The other mercenary speaks when Zane remains silent. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" Kalif asks. "Delistaire's a dangerous man to cross."
"I refused to do a job for him a while ago," Zane lies. "He just won't take no for an answer. But I don't work for tyrants." Both men stare at Zane eyes wide, mouths hanging open.
"You should watch yourself. You can be jailed for speaking about him that way," Kalif says, brushing his short black hair away from his face.
His dark brown eyes remain fixed on Zane. The dark glare in his eyes is odd. It makes me uneasy. Rigel observes the conversation without uttering another word. When his brown eyes meet mine, I'm taken aback by the aversion there. Zane tenses behind me. He must also sense something's amiss.
"Well, regardless," Zane says, "I'm officially retired now. Ashlyn and I are getting married and will settle in Karina. We're headed there now." I just smile and nod my agreement. "Delistaire will just have to find another mercenary. I hear he pays well. You two should consider it." Zane pushes me to my feet and stands behind me. "Now if you'll excuse us, we need to hurry to Palma or we'll miss our ship." He drags me away from the caravan, down the road heading southeast.
"What's going on?" I ask, not knowing if I want an answer or not.
"I don't know," he replies. "Whatever it is, it isn't good. I could feel the malice coming off them in waves. They used to be close friends." He releases a deep sigh before glancing back over his shoulder, his eyes downcast. "It appears Delistaire has poisoned their minds. Or else the call of gold was a siren song they couldn't resist."
"Should I put my shield back up?"
"No. I think it's too late to bother. Because your power is so new and untrained, your shield won't protect you from magical or physical attacks. It only disrupts your aura, making it difficult to find you through magical means. You need to save your strength. I have a feeling my father knows exactly where we are. Let's just hurry and get to Palma."
He's walking so fast, I have to run to keep up. I can feel his urgency to get away from the mercenaries. A quick glance over my shoulder confirms they aren't following us. That's a good sign, right?
We walk for several more hours, and the caravan still hasn't caught up. The sun is almost behind the mountains in the west. Relief floods through me when we crest a hill, and a huge town appears in the distance. The bright blue sea stretches out beyond the town into the darkened horizon. It's the first time I've ever seen the ocean, and I'm awestruck by the amazing beauty of the water. My eyes roam back to the town; the sprawling size is amazing. It must be four or five times larger than Verdane. The merchant trail continues until it vanishes into the town.
"There's Palma," Zane says, releasing a loud sigh. "We'll hide ourselves among the crowds there until we can charter a ship to Karina."
The sky darkens; a booming crackle echoes all around us. Zane stops and pulls me into his arms, clutching my body against his. The acrid smell of smoke fills the air. A man appears in the path behind us. He's tall and thin wearing a long black cloak, which envelops his form. His long dark brown hair billows in the breeze behind him. His dark ruby-colored eyes glare at me in a baffling combination of glee and malice. It's the man from my dream last night. Delistaire. I swallow around a large lump in my throat and glance up at Zane. His lips are curled into a snarl.
"Run, Ashlyn!" Zane yells. "It takes a moment for him to recover after teleporting."
He releases me, and I take off running toward the town, Zane close behind. Something strikes the ground behind me, sending shockwaves through my body and vibrations along the ground. When Zane cries out in pain, I stop and turn back. He's down on one knee clutching at his chest. Running over to him, I kneel down, put my arms around him, and lean into his back. Stalking toward us, Delistaire releases a high-pitched, bone-chilling laugh.
"You've always been such a failure, Zane," Delistaire cackles. "Too much like your pathetic mother if you ask me."
I ignore the nasty sorcerer. There's nothing I could say that would make a difference anyway. My face is pressed to Zane's cheek, and I can feel his beleaguered breathing. I wonder how badly he's injured. My question is answered when he rises to his feet. If he can stand, he can still fight. I hope. He takes me in his arms again while glaring at his father.
"I know how to ruin you, boy," Delistaire says in a calm, bland tone, like we're discussing the weather. "I'll just kill the pretty girl in your embrace. After all, love conquers nothing but fools." Zane's arms stiffen around me, but he remains silent while Delistaire cackles.
