“Zayden!” Adele wanted to stand up but Kathryn just put up her hand and shook her head for her not to and turned her attention to Zayden.
“What are you doing back?” I asked, displeased of whatever this was.
Zayden calmed his breaths enough to address me. “Father, we need to talk.”
“Okay.”
“In private.”
My eyes looked around at the worried faces at the table and reset back on Zayden. “Conference room.”
Zayden nodded as I started to get up and he finally looked across the table at Adele. “Hey, Love.” He sped around it and appeared behind her, kissing her head.
“What’s going on?”
“We’ll talk later.” He walked normally out with me the rest of the way and we went into the conference room where Darius and his dog was waiting for us.
“What is this about?” I asked. “Where’s Troy?”
Zayden and Darius looked at each other and Darius held out Troy’s sword so I could see it. “That’s why we’re here.”
“What happened?”
“We don’t really know.” Zayden said. “We settled for the night, Troy took first watch, Darius got up hours later to take second but he was gone.”
“Where?”
“West. Bandit country.”
I sighed and started pacing. “Damn it. Those ungoverned insects. What do you think the chances are that he’s still alive?”
“He is.” Zayden said. “He has to be. He’s worth more alive.”
“To who?”
They both seemed unsure.
“Perhaps word hasn’t reached the rogue bandits about peace.” Darius said. “Their plan is probably to turn them over to an enemy country.”
“Well, if it’s Kalu, we have nothing to worry about.”
“But we can’t take that risk.” Zayden replied. “We don’t really know what their plan is. That’s just a guess.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.”
“Father, we have to go after him.”
Just by the way he was standing and breathing, I didn’t quite think so yet. “You are in no shape to go tonight. Rest. Take the maps and anything else you need in the morning.”
“Father, there’s no time to—”
“You can barely stand here on your feet! Rest tonight and leave first thing in the morning.”
“I think he’s right, Zayden.” Darius said. “You ran hard to get here.”
Zayden sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “All right. Fine but what are we supposed to tell the others.”
“The truth?” I suggested.
“I don’t think Jaylyn will be able to take the truth.”
“No. What she won’t be able to take is the chance that Troy doesn’t make it back and you having to explain that you knew what was going on the whole time and didn’t tell her.”
“He’s kind of got you there.” Darius replied. “I think we do have to tell her.”
“All she’ll have to do is see this and know.” Zayden said as he took Troy’s sword out of Darius’s hands.
“You should give her the details that you know. You don’t want her to automatically assume that he’s dead.”
“Though we don’t know whether that’s actually true?” Darius asked.
“You’re obviously not going to tell her that. She’ll need to hear that you’re going after him and will bring him back.”
“Should we do this now then?”
“Dinner was just about over. I’m sure they’re waiting to see you.”
“We should talk to her alone. I don’t really want to give her the news with an audience. Can you send them upstairs and just tell them that we’ll be right up? We have to get our stuff or something.”
“Of course I can. I’ll let you know when she’s safely alone.”
“Thank you.”
Chapter 5
Zayden
My father left and we stayed behind to face this burden on our shoulders.
“This is not going to be easy to see.” Darius muttered.
“No. It’s not or to say for that matter.”
“I just hope she doesn’t do anything too irrational.”
“She’ll probably be too upset to want to leave the room until she sees him again.”
“Yeah. Probably.”
We waited until my father came back in with the okay to see her and we started upstairs. We walked down the long hall with our eyes on her door and finally stopped in front of it.
“Should we just go in?” Darius asked.
“She’s expecting Troy. That’s what he would do.” I brought my hand up to the door and knocked.
It didn’t take long for Jaylyn to open it. “Oh, hey, guys. Let me guess. Either you injured yourselves and need me to heal it so you can painlessly sleep with your wives or you’re really stupid and forgot where your room was.”
I tried getting out a laugh but it turned out to be more fake than real. “I wish both of those were true but we actually need to talk to you.”
Jaylyn’s once happy smile to our presence faded and she tried looking around us. “Where’s Troy?”
“Can we come in?” Darius asked.
She was looking a little confused to hide her worry and opened the door a little wider. “I guess as long as you tell me where he is? Did you eat before you came up?”
“No.” We stepped through the door and I tried to do this as gently as possible. “We don’t actually, with a hundred percent certainty, know where he is.”
Jaylyn took a slow step back. “Wha—what do you mean?”
“This is all we found.” I took Troy’s sword out from behind my back and Jaylyn quickly turned around with a light gasp to hide her face.
We looked at each other and knew this wasn’t going to go well but there was more. We stepped closer to her and tried to explain while giving her a little comfort.
“It’s not as bad as it looks.” Darius said.
“What happened to him?”
We looked at each other again and I took a step closer within arm’s reach. “He was taken.” Jaylyn collapsed down onto the floor and her tears came to her. “But it’s all right.” I knelt down. “He’s alive and we’re going to get him back.”
