The King's Secret

by Maryam Durrani

  ALSO BY MARYAM DURRANI

  Assassin: The Battle for Astodia

  Ascendant: The Four Kingdoms

  APPRENTICE

  Copyright © 2018 by Maryam Durrani

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1533350892

  ISBN-13 978-1533350893

  To my readers, who helped me get this far.

  PROLOGUE

  The woman stood in the room, her shoulders shaking. “He’s going to take our daughter. He’s taken everything from us, and now he wants her, too,” she sobbed, holding the baby to her chest.

  “We can’t stay in Astodia any longer,” the man said, trying to keep himself calm for her. He was afraid, afraid for himself, afraid for his wife and daughter. “The king won’t dare take her from us.”

  The woman wiped at her gray eyes. “His men are on their way. I received word from Clarice. He has taken everyone and everything I ever loved. He cannot take her as well.”

  “I promise you; I will protect you two.”

  The man hurried to grab the packed bags with enough food to last them a trip to another kingdom.

  “I already sent word to Hansen—he has prepared a carriage for us to make it out safely. Hold her close to you,” he motioned at the baby, “do not let her cry.”

  The woman nodded, hurriedly wrapping herself and their child up in a cloak. Then, she made her way to the door.

  “Let’s go.”

  As she set her fingers on the lock to open the door, a fist slammed into it, causing her to jump back. The door rattled as a deep voice demanded, “Open up! Hand over the child!”

  “He knows,” the woman’s voice trembled. “He knows about her!”

  “I’ll distract them,” the man hissed under his breath. “Leave through the back door!” When she had safely made her escape, the man unlocked the door.

  “Where’s the child?” the guard asked, pulling out his sword with a sharp clang. Behind him, the other guards did

  the same.

  “Too late,” the man smirked. “They’re gone.”

  The woman was already running. She ran as fast as her legs could take her. She didn’t dare stop, not when she heard the shouts get louder, not when the flames enveloped their home, licking at the night sky, and not even when she heard the screams of the man she loved as they drove a sword through his heart.

  ONE

  I ached.

  Climbing back up the mountain, every limb, every muscle felt like it was melting off my bones. I groaned as I pulled myself higher and higher, Xavier close by for support. The rotting, blood-soaked tunic that was once a soft white cotton now clung to my back in desperation, willing to survive this treacherous climb.

  The drakon had escaped. I’d cowered against the cold surface of the cave, daring myself not to breathe, flinch, or even blink.

  It had been right above me.

  The creature pushed open its wings and then all I heard were the terrifying, blood-curdling screams of the pirates above begging for mercy from a being that did not even understand.

  Or maybe it did.

  Even so, it showed no sign of it.

  I waited until the screams had died down, slowly fading away into the soft hum of music. I lifted my head to look for the source of the gentle rhythm, when I realized it was coming from Isabel who was crouched against a wall, trying to bury herself into it, grime and blood-streaked palms pressed over her ears and against her matted hair.

  She was bleeding from a giant gash across her forehead.

  Isabel hummed a single tune.

  It was probably the first time she’d witnessed such an annihilation. I should’ve been used to it, but seeing how unstoppable, how unexpected the razor-toothed beast was, I only sat still.

  Above ground, when we had finally made it out of the cave, I absorbed the gruesome massacre that lay before me.

  Bodies were flayed and mutilated. Limbs lay scattered across the scorched grass, some of which was still lit with fire so blistering I felt it from far away. Faces were so blackened and burned they were unrecognizable.

  “Look . . . Look for Cyprian,” I ordered, speaking the first words since the brutal destruction.

  They were trying to wrap their minds around the force we had just unleashed. I scanned the skies for any signs of the demon, but it was evident.

  The beast was long gone.

  Xavier was the first to act. Pulling back his tattered black sleeves, he wiped the back of his soot-covered arm across his forehead, only to make it dirtier. His honey eyes seemed tired, but he was pushing himself. We all were.

  Jax was next. It didn’t even seem as if his hair had once been such a light blond—now it was red and patterned with black ash. There was a long tear across the side of his right thigh, blood seeping through the fabric of his pants.

  Isabel coughed.

  It was a strangled noise, covering up a sob. Isabel wasn’t upset that the pirates were gone. No, after what they’d done to us it was a relief. But seeing the utter destruction made us all realize what a terror we had unleashed upon the kingdoms with absolutely no way of controlling it.

  TWO

  “There’s no sign of Augustus or Cyprian,” Jax said as he stood amidst the rubble. “They must have gotten away.”

  Isabel cursed under her breath, bright blue eyes fierce with frustration. We salvaged from the bodies whatever hadn’t been scorched, and left.

  Our only way of transportation, the horses, were tied below the mountain. The trek was far, but if they hadn’t been ripped to shreds like their riders, we could get back to the ships safely.

  “Adalia, how’s your arm?” Xavier called from above as we trudged. My muscles were sore, and I tried not to grimace with every step.

  “I’ve been trying not to think about it, Xavier,” I replied without glancing over my shoulder.

  “How are you feeling?”

