by Megg Jensen
The crowd erupted in applause again. Bursts of light exploded above our heads. Magic fireworks. All the light with none of the fire.
“Our scouts will leave tomorrow morning to find the next land. In the meantime, enjoy these fertile lands before we rape them and let them go barren. The land doesn’t take kindly to farming with magic, but our backs don’t take kindly to traditional farming!” He raised a goblet in a toast.
Laughter bounced around the room and I reminded myself to breathe evenly. This beautiful land I’d loved my whole life would be pillaged, raped by my own people. I didn’t want to think about it. I’d faced too many betrayals. The lies had to stop.
Trevin’s face pinched up and he let out a loud howl. The noise had finally gotten to him.
“I think this is our cue to leave,” Bryden said. I nodded my head and stood. We whispered our excuses to the people next to us and slipped out into the hallway.
“I had no idea,” Bryden said. “Like a fool I believed everything they told me. I didn’t know they were setting us up. I am so sorry. If you would have listened to Kellan…”
“If I would have listened to Kellan then we’d probably be dead right now. Did he suspect we were being played for fools? Yes, but he had another agenda of his own. If I would have killed Rotlar after his marriage to Albree and Kellan became king, do you really think we’d be standing here today?”
“True,” Bryden said. He placed his hand on the small of my back as we made our way through the hallways back to my chambers. For the first time in my life, I had my own room. I’d grown up sharing with Albree and my mother, but Albree was dead and my mother had been taken to the dungeon too. Her daughter had risen to queen, making my mother part of the royal family. Now it was just Trevin and I sharing the room.
I slammed the door behind us and locked it. I placed Trevin in his bassinette. Gripping the edges, my fingernails dug into the wood causing me an alarming amount of pain. Not enough to drown out the screaming inside my head, but enough to bring me a little focus.
“I can’t stay here,” I said, turning to Bryden.
“I’m not surprised. Do you think I want to be here either?” He reached out his hands and I placed mine in his. I felt the smooth contours of his palm as his fingers intertwined with mine. My muscles relaxed before I even realized they’d been tense. Bryden worked magic on me without using any.
“But our families. I just found my mother and my sister. I haven’t even met my father yet. I don’t know how I can leave them so soon.”
I looked around my room, the place I had grown up. How could everything have changed so quickly?
“They’ve gotten along without for the last sixteen years. Why should it be any different now?” he asked. “I don’t want to be used again and I don’t trust them to be honest with us.”
I heard the bitterness in his voice. He’d been fooled more than Kellan or me. He’d been lied to since he was a child. The lies he’d been told were what led directly to today’s battle.
“Sebrina seemed so nice,” I said, holding back tears. My lower lip quivered. I pictured my sister lying in the healer’s ward. They promised she’d be fine, but it would take time for her body to heal. Even if I stayed I might not be able to speak to her for weeks.
“She did,” Bryden admitted. “They all did. If I’d had any idea I never would have pulled you into this. I would have protected you somehow. Protected you from the Awakening. Done a better job of protecting you from Kellan.”
Bryden shook his head. “I can’t believe I trusted them.”
“You were five when you first met them. They explained the changes you were experiencing. They gave you a way to control yourself. They made it clear you were no longer alone. Why wouldn’t you believe them?”
He shrugged. For a moment I saw the little boy I once knew, so trusting, so sweet. But before me stood a man who had seen more tragedy than many people. Yet he’d remained open and kind. He was a rare find and I wouldn’t ever let him go.
“So we’ll go then? With Trevin?”
“Of course with Trevin.” I walked back over to his crib and stared at his sweet face. He’d been born under a spell but I would make sure he lived his life in truth. “We’ll be a family. We were adopted, weren’t we? We can adopt Trevin and be our own family now, away from the Dalagans and the Fithians.”
“But where?” he asked.
“I think it’s time we look for Mags.”
“And then?”
“And then we fight back.”
We sealed our pact with a kiss.
