The whirring wind made it difficult to know where it had come from. Arem concentrated on his surroundings. When he heard it again to his left, Arem stopped. His dark brown eyes scanned the snowy terrain.
When the man wearing all black passed him, Arem held his breath. He wore the symbol of Carthoda on his left sleeve. The snake wrapped around a staff in the middle of a shield was unmistakable. How had the man survived the fire back at the inn? It seemed impossible as the man lay unconscious with the building burning around him.
“I’ll kill that bitch if it’s the last thing I do.”
Arem stared at him, biting his lower lip. He wondered if he should take care of the nuisance or keep following Mercea and the man. It seemed his odds were better if he left the man alive. When Mercea found him, she might think it was him she had heard.
He clenched his fists at his side. He wanted nothing more than to kill one of King Barend’s men. Most of them knew what was happening throughout the kingdom. This one, Scrunder, was one of those men.
Few had stood up against the wrong. It was why he had no remorse over the people he had killed at the lake. They were men who were allowing horrible things to happen. Some of them had even laughed about it as they had traveled to the lake.
All he needed was for her to see everything. Only then would she understand why he had done what he had done. Maybe she already did. It was difficult to know with Mercea.
Janessa
After sitting beside her father for a week, holding his hand, watching him grow weaker, listening to his breathing grow shallower, she still wasn’t ready for when her father took his last breath.
She gave him a gentle shake. When he didn’t respond, even with a low groan, she placed her head on his chest and wept. There was nothing left of the proud man who was her father.
“Your Majesty,” a gentle voice said at her side, touching her shoulder. Janessa remained where she was. Tears slid down her cheeks. “Your Majesty,” the Mender said again, touching her shoulder once more.
“Don’t call me that.” She pulled away from him.
“You are now Queen of Cascade, are you not?” the man asked. Janessa leveled him a dangerous look. “Your father has passed into the afterlife. His sons are dead. You now lead what is left of Cascade. You don’t have time to mourn the loss of your father. Horrible things have happened. If we don’t face them now, those horrible things may come to the Desert and kill more people. Don’t make their lives mean nothing, your Majesty. Don’t make your father’s death make you wallow. I don’t know much about your father, but I know he was a strong man. I know he would want you to be strong for him and for Cascade.”
“How dare you” Janessa rose. Red crept up her neck into her cheeks. “My father barely grows cold and you lecture me about what must be done?” She glared at him. “I thought Menders were supposed to be caring and understanding?”
“We are, your Majesty. It’s why you must carry on with your life. More peoples’ lives are at stake. They need you. Surely you can see that?”
“That’s more than enough, Engrim,” came a smooth, baritone from the doorway. “As King Delane Stone now glides into the afterlife, your duties are not required at the moment. Please leave us.”
Maik’s voice angered her more. As Engrim left, she shot the Desert King a dangerous look, thinking about demanding him to leave her. He only stood there in the shadow of the dim room. She didn’t know what made her angrier. The fact he was here, or the fact he just stood there, staring at her. Although kindness sat in his eyes as when they had first met, she found she was still angry he was there. Angry her father had died. Angry her home was gone. She was just angry at the world.
“Why are you here?”
“I came to see if there was anything I could do for you. I didn’t know your father would die today. I’m sorry, my lady.”
“Please leave me so I can grieve for my father alone.” She met his sea green eyes before lowering her gaze to the floor. Tears were streaming down her cheeks again. “I can’t handle anything else at the moment.”
“I’m afraid you have no other choice in the matter, Janessa. Your father is dead. Cascade lies in ruins. I understand your need to grieve, more than you know, but you cannot allow yourself to fall apart. Cascade needs its queen.” He paused as his sea green eyes landed admiringly on her dead father. “He was a great man. I’m sorry for your profound loss, Queen Janessa.”
She didn’t say anything for several moments. She wanted to. She wanted to scream at him. Hit him. Bloody that nose of his which seemed to fit his face perfectly. All she wanted to do was lash out and make him feel the pain she felt.
Instead, she closed her eyes. She didn’t even care if Maik watched her cry. Her father had just died, and here he was, like Engrim had, telling her she had to move on and deal with ungodly things. How could she possibly do that when she couldn’t even think straight? When she felt numb?
Maik’s arms wrapped around her. She leaned her head against his strong chest and wept. He stroked back her pale brown hair, saying nothing. For several moments, she simply cried and he let her.
“Thank you,” Janessa whispered, pulling away from him.
Maik smiled down at her. The adoration she saw in his eyes made her look away. “I should take my leave,” he said softly. “I’ll send Engrim inside in a few moments. I’d like to give you some time with your father alone before he’s readied for the ceremony.”
“Ceremony?”
“Yes. Doesn’t Cascade believe in burning their royalty on a pyre?”
More tears slid down her face. She wiped them away as she nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered. She watched him walk toward the door. “Wait,” she called out. When he turned his kind eyes on her, she hesitated for just a moment. “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me and my people. It’ll never be forgotten.”
