by A D Lombardo
Wave after wave rushed him toward the shore. The closer he came, the larger the swell. He was utterly exhausted as he tried to swim to the beach, and the crashing surf pushed him under. Angry ocean waves pulled and pushed and sucked him under before the ocean spat him out to the shore.
In a haze, Kai rolled along the edge of the wet beach before passing out.
♦ ♦ ♦
When he awoke, he saw the side of a man—a man he knew all too well.
“Dresnor, how did you find me?”
Kai sat up to look up and down the beach. They were alone.
His friend did not turn to look at him; instead, he asked, “Answer my question first. Are you running because you are innocent, or because you cannot face the punishment for your crime?”
Everything Kai knew twisted in his confused mind, but he had to have faith in his heart. “I swear on the name of Alenga, I am innocent. I did not kill my father.”
The world needed to know the truth about what Nola and everything that happened. But first, he needed to band his friends together.
“Now you answer my question,” Kai insisted. “How did you find me?”
“We are about to go to war, and you are worried about how I found you?” Dresnor curled his lip, looking disgusted at Kai. “We received word you had escaped Diu prison. The Queen insists the Katori brainwashed you. Roark was about to board a ship to sail for Katori when one of our vessels rescued a tiny skiff with a merchant and his daughter spouting talk of Katori witchery and a planned attack on Diu City.
“Now, come dawn, Admiral Roark plans to sail toward Port Anahita, rally the troops, and defend Diu. Although, I am sure he also hopes to join in the hunt for you, too. I came out here to pray to Alenga. I asked her to guide me because I am lost and do not know what I should do. That is how I found you.”
Kai nodded and realized the only way his men would follow him again was through trust. Trust he needed to earn. “Dresnor, you are my closest friend. I am sorry that I have kept secrets from you. I swore to these keep secrets because I was protecting others, but now I understand we are on the verge of war. A war I started—and one I hope to end before blood is shed on either side.”
Dresnor cocked his head. “Why should I follow you?”
There was no point in hiding his truth any longer. The only way forward was together. Kai stood and took hold of the crystal around his neck. He let the moonlight and the power from the crashing waves poured into him, which fed his magic—causing his crystal to glow. The golden thread of creation spun in his mind begging him to meld and embraced his inner dragon.
Dresnor hopped to his feet and drew his sword. “By Alenga’s name,” he shouted. “What manner of sorcerer are you?”
Visions of his mother’s sacrifice and her years of suffering weighed on his heart. Did he have the right to expose Katori's secrets? Caught between the choice, he feared that revealing his dragon-form would only reinforce the tale of sorcery delivered by the merchant and his daughter—he would tell anyone who listened that the Katori are killers, and Kai would be one of them. He let the magic seep back to whence it came. The light in his crystal faded, and he sank into sadness. “I am no sorcerer. I thought . . .” He let his words fall on the sand. “It was only a parlor trick.”
Dresnor lowered his sword, but only slightly. “But how did you make the stone glow?” he asked, pointing his sword once more at Kai’s chest, now only inches from the dangling crystal.
What an interesting question, but it was the wrong question. He tucked the stone beneath his shirt and pushed the tip of Dresnor sword away. “I am me, the boy you helped shape into a man. The man you fought beside at Port Anahita. What you do not know is that I am Katori-born. Iver was not my father, but he loved my mother, and he helped her hide me from the man we all know as Keegan—my birth father. The very same man who attacked the Diu palace with Landon; the leader of the Caroco army who sent men to kidnap or possibly kill Aunt Helena in Port Anahita if Tolan had not stopped them.”
Disbelief and shock overtook Dresnor’s face, and Kai could only imagine the questions that were forming on the man’s tongue. “I do not believe you. But why would you lie? Is this part of the brainwashing from Katori? How did they convince you of this nonsense?” He shook his head, refusing to accept Kai’s story.
“Trust me, Dresnor, this is not a lie. I still consider Iver to be my father, and Iver told Cazier the same night he told me. The Master General can attest to the truth of this, but we there is no time for all these questions.”
