Pledged

by Gwynneth White

  Sophia cocked an eyebrow at him. “Me?”

  “You.”

  “You flatter me.”

  “Don’t get too carried away. I was already disillusioned. And that’s quite something for a Pledged.”

  “So Pledged, how did that happen?”

  “Let’s just say that the war in Ammarod opened my eyes to all the possibilities offered by Gideon’s Prophecy. Anyway, back to the first of my father’s offers. It wasn’t too difficult to tell him that I wanted no part in his plan to murder Marlthas and his sons.” He shook his head. “As if I could ever agree to murder Daniel!”

  “Am I hearing you right? Your father wants you to kill his family? To murder Marlthas and Caleb – and sweet, gentle Daniel?”

  “I’ll tell Daniel you called him sweet and gentle, though I don’t know how much he’ll appreciate it.”

  “Stop joking and answer my question.”

  “Yes, you heard me right. Anyway, I refused. Now my father’s so angry that I suspect he’ll lash back by hurting you – on Reuel’s altar tomorrow morning.”

  Sophia’s eyes flashed with fury. She was about to speak when Jared placed a finger on her mouth. “If that wasn’t reason enough for him to kill you, sacrificing you to Reuel also solves the problem of the Gideon Prophecy – carried through you. And destroying the power of Gideon’s Prophecy is my father’s other obsession. So, my Sophia, either way, I think your number’s up.”

  Sophia scowled. “I’ve never liked your father.”

  “I don’t like any of them much either. I had hoped that Caleb would be the one prophesied about, but that no longer looks possible.”

  “Then that leaves the responsibility for destroying all this with my son.” Seth and Erin could feel the anxiety churning in Sophia’s stomach. “Caleb’s son. The one I can’t persuade him to make.” She looked at Jared with longing. “I wish life was simpler, and you could father my child.”

  “I’ve already told you, no son of mine could lift the curse. And how do you think I feel knowing that I have to give the girl I love to Caleb?”

  “I’m sorry, Jared.” She held him, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

  He pushed her away. “Time’s short, and I still have to tell you about the second offer my father made me today.”

  Sophia kissed his hand, then held it tightly. “I’m listening.”

  “Like I said, Marlthas is also scheming. And this time we know for a fact that he’s deadly serious.” He paused, took a deep breath and said, “I’ve been commanded to kill Caleb before your son can even be conceived. As a reward, Marlthas will hand me you on a platter.”

  Sophia’s hand flew to her face. “What? Me on a platter . . . like . . . like a haunch of venison?”

  Jared burst into laughter. “Bad choice of words, my love. I mean, he says I can have you as my lover. Obviously I would marry you first.”

  Sophia wasn’t sure whether to rejoice that Jared could be hers, or to be sick at the means needed to bring that miracle about. “But that’s unnatural! Caleb is his child, his flesh and blood.”

  “We trace our lineage back to Reuel. So trust me, the worst things imaginable are not only possible, they’re quite natural, too.”

  Sophia leapt to her feet and glared down at Jared. “The more I listen to this, the more determined I become. Regardless of the plots against my life, I must raise up my son. Nothing and no one can stand in the way of it, so I hope you told your father that killing Caleb just isn’t an option.”

  “Well, you see, I didn’t, because I’m somewhat torn–”

  “Torn! Jared, are you crazy? Just because you’re Pledged, it doesn’t mean you can’t make your own decisions. Surely, even as a Pledged, you can see that murdering people is wrong and can never be justified. And I could never be happy being with you, knowing that I – we – were responsible for Caleb’s death.”

  Jared took a moment to study her furious face. Then he stood up and locked eyes with her. “It’s very clear why you were chosen to be the mother of that son. But for me, it’s far, far more complicated.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand to stop her. “Let me finish before you attack me.” Her eyes remained defiant as she waited for him to explain. “Sophia, Pledged or not, I have to ensure that you survive long enough to even conceive that child. And that means I have to dance with the devil – while doing my best not to get fried in the process.”

  “I refuse to allow you to do evil things for me, Jared.”

  Jared continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “After all, with me gone, who will protect you and your baby? Especially as Marlthas is after Daniel too.”