-end-
Afterlife
Megg Jensen
Chapter One
I wanted to spew out the last few weeks, eject every horrid moment from my being, but nothing could erase reality from my memory. Everything I ever loved had been stolen from me. Except Bryden.
We had greeted the morning wrapped in each other’s embrace. Legs intertwined. My arms snaked around his torso, my hand resting on his chest. With each rise and fall of his breath, I reminded myself how lucky I was to be with him in that moment.
The sun blinded us, rising in a spectacular display of orange, yellow, and the occasional streak of magenta. I didn’t want that moment to end, but it had to. We left that morning, sneaking out of the castle with baby Trevin, in an attempt to locate his mother, Mags.
It had been weeks since she escaped from her husband’s clutches. Now he was dead, a king killed by invaders who’d been plotting against him for decades. My people. They used Bryden. They used me.
Fire burned in my chest, a reaction to the anger that consumed me. They did this to me. Those bastards, who dared to call themselves my people, kept me under a spell until my sixteenth birthday. I was their unwitting pawn in a battle I had no stake in.
Dubbed their Queen Slayer because I accidentally killed my adoptive sister. Everyone’s lives had been ripped to shreds, but I was determined to put some of them back together.
Leaves crunched under my feet. Bryden moved without a sound. I cursed silently, holding Trevin tight to my chest. My shirt was covered in his spit up, but I didn’t mind. At least that’s what I told myself. He was a sweet baby and keeping him from his mother wasn’t an option. I hoped we would find Mags hiding somewhere in the forest.
The tree branches crisscrossed each other, creating a serene wooden prison. The tops of the trees swayed along with the breeze, tapping out a chaotic rhythm. It matched the beating of my heart.
I was burdened by Trevin, and Bryden’s bad leg only got worse the farther we moved away from the healing magic of our people. His limp became more pronounced, yet years of hiding in the shadows quieted his steps. I would have offered to lighten his load, but with Trevin in a sling around my chest and a pack on my back, I had little else to offer him. I also knew Bryden well enough to know he’d refuse any help I offered. He was proud and had spent years building up his stamina and strength.
“You sure I can’t help?” I asked, knowing my question would only make him mad.
His eyes narrowed and he shook his head. Without even a glance in my direction, he picked up his pace. Bryden hitched his leg over a fallen tree, balancing his hand on the rough bark as he swung his bad leg over to the other side.
“Keep moving. We need to get as far away as possible before they realize we’re gone,” Bryden said.
I didn’t need to respond. He knew I’d agree with him. Besides, it had nothing to with getting away. It was his not-so-subtle way of telling me to shut up.
I wrapped an arm around Trevin as I climbed over the log. His cherubic cheeks glowed pink and a tiny bit of drool sparkled on the side of his curved lips. My heart swelled with love for that little boy, but at the same time it broke in sadness. If we couldn’t find Mags, then he’d never remember her.
Not only was Mags my best friend, but she was the most loving mother I’d ever met. Trevin deserved to know her. He needed to grow up with her. I could care for his basic needs and love him to pieces, but I wasn’t h
is mother. As long as there was hope she was still alive, I wouldn’t give up my search.
I tucked the wrap closer. Every time I jostled it, I worried Trevin was going to fall out of the carrier I’d fashioned from a torn piece of dress. The Dalagans had outfitted my room with a multitude of silken dresses fit for a queen, or at least a Queen Slayer. I shivered, filled with hatred at what they’d done to me. Set me up to take the fall for their wretched plans. I’d spent my entire life believing my people were poor and downtrodden. Little did I know, they’d set everything up years ago. I only had to fall into their trap.
The biggest mistake they’d made was assuming I’d be grateful. Instead of embracing their plan and taking on the mantle of some misguided savior, I’d snuck out before dawn with the two men in the world that I loved.
“Have you explored the forest before?” I asked Bryden over the crunching of the leaves. “Other than our grove?”