Maik nodded once before closing the door behind him.
Maik
He sucked in a deep breath. As he had held her while she wept, all he had wanted to do was kiss her and tell her everything would be fine. He wanted to tell her he’d protect her and care for her. Maik shook his head. Having Janessa in the palace was going to be more difficult than he had imagined. She distracted him too much.
Engrim stood in the hallway, staring at the wall. The man glanced toward him sourly before focusing his eyes on the floor. In the look, Maik could see the man wanted to say something but was too afraid to say it. Just because he was king, people feared him and could no longer speak their mind. He hated it. He had never been unfair to them. He hadn’t given them reason for such treatment, other than being born destined for the throne.
“We need to prepare King Delane Stone for a burning ceremony tomorrow night. Speak with Lord Osrin on the specifics.”
“A burning ceremony?” Engrim furrowed his brow.
“Yes. It’s what the people of Cascade do to honor their royalty when they pass on. They feel it helps them achieve the afterlife at a faster rate.” Maik shrugged. “I suppose it makes sense. We bury our dead in a tomb. What if their spirits cannot leave the tomb until they are summoned? What if our people are forced to find their way through the earth? When a person burns, their ashes, and perhaps their spirit, float upward. Who’s to say for sure what happens when someone dies? It’s interesting to think about.”
“I will see it’s done, your Majesty.”
Engrim went to enter the room, but Maik grabbed his shoulder. “Give her some time with her father. Visit with Lord Osrin first. If something happens, I can be found in the library. There are a few things I need to look into.”
“Of course, your Majesty.”
Maik walked down the hall, lost in thought. After speaking with Lord Osrin last night, he’d had plenty of time to think. He was certain he knew who the black monster was. It was no monster if his suspicion was correct. Or his memory.
The only reason he thought he knew what it was
came from all the time he’d spent in the library as a child. He had read things he probably shouldn’t have read at such a young age. His parents had always encouraged him to read. They thought it was how one stayed educated and ahead of everyone else. It was something he was grateful for and it was something he’d do with his future children. A reading mind was a thinking mind.
Maik entered the library and went to the topmost level of the three story room. This was where he kept all his important old books and scrolls. Over the years, he had meant to move them to the lower level in case something happened and they had to flee. He wanted to be able to save at least a few of them. He hoped down the road, he could build a small vault for them to keep them safe.
Maik had no idea how long he’d be searching, but he knew the answers were here. He had seen the monster as a child. Somewhere.
Querra
The Relentless were scattered across Cascade protecting the people. It seemed the creatures had spread through the entire kingdom. So far, they were able to keep them at bay, keeping them from taking over everything, destroying more towns. A few citizens died here and there, but most of them were kept alive.
At times, Querra considered Eiden’s idea of pulling all survivors to one location. The only reason she didn’t go through with it was she was afraid to have everyone in one spot. If the large black monsters found them again, most, if not all, would die. If she survived it, she couldn’t live with herself afterwards. Eiden didn’t think it’d happen. He thought the monster would stay in the city. She couldn’t take the risk.
Querra sucked in a deep breath. Fighting these monsters and protecting Cascade was more difficult than she imagined. Everything rested on her shoulders. If King Delane had survived, she’d have to apologize to him for the horrible names she had screamed at him as they had drug her from the throne room. Now, she understood more of what he endured every day.
She straightened from where she studied maps across a large, rough table. These monsters didn’t seem to have any organization amongst them. At least, that part was promising, but they were still outnumbered.
More and more of the Relentless died each day. She had to start recruiting and she couldn’t be as selective as she was before this crisis. It meant she’d have to accept questionable people into her ranks. There were already criminals within them. They were people who had committed minor crimes, ones she could forgive. They were mostly theft. She hated the mere idea of allowing just anyone in, but she knew she’d do what she had to do to protect the kingdom.
As she left her tent, she only had a few moments of peace before Eiden was at her side. For several moments, he said nothing as he walked beside her. She hoped it’d remain that way, but she knew him better than that. He had sought her out, no doubt to make a complaint about an order she had given.
“Querra.” When she scowled in his direction, he laughed. “You need to get some rest. You can’t run these soldiers on a mind too tired to comprehend anything. We’re safe for the time being. Get some sleep. I’ll wake you if something should happen.”
Querra stared at him, blinking. She knew she was exhausted, but she questioned if he was trying to make her look weak in front of the others. Sighing, she told herself it didn’t matter. She needed sleep. She couldn’t carry on forever.
“I’ll try.” She gave him a weak smile.
Eiden walked with her to her tent. She had expected him to smile as if he’d won some kind of victory. Instead, she saw worry in his eyes. Maybe her exhaustion was making her think poorly of him. He had never betrayed her before. Sure, they argued a lot, but maybe that’s all it was. Argument. No two people could see eye to eye on everything all the time.
“After you’re rested, I think you should revisit the idea of pulling everyone to one location. I feel the soldiers can protect them better if we do so. Maybe with a fresh mind, you’ll think differently about it.”