Dresnor relaxed but kept his sword unsheathed. “But, I have so many questions, yet they seem small in comparison to the chaos surrounding you. So, if you did not kill Iver, who did?”
“Nola,” Kai answered flatly. “She is the sister of Landon Panier, the illegitimate daughter of King Bannon Panier. Her desire is to avenge her father by manipulating, well, everyone. She plans to put Aaron on the Diu throne, but she needed Iver dead and me out of the way—either dead or in prison.”
“What proof do you have?” Dresnor demanded. “If I understand what I have heard, you were found in Iver’s room, your hands covered in blood, and Nola witnessed you stabbing him.”
He knew his word was not enough after all the secrets and the lies; proving his innocence would be impossible against a queen’s word. “Nola manipulated me with some potion and a spell, but I have no tangible proof, only my word. I did not do this. Nola wielded the knife, put it in my hand, but I did not thrust the blade. She alone shoved the dagger into my father. She brainwashed me. Cazier and Riome know this to be true.”
“So, if you did not kill him, and you were all alone, except for Nola, who took Iver’s body?.”
The look on his friend’s face did not make sense. Those words, that phrase rang in the back of his head. He vaguely remembered the council asking the same question. Kai’s jaw dropped, bewildered. “What do you mean, who took Iver’s body?” The last he remembered his father’s body lay in a pool of blood, dying. “I ran. My father was still in his bed when I pushed Nola into the hall and took out the first set of guards. At the bottom of the stairwell, more guards cornered me—too many. Nola ordered my imprisonment.”
“You had to be working with someone, or someone followed you or . . .” He shook his head, visibly sorting the different possibilities. “This does not make sense. Well, I find this all impossible. You may not know who took Iver, but you were not alone. Someone else was there, helping you.” Dresnor’s brow furrowed. “There had to be.”
It was difficult to recall every second of that moment, but the sound of a voice whispering—run boy, fly away, came to mind. “Keegan,” Kai suggested with a bit of uncertainty. “He stands the most to gain. He wants this war. He broke me out of my cell, put me on a ship. He is on his way here as we speak; he plans to assassinate Roark and make it look like it was the work of Katori. He is intent on starting another great world war.”
The confused look on Dresnor’s face coincided with Kai’s feelings. Keegan was a crazy man, and it was up to Kai to put an end to this war before it started. “Look, Dresnor, before I turn myself in, I want to see Rayna one last time.”
“Turn yourself in?” Dresnor cocked his head. “I thought you were innocent?”
“I am,” Kai reassured him, “but somehow between now and everyone reaching Diu, I must find proof. Maybe I can find my father’s body and the person who took him. I must stop this war before it starts, before minds are too clouded with hate and power nobody remembers or cares about the truth.” Kai thought about his time on the vessel. He had searched every part of the warship. If Iver had been there, Keegan’s ego would have been keen to gloat. “His body was not on Keegan’s ship, not that I saw, which means Iver could still be here on the mainland.”
“You obviously have a plan . . . So, let’s hear it.”
The look between them darkened, giving Kai an eerie feeling. Did his Kempery-man dare share his thoughts? Not that he had much of a plan, only the ma
kings of one. “I must go to Henley. I need Drew by my side. He needs to know the truth, and maybe he can help me search. Find Iver’s body and proving Nola’s guilt is the only way to stop Diu and Katori from tearing each other apart.” He knew this could be the biggest mistake of my life, but he had little to lose. “Then I hope to go to Chenowith before reuniting with Rayna. She is with my grandfather.”
“So,” Dresnor chuckled, “this grandfather character, he does exist? I was sure he was another lie?”
“Of course, he is real. What did you think I made him up to trick you?” Kai realized what he said, and Dresnor’s eye roll confirmed it. He had lied a lot. “I am sorry, Dresnor, my stories were for a good reason. I wanted to travel to Katori and get to know my mother’s people, and they would never let an outsider enter. I had no choice but to leave you behind.”