One more thing I loved that I had to give up. My people had set up the grove as a concealed place where Bryden and I learned more about using our magic. We’d found it separately, cherished it apart, until one day he found me there. It was the only place I could center myself, be true to myself, but now it was one more casualty of the Dalagans’ deception. It was also the only part of the forest I knew. I’d never tread any deeper, fearful of what lie beyond its boundaries.
Legend told of demons that roamed the forests, stealing the souls of anyone who dared to tread their path. I had ignored the tales, largely because my life had been so focused on the castle and town I lived in. I never had a reason to venture into the forest past my grove. Yet there were days when I rested on the ground in my grove and stared at the tree line. Its dark depths were disconcerting. I always told myself it was simply a fear of the unknown.
The irrational side of me knew there was nothing to fear, but part of me, a part I never explored, wondered if there was any truth to the legends.
“I’ve never been this deep,” Bryden answered. “But I’m hoping we find that encampment Trevin’s nurse told you about.” He stuck the tip of his walking stick out in front of him, poking the leaves on the ground. A whooshing sounded from above. A black net dropped out of the canopy, knocking Bryden down on the ground before I could scream to alert him.
I shuffled toward him as fast as I could without disrupting Trevin or the pack on my back. Bryden’s arms struggled within the web’s confines, unable to find a way out. He muttered a string of curse words as he reached for the knife attached to his waist.
“Hang on,” I said. “I’ll get you out.”
I just wasn’t sure how to do that. I sat down on a stump, wincing from the pain the splintered wood sent through my bottom, and untied the knot that held Trevin’s wrap together. It unfurled, leaving Trevin lying in my lap. I gathered him up in the wrap and set him in the leaves. “Stay put,” I whispered to him even though he wasn’t even close to walking yet, or even crawling. He gurgled and smiled.
I scurried around the stump and grabbed the net. The ends were weighted with dark black balls. I couldn’t figure out what materials they’d used to construct them, but the net was heavy. “I’ll have you out of there soon,” I said to Bryden.
“Don’t bother.”
I whirled around and found myself face-to-face with the most striking man I’d ever seen. His blond hair stood out in all directions from the top of his head, like he’d never combed it once in his life. His amber eyes sparkled reminding me of the diamonds in the crown Mags had worn on her dark ringlets for state events.
Even though Bryden and I were tall, at least in Fithia where we’d grown up, this man towered over me by at least another head.
If I was only an instinctual person, my right foot would step back, I would drop my knees a couple inches, and my hands would form fists in front of my face. But I wasn’t. I was a seasoned warrior, or at least trained to be one. I’d never done battle, just sparring. My instincts weren’t to fight - they were to protect my friends and myself. I let my arms fall slack to the side, pretending I was afraid and couldn’t defend myself.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“I think the better question is, who are you and why are you invading my part of the forest?” he responded. His arms crossed over his chest. I held a sigh inside. At least he didn’t have a sword or dagger in his hand. He didn’t appear to be ready to reach for one either. Good. Maybe he thought I was harmless.
“Invading?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “You call a baby, one man, and myself invaders? Are you scared of us?”
His eyes narrowed as they traveled my body. I’d tensed up while I was talking. With a breath in and a breath out, I slowly relaxed my muscles again. His gaze stopped on my hair. He reached out, running a finger through it. I didn’t flinch, even though I wanted to use the tiger claw move to take him down.
Trevin’s cry rang through the trees and I spun around. Another man held him in his arms and it was pretty obvious he’d never held a baby before. Cupped in both hands, the man held Trevin by the stomach, his arms out-stretched. Trevin’s tiny body struggled, but it did no good.
“Don’t hold him like that,” I screamed. I jumped over the log and tried to grab him, but the man just lifted Trevin above his head. Fearing Trevin would fall, I stepped back, my hands up in the air. “Put him down. Please.” If anything happened to Trevin, I’d never forgive myself.
“Is this your baby?” the blond man asked me.