Jaylyn sniffled while wiping her eyes like she was trying to suck it all in and looked over. “When do we leave?”
“Oh, no.” Darius stepped up on the other side of her and kneeled down too. “You are not coming with us.”
“But he could be hurt! He needs me! You can’t ask me to stay here while he could be dying! Zayden, please!”
“We’re not asking you, Jaylyn. It’s too dangerous for you to go.”
“I’m an Assassin. Since when did I become this helpless?”
“You know when.”
“You think I care about that right now?”
“Troy will.” Darius said. “He’s not going to want you to risk your safety because of him.”
“I don’t care about that either!”
“Jaylyn, you won’t have to worry about a thing.” I said. “We’re leaving in the morning and you’re going to do your job by staying here and keeping a healthy environment for that baby of yours.”
She sighed as she got to her feet. “Get out.” She walked around her bed and covered herself up completely while Darius and I got to our feet with a sigh of our own.
“Jaylyn, don’t be like this. We’re going to come back with him and when we do, we’re staying here.”
“Yeah. Our trip has been canceled for this year.”
Jaylyn didn’t say anything and I looked over at Darius with a nod.
Darius started to back away and I made one last attempt at comforting her with a hand on her side. “We’ll be back with him before you know it.”
Chapter 6
Jaylyn
My body trembled from all the possibilities but I waited silently and still while they slowly made their way out of the room.
The moment t
he door closed, I took the blankets off my head and looked towards it. “Not before me you’re not.”
I threw the covers off me completely and got out of bed. After finding everything I needed and getting dressed in my cold weather mission outfit, my eyes found the door and I threw my jacket on the back of a chair and jumped back into bed, covering myself up completely just in time.
The door slowly opened and Adele stepped in. “Jaylyn?” She walked over and sat next to me. “Hey, they’ll bring him back. You know they will.”
I stayed quiet to make it seem like I was sleeping or too upset to talk. I didn’t want Adele to catch me in my mission outfit. She would immediately know what I was up to.
“I know you’re upset but you have to have faith in their friendship because it’s a lot like ours. They won’t give up on him. He’ll come back.” There was another pause and I kept quiet. “Well, I guess that’s what I came in to say. Get some rest. We’ll take this a day at a time. We’re going to bed too. Zayden’s pretty tired from the run. He’ll need his rest so they can get to Troy quickly. Goodnight.” She got up from my side and walked out of the room.
I waited a few seconds and made sure Adele returned to her room by finding the direction in which she was walking using my gift.
The moment she was securely inside, I threw the covers off me again with a heavy breath. “Woo! It was getting hot in there. I’m almost ready.”
I started finishing my outfit by strapping my ring blades to my thighs and putting on my jacket. I even attached the bow and quiver to my back that had belonged to Kole in case it would be of some use.
It took me just a little while to get everything I needed in order like fixing my bed so it looked like I was still in it and I noticed it was getting late.
“Okay. I just need one more thing.” I looked towards the door with a heavy sigh. “I really hope they’re asleep.” I snuck out of the room and the palace was still with silence.
I tiptoed down the hall passed Darius’s door and came to Zayden’s at the corner. I held my breath while I slowly and carefully turned the door knob. The door opened and I did my best to push it open quietly too.
Zayden and Adele were sleeping, holding each other close and Rift was curled up on a chair. I really didn’t want him to wake and alert Zayden so I snuck in a little farther to look around. Troy’s sword was sitting on Zayden’s night stand and was exactly what I came for. I quietly walked over and reached for it.
Zayden started to move and I quickly paused, holding my breath. He stopped and I picked up Troy’s sword, grasping it tightly in my hands and looking towards the bed. “You have to understand. This is something I have to do.” I looked around and pulled a white rose out of a nearby vase and set it down in place of Troy’s sword. “Good-bye.”
I walked out and started my journey in search for Troy. I had one thing on my side, I could feel his presence. All I had to do was find it. Troy told me the route they take before he left and that’s where I would start.
Chapter 7
Adele
I woke in my bed for the first time in days with Zayden by my side. I smiled and kissed his cheek when his eyes slowly opened.
“Morning. You should get ready to go.”
Zayden looked to the window and immediately got up. “Oh, right. I’m glad you’re not taking it badly.”
“Why would I? You have to bring him back. Jaylyn didn’t even say a word to me last night. I don’t know how long she’ll last.”
“She’ll be all right and so will he.” Zayden got ready in a more mission travel outfit that was just a pair of black pants that set perfectly at his hips with a blue shirt with leather trim that laced up the sides under a black leather jacket and his black boots. “Hey, Love?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you put Troy’s sword by the door so I don’t forget it?”
“Ah, sure.” I looked around for it. “Where is it?”
“It’s right there on my night stand. I kept it close.”
“No it isn’t.”
“What?” Zayden poked his head out of the closet. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
He rushed out while slipping on his jacket and went to his night stand. “Oh, no.”