  Sophia’s brilliant eyes widened. “What are you saying?”

  “Daniel is scheduled to die once Kezeah delivers an heir. Too bad for him, because he and Kezeah are now married. By next month she could be announcing a pregnancy. And, as we all know, it will be a son. So, poor bugger, whichever way Daniel turns, he won’t make old bones.”

  “And he knows this?”

  “He knows.”

  “And he can still be so cheerful, so willing to protect me?”

  “Now you know why I could never hurt Daniel. But that’s not all. Marlthas has made it clear that he will kill me too, if I don’t murder Caleb and Alfred.”

  Only now grasping the enormity of the challenges facing them, Sophia slumped down on the bed, all defiance gone. After a moment’s silence, she asked, “And – and you’re sure these aren’t empty threats?”

  “I wish.” Jared sat next to her and took her hand. “Marlthas has purposely backed my father and Alfred into a corner. They have no choice but to come back fighting. And Marlthas knows it. But he’s gambling everything on me killing Caleb and Alfred for certain rewards – you, and power in Shenaya. If I succumb to his temptation, I have no doubt that he will command me to murder my father and Daniel too. Just to finally prove my loyalty.”

  “But why?”

  “If he gets a grandson, he can do a clean sweep of the family. That way he’s removed all immediate threats to his life, and by the time his grandson grows up, he’ll be dead. After that, Marlthas really couldn’t care what happens to Reuel’s Family – as long as he doesn’t have to die for it. He’ll be back with Cassandra and the rest of us can just rot in hell. Something like that, anyway.”

  “But – but he’s also Pledged. To Reuel.”

  “Being Pledged is not always a guarantee against disloyalty, Sophia,” Jared said dryly. “Some of us still have minds of our own, you know.”

  Sophia grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. “Are you one of them, Jared? Or is your obvious loyalty to Marlthas going to turn you into a murderer?”

  Jared hesitated before replying. “Today I had the opportunity of killing Caleb in a perfectly legal duel, but when it came down to it, I . . . I . . . choked.” Seth and Erin saw him finger the small, white scar on his left hand, cut there when he and Caleb became blood brothers. “Regardless of everything, Caleb is still my friend. I could never kill him.”

  A gentle knock sounded. Sophia dropped her hand from Jared’s face and he walked to the door. Before he opened it, he turned and said, “I’ve been praying to every god in the universe – Reuel excluded – that I can find a way around all this. About a hundred voices have answered me. They all say that the sacrifice my father is planning is the big unknown – the decider. By tomorrow everything will be clearer.” He pressed his ear to the door. “Emblem?”

  “African Harrier Hawk. With Jackal.”

  Jared unlocked the door – admitting not just Daniel but a second person, about Jared’s age. He was also a Pledged, a stranger to Seth, Erin, and Sophia. Sophia stood up to face him as Jared bolted the door.

  “Sophia, this is Vance, one of our closest friends,” Jared explained as the tall, sun-bronzed boy nodded. “He is also a very high-ranking officer, so it’s unlikely that anyone will question his comings and goings tonight.”

  “He’s Jared’
s second-in-command,” Daniel explained. “So as long as Rustus isn’t prowling the corridors we’re good to go.”

  Vance agreed with a hard smile. “Still, some disguise seemed in order.” He turned to Jared. “Finding a uniform to fit her was a challenge, but I think we’ll pass scrutiny with what Daniel and I scratched together.” He held out a small leather bag.

  “Uniform?” Sophia’s voice spiked with fear, but she quickly brought it back under control. “What uniform?”

  “We’re going to dress you up as a Pledged. Not very original I know. But the best we could come up with at short notice,” Jared said. “And then Vance will walk you out of the Fortress, down to the look-out post at the end of the escarpment. I’ve posted my most loyal friends there. They’ll keep you safe until after the sacrifice.”

  “I see,” Sophia replied, doing her best to mask her fear. “And then?”

  Jared cradled her face in his hand. “When it’s all over, I’ll come and fetch you.”