Querra frowned. “Thank you.”
She entered her tent and collapsed on the cot.
Mercea
For three days now, Mercea had heard sounds behind her. Every time she looked back, there was no one there. She doubted it was wildlife, not with the sounds being so constant. Someone was following her. She didn’t think it Arem. The wytch was too graceful to make so much noise. He had followed her for days, proving the fact. She stopped within the cluster of trees she had headed toward for most the morning and waited.
Around midday, the sounds grew louder, drawing nearer. Mercea was hidden within the durable pines. These trees hadn’t withered away like some other areas in Carthoda. These areas devoid of life were growing in frequency the closer she drew to Dawn Stone.
When a tall man walked past her, grumbling to himself, Mercea sucked in a deep breath. His clothes were singed as well as his hair. Somehow he had survived the burning of the inn.
She fell into step behind the man with a dagger in hand. She thrust the dagger into the center of his back. He fell forward, hitting the ground, dead. She stooped and took the dagger from his back.
Mercea turned her focus on Dawn Stone again. Rosha would most likely be there, so would the answers she was seeking. The answers the wytch wanted her to see. Stepping over the man, she scanned the plains around her. She looked for any signs a group of people had come this way. She saw nothing, but the drifting snow made it difficult to know for certain.
As she turned back toward the north, she caught sight of a flicker of someone. She shook her head at Arem before continuing forward.
Rosha
“It’s time,” Trester whispered at her side.
Rosha blinked several times. It was dark, but she could still see who spoke to her. His strong hands gripped her bound wrists and pulled her to her feet. Rosha stared at him, waiting. Excitement built inside of her.
“Come with me.”
He cut the rope from her hands. Rosha rubbed her wrists, hoping to ease the painful sensation spreading through them from the binding being too late. Trester grabbed her hand and led her away from camp.
As she followed him past the sleeping bodies, she wondered if his plan would work. She was still surprised he didn’t know who she was. With the power she was certain coursed through his veins, she thought he would at least sense she was more than just a Seeress.
Maybe he knew and said nothing because he didn’t want to alert the others to her. Maybe he still thought she was some innocent bystander in this. Whatever the reason, Rosha was thankful for it. She needed to see what this man was capable of and needed to know who he was. She needed to know why he seemed so familiar.
As she stared at the back of Trester’s head, she wondered if this action would get him killed. Whatever his future was, Rosha knew it would be bloody from the few glimpses she could see of it.
She wished she had included insight in the list of powers she had received. At least, she had some natural ability for it.
By the time the sun was peeking over the horizon, casting the land in gray shadow, she pulled him to a stop. Trester spun, meeting her with curiosity.
When she met his brilliant blue eyes, a small smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. How could she not have been certain who he was before now? This man needed to die. He could be the one to ruin everything. Yet, she found she couldn’t act on it. She desired to know more about him. She wanted to see his power. See why he could undo everything she and Barend had worked for.
“Why did we stop?” Trester’s voice was irritated. When Rosha only continued to stare at him, he scowled. “Rosha, we don’t have time for this. By now, they have discovered we’re gone. We have to keep moving.”
“I know who you are,” she whispered. Trester turned from her and continued. “Your King Delane’s third son. The son who was banished. Most think you’re dead. Yet, here you are in the employ of King Barend. How is that? How is that you’re here of all places?”
“Let’s just keep moving,” Trester growled. “We don’t have time for this.”
Rosha brea
thed out heavily. “You don’t know what happened, do you?”
Trester stopped, leveling her an annoyed look. “Know what?”
“Kenokel was destroyed by…” she trailed off. “By something. It wasn’t human. It was terrifying. Nothing could stop it. It killed thousands.”
Trester studied her for several moments. He grabbed her by the shoulders. “How could you know of such a fate? It’s impossible to know what you’re claiming unless you were there or are responsible for it.”
Rosha shook her head. “You know I have a gift to see into the future.”
He said nothing. He stared at her long and hard as if debating whether she was telling him the truth. She stood there, waiting for him.
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing has changed.” He turned away again.
She followed him for a time before speaking again. “Trester,” she said, softly. “Your family could be dead. You might be King now. Aren’t you at least curious? The people of the kingdom might need someone to lead them. You have the claim to do so.”
“What do you care?” he bit out, glaring at her. “You’re not of Cascade. Why are you taking such interest in this?”
“I only want to help.”
“No, you don’t. You have some other motive.”
Ice encased his left hand. Her eyes moved down to it. She smirked. The small ice crystals she had seen before had happened.
“We all have motives no one else knows about. They’re called secrets.”
Trester’s jaw clenched as he stared at her. The ice vanished from his hand. “I think it’s time you start worrying about yourself. If those men catch you, they’ll take you to King Barend. If you have the insight you say you do then I don’t need to tell you he’s a monster. You probably have more of an idea than I do why he wants you, but it can’t be good.”