“What?” I watched him slowly pick up a white rose and Zayden immediately dropped the flower, running towards the door. “Zayden?” I turned to chase after him.
He went into Jaylyn’s room and was just standing there, looking at the bed.
“What is it? So, she’s still in bed. I saw that coming.”
“No.”
“No?”
“She’s not.” He reached the bed and pulled back the blankets.
When I saw the pillows, I gasped and went over. “She went after Troy?” I looked in the closet and saw that her weapons were gone too. “Zayden, we have to find her!”
This news was worse than her just being too upset to speak. Was she already gone last night when I tried to talk to her? Now I was worried about how far ahead of us she was.
I went downstairs with Zayden and Izin was in the main hall with Ruby and Darius.
“Finally.” Darius said. “Someone sleep in or what?”
“Jaylyn’s gone!” I blurted out.
“What?”
“She went after Troy.” Zayden said. “She took his sword and her weapons.”
“We have to find her!” Ruby said.
“Oh, no.” Darius replied. “You’re not going anywhere. Not like this.”
“But—”
“Absolutely not. You’ve already confirmed you can’t do anything you used to. You can’t travel.”
“It’s okay, Ruby.” I said. “I’ll go with them.”
“That’s not fair!”
“Love, you really shouldn’t.” Zayden said.
“Don’t treat me like I’m about to break. I’m nowhere near as fragile as her.”
Zayden clearly didn’t like it and looked at his father but thankfully, Izin was on my side. “She’s not going to let you say no. Just think of all the things Ruby was doing at this early stage.”
“Only because we didn’t know.” Darius said.
“It doesn’t matter.” I cut in. “I’m going. Jaylyn is my sister and she needs me. I’m not going to stand idly by and leave it up to you.”
“We’ll keep a good eye on Ruby here.” Izin said.
Ruby accepted this quicker than I thought but it was her reason that gathered mixed reactions. “I guess I can handle that. Think of all the fun we can have.” She put her arm around the King and leaned intimately close to him.
“Please don’t kill my father.” Darius said.
“I won’t!”
“And I can’t believe I’m actually a part of this conversation.” Izin said. “If you’re going, go. You must find her quickly.”
“I’d love for it to be quickly.” Zayden said. “But if we’re going to find her, I can’t use my speed. I only see what’s directly in front of me. We could go right passed her and not even know it.”
“And she may not even be on the road.” Darius added. “Not to mention, we don’t even know when she left or where exactly she’s going. We didn’t tell her where it was so she’ll be strictly looking for his presence.”
“Thank you, Darius. You didn’t just make this seem at all impossible.”
“There’s an easier way.” Kathryn must have overheard us from a distance and just stepped off the stairs towards us.
“Oh, no.” Izin said. “That’s completely out of the question.”
“About finding our children the quickest way? There shouldn’t be any questions when it comes to their safety. Zayden, there’s an easier way and I know you already know what it is.”
“But, mother I don’t know how to—”
“Maybe it would be best if this wasn’t discussed so openly.” Izin snatched, immediately turning towards the conference room.
Others started to follow starting with Kathryn and Zayden. I d
idn’t know what this was about but if there really was an easier way, we could take a few extra minutes to sort it out.
“I can’t even believe we didn’t think of this, Zayden.” Darius said. “It’s perfect. You know how fast Ryon could get things done that way.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know how. I don’t feel any signs of it.”
“Why are you talking about Ryon?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
Darius tried not laughing. “You didn’t tell her?”
“I didn’t know how.” Zayden said.
I was worried now that he was keeping something from me. “What?”
He looked at me and let out a sigh like he still didn’t know how to tell me.
“He’s a wolf too.” Kathryn said.
My eyes shot open. “What?! How?!”
“How could you ask that?” Darius said. “What’s the one thing they share besides you?”
I completely overlooked the besides me comment and looked at Kathryn. “You? You’re a—”
“Yes. The wolf runs in my family, not his father’s like everyone just assumed.”
“Why am I just hearing about this? How long have you known?”
Zayden sighed again. “Since Lecca.”
“That long?” Ruby asked.
“I didn’t know how to tell you and I guess it just didn’t seem that important.”
“But it is now.” I said. “You could find both of them so easily.”
“I guess but I’ve never actually been a wolf before. They’ve been blocking that side of me probably since I was born until we moved away.”
“Can you help him, Kathryn?”
She looked very unsure even though it was her idea. “It’s been so long for me. I don’t know if I’m strong enough but I know who is; who’ll want to.”
“Great.” Izin said with a low displeasure. He seemed to already know that Ryon was the only one to help him.
“How do we get him here?”
“Simple. Zayden just has to need him.”
We all looked at him and he looked really uncomfortable about the whole thing.
“You don’t have to say it out loud, sweetheart. Just think it. He can always hear you.”
New Roots (Fate's Intent Book 8) Page 2