  “Well, at least we have a plan.” Sophia held out her hands to Vance for the bag of clothing. With no privacy in the room, she added with forced cheeriness, “Turn around, you lot – give a girl some space.”

  Only Erin watched as Sophia slipped out of her silk dress and fumbled her way into the trousers and shirt, knee-high boots, and leather breastplate of a typical Pledged. Once dressed in the ill-fitting uniform, she wound her hair up into a bun and shoved the helmet onto her head.

  “Will I do?” she asked, twirling around like a fashion model.

  They all smiled as they looked at her. Vance had been right. Finding a uniform to fit a curvaceous girl like Sophia obviously had been a challenge. She looked just a little ridiculous in baggy trousers and a shirt that was way too tight.

  Jared chuckled as he pulled her armour, straining against her breasts, into its correct position. “Just don’t ever appear on my parade ground looking as disheveled as this, soldier.” He kissed her mouth. “I love you, never forget that.”

  Vance cleared his throat. “Now for your weapons, Sophia.”

  “I’ll take care of that.” Jared unfastened his own weapons belt, armed with his sword and hand-axe, which he then slipped around her waist, buckling it tight. Happy with the way they held up her trousers, he stood back and nodded. “Now, Sophia, listen carefully. If things go badly tonight, forget the sword and just grab the hand-axe.” He gestured to her belt. “Pull it out, show me that you know how.

  She fumbled to unhook the axe and then held it up gingerly.

  “Grip it like you mean it.” Jared positioned the weapon in her hand and closed her fist around the hilt.

  She tested its balanced weight and shivered, praying that she would not have to wield it in anger.

  “You need no special skill to fight with a hand-axe, Sophia,” Jared instructed her. “Just smash it with all your strength at whoever tries to stop you reaching the look-out station.” He pointed to the rapier-sharp Lightning Bird talons at the end of the hilt. “Use these to stab or tear flesh.”

  “I won’t let it come to that,” Vance said, responding to Sophia’s obvious revulsion.

  Everything about Vance’s physiognomy convinced Sophia that she could depend on him, so she hooked the weapon back onto her belt. “But what about you, Jared? I have your weapons.”

  “Jared is now Warlord, Sophia,” Daniel replied. “He can have as many hand-axes as he wants.”

  “I have a trunk of weapons sitting at my door waiting for me. Now, my love, you and Vance must go. But, just so you know, I have some Pledged watching out for you who will come to your defense, if necessary. That said, it would be preferable to avoid a pitched battle in the Fortress corridors, if we can help it.”

  Pallid with fear, Sophia kissed Jared again, lingering at the touch of his lips. “Until tomorrow, then.”

  “Tomorrow. And just so you know that I mean it, here, take this.” He dug into his pocket, and pulled out a small wooden carving, which he thrust into her hand.

  “A lion? Your emblem?” When he nodded, Sophia added, “That makes sense.” She placed it on the outstretched palm of her hand. “I’m holding you to this, Jared.”

  “I’m counting on that.”

  Sophia’s final farewell was for Daniel. As she opened her arms to hug him, he reached into his shirt and pulled out a long, grey feather edged with black. “This comes from Light-Being’s wing, Sophia. Keep it as a reminder that your life won’t always be like this. You will be free again.”

  With tears welling up in her eyes, she took the feather and brushed it under her chin, finding comfort in its silky softness; then she hid it in her shirt. With a last smile at Jared, she snapped down the helmet visor. Under cover of the Lightning Bird emblazoned on her breast-plate, she followed Vance from the room.

  Anxious for her safety, Erin and Seth followed close behind.

  Chapter 20

  CONFRONTATION

  Thanks to the wedding feast, the Fortress corridors, which on any other night would have been teaming with people, were almost deserted. Now only black-clad Pledged prowled.

  “Why’s no one even looking at her?” Erin asked, as they walked past yet another knot of sentries who looked straight through Sophia as if she were invisible. “I don’t expect them to challenge her with Vance the Jackal by her side, but surely they would at least look at her out of curiosity, if nothing else.”

  “Maybe she’s walking into a trap.” Seth unsheathed his sword, knowing it was a pointless gesture. Still, it gave him comfort to hold it.