"You can't kill me," I say, trying to project confidence even though my whole body is shaking in terror. "You need me."
"Of course you're right, girl," the evil sorcerer says. "But he will just get in the way." Delistaire motions at Zane who's scowling at his father.
"You can't kill me either," Zane says, breaking the silence. "Mother made sure that could never happen."
"Yes, your idiot mother put such an irksome spell on your sapphire pendant," Delistaire spits out, his lip curled in an ominous sneer. "But there's an easy way to rid myself of your annoying presence without dirtying my hands."
"Get behind me," Zane orders, drawing his sword.
I comply but it's in vain. The sorcerer disappears then reappears next to me. A searing pain in my upper back makes my knees buckle. Delistaire is standing above me clutching a bloodied athame in his hand. With all the magical power at his disposal, the dastard stabbed me in the back with an athame. Zane screams my name and falls to the ground at my side.
"No! How could you?" Zane cries in a wail of anguish. "I thought you needed her alive!" He eases my body to the ground, stroking my hair, his gentle touch at odds with the fierce gleam in his eyes.
"Yes, about that, you see I need you dead more than I need her alive," Delistaire says, smiling down at us.
Intense pain courses through my chest making black spots swim in my vision. When I try to take a breath, my lungs seize in agony. My body is wracked with violent coughs, leaving the pungent taste of blood in my mouth. The long dagger went clear through my body. I can feel the blood seeping out as I clutch at my chest. My vision begins to blur. I'm dying. When I try to grasp Zane's arm, I gaze in shock at the blood covering my hand and dripping down my forearm.
"Ashlyn, hang on. I'll save you, Love," Zane says, trying to staunch the bleeding with a dark cloth.
"How touching, son," Delistaire says snickering. "Make your choice. Save her life with your healing magic. The Palma militia will love it. She'll be alive but you'll be minus your head."
I can feel the vibrations on the ground. It must be the Palma militia rushing toward us. They must've been alerted by the loud crashes of Delistaire's lightning attacks.
"Or you can let her die. Don't worry about me. Light magic runs in families and she has three sisters with the same potential," he says before disappearing in a bright flash of light.
"Zane, don't heal me. Please," I beg.
My tears feel so hot on my cold skin. The militia is almost upon us, I can see them from my position on the ground. Though I try to reach up to touch his face, my arm refuses to obey my command to move.
"They'll execute you. Protect my sisters from that monster when I'm gone." I whimper, closing my eyes to block out the image of Zane leaning over me, his eyes glittering with unshed tears.
"I have to heal you. I can't live with the alternative," he chokes out. "I love you! I won't let you die!"
My eyes fly open to protest once again but my voice fails me. A blue light appears around Zane's hands and soothing warmth settles over my body. I try to beg him to stop but darkness seeps into my vision. The last thing I see before I black out is Zane's distraught face and grief-stricken eyes.
Chapter Nineteen
Righteous Sins
An annoying buzzing sound intrudes into my dream. I try to bat it away, but it just gets louder, more insistent. When I realize it's someone speaking, I open my heavy eyelids, the simple action much har
der than it should be. A kind face surrounded by blonde curls swims into my field of vision, smiling at me, a melancholy smile. She's still talking, but I can't seem to understand her words. She reaches out and shakes my shoulder. My mind tells me I should feel pain but there's none. Why should I be in pain? I try to grasp a memory, but it dances just out of sight. The woman grabs me by both shoulders and shakes harder.
"…important," she says.
"Again," I croak, "say again." My throat is parched and speaking is difficult.
"You have to get up. Now!" she says. "They're going to execute him in the morning. You have to do something!"
My mind is confused.
"Who?" I ask in a thick rasp.
"Zane!" she yells, her blue eyes sparkling frantically. "He saved your life. You can't let them kill him!"