The wheels spun behind Dresnor’s curious eyes. “What would you have me do? There is no way you can go to all those places before Roark or Nola catch you. It’s well over two hundred miles from here to Diu city. Four days in the saddle, and you have no horse. Two-and-a-half days by ship, and you have no vessel.”
There had been little time to develop a strategy—Kai wished Tolan were here. He was the strategist, the man who could see events unfold without visions from Alenga. This felt like a chess game, and he was out of practice. The crashing waves beat the beach, and the making of a plan came together.
“I need you to convince Admiral Roark to meet me outside of Diu city on the bridge over Stone River, below the dam. Tell him I mean to surrender, but only with everyone present. Say in four days. If he is already planning to hunt me down, he need not look anywhere but on that bridge. It is good he is already planning to bring his army; we will need an army if we mean to take back Diu. Milnos men have overrun the city, and I plan to stop them. But neither Milnos nor Katori is the real threat; Keegan and his Caroco men are.”
Dresnor’s eyes narrowed, pondering the request. “How am I to convince Admiral Roark not to kill you on sight? If I am honest, I nearly killed you myself when I found you. Our history is the only reason you are not dead or in chains. I needed to know why you killed your father. I hoped you would confide in me and tell me where you hid Iver. Now you tell me this foolishness, that you are not Iver’s son. Your new truth makes me trust you even less.”
The realization that everyone wanted to see him dead made it clear how unlikely anyone would trust him again. “I did not kill my father, I told you, Nola made me hold the knife . . . she was the one who drove the blade into Iver.” The words twisted in his mouth. “Please, Dresnor, you must trust me. Tell Admiral Roark that Landon Panier means to become the next king of Milnos. Remind him that Tolan, his son, was meant to wear the crown in my stead. I pray his son is well. Also, if there are a legion of Milnos men in Diu, doing her bidding, maybe he should question Nola before he seizes me.”
“No, I don’t owe you anything.” Dresnor moved away from Kai. “You lied to me more than once. How do I know you are not lying now?” his distrustful expression only intensified as he raised his sword and aimed at Kai’s chest.
“Please, old friend. I need time to prove I did not do this.”
Dresnor’s eyes were distraught. “I am not sure what I believe, but I think you should leave before I change my mind. I cannot help you, not after all your lies. Iver is dead, and no matter the role Nola played, you even admit that the knife was in your hand. I read the report after you were imprisoned—you did not deny killing your father. Nola is distraught over her husband's loss; the nation mourns, and you are playing games. No, Kai, I must stick to the facts. Our friendship must not interfere with justice. You best start running. Roark will come by ship to hasten the end of this foolishness, as you say, and defend Diu from a Katori attack. Two days, not a moment more.”
There was nothing left to say. Dresnor had all but drawn a literal line in the sand, and they were on opposite sides. Kai backed away, taking with him all the power the moon, ocean, and wind could offer. His boots splashed in the fading waves. With all his might, he ran down the beach. His chest ached, not from the exertion but the loss of a friend. The one person he thought would help him was now threatening to arrest him.
Kai ran like the wind. Only when he was sure he would go unseen did he shift his form to become his silver dragon. The night sky welcomed him into her realm, unfolding the world for him to fly free. Thin gray clouds streaked across the sky, providing modest cover for his escape.
Having never flown over the southern Diu countryside, Kai was unsure of the markers he should use to ensure his path. Now was not the time to get lost in the dark, his best guess was to follow the coast toward Port Anahita than fly inland toward Henley, all while trying to go unnoticed.
Chapter 15
The Hunted
Iam innocent, Kai reminded himself, watching the coastline morph into the countryside. He tried to convince himself they would all come to know the truth. If only he could figure out how to convince the world. But even if he found Iver’s body, he was unsure it was possible.
Circling over Henley, Kai searched for an army, men who might lay in wait should he consider seeking sanctuary with an old friend. He saw nothing out of the ordinary; no camps or marching men sent to hunt him down. Still, he wondered if this were another mistake. Dresnor had no faith in him. Why would Drew or Robert, Drew’s father, be any different?