  I knew he was trying to help, but there was nothing he could do to make me feel better. My face felt as if it had repeatedly been punched for an hour straight. Well, that had been the case, so my face was probably purple in multiple areas.

  And I was beginning to lose feeling in my fingers.

  A thrumming began in my head as I thought about it. If we made it back, they would have to cut my arm off. I was sure of it. My mind flashed back to Augustus’s boot as it came crashing down on the arrow wound in my upper arm repeatedly, and I winced.

  I sucked in a deep breath through my teeth.

  You’ve faced worse, Adalia. Chin up.

  I had to be strong. Not for me, but for them.

  Xavier, Jax, and Isabel.

  I halted, turned to face them. “How are the three of you? Is anything broken?”

  They shook their heads. Shadows cast across their faces creating eerie expressions, making their cheeks look hollow and their eyes sunken.

  “If you’re hurt, we can stop,” I assured them.

  “We can make it. There’s no time to stop,” Jax shook his head. He glanced at his twin sister, and a message passed between their eyes.

  The pirates had almost killed both of them right in front of me. I shuddered at the thought, turning my back towards their innocent, hopeful expressions.

  They had almost taken Xavier from me again.

  The horses were still alive. Two of them, to be exact.

  A few of them had somehow broken loose from their restraints and escaped, the others unrecognizable as parts of them lay strewn across the incinerated ground. They looked as if they’d been slashed with razor-thin knives, ribbons of skin and gore decorating the once beautiful and verdant mountainside.

  Xavier and I took the bay mare, Jax and Isabel taking the gelding. Isabel fell asleep, but I stayed alert. Xavier had urged me
to sit behind him to allow my arm to rest.

  I woke up when the horse came to a sudden halt, nearly causing me to slip off. I jerked awake, realizing I had unwill-ingly fallen asleep as well. The sun had set, a silver moon shimmering in the sky above us. A cool breeze wafted through

  my thin tunic, causing me to shiver.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, blinking, sitting up.

  “See for yourself,” Jax breathed, his voice filled with awe.

  I sat up straighter, ignoring the searing pain shooting up my back. My hands instinctively gripped Xavier torn tunic, my breathing suddenly shallow.

  The world was on fire.

  Flames rose to the sky, the mountains burning. Boulders had rolled off the hills, crushing walkways that had taken ages to build in mere seconds. The once lush green trees were now charred lumps of coal, blending into the dark sand.

  Everything was gone.

  “Do you think there’ll be any ships left?” Xavier asked over his shoulder. A mesmerized but horrified Isabel peered at me with full, crystal blue eyes. Flames danced in her soft irises. I tore my gaze away from her, my friends, the people I cared about.

  I couldn’t give up yet. I had to keep moving until I knew they were safe.

  “We’ll have to check,” I said, swallowing. My tongue was dry, throat crying for water. “Keep your voices down; we don’t want to attract any attention.”

  “I doubt there will be anyone left to hide from,” Isabel muttered, shadows of flames flickering against her pale, grimy face.

  We approached the beach, nearing the wreckage. No one had attacked us, which meant everyone had either burned to death or escaped.

  “Check the docks for ships,” Xavier called as he helped Isabel slide off the horse.

  “If there are any left,” Jax added. He was right. Everything was on fire. My eyes burned from the smoke, my throat clogging up.

  I was infuriated; at the pirates, at Cyprian, but mostly at myself for walking straight into this deathtrap and unleashing a new hell in our world. I already had enough on my plate to worry about.

  “Hey,” Isabel’s soft voice came as she stood next to me, hair whipping in the wind around her face. “Are you okay?”

  I brought myself to look at her. “I will be.”

  “You don’t need to worry about us, Adalia.” When I didn’t reply, she continued. “Listen.” She put her hands on my shoulders, turning me to face her, her grip steely. “You were so brave. You are so brave. You saved us all. We’ll help you, understand? Whatever this thing is, we can defeat it. We’ve come this far.”

  “What if it already reached Crea?” I asked, trying to hide the slight quiver in my voice. “Astodia?”

  “Don’t you break,” she warned, her chin trembling as she tried to hold in her anger and fear. “Don’t break on us.” She patted my cheek, holding my face in her hands. “The kingdoms need you. Don’t let these pirates—the drakon—don’t let them crush you. We will figure this out. We always do. You always do.”

  I nodded. I held her wrists. I pushed them down.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay, she repeated, backing away and turning to face the water. “Okay.”

  I sat in the sand as Xavier, Jax, and Isabel wandered, looking for some means of escape from the island. I didn’t want to sit and do nothing, but they wouldn’t let me help.

  “You took a beating for me. You deserve some rest,” Jax had said to me.

  I sat there, watching as the waves rolled up to the beach

  closer and closer each time as if reaching for me, yearning to grab me, hold me, envelop me in their sadness and pull me down to end mine.

  It was the least the ocean could do.

  I looked up at the sky, the color a burnt orange as if reflecting the crying island below.

  I laid back and groaned as pain sucked me in. I closed my eyes.

  Foam brushed my heels.

  “Adalia!” Xavier’s voice rang through the air. “We found something.” I rolled to my side, watching as he approached me, waving his arm. “I’ll carry you if I have to. Come on.” He crouched in front of me, panting, trying to catch his breath.