  “And where are the dead?” Erin gestured down the passage, usually billowing with clouds of Gefallen. “It’s almost unnatural, not seeing them. And there’s no sign of Stephanie – or any of the other Guardians, either.”

  “Maybe they’re all drooling over the food in the Lord’s Hall,” Seth joked, trying to lift the tension.

  “While Sophia slips out of the Fortress unchallenged? I doubt that.”

  Seth shrugged. On they walked, the clatter of their feet loud in the echoing silence of the passageway. At last Vance led Sophia around a final corner and into the entrance hall. Erin skidded to a stop, shrieking before she could stop herself. Here were the dead. Like a vast shoal of sharks, Gefallen, in numbers they had never seen before, cruised the room, almost driving out the torchlight.

  Seth instinctively pulled Erin behind him and raised his sword to defend her.

  “It’s like every member of your Family has gathered tonight,” Erin said.

  But Seth and Erin weren’t the Gefallen’s prey. As a single organism, they turned and swamped Sophia. Ignoring her wildly flaying hands, some of the invisible wraiths ripped off her armour and flung it across the hall, while others tore at her hair and clothes. Still more of them buffeted her to the ground, knocking the breath out of her. Vance grabbed his sword – but stood helpless, staring at Sophia writhing, not knowing who or what he should be fighting. With a screech of delight, Isobel swooped into the fray.

  “No, Isobel! Leave her alone,” Seth yelled, thrusting his sword at her. But the blade passed harmlessly through her cloak. As both Nathan and Gideon had taught him, he could not change the past.

  Isobel smashed her fist into Sophia’s chest, over her heart.

  “Stephanie!” Sophia words came out as nothing more than a strangled cry as she slumped onto the floor.

  It was enough. As Isobel pulled back her fist to rip out Sophia’s heart, Stephanie shimmered in the air above her, holding a sword identical to Seth’s. As she plummeted to the ground, her weapon ignited, flaming with a brilliant, white light. With a flourish, she plunged it into the place where Isobel’s heart had once thrummed. “Take that, you old witch!”

  Shrieking with pain, Isobel’s amorphous body atomized, disappearing into the Fourth Dimension.

  Angelic face bright with retribution, Stephanie now slashed her sword left and right, scattering the rest of Sophia’s attackers. Terrified into silence by their agonized screaming, the remaini
ng Gefallen fell back. Stephanie brushed her hand across Sophia’s body and her eyes opened, but she was too weak to move. “Get up, Sophia,” Stephanie commanded. “I can’t help you if you’re just going to lie here.”

  Stephanie’s words spurred Vance into action. He darted across the room and pulled Sophia to her feet. Gasping from the pain from her broken ribs, she clutched at her tattered shirt. Her chest was bloody from Isobel’s raking fingers. Too shocked, she didn’t notice as Daniel’s feather fluttered to the ground.

  “I haven’t a clue of what just happened, or where the voices are coming from,” Vance said to Sophia. “But what I do know is that we’ve got to move. Fast.” He grabbed her arm, and pulled her out into the quadrangle. Seth took Erin’s hand and they followed close behind.

  “Sophia, I know you can hardly move, but I can’t carry you without attracting attention. So tough as this is, you have to walk. Starting now.” Vance frog-marched her across the quadrangle, past the startled faces of the patrolling Pledged.

  They had almost reached the freedom of the gate when an icy voice commanded: “Stop them!” It was Reuel.

  The Gefallen surged forward, but, as immovable as a mountain, Stephanie and her sword stood between them and Sophia. “Bring it on!” she cried with a wild look in her eyes. “You have no idea how good it feels to finally strike back.” The Gefallen froze as if they had hit a wall.

  “One little angel with a puny knife, and you’re all cowering!” Reuel snarled. “Get after them, or I’ll teach you what pain is.”

  The Lightning Bird swooped around, shooting fire into the mass of black and red cloaks. Shrieking with fear, the Gefallen swarmed towards Sophia, but they had to go through Stephanie first. She raised her sword, ready to meet them. In a second she was besieged. As fast as she slashed with her sword, more wraiths appeared, wrapping around her like snakes.