Kai yawned. Heavy eyelids weighed on him. He wanted to rest—needed to rest. He shook off the drowsiness and searched for a place to land. Lights from Henley twinkled below. Two main gatehouses, both well-lit stone arches on opposite ends of town, looked heavily guarded. Deep in the northern woods, Kai dropped from the sky with ease. His dragon form disappeared when he released the golden thread. Through the trees, a light flickered as he released the magic back into his stone.
Less than a mile from the town, he used his Beastmaster skills to sense the animals around him. They were at peace; no signs of alarm. The city walls lay between him and safety. The various access points and guard stations were child’s play compared to Diu security, and Kai slipped in undetected without breaking a sweat.
Kai snuck to the manor and gleaned Robert in his study, rifling through a stack of papers on his desk. There had to be a way to reach Robert without entering the estate. Kai considered the risks: getting captured or putting his friend in jeopardy.
Maybe I can call Robert to me? He thought as a yawn stretched his face and brought water to his eyes.
He had never used his mind to call to anyone besides Rayna and Kendra. Would it even work on Robert? After days with little to no sleep and hours of flying, Kai’s strength was waning. Every step took its toll. Lethargic and weak, he stumbled closer to the estate, needing a safe place to rest with someone he could trust.
As Kai had done so many times before, he held onto the light within his soul and pressed it inward. Weakness shook his body; the power did not build as it should. Kai pushed his thoughts toward his friend, and Robert looked up; his head cocked to the side. Confused but not drawn, he went back to reading.
Stars pricked the edges of Kai’s mind, causing him to yawn uncontrollably. His fist clenched his crystal, calling for more power as he pulled at his surroundings. The wild, forced energy struck Kai, putting him on his knees. There was no giving up; he needed help. He knew he was in trouble. From the woodlands around the estate, he drew strength. His head began to pound.
Kai focused on memories of Robert, their friendship. A knowing welled in his soul. Unable to control the magic, he focused on Robert and pushed the pulse with one thought attached—help me, Robert.
A spear of light bolted from Kai’s mind, across the yard, and into Robert. Kai saw papers flutter from Robert’s hands as the man slammed back into his chair. Robert rushed to the window, and their eyes met briefly before, dizzy and weak, Kai collapsed in the darkness.
♦ ♦ ♦
Dawn's pale-yellow light peeked through the windows and woke Kai
. Across the room, the sofa had the form of a slumbering man. Propped up on his elbows, Kai realized that he was inside the estate. Robert rolled over and caught Kai’s bleary eyes, “Good, you're awake. You had me worried.”
Dread bubbled in the pit of Kai’s stomach; he sprang to his feet. Lightheaded, he dropped back on the bed. “How do I get inside?”
“Rest, Kai,” Robert said, tossing aside his blanket and moving to Kai’s side. “you’ve only slept a few hours. I cannot imagine what you’ve been through these past few days.”
Fear gripped Kai’s gut. “I am sorry, Robert, I should not have come here; this was a mistake. Who else knows I am here?”
“You are safe here, Your Highness.” Robert rose to help Kai stand. “I carried you in myself to the guest room. No one knows you are here—I promise. Stay here, and I will get you food. You must be starving.” Robert left in a rush, allowing no time for Kai to respond.
In his solitude, Kai thought about the past several days. Every choice he had made weighed on his heart. How wished he had listened to Lucca and stayed in Katori; let nature take its course. At the time, he did not want to accept the truth of Iver’s fate. Now he was left with the memory of his hand wielding the blade.
After an hour, Kai began to worry Robert might turn him in or send for Diu soldiers. He put his hand on the doorknob and listened—silence. His history with the Henley family made his heart ache as he pondered the possibilities that this man would report him to the authorities without really hearing his story.
The handle twisted in his palm, and Kai backed away. Robert entered with a brown leather satchel. “Sorry Kai, I could not very well disappear with a tray of food at this hour without questions. As the lord of Henley, I have a duty to my citizens. I needed to see to several matters of state. I packed a bag in case you wanted to take provisions with you when you leave.”