Everything rushes back to me like a tsunami, crashing into my mind all at once. Delistaire almost killed me, and Zane used healing magic to save my life. Dear Goddess, they're going to execute him! I manage to sit up but my head reels.
"Slowly… be careful. You almost died." She steadies my body while I recover my equilibrium.
"In the morning?" I ask.
She nods.
"How long?"
"In two hours, three at most. It'll be dawn soon."
She helps me to my feet, and I realize I'm in an infirmary. Several other patients are in the beds around us. Gripping her arm, I allow her to lead me across the room and out the door. My strength seems to be returning with each step.
"I'll take you to him. He's in the jail by the port," she says, grunting from my weight.
She half drags me down the street. Though my strength is returning, walking is difficult. I put all of my concentration in just placing one foot in front of the other as the woman leads me down the cobblestone street. Tripping over one of the stones, I fall to my knees, cringing at the sharp pain shooting up my legs. My savior hauls me to my feet and continues to pull me down the wide street. She makes several turns down smaller paths before stopping at the entrance to a narrow alley. By the time we've reached the end of the alley, the feeling in my legs has returned.
"This is it. I'll give you some time alone with him," she says then disappears down the alley.
I turn to the barred window in front of me. Placing my hands on the bars, I peek into the jail. It's so dark inside I'm having trouble seeing. My vision swims, and I fall against the dank wall, trying to steady myself. The smells in the alley are horrendous, forcing me to breathe through my mouth to avoid vomiting. Standing on my toes again, I peek through the bars. I can see a form slumped in the far corner of the cell.
"Zane?" I call out through the darkness.
The huddled figure glances up, his face bathed in the dim light. He leaps to his feet, racing to the barred window. Dark purple bruises mar his jawline and left cheek, joining a vicious bruise on his left temple. What did those guards do, use him as a punching bag? I doubt Zane resisted his arrest. He wouldn't want to harm anyone he deemed innocent. Reaching through the gap in the bars, I trace the line of bruising with my fingertips.
"Ashlyn, I'm so glad you're okay," he murmurs, leaning his face onto my palm. "How are you feeling?"
"Seriously?" I ask, my breath catching in my throat. "You're about to be executed and you worry about my health?"
There are dark shadows under his eyes, and his shoulders are slumped. He seems defeated, like he just fought and lost a great battle. The amount of energy needed to heal my grievous wound must've been great.
"How did you find me?" he asks. His dark eyes are devoid of any life. I mutter a curse at the bars keeping him away from my embrace.
"A blonde lady brought me here," I reply. "I don't know who she is, but I owe her big time now."
He reaches through the bars, taking my hands in his. I'm shocked by how cold they are. It's almost as if his life force is already dissipating. My thumbs brush across his knuckles.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you," he whispers. "I failed miserably and now you'll have to continue your quest alone."
My jaw drops. Has he lost his mind?
"You think I'm gonna stand by and watch them execute you?" I ask, my body shaking in outrage.
"I broke the law in front of the town militia," he says, his voice dripping with sorrow. "They won't let me go."
"Then you have to escape. Surely you can. You're a powerful mage and an amazing swordsman." I hesitate when he says nothing. "Right?"
"There's no way I could escape without killing innocent people. I can't be a party to that," he says, bringing my hands to his lips. He places light kisses on the back of both then releases them. My heart clenches in my chest. "Flee," he commands. "In a few hours I'll be gone. You need to escape before Delistaire returns."
"No," I whisper, "I won't leave you to die." My voice chokes in anguish. "I can't." I grab the bars with my hands as he backs away. "Don't leave me. Please." Hot teardrops spill down my cheeks when his dead garnet eyes meet mine.
"I'm sorry, Ashlyn. I love you," he says before returning to sit against the far wall.
"No! Please, Zane. I love you too!"