I faced him again. “Yes. Of course he’s mine. I’m out here with my husband and baby. We were trying to escape after the invasion.” I hoped Bryden wouldn’t object to me calling him my husband. We were together, but I didn’t think we were quite that far along in our relationship yet.
“Escape from the invasion? But you’re one of them. You’re a Dalagan.” He pointed to my red hair.
I’d been raised by the Fithians and even though I’d been teased about my differences, my hair and my height, I’d never really formed a real identity. I was Dalagan by birth, but not by action, and the opposite for Fithia. I was something else - I just didn’t know what.
“The last place I want to be right now is in that castle.” I wouldn’t share any more. If they’d heard about the Queen Slayer out here in the forest, then they’d never trust me.
“And he’s your husband?” He pointed over my shoulder and I turned back to Bryden. He was still trapped under the net. Bryden smiled and nodded, the net rubbing his red hair. I felt the strangest urge to run my fingers through it.
“Of course. Why else would we be out here alone with a baby?” I retorted.
“Maybe because it’s not your baby?” The other guard asked. “She stole this baby.” He pulled back the wrap from Trevin’s head, his shock of black hair waving like an enemy banner in the distance.
“It’s Trevin,” the man next to me exclaimed. “I can’t believe our luck!”
He strode over and took Trevin in his arms.
“I’m so happy to see you,” he cooed in a very atypical manner. I’d only known him moments, but not once did he strike me as a man who would turn to jelly over a baby. “Your mother will be even happier.”
“Mags! She’s here?” Nothing else mattered in that moment. The hope she was still alive had burned in my heart, even though I’d never really thought we’d ever find her.
After they cut Bryden free of the net, I ran into his arms. He staggered a bit, but held steady, his strong arms wrapping around my back. “Mags is alive,” I whispered.
A smile danced across his face. “I heard.”
“Now we can get Trevin back to her and then you and I can...” My words trailed off. I didn’t know where Bryden and I were headed after Trevin and Mags were reunited. Everything had happened so fast.
“We can figure that out later,” Bryden said. He planted a kiss on my cheek. A warm wave spread through my body. He had that affect on me every time. “Whatever happens, we’re together.”
I nodded and buried my head in his sh
oulder again.
“Tie her up first,” the man said.
My head jerked up and I glared at him.
“Why? I thought we were taking Trevin to Mags,” Bryden said.
“We are. We’ll be holding both of you prisoner, just like we’re holding her.”
My heart sank. I eyed Trevin, unsure of how to react. If I fought back, they might hurt him. If I went along with them, then maybe I could find a way to release all of us.
I separated myself from Bryden and held my arms out to the blond man, my wrists together. He pulled a length of rope from his back pocket and bound my hands with it.
Chapter Two
Before I could protest, he wrapped a blindfold over my eyes. I let a string of curse words fly in my mind. I wasn’t about to utter them aloud because then he’d probably gag me too. A hand rested on my back, soft, but firm, and nudged me forward. I stumbled and a pair of arms circled me, catching me before I fell to the ground.
I jabbed my elbow backward into his gut. He grunted and his arms dropped. I smiled, but didn’t utter a word. I didn’t care which one of them it had been. Instinct told me it was the blond guy. If he was holding Mags captive and planning to do the same to us, I wouldn’t let him touch me. I’d go along with him until I could get to Mags and free us all.
I hoped he hadn’t touched Mags too. I’d kill him if he did anything to her.
Warm breath swept across my earlobe. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? I know exactly who you are, Lianne. Don’t cross me. You have no idea what you just walked into, so keep your mouth shut and don’t fight me.”
“You know my name? Who are you?” It didn’t seem fair he knew who I was, but I had no clue who he was.
“Chase,” he said.
“Chase what?” I asked. “I’m bound and blindfolded, you idiot.”
“No, Chase, it’s my name.”
“Are you ready?” the other man interrupted. Trevin’s cries rang out through the forest.