  “I can walk myself.” I pushed myself off the coal black sand, getting to my feet.

  “What wouldn’t you do to be in these arms right now?” Xavier teased, trying to make me smile. It worked. I managed to give him one.

  “Maybe later.”

  “I’ll take that. For now.” He held out a soot-covered hand, and I took it with my good one, covered in dried flecks of blood from who knew what—or who.

  We ambled, taking our time. He swung our arms gently.

  “Did you find a ship?” I asked after a while, breaking the silence.

  He nodded. “It’s small, not meant for such a long journey

  back, but it’s the only option we have. We can make it work.”

  “Xavier,” I stopped, tugging on his fingers, “you know how far Astodia is from here, don’t you?”

  Xavier ran his free hand through his hair, an exhausted expression on his face.

  “Ten days?”

  “Thirteen at least. And you do remember what we had to go through to get here, don’t you?”

  This mess had all started when I’d run from Astodia, the kingdom where I was born. I’d been raised by the king and queen—Xavier’s parents. I was the king’s assassin, his right hand, doing all his dirty work for him while he smirked from the safety of his throne.

  Complications arose. Xavier was poisoned by the rebel army, the people angered by the king’s murders. The assassination attempt had been carried out by a girl named Lorelle who had infiltrated the castle, posing as a servant. She was there to avenge her stepfather, a Duke of Dystalphi whom I killed for King Sadim.

  I was sent to become a part of the rebel army and retrieve the antidote in a race against time.

  As I stayed there, I realized I had to make a major decision. Save Xavier, or stay with Lance, someone I’d fallen for, later realizing I’d only been so drawn to him because he was . . . Different. I was heartbroken, confused, and an assassin. I had duties. I had to serve my kingdom.

  Now that I thought about it, I would never have returned home if it wasn’t for Xavier. But before I could make a decision, my cover was blown, so I stole the antidote and escaped with a hostage—Lance. He’d been the only one who was there at the time. I risked Lance’s life to save Xavier’s.

  Meanwhile, the leader of the rebel army had her own plans.

  Clarice—whom I later found out was Lorelle’s mother—attacked the castle, killing King Sadim and many others with her army. What I didn’t know, what none of us knew, was that Lorelle had been the actual heir to the throne, as her birth father was the prince—King Sadim being his orphaned cousin who the previous king had taken in as his own. Lorelle’s father left Sadim the position of king since he wasn’t strong enough to handle so many responsibilities.

  As I watched Clarice take her final breaths, she was determined to take Xavier down with her—and she was successful.

  I left Astodia, not being able to cope with the fact that Xavier was gone and I was known as a killer, the one who had torn so many families apart. I left Lance, I left everyone and escaped to Crea to start over where I met Jax and Isabel, and eventually Princess Zinovia who sucked me right into kingdom politics all over again.

  There, I bumped into Xavier who turned out to have faked his death for personal reasons, a lot of which had to do with pride, leaving the throne for the real queen: Lorelle.

  My job was to get Trella’s alliance. To get to the kingdom of Trella, we survived a violent storm to which we lost valuable crew members and battled huge, murderous flying fish, followed by brutal, razor-sharp rocks that tore through our ship’s hull as easily as a hot knife through butter. We were then attacked by pirates who killed more than half of our crew.

  After we had made it to Trella on behalf of Princess Zinovia of Crea, we discovered that we had been double-cross
ed. The King of Trella had allied with Dystalphi secretly, and together they were planning first to first destroy Astodia’s army and then take down Crea, the defenseless kingdom—no offense to the princess.

  We made our grand escape from there along with the piece

  of information that would lead us to a secret weapon that an ancient king who had ruled over all four kingdoms hundreds of years ago left behind before he died. The kingdom stretched out for hundreds of miles, including the oceans, and was named Archaon.

  The weapon that he had left behind would either bring the

  four kingdoms together or rip them apart forever. Augustus, the Pirate King, and Cyprian, the youngest prince of Trella who had been raised by Augustus, led us to the weapon which turned out to be the drakon we accidently released.

  And now, here we were.

  “So, Astodia?” Xavier said, causing my train of thought to crash. He’d gotten me to start walking with him again, his fingers tight around mine.

  “Huh?” I looked up at him, his face, his honey eyes, his little stubble, and felt warm.

  “We’re going to Astodia first.”

  Right. King Tarquin of Trella had plotted with King Adrean of Dystalphi to attack Astodia first—the kingdom with the biggest army.

  “Yes.”

  “You know . . .” he trailed off, and immediately, I knew what he was thinking.

  Charlotte. Darren. Aland.

  Lance.

  There was no denying it; they hated me. I knew it. Lance probably loathed every fiber of my being, and Darren, Aland, and Charlotte, definitely either wanted nothing to do with me, or they’d forgotten I had ever existed.

  I couldn’t think about that. No, I would deal with that when we crossed that bridge. For now, we had to get out of Amghadon safely.

  The ship was small, true to Xavier’s word, hardly made for surviving the harsh situations we’d been through on our way

  to Trella.

  “We have to take the long route,” I said as we started up the