When he doesn't move or acknowledge me, I release the bars and fall to the ground. My throat constricts to the point that I become lightheaded from lack of air. There has to be something I can do. I refuse to stand idly by while the man I love is executed for saving my life! Pushing myself to my feet, I limp down the alley, almost blinded by the tears flowing from my eyes. When I reach the main street, I glance up and down searching for the lady who helped me earlier. There's no sign of her. Leaning up against the brick wall of a nearby building I take a moment to contemplate my options. I can rescue him with as few casualties as possible, or I can try to plead his case with the town elders. The sun is already starting to rise, bathing the streets in light. Time is short.
How can I rescue Zane alone? That path would lead to unmitigated disaster. I must try to reason with the magistrates of this town. Executing someone for saving a life is wrong on so many levels. I know I can persuade them to spare Zane, and I refuse to accept the alternative; I'll make them listen. But where do I find them? Following the outline of the jail, I walk around to the front of the building. Before I can enter the building, a hand on my arm stops me. Relief floods me when I recognize my earlier savior.
"Who are you?" I whisper.
"My name's Clara. Zane's mother Rosemary was my older sister," she replies. "We're running out of time. The execution is only an hour away."
"He asked me not to rescue him. He doesn't want to risk innocent lives," I say, swallowing around the painful lump in my throat. She puts her arms around my shoulders, holding me in a tight embrace. "I need to speak with the magistrates, force them to listen, persuade them to spare him."
"I'll take you to the Elder Council. You can plead his case. But be forewarned. This won't be easy. Delistaire has a firm grip on this town." She pulls away, and I follow her from the jail.
"Is Delistaire here?" I ask, already dreading the answer.
"I hope not."
We walk in silence until we enter a large square. Men are working on erecting a dais on one side of the square. I shudder when I realize it's for Zane's execution. Clara leads me up to the stairs of a large building.
"This is the Elder Hall. Are you ready?"
"Yes. Let's go," I say, taking a deep breath and following her into the building.
We stride across a white marble floor and past several beautiful sculptures. Any other time I would have gawked at the magnificence of the high domed ceiling, but now my mind is clouded with worry. The atrium is large and filled with quite a few people. It seems odd considering how early it is. When we reach the tall wooden double doors at the end of the atrium, Clara pauses.
"This is it. I'll introduce you but I can't stay."
At my nod she knocks then throws both doors wide open. It appears we're making a grand entrance. I follow behind her and wait in silence just inside the door. The
room is large with a high cathedral ceiling. Directly across from us is a long semi-circular table with seven men seated around it. They all have hair in varying shades of gray and silver. Clara strides forward, bowing her head to the Elder Council.
"Lady Clara, to what do we owe this visit?" a man with long silver hair and piercing green eyes asks, rising from his seat. "This is not a good time. As you know we are preparing an execution."
"Lord Nolan, please listen," Clara states in a loud voice, which echoes throughout the room. "I bring before you the lady whose life was saved by the kind actions of your prisoner Zane Elistaire."
"Do not forget, Lady Clara, the prisoner used magic to save her. Delistaire has explicitly outlawed any unapproved magic use," Elder Nolan advises.
I wonder if the Elder Council noticed the similar last name between their prisoner and the sorcerer.
"I am aware," Clara replies. "Please take a few moments of your time to hear what Lady Ashlyn has to say. She is the Chosen of Verdane after all. We all know what that means." A hush falls over the room at her words.
"Then the idiot should've let her die seeing as she'll die anyway!" a man with short-cropped gray hair shouts through the silence. The room is filled with noise as all seven elders start speaking at once. All talking ceases when Lord Nolan raises his hand.
"Lords of the Council, I ask for your silence now," he says then glances at Clara. "We will hear what Lady Ashlyn has to say. You may leave."
As Clara passes me, she gives my shoulder a firm squeeze. The doors behind me close with a resounding boom, which vibrates in my chest. I walk forward a few steps and bow my head to the Council. What do I say? There was no time to prepare anything. These seven men hold Zane's life in their hands. It appears I remain silent for a few moments too long. A man with shoulder length silver hair and narrow green eyes rises from his seat.
"Well are you going to speak, girl, or stare at the floor?" he barks. I jump a bit at his harsh tone. Taking a deep breath, I will my voice to